Growing Up Fast: A Teen Father's Reflective Journey

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"Enjoy life, don't grow up too quickly". My mother gave me this advice as I was about to tell her I was becoming a father at 19 years old. As a child and as a teen my parents gave me a lot of freedom. I was taught that my decisions would affect me more than anyone else. I took this advice for granted and never understood what it meant until I lived it. I don't regret anything but my decisions could have been better.
Growing up and seeing so many teen parents around me I would always think I would never have kids at a young age. Life, however, had different plans for me which were my two beautiful daugthers. I feel I love with the mother of my girls when I was 18. After a year of being together we have a mutual decision of having a baby. She was 17 years old and yet she had to grow up and mature as soon as the words "I'm pregnant" came out of her mouth. Hearing this bright much joy into my life but I realized I had nothing to provide for my child. That's when I had to grow up. …show more content…

I thought it was simple but not being able to provide financially for a baby you brought into this world makes you feel worthless. I started working from when the sun came up to when it came down but I never felt as if it was enough.
I have no regrets about having my girls but looking back, the smarter decision would have been to be stable and then have them. They're my greatest motivation for me to strive for success. I never want them to expire the feeling wanting something but knowing I can't afford it.
My parents had me when they were teens and I thank them for all they did for me and what they still do. They made ends meet no metter what. As a child, I have everything I needed. They gave me everything they could give me but I could always see the heartbreak in their eyes when I would ask for something and they couldn't afford it and they had to tell me no. I never want my girls to ever have to expirience that

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