Daily Dose of Sugar Mama

Something tells me things would be easier if it were 14:41, but that’s not the way the cards fell.

Instead I had a baby at 17. Not just any baby, but a really awesome baby that I named Teen. Wouldn’t that be awful if I really had named him Teen?! Actually, his name is of Scottish origin; I thought that was really important at the time since some of my family hails from Scotland. When you are a teen mom you name your baby one of two ways. One: you choose a name of your favorite singer, actor, fictional book character, etc. Basically, you pick a trendy name because that’s cool. Two: you pick a name that seems mature because you want people to take you seriously as a parent.  I chose the second option. I was terrified that I would pick a name that when people heard it they would automatically think “oh, a teen mom must have named that baby”. Because I wanted to be anything BUT a typical teen mom. So, instead, I became a teen mom twice over… thanks Tween!

Anyway, I recently turned 31 and Tween is 13. Seems crazy if you ask me. And there are days that it is crazy. To celebrate our crazy family with our flip flopped ages, I’m making a list of 13 things that make being a young mom….. crazy!

1) I spent my high school homecoming in the gym bathroom trying to figure out a way to cover up the wet spots on my shirt from the leaking breast milk that was soaking through the breast pads. Not something my other 17 year old friends could sympathize with.

2) Teen & Tween spent their first 4-6 years with no friends their own age. Instead, their birthday parties were filled with single & childless late teen and early 20 year old peeps. Most of our friends didn’t have kids. yet. Understandably so.

3) Teen had several pair of expensive athletic tennis shoes by his 1st birthday because that’s what teenagers buy other teenagers’ babies. It doesn’t make sense, but they are sure cute. And that’s what matters when you’re 17.

4) I never paid the daycare provider on time. Not because I was being irresponsible, but because we didn’t have the money in full until payday.

5) At 17 it was important that my outfit coordinated with Teen’s outfit. Thinking of that now makes me exhausted. I’m lucky to walk out the door with clean clothes on and clothes without holes for Teen.

6) I had my Senior picture taken with my child.

7) Balancing a teen life and mommy hood was no easy feat; I missed my social life but wanted to be a good mom. I spent many weekends walking the mall with teen in his stroller dreaming of the stuff in the windows I couldn’t afford.

8} Teen & Tween often fell asleep at our friends’ houses  while Sugar Daddy and I played cards. The kids learned to adapt to different sleeping arrangements on a weekly basis.

9) Teen & Tween lived in 9 different places within their first 9 years.

10) Teen had way too many toys. Sugar Daddy and I were still kids ourselves in many ways, so having an excuse to buy toys was awesome!

11) We pick a family every Christmas to “adopt”. 12 years ago we were the “adopted” family.

12) I have attended college for a total of 8 years, mostly on a full time schedule, and still have not received a degree. Every time we moved I would have to switch schools & re-take several classes. Finishing school before having children has got to be a heck of a lot easier.

13) I have been mistaken as an older sibling of Teen & Tween. Sugar Daddy and I have to work a bit harder for other parents and teachers to take us seriously, even though we’ve been parents just as long.

I read this to Teen before posting. He laughed and then said, “Now you need to come up with a list of 31 things that have made it ALL worth it.”  I just smiled. Because, honestly, that wouldn’t be too hard.