Adolescent parenthood: a costly mistake or a search for love?

Family life is changing worldwide and an increasing number of women are cho osing single parenthood. Adolescents who become pregnant and early childbea rers do not always become pregnant unintentionally; some actively plan preg nancy while others are ambivalent mainly about the timing. This paper repor ts on a study using an ethnographic approach that explored the mothering ex periences of five sole-supporting Australian teenage mothers who had a chil d over six months of age. It focuses on the story of one of them, a young w omen who gave birth at 16 and set up home for herself and her son. Early ch ildbearing is often a response to adverse social conditions such as poverty or homelessness and is not uncommonly chosen by teenage girls from sociall y deprived backgrounds. Educational and employment opportunities may be lim ited, whilst motherhood may provide a purpose in life when few other option s are possible. Young women who make this choice need comprehensive service s to support them in the parenting role, including appropriate health care, welfare and housing benefits, and support in dealing with parenting, a rol e which they may greatly desire but are not automatically well prepared for .