Welcome Young Moms!
About Me
Hi there!
My name is Stephanie. I’m a wife, mom, blogger and full-time social worker based in New York City. I love to travel and spend time with my family.
It’s been 2 amazing years since YoungMomChronicles.com went live and I’m so happy to have this platform to share tips, news, articles and resources.
Updated May 2018
The Start of Young Mom Chronicles
While I had not yet launched an official website until January 2018, I had, however, began creating Young Mom Chronicles without even realizing it. On multiple occasion, I found myself trying to remember, in the little time I had, the events that took place in my life that led me to today.
Given my bad memory as well as my joy for writing, I often wrote on my journal to try to hold on to these events. I recorded my experiences; poems, joyful times, important milestones in my son’s life, as well as the lessons I had learned along the way as a young mother.
I felt like I was writing all this not only for myself but for someone else whom I didn’t yet know. I realized one day that much of what I wrote was pertaining to my life as a young mom and knew I had to share the thoughts and events that helped me not only to be the best mom I could be but also the pieces that pushed me to be true to myself without losing my identity. I wished I could tell other moms that it was okay and that if I could be a mom, so could they. And so, Young Mom Chronicles was born.
Our Mission
-Help young moms continue to defy odds and stereotypes
-Support and empower young mothers
-Inspire young moms to live their dreams
-Provide a safe space with useful content and resources
What better way to support other young moms out there than by having a safe space where we can all share our stories and make a bond of solidarity with one another?
Everyone is welcome to join this platform and add to the conversation of young motherhood.
I’m excited to embark on this journey and hope you enjoy what this site has to offer.
The Young Mom Route
While I had tremendous support from my family, I still had to navigate many new paths by myself. Some challenges I faced included balancing schooling, a career in order to provide for my son and learning the ropes of being a mother.
I looked back at my life and realized, regardless of all my shortcomings, how lucky I was to have-and still am-to continue to make it through such uncertain times. I also wondered of all the women who perhaps did not have the same help and support I did and it broke my heart. I immediately thought, if I got through difficult moments with so much support then how did other moms cope with little to no help, let alone single mothers?
Through this safe space, I would like to in as little as I know, let other women know that it will be okay and we are one in the end. I wish to help even in the smallest ways to make your experience as a young mom a little easier.
The Fears
Not until very recently did I realize my true strength. It’s not based on an expertise or a superhuman skill or virtue. It had more to do with trying to find my purpose and actively seek to fulfill it. This is what led me to writing my own blog aimed at young mothers. While the word “mother” itself already entails a ‘Wonder Woman-like’ characteristic, the reality is not so wonder-like. Having gone through a teenage pregnancy, I came to realize that being a mother is extremely difficult.
For me, when I found out I was pregnant, I was overwhelmed with questions: “What is going to happen now?” “Will I be a good enough mother?” “What will people think?” “What if things don’t go as planned?” “Will I be able to get a good enough job..?” Yes, we all go through those moments of uncertainty but let me tell you, there is tons of light at the end of the tunnel!
If anyone at that time would have told me that almost 7 short years later I would be graduating college, already owning my first home, still married to my first love, and continued to be blessed with my son, I would have laughed. Unfortunately, that’s what fear does to us. It automatically discards any dreams or possibilities without regards of our great ability to actually achieve them.
The Discovery
I don’t know how or when, but somehow, I became stronger. I still cannot explain it clearly. All I can tell you is that one of the main things that remained through all these years was the motivation my son gave me everyday. If I wouldn’t have my son with me today, I highly doubt I would have achieved buying a house at the age of 22. I highly doubt I would have gotten straight A’s in my college classes. I also, highly doubt that I would have pushed myself hard enough to land a high paying job at 19 years old.
It is my responsibility to let young mothers know that with a teen pregnancy things don’t have to turn out as stereotypes dictate. If anything, regardless of the circumstances, we got a head start and yes, while many will look at us like we are crazy, know that the time will come when- with hard work – you will be at an advantage over those who pointed a finger.
My son is my hero. He changed my life in ways that I can never explain. The creation of this site is just a humble effort to help young moms out there who are facing unimaginable struggles to find their strengths in uncertainty and fear- and to hopefully realize the wonderful blessing of young motherhood.
