17 and want to be a mom..Any Classes I can take?

Question

I know what everyone is going to say- I'm too young. I know this lol. My question is, are there any classes I can take OUTSIDE of my school that lets you take home that electronic baby? I'm hoping If I get to experience what it's like to be a mom, maybe this feeling will go away. It's seriously ripping me apart..I want to be a mother so badly, and I know I am too young. So if anyone knows of any classes like that anywhere, could you please let me know? Thanks!

Thanks everyone-I actually am out of school right now, and looking to accquire my daycare license so I can work in a daycare! I am actually engaged (yes, I know young for that too) and my fiance and I have been together for 4 wonderful years, so I know he would not run out on me. I do understand that I am very young and I really thank you all so much for your input and advice! You have been a wonderful help....except for the person who called me a whore...guess what? Your being reported! :) Again, thanks everyone!

Answer 1

You sound like a smart young lady, have you talked to your school counslers or local DFS? If they can not help you they should be able to direct you in the right direction. You have just broken my heart. You may not read this, but I will take my chances. I was with my girls father from the age of 17-25 my children are now 7 and 5 and I work about 70 hours a week, I am a single mom of 1 1/2 yrs with no support, I spend as much otime with the children as I can plus housework, helping with homework, afterschool and weekend activities and OH yeah there is you who has not had a break since GOD knows when. Get a part-time job at a daycare if you can or something it is just a phase. You need to go to college and find the right person take it from me, I am only 27 so I am still young and I have no time to do any of those things you do not want to pass up.

Thank you for asking for advice, I admire you!!!!!!

Answer 2

Red Cross parenting classes would help. Try this, though. Volunteer at a day care center and work with the young kids. Stick with it and learn the challenges that children provide. Remember when you leave the center you've only been there x number of hours. A child is 24/7/365 and there is NO person to replace you (maybe help a little but not replace). That will cure you for a great while. The other volunteer experience is working in a church nursery with babies. Changing diapers can be an experience all on its on, not to mention colicky babies, dealing with several crying at once, etc. You can also check with your school nurse for a program that has you wear a body suit that simulates pregnancy weight and also helps you with preparing for the arrival of a baby.

These ideas will open your eyes to the daily responsibilities involved in being a parent.

One last idea, if you have a family member that lives close with very young children offer to care for them to gain experience. You'll learn a lot, believe me!

Answer 3

Being young is not the issue . It's begins from the moment you know that you are pregnant till the day you die to be responsible for this human being that you had brought into this world ,no matter how old they are.
Your body goes through major changes, morning sickness,weight gain ,water retention,& a woman gets extremely emotional, Example: Having "PMS". Also being in labor & having contractions is like having a real strong menstural cramp inhanced 50 % .Once I held my baby in my arms, this overwhelming feeling of knowing that I did'nt need anyone to love me but him. LISTEN: Know one ever told me that when I breastfeed my baby or pumped my milk that I was going to have severe cramps Why? because when you nurse(breast feed) your uterus is slowly contacting it'self back in place. This is a good thing although painful you might get your figure back & loose weight faster.Plus it's healthier for your baby & it beats making bottles @ night. All these beautiful yet challenging steps lead up to appreciating, loving and caring for your baby. There is also the possibility of having post partum ( not wanting to look , hold or want your baby). Having an electronic baby is not going to give you a real life experience. I can suggest that you can volunteer or earn money in various different places. 1.Hospital(holding premie babies).
2. Nursery or pre-school 3.Live-in or part time nanny position 4.Nurse Providers ( helping families of children w/ disabilities a few hours a day so the parents can take a break & pamper themselves. I was married @ 18 . Pregnant twice when I was 20 & miscarried both boys close to being 5th months into my pregnancy. I was divorced a few years later. I remarried & have been blessed w/ 3 boys ages 8, 6, & 4. Two of my boys have AUTISM. So everyday is a challenge in our house & some days are more frustrating than others. They are my Angels & I love them w/ all my heart. I also have been a pre-school teacher since I was 19 years old. I am now 37. So I hope this letter & some of my life experiences are benificial to you Good luck & God Bless you.

Answer 4

A great thing to do is volunteer at a before/after school program. Babies don't stay babies forever--it's mostly the school age times that can get rough. I'd suggest doing that first. This will give you experience with older children. They can get extremely complicated. If you want to you could volunteer/work at a daycare.

Electronic babies are not realistic. Sure, you have to wake up in the middle of the night...etc but it's not a hands on experience.

Anyway, while making your choices remember, those little bundles of joy grow up and become preschoolers, grade schoolers, and eventually teenagers.

A little bit of advice from a young mother who has a son (10mo) who just started walking--it gets tough. It takes a lot of patience, time, effort, love, and compassion. It's not just about cuddling it's about making your child a productive adult. It's about making complected choices that are hard to make but benefit or harm your child. It's the constant worry of--how will this effect my child?

Answer 5

I'm glad to see that you know you are young for this, and that you are looking to be able to alleviate (somewhat) the desire to have a baby at this age. I don't know of any places that hand out the electronic babies, but I would suggest volunteering at a hospital nursery or nicu, or finding some Mom's in the area with young children and babysitting them over night.

I started thinking about having kids by your age too. I'm glad that I waited. My daughter, now 5, is a wonderful child that brings great joy to me, but I don't think I could have enjoyed it as well at a younger age. There are still days I think I should have gone out and lived more before having kids. They take away what you now consider "normal" and redifine it. Worth every bit, but a lot to adjust to. By the way, I was 23 when I had her.

Answer 6

well im not gunna say you are too young because im pretty sure you have heard that before im just going to say that you should like do babysitting before because that one way that you could study in being a mother after you have babysitted and love it then go right ahead and have a kid but make sure its with the right guy because you dont want the guy to leave you and also make sure that having a child wont mess up ur future

Answer 7

Enjoy your life. I had my first baby at a really young age and I missed out on everything. Instead of going out on dates and hanging out with friends I was at home warming up bottles and taking care of an infant.

Answer 8

Maybe you should join an extracurricular or something to remind you that you are young. Having a baby is VERY expensive and you shouldn't bring a baby into an environment where you are struggling to support it.

Answer 9

Since you know that you are too young then I won't say it! Why not get an education and then play house? You have a lifetime to playhouse and so little time to go to schol. First get your self established before playing house!

Answer 10

You should try baby-sitting or working at a daycare to fill your need to be in a maternal role. Well at least until you are mature enough to have a child.