Jackson Free Press

I don't know many 20-year-old girls who would turn down a good party or give up the freedom and spontaneity of youth for days of diaper-changing and Saturday evenings spent at Chuck E. Cheese. My niece, Erica Leach, has done just that without complaint.

Erica has two children and a baby girl due this summer. While other girls her age are attending college, meeting friends for lunch whenever they please and indulging in nightlife, she is up at 7 a.m. taking care of her children until bedtime. Her maturity and child-rearing skills constantly amaze me, and her patience seems to be unending. Like many mothers, she admits to a brief period of wanting to shrug off her parental responsibilities after having her first child at age 16. "I'm just not interested in those things now," she says of nightlife while wiping Talen's adorable yet slobbery smile.

Married in 2005, Erica and Will, her 20-year-old husband, face daily struggles because of their age and financial status. The two share a car, which makes transportation and work more difficult. An unreliable babysitter can make planning precarious, and many employers discount "baby excuses" for being late or absent from work. These everyday challenges add up to loads of stress for a mother trying to keep her sanity. Erica never lets these things get her down for long.

This month, Erica will be taking her GED and will start studies in real estate. With a little help from friends and family, she and her family have bright prospects. Erica refuses to succumb to society's low expectations for young mothers.

If you know a young person with children, you could make a substantial difference. There are things you can do to help lessen the burden. Just two hours of free babysitting could mean getting to a job interview or getting in some much-needed studying. Why not drop a couple pizzas by if you know that money is tight, or invite them to dinner? Take it from me, as a single mother, that you will be eternally appreciated, which makes me think of all the times my own mother saved my ass countless times.

Previous Comments

ID

81205

Comment

Happy Mother's Day to all the young mothers! God bless you.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-09T19:22:10-06:00

ID

81206

Comment

*rounds of applause* Also check out www.oneyoungparent.com and www.wheniwas13.com I had my oldest when I was 20. I had already gained a stedaughter at 19. I wouldn't take it back.

Author

Heather

Date

2007-05-09T20:48:12-06:00

ID

81207

Comment

This goes out to my favorite, inspiratioinal and most gorgeous young Mom, Miss Caroline. Happy Mother's Day.

Author

Ray

Date

2007-05-10T13:22:42-06:00

ID

81208

Comment

Why on earth would she have 3 children by age 20, obviously requiring her to drop out of high school? I'm sincerely glad she and her family are doing OK. I wish them the best. I wonder if they receive any type of public assistance--food stamps, Medicaid, etc. If so, her decision to have 3 children by age 20 is a poor one, for it requires hardships (taxes) for the rest of us. If she and her husband are able to provide for all their own needs, it's obviously a good decision for them. HDMatthias, MD

Author

HDMatthias, MD

Date

2007-05-24T21:54:41-06:00