10 Ways to Use the Life After Birth book to Help Teen Moms
When I published my memoir, Life After Birth: A Memoir of Survival and Success as a Teenage Mother, my number one goal was to help teen moms.
I ultimately created a powerful, trauma-informed curriculum that promoted academic excellence and social and emotional development. Before I created the S.O. What! Literacy, Life Skills, and Character Education curriculum, I created this list of ways to use the book, Life After Birth: A Memoir of Survival and Success as a Teenage Mother, to help teen moms (and all youth).
1. Discuss insecurities and how to overcome them as well as showing respect for others. “The Innocent, Little Girl” and “The Challenges of High School” detail the author’s insecurities and her progression towards overcoming them. The theme of overcoming these insecurities is carried throughout the book. Also, express the importance of self-love. Use the “The Innocent Little Girl” to discuss the effects of picking on others and the reasons why people do it and how to deal
with it.
2. Encourage volunteerism. The chapter “A Giving Spirit” explains the author’s reluctance to volunteering and then the reward for doing so. Throughout the book, the author provides examples for getting involved and giving back.
3. Educate teens about sex, dating and relationships as teen mothers. Although they are already parents, many teens still need sex education to avoid having more children as teenagers or contract sexually transmitted diseases. Teach teens about how to make self-respecting choices that are right for them. Emphasize making choices that honor their values, gut instincts and boundaries. “What Is It?” is a good chapter for conversations on sex education. “Beyond Just the Two of Us” discusses the challenges of dating as a single mother and the importance of keeping your child first and not bringing men in and out of children’s lives.
4. Teach students the importance of a support system and how to show appreciation for the support. Beginning with the chapter “The Secret is Revealed” examples of support are provided. Throughout the book, the author explains how she relied on the support of others and how she showed her appreciation for and never abused that support.
5. Encourage students to talk to their parents or other trusted adults. “A Major Shift” through “The Pregnant Little Girl” are chapters that deal with the author’s relationship with her mother and the importance of communicating with her.
6. Teach pushing forward in spite of obstacles. The entire book explains how the author didn’t let her challenges stop her from finishing high school and achieving her goals. “Yet Another Finish Line” shows how the author earned an MBA
despite the difficulty of doing so as a teen/single mother. Demonstrate that although some of the individual challenges may be different, any challenge can be overcome.
7. Explain the importance of making wise financial decisions and making sacrifices. After having her baby, the author got a job and realized the importance of spending her money on necessities. She also realized she had to make a lot of sacrifices in terms of her money, as well as her time. Demonstrate how having a child should change your life and your priorities.
8. Explain how government assistance should be used if necessary but not depended upon long-term. In “The Pregnant, Little Girl”, the author discusses using the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program while she was pregnant and her son was an infant. However, in “I’ve Got to Keep on Moving”, the author explains how she was denied government assistance and never got child support yet was still financially able to care for her son.
9. Teach the importance of setting goals and getting an education. Facilitate a discussion on life plans beyond high school. “Preparation for a New Beginning” through “Another Finish Line” discuss the college experience and making the
most of it to prepare for a better for future. “Continuing Education” furthers the emphasis on the importance of learning and self-improvement. “The Real World” through “The Child and the Career” discuss starting a career and developing into
an adult with the foundation built from the previous chapters of life experience.
10. Encourage students to think about the lessons they learn from their experiences. Each chapter ends with the author’s reflection on what she learned from that period in her life. Have the teens write the lessons they learn from what
they read in the chapters as well as any other thoughts they have.
The S.O. What! Literacy, Life Skills, and Character Education curriculum is a comprehensive curriculum that programs take at least one semester to implement. Students get very engaged, and the lessons get deep…and impactful. For programs that can’t devote the time to fully implement the curriculum, these 10 ways to use Life After Birth to Help Teen Moms is a guide to for using the book to still have a powerful impact and help teen moms (and all youth).
