Strengths and self-perceptions of parenting in adolescent mothers

Traditional views of adolescent mothers perpetuate negative stereotypes and fail to acknowledge many who cope adequately and provide good care for their children. A qualitative descriptive design was used in this study to explore the strengths and positive attributes within this group to enlarge our understanding of the adolescent motherhood experience. Results indicated a surprising level of fortitude and commitment to children and a desire to optimize financial security through hard work and further education. Unexpectedly, these mothers described having children as a positive force that helped them change their lives from self-destructive past toward more productive and hopeful futures. Although further research is needed, these results indicate that adolescent mothers as a group are more heterogeneous than previously described.