The challenges, successes and aspirations of a teen-age parent

I first met Krystal and Heaven in 2003. Krystal was 17 years old and Heaven was six months old. Krystal had heard about Precious Minds, New Connections through the parenting class in her high school. She decided to enroll when she learned that the parent educator could visit her at home. Also, she saw an opportunity to get advice and incentives. Krystal commented, “I didn’t have a clue about good parenting skills and what to expect.”

When I met Krystal, she was eager to learn about Heaven’s development and had many questions. But, what also caught my attention about Krystal was that she had dreams and goals of her own. She was getting ready to graduate from high school and was enrolled in a summer program to earn college credit. During this time, Krystal was very busy going to school full-time, but she made it a point to have at least one home visit with me every month. When the summer program ended, she was ready to meet with me weekly and learn more about how she could impact her and Heaven’s future.

During the years I visited Krystal, she was faced with many challenges. She was left alone to raise Heaven because Heaven’s dad decided to make decisions that would not improve their lives. So, Krystal felt that she and Heaven were better off living on their own. After this, Krystal had many financial obstacles to overcome. She would try to make ends meet by stretching $10 over two weeks. She said sometimes she only had Ramen noodles and milk in the home. Read More ...