Being a dad is a tough job at the best of times but being a young dad makes it even harder…

Coming to terms with becoming a parent

Many teen parents are surprised when they discover a pregnancy but whether it was planned or not you have to adapt to the situation. You will need to be prepared for changes in your life, everything will change. Your plans will no longer be clear cut as they will concern not only you but your child from now on. All of your decisions will now need to be made with the best interests of someone else in your mind. Overcoming the initial shock will go a long way to preparing you for what you have got in store.

Teen Dad

It takes two to make a baby but usually when a young couple announce a pregnancy the focus seems to be on the mum-to-be and the future dad becomes a bystander. The impact on a young man though can be enormous too as he needs to come to terms with his new found responsibility for not only the baby but also for his partner.

It is also important that every young dad knows not only their responsibility but also their rights. So if you are about to become a young dad read on…..

A young dads rights are:

• You have the right to know for sure that you are the father. This is not only a right you have but it is a right that the unborn child is entitled to as well.
• If you are the father you have the right to know your child and to participate in your child’s life. You have rights of custody and access.
• You have a right to Paternity leave as is the case with any other dad.

Young dads also have responsibilities:

• You will need to support your child financially.
• You have a responsibility to be present in your child’s life both physically and emotionally.
• You should ensure your child is cared for in the best possible way.
• You need to learn how to look after the child – after all it’s your child and relying on others completely is not what a dad of any age should do.

Support for young dads

The truth is that there isn’t much support out there for young dads so it is vital that you get family and friends on your side. That’s not to say, as pointed out above, that you can shirk your responsibility but you will definitely need all the help you can get.

Other sources:

Try www.citizensadvice.org.uk for some useful pointers.

You may also like to seek some guidance from the following www.clsdirect.org.uk

As I say, there are not many places for guidance aimed at young dads but you should definitely contact your local community centre to see if they have any programmed events for Young parents. It may also be worth contacting your local authority and keep an eye on the local press for groups that may offer something that is useful to your situation.

Finally you may wish to seek advice or just post your story on our forum. You can do this by clicking here.

Author: SuperDads

We’re here to make a difference. Superdads not only offers advice but we are her e to promote the importance of fatherhood. Many people are oblivious to the fact that Dads really do matter and this is something we’d like to put right.

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