A Teen, Student, Employee, Daughter, Mother!

My name is Jasmin Colon. I’m 18 years old and have a 16 month son named Xavier! I got pregnant with Xavier when I was 16 years old and had him when I was 17 years old. Xavier is my whole life, and I love him very much, but it is very hard trying to juggle being a mom, a teen, a student, a employee, a daughter, and still try to have a relationship with my boyfriend/baby’s father.

However hard it may be, it is not impossible. Every day I have to deal with the looks and the comments, that I’m sure every teen parent goes through. I’m asked daily if I’m still with my baby’s father, what my parents think, and how does it feel not being a teen anymore. Sometimes it doesn’t bother me that the ask because I understand people are curious, but I hate when people I really don’t know want to get in my personal life and judge me.

Yes, I am still with my baby’s father, but what does it matter. No, my parents weren’t happy, but what does it matter. I love being a mother even if I’m still a teen, but again what does it matter. People say all these negative thing about teen parents, but nevertheless we are still parents and are trying to do what is right for our children. There are parents in their 20s or 30s and are still acting like teens, that are not with their babies father, that live off the government, that go clubbing, and that don’t have a steady job, but people don’t make a big teen about them as they do to teen parents.

The way I see it is, it doesn’t matter how old you are as a parent, it matters how well you take on the responsibility. This is why I became an ambassador with the Stepps Boston program, to open people’s minds to realize that we are not a disease. Yes, we might have made a mistake in our lives, but we are human. I am proud to be a teen parent, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!