They need our support!

Tracey Engelbrecht was just 15 years old when she had her son Conor.  Today Conor is a 17 year old young man and his mom is an inspiration.

Tracey has started a support group for young moms, they meet at at False Bay Hospital in Fish Hoek and provide a safe  place (physically and emotionally) for young and teenage moms to get love, friendship and support (and cupcakes).

Here is an excerpt taken from the About page:

Every mom is different

I’ve learnt that it’s very important to realise that each mom is different and not to assume that they come to us because they are struggling or not coping.

Instead, we provide a stable and non-judgmental environment in which they can be themselves, grow as parents and speak of their frustrations and fears, long BEFORE they get to a point where they feel like they’re not managing. It’s an informal, friendly, non-intimidating setting where the moms and group leaders get to know each other as friends, equals – mother to mother.

Established, “older” mothers are always advised to look for support in their communities and family structures, to take time for themselves and to be realistic in their idea of what being a “good mother” means – and urged not to feel guilty about it.

Younger mothers have many of the same stresses and fears (and possibly more) than other mothers – they need the same support, the same amount of rest and “me-time”, the same opportunity to be heard and respected for the work they’re doing.

Isolation, judgment, loneliness, lack of material, physical and emotional support damages a mother’s ability to parent correctly – not healthy for mom, not healthy for baby and not healthy for society which has to live with the consequences of poorly-parented children.

Help the mothers before it gets to that point. Acknowledge and respect those young moms who are doing it right.

We are out there, and we deserve recognition.

There are a few ways to help Tracey help other young moms.

• Make a donation on PayPal.
• Buy a copy of Tracey’s book, The Girl Who Couldn’t Say No.
• Take a look at the Young Mom Support site to see what else you can do.

You can follow Tracey on Twitter and on Facebook.