I’m the young mom. You know, the one who got engaged to her high school sweetheart at 19, married at 20, and had my first child at 22. I’ve gotten all kinds of stares and side eyes, both silly and sarcastic comments, and of course, sweet oooh’s & ahhh’s from people that think it’s adorable that two people they think of as babies now have a baby.
Maybe you’re like me, a young mama too, and you’ve had people shriek at your age or reply with a quick, “I could almost be YOUR mother!” You have learned to brush it off and realize it’s all in fun, that they love the perspective you bring to motherhood, and that you’re thankful you have an older mama to look up to in your journey, but it still ends up always being a topic of conversation. Hopefully these ten things make you laugh just as they do for me!
When You’re the Young Mom…
10. Most of your friends don’t have kids (heck, most of them aren’t even married!). This means your little one is the token child of the group. They are showered in gifts, treats, and endless affection.
9. People will throw out a TV show, fashion trend, or popular toy from their youth and will instantly follow it up with, “Hey, were you even alive for that?”
8. You call your pediatrician’s office to make an appointment for your kiddo and the receptionist asks, “Now, is this appointment for you or for your child?” It’s totally uncalled for. I mean, I haven’t gone to the pediatrician for a whole five years.
7. Mental math is obviously going down in the heads of everyone you encounter. For example, you meet a new acquaintance, they ask when you got married, graduated college, gave birth, how old your child is… and you watch their eyes roll back in their head as they count how much has happened to you in only a handful of years since high school.
6. Your kid has aunts and uncles that are still in high school or college. #babysitterjackpot
5. Your parents are in denial that they’re actually called “grandma and grandpa.” I mean, they’re way too young for that. They will tell you they prefer Mimi or Papa; something much younger and hipper.
4. You have never once put your child’s photos in a scrapbook, let alone printed them. Instagram and Facebook are all you need for memory storage! And hashtags help you to keep them all organized.
3. Those single, kid-free friends previously mentioned often invite your child to join you for a dinner date, a weekend brunch, or even a ladies night because they “really miss” your child or they can’t get over that your kid is “so cute!” What they don’t understand is that dining with toddlers is neither fun nor cute… and that what you really need is an escape for a few hours.
2. You’ve been mistaken for your child’s nanny, babysitter, and big sister.
1. When you tell people you were born in the 90’s, they laugh hysterically for five seconds and then ask, “Wait… are you serious?”
