If you could change one thing about your childhood, what would it be and why?

If you could change one thing about your childhood, what would it be and why?
Kristie Garmon
10/6/2013

There are many things that I wish I could change about my childhood but one thing in particular stands out when I recall some of my childhood memories. The one thing I would change is not to become a mother at the age of fifteen. Although, at such a young age I thought I was ready for the responsibility, I quickly found out that I in fact was not. What I didn’t bank on was the hard work it would take to be a parent when I was only a child myself. I did not take into consideration that I was too young to gain employment and all the things I had to give up. Most teenage girls believe that the guy will stick with you and help take care of the child but they don’t realize that the guy is too immature and not ready to settle down and give up “hanging time” with his buddies. The girl is usually left to handle the situation; along with her parents alone and broke. In some cases, the parents refuse to help out, so the girl is left to deal with the situation alone.
I was forced to quit school and stay home to care for the baby, thus, leaving me lonely, broke, and without a high school diploma. I had to put my dreams on hold and focus on raising a child. I didn’t even get to attend prom or hang out with my friends, because I was always broke and had no babysitter. On rare occasions my parents would babysit and I would get to have fun but not like the father of the child did. He was free to hang out with his friends every weekend, go to prom, and graduate high school. I felt this was unfair and eventually ended up resenting him for it and I resented myself for allowing him to put me in this position. However, I realized it wasn’t only his fault and I could have made better choices.
Being a teenage mother was very hard but also rewarding. I was the one who got to witness all of my sons’ firsts and I was the one who he learned to depend on and trust. Along the way, I learned some valuable lessons and made many mistakes but I became very mature in the ways of the world and life may have handed me some apple but I was the one who chose to make applesauce instead of letting the apples ruin.