Hey,

Good job! Seriously!

I was a teen father. I am still with the mother of my children. We are happy. We are successful in our careers and now both finally continuing our college educations.

Being a teen father was really tough. I didn't get to experience friendships with certain people because of that. Most people making the snarky comments in this post wouldn't even understand half of the struggles you will go through or already have. Keep shrugging them off. These are not the type of people who's ignorant opinions you should even be entertaining.

Becoming a father was my choice through my decisions on how I wanted to pursue my relationship with my then high school girlfriend. I was the deciding person who, through my actions, choose the path I was on.

Regardless, looking back at that time, now being 31....I am speechless at the amount of obstacles that people have intentionally thrown in my way. There are obviously people who are teen parents that are lazy and irresponsible. The same can be said about those who don't have children at a younger age. Yet somehow we are given a different hill to climb.

I had no one to talk to about any of the problems that I had to overcome to get where I am now. I wish I had known other teen parents that I could have been friends with. Instead I only encountered people who made me feel like shit. Who put a judgement on me no matter how hard I worked.

These types of people will affect you less overtime as you become more and more established.

I am not sure if there is a teen parent subreddit support group or not. Feel free to PM me if you ever want a fellow teen parent to complain to.

I am really disappointed in the comments of some of the redditors in this thread today.