Many teen parents choose to stay in school and earn their diploma. When it comes to what’s best for you, it can be helpful to discuss various strategies with an adult who is close to you and who is trustworthy.

There are a variety of options when it comes to getting support and help if you choose to stay in school. Can your parent(s) or guardian(s) or the baby’s father’s parent(s) or guardian(s) provide child care while you’re in school? Maybe they can split the job. If the baby’s father is still in school, maybe his school provides child care programs for teen parents. Your school may also have some kind of day care program or programming for teen moms. If the baby’s father isn’t in school, perhaps he can get a job that allows him to take care of the baby while you’re in school.

Some teen parents do not have these kinds of supports or options available to them and end up quitting school to stay home to take care of the baby. It’s possible to work on getting a high school equivalency diploma or to take classes at night.

But you don’t need to figure out all of this on your own. There are adults out there who want to see you succeed and want to help you reach your goals. School counselors are good resources to talk to when it comes to your options for continuing to build the kinds of skills that can be helpful in the work world. Trusted adults can help advocate for you to get the assistance you need and want to become a great parent and also meet your own educational or work goals.