Kym Marsh: Teen mums are unfairly stigmatised
Filed under: Celebrity News
Email This
Text Size
A
A
A
Comments
PA
"I wasn't able to be a typical 18 year old," she tells this week's Star magazine, "You have to grow up very quickly because you can't be a kid any more. You can't be silly or get drunk or stay out."
Her parents, she says, 'weren't chuffed' when she announced her first pregnancy. "My dad was very upset to be honest. He thought I would give up my dreams of my career and then when he realised I wasn't going to do that he was behind me a million per cent."
Now a mum of three - David 16, Emily, 14, from her relationship with Dave Cunliffe, and nine-month-old baby Polly with partner Jamie Lomas - Kym says the documentary reminded her of just how much she worried about finances as a young mum and how some people judge girls who get pregnant, claiming they do it because they 'just want a council house'.
"I had it quite easy compared to some because there are some girls who don't have families to support them. Or they didn't have the fathers around. But I had Dave; (the father of her two eldest children, David and Emily) he was completely involved and still is."
"There was a girl [on the documentary] who moved herself away from her family so she could learn to be a decent mother. I saw how much she was struggling and so when people judge her in the street and think, 'They just want a council house' I know that the reality is very different."
Kym says she was motivated to make the programme because of the stigma attached to teen mothers and the perception that they want to live off benefits, and also because she wanted to see how things had changed since she was 18. She says she found the disapproval of teen mums had got worse, and that it was something she 'didn't feel' as a young mum as much as some of the girls she met.
And having gone through teenage pregnancy, her answer to reducing the number of teen pregnancies in Britain is more sex education. "Maybe we need to talk about sex education even younger and delve into it even more," she says, "And at home as parents we need to have more open conversations. I'm very open with my kids and they do get a bit 'Oh mum!'. My son is 16 so I am having those conversations all the time and he's very embarrassed by that but it's important."
Kym is also emphatic that she does not want her eldest daughter Emily to be a mum as young as she was. "I don't want Emily to get pregnant at 18. It's hard work. It's not what I want for her. I'd be devastated but obviously I would completely support her. If my parents hadn't been there for me I don't know what I would have done."
Read the full story in this week's Star magazine - out today
- Charlotte Church<p> Welsh singer Charlotte settled down after a few wild child years with boyfriend, Gavin Henson. They had their first baby, Ruby, when Charlotte was 21, and just before turning 23, Charlotte gave birth to her son, Dexter. Saying at the time she wanted to create ‘a little rugby team’ with Gavin, the couple are now separated, and both toddlers live with Charlotte in Wales.<br /> <br /> <strong>Charlotte says: </strong>‘I'm definitely pleased I had children when I was so young. I never planned to have children young, but it's worked out so well. I'm not stopping at two though - I'd like to have at least four!’</p>
- Ashlee Simpson<p> Singer Ashlee was a first time mum at 24, after she fell in love with, and married, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz at 23. Baby Bronx Mowgli was born in 2008 and is so far the only child for both Ashlee and Pete.</p> <p> <strong>Ashlee says:</strong> ‘Being a mom's so empowering and incredible. I'm one of those people who believes that life brings things to you at a certain time for a certain reason, and if you just go with it, that's where the best moments come from.’</p>
- Britney Spears<p> Brittney was 24 when she had her first baby, Sean Preston, now six, with husband, Kevin Ferderline. The couple went on to have another son, Jayden James, now four. After a rocky few years, including a very public breakdown for Britney, the two boys now live with their dad.</p> <p> <strong>Britney says:</strong> ‘I always wanted to be a young mum. My mum was a young mum and I’ve looked up to her. I think by being a young mum, I’ll have more energy on being able to bring up more positive kids.’</p>
- Jamie Lynn Spears<p> Britney wasn’t the only Spears member to start a family young. Her little sister, Jamie Lynn, was just 16 when she had daughter, Maddie in 2008, with boyfriend, Casey Aldridge. It was just before Britney and Jamie’s mum was due to release a parenting book…</p>
- James Buckley and Clair Meek<p> Inbetweeners’ star James <a href="http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2011/06/09/inbetweeners-star-james-buckley-is-going-to-be-a-dad-at-23/" target="_blank">recently announced </a>he’s set to be a dad at 23. The couple say they are thrilled to be parents-to-be, and don’t seem fazed about late nights and nappy changes before they hit 24.<br /> <br /> <strong>James says:</strong> 'Clair and I wanted to let everyone know we're having a baby. Chuffed to say it's going brilliantly. Can't quite believe my luck. Didn't think I had it in me.'</p>
- Stacey Solomon<p> Essex girl <a href="http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2011/06/03/stacey-soloman-i-hated-my-pregnancy-but-i-m-so-glad-i-kept-my-b/" target="_blank">Stacey </a>shot to fame on the X Factor, but she was already a young mum - at just 17 she was pregnant with baby Zachary, now three. Stacey says her son is everything to her, and doesn’t have a single regret at being a young mum, despite the struggles she faced when he was born.<br /> <br /> <strong>Stacey says:</strong> ‘I thought my life would be over if I had a baby, so I went to see a consultant about a termination, but when he told me Zachary's size and explained the procedure, I knew I couldn't do it. I'm just so, so glad I didn't do it and made the right decision to keep him. I have absolutely no regrets about having Zachary whatsoever.’</p>
- Kate Hudson<p> Hollywood favourite Kate had her first baby, Ryder, at 24. His dad is American music star, Chris Robinson. While the couple are now divorced, Kate says she has no regrets about having Ryder in her early 20s, admitting it felt completely ‘normal’ to be a young mum. Kate’s now expecting new partner, Matt Bellamy’s baby, and is <a href="http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2011/06/08/mum-to-be-kate-hudson-has-star-studded-baby-shower/" target="_blank">due to pop any day…</a><br /> <br /> <strong>Kate says:</strong> ‘I didn't feel like I was having a baby young. He was my family's first grandchild and to me it just felt normal. Now I have a little boy who is just his own person, the baby is really starting to go away and now I'm like, "I really was a young mum. I'm so happy that I had a child so young." He is my buddy.’</p>
- Kate Winslet<p> English actress Kate was just making her mark in Hollywood when she had her first baby, Mia Honey with Jim Threapleton at 24. After separating with Jim, Kate went on to have a son, Joe, in 2003 with second husband, film director Sam Mendes.<br /> <br /> <strong>Kate says:</strong> ‘You know, you jump through hoops. I’m on a plane tonight. I’ll be home at five in the morning. And I will be on that school ground tomorrow morning. I absolutely will be. It’s crucial for our kids that we are the key people in their life. And I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.’</p>
- Katie Price<p> Katie had her first baby, Harvey when she was 24, after a brief relationship with footballer, Dwight Yorke. Two more babies followed with Peter Andre - Junior, now six, and Princess Tiaamii, now three - and she’s already <a href="http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2011/05/31/katie-price-wants-babies-with-leandro-penna/" target="_blank">talking about a fourth with new beau, Leandro Penna…</a></p>
- Kendra Wilkinson<p> Former Girl of the Playboy Mansion star Kendra quit the Playboy life in 2008, and settled down to be a young mum with fiancé, now husband, Hank Baskett. Hank Junior was born in December 2009, making Kendra a first time mum at 23.<br /> <br /> <strong>Kendra says:</strong> ‘When the baby sleeps, we have sex! That's why it's so cool to be young parents because we have the energy to do that."</p>
- Kym Marsh<p> The former Hearsay singer turned Corrie actress may be a new mum to <a href="http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2011/03/24/kym-marsh-gives-birth-to-daughter-five-weeks-early/" target="_blank">baby Polly,</a> but she’s a seasoned pro at motherhood; she had her son, David at 19, and daughter, Emily, at 21. Both older children are from a previous relationship with Dave Cunliffe.<br /> <br /> <strong>Kym says:</strong> ‘The last time I was looking after a newborn was 13 years ago, so to suddenly have this tiny baby, who isn't the easiest, is quite a lot to get used to. It's a shock.'</p>
- Mutya Buena<p> One third of the original Sugababes, Mutya left the band after she had baby Tahlia at 20, to concentrate on motherhood (and a solo album and appearance on Celebrity Big Brother).<br /> <br /> <strong>Mutya says: </strong>'I was convinced I could be a full-time Sugababe and a mother at the same time. But I quickly realised that being a mum was much harder than I thought. Tahlia came first, so if she was ill and I had to miss a gig or an interview, I felt guilty for letting the other girls down, and if I was working, I'd feel guilty for not spending enough time with her. Either way, I wasn't happy.'</p>
- Kerry Katona<p> Troubled star Kerry is mum to Molly and Lily Sue, with first husband, Brian McFadden, and Heidi and Max, her children with ex, Mark Croft. Kerry was a first-time mum at just 20, leaving girl band Atomic Kitten to look after baby Molly. She reckons she won’t be having any more children, saying her family is complete with four little ones.</p>
- Rebecca Ferguson<p> When X Factor’s Rebecca was first filmed at the audition stage of the show, she was shown proudly next to her two children, Lillie May, six, and Karl, four. She was 18 when she had her daughter with her then-boyfriend, Karl, and went on to have a son, also called Karl, at 21.<br /> <br /> <strong>Rebecca says:</strong> ‘"I was sure I'd blown my chances when I got pregnant quite young. I got pregnant when I was 17 and had Lillie at 18 and my singing got sidetracked.’</p>
- Reece Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe<p> Reece and Ryan met on her 21st birthday, and had their first baby, Ava when Reece was 23, and Ryan, 25. The couple had a son, Deacon in 2003, but went on to divorce in 2007. They have had one the friendliest break-ups in Hollywood, and share custody of their children.<br /> <br /> <strong>Reece says:</strong> ‘Ava wasn't planned and suddenly I was faced with the prospect of becoming a mother and I had never even held a newborn in my arms before! What was interesting about our becoming parents was that Ryan was the really cool one. He could change a diaper in something like five seconds flat. It was amazing to see him work! I feel like I went through a crash course in motherhood.’</p>
- Solange Knowles<p> Beyonce’s little sis took a stab at the music industry before falling pregnant at 17 with baby Daniel, now six, with her then-husband, Daniel Smith. The couple are now divorced and share custody of their son, and while Solange has been honest about the difficulties of being a young mum, she calls her son ‘the greatest unplanned blessing’.<br /> <br /> <strong>Solange says:</strong> ‘I have been so blessed that my son is the coolest kid ever. Of course, that first year of not sleeping and just being dedicated to him had tough parts but that’s fine. It’s been a blast for me. A lot of people have doubts, but when you have a child I think it takes a really non-emotional person not to have a blast, no matter what age.’</p>
