DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADOLESCENT AND ADULT MOTHERS ...

Social support from romantic partners, often the baby’s father, is one source of
support that is increasingly receiving attention from researchers (Bunting & McAuley,
2004). Although adolescent mothers are less likely to marry their children’s fathers than
adult mothers (Howard et al., 2006), romantic partners are still significant sources of
support for teens. Partners often provide mothers with emotional and financial support
and frequently help with childcare; these supports have been related to positive parenting
among teens (Bunting & McAuley, 2004). For instance, in a study of first-time mothers
and their 4-month-old infants, paternal support was related to better maternal parenting
and higher quality home environments. These findings were similar for both adolescent
and adult mothers across a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds (Howard et al.,
2006).
Although social support in general, and partner support in particular, have been
related to higher parenting quality among adolescent mothers (Bunting & McAuley,
2004; Howard et al., 2006), little research has investigated how early support impacts
young mothers’ parenting behaviors over time. Mothers who feel supported prior to their
baby’s birth potentially will have more energy and less stress when preparing for their
new parenting role. It is likely that appropriate social supports during pregnancy place a
young mother “on the right track,” and have long-term effects on her ability to recognize
her child’s needs and respond to them accordingly.
In conclusion, it is possible that social support from partners and cognitive
readiness to parent act as predictors of not just parenting at one time point, but also
changes in parenting over time. Furthermore, cognitive readiness and partner support are
likely contributing factors in early parenting behavior for not only adolescent mothers but
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