Full-time mom and student — at 16

Every morning, 16-year-old Maria Juarez wakes up at 4:30 a.m. She showers and quietly gets herself ready for school while the rest of her family is sound asleep.

Then the Roseburg High School sophomore wakes up her 8-month-old son, Miguel, and gets him ready to go to school with her — all by 6:30 a.m., when the two catch the school bus.

Maria was 14 years old when she got pregnant, but she started high school with her class and remained in school until she was 9 months pregnant. She gave birth during her freshman year of high school during spring break, and in October, the teen returned to Roseburg High School to continue her education.

While Maria admits that her life has changed dramatically since she became a mother, the soft-spoken teen said it hasn’t been a negative change.

“I can’t really imagine my life without him now,” Maria said. “It’s difficult.”

Hitting the books

When Maria found out she was pregnant, all she could do was cry because she felt as though she let down her mother. And even though her mom said she was disappointed, she supported Maria.

“All I could tell her was that it would be OK, even though it wasn’t really OK at the time for me,” said her mother, whose name is also Maria Juarez. “She was so young, and I didn’t want her to go through all of that, but I had to show her that I was OK. It was really hard for me.”

And even though Maria was only 14, she never considered not having the baby. Maria’s mother said she has been surprised at how well Maria is adjusting because she thinks many girls Maria’s age would rather terminate a pregnancy than take on the responsibility of a child.

The teen was equally determined to stay in school. She continued to take classes as her belly swelled, and after giving birth, she was home-schooled for the remainder of her freshman year. Maria got a late start this school year because she fell extremely ill while in Mexico in late-August, her mother said.

In mid-October Maria returned to Roseburg High School, where she is an aide in the Child Development Center in the morning and takes online courses in the afternoon.

“I knew I was gonna finish school because I don’t want him to grow up and say, ‘Oh, my mom didn’t finish school, so I don’t have to,’” Maria said. “I want to set a good example for him. I don’t want to let him down.”

Next semester Maria plans to return to regular classrooms and wants to take courses in math, English, science and German, among other subjects. And while her pregnancy has put her somewhat behind, Maria said she’s working hard to catch up so she can graduate with the rest of her class.

The 16-year-old is also beginning to think about her future after high school, which includes getting a job and going to college to obtain a nursing degree.

Adapting to motherhood

When Maria isn’t at school, she’s usually at home taking care of Miguel. The baby’s birth meant the teen had to trade the time spent hanging out with her friends for changing diapers and preparing baby bottles.

When she does leave with the baby — when she goes to school, the store or to visit relatives — Maria said she has to start getting ready a half an hour earlier in order to get the baby ready and pack a diaper bag.

“Now I don’t just take care of me,” Maria said, “I take care of him.”

Maria’s mother, older sister and grandmother have been the girl’s support system and have made the experience easier than what other teen moms likely experience, she said. And while the women offer support and occasionally help watch the baby, they mainly leave Maria responsible for Miguel’s care.

“I leave more of the responsibility for her because I didn’t want her to be like, ‘Oh well, my mom will do it,’” Maria’s mother said. “I knew she wouldn’t do that, but I didn’t want to take a chance.”

While Maria finishes high school, she said her mother and father help her financially. The baby’s father, who is also a teenager, is not involved in raising Miguel, which, at times, has been difficult for Maria, her mother said.

“That’s why I’m giving more support to her, because I know how that is,” Maria’s mother said. “I know how hard that is.”

Maria’s mother said her daughter has always been responsible and helped watch her younger brother and sister, but having her own child has matured the teen from a young girl to a mother. But Maria acknowledges that she is still learning about her new role.

“I’m worried about doing something wrong — doing something that I think is OK and then it ends up not being OK,” she said.

Juggling act

Maria guesses that if she hadn’t gotten pregnant, her life wouldn’t be too much different. She would still be at school, but likely taking different courses. She would still have homework, but it probably wouldn’t be as tough to complete the schoolwork.

Miguel is usually happiest when in his mother’s arms, which can prove trying for the teen when it comes time for her to complete her world history and English homework. Usually Maria asks her sister to hold and entertain Miguel while she does her homework or she waits until the baby takes a short nap to squeeze in some time with her books.

Maria makes sure to spend some time with both Miguel and books every night when she reads him Walt Disney stories. She also likes to sing to the baby and entertain him with games of peekaboo.

In the coming months and years, Maria will be experiencing all of Miguel’s firsts — particularly his first steps, teeth and words. She’s also looking forward to teaching her son, beginning with how to say “mom,” “grandma” and “auntie.” At the same time, Maria acknowledges that her life will not get any easier as Miguel gets older and she is faced with new challenges.

Maria’s mother said she told her daughter when Maria got pregnant that raising a baby isn’t easy, but added that the change in Maria has been somewhat surprising because the teen is adjusting better than her mother expected.

“I really admire her,” her mother said. “She just turned 16 and she’s like an adult already.”



• You can reach reporter Marissa Harshman at 957-4202 or by e-mail at mharshman@nrtoday.com.