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‘It’s Bringing New Life in’: The Baby and the Wider Family

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Teenage Pregnancy, Parenting and Intergenerational Relations

Part of the book series: Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life ((PSFL))

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Abstract

Within the context of the wider family, grandparents-to-be were enthusiastic about a new baby, even if they had not been enthusiastic about the pregnancy. In this sense, the young mother takes up a valued role within the family, being one who is bringing new life, and the next generation, to the family. Almost all the young people reported that they had supportive families, and in one case where there had been estrangement prior to the arrival of the baby, having a new grandson had brought one father close to his teenage daughter again. This chapter presents the views of the wider family about the new baby, and new roles such as grandparenthood.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The ‘school leaving age’ in England and Wales was 15 until 1972, when it became 16; it changed to 17 in 2013. Although it is commonly referred to as school leaving age, in law it is the age at which a person can leave compulsory education; that education may not always take place in a school, with many 16- and 17-year-olds attending a college of further education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Freelance Researcher, London, UK

    Sally Brown

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  1. Sally Brown
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Brown, S. (2016). ‘It’s Bringing New Life in’: The Baby and the Wider Family. In: Teenage Pregnancy, Parenting and Intergenerational Relations. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-49539-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-49539-6_6

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-49538-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-49539-6

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