I had a kid at 13 & am now a gran at 36 – everyone said my life was ruined, jaws drop when people realise I’m her mum
A WOMAN has revealed that she gave birth at 13 and is now a grandmother at 36.
Michele Dalton said that everyone thinks her daughter is her sister, adding that since she had her daughter so young, the pair grew up together.
Taking to TikTok, Michele shared that she and her daughter, who is now 23 and has children of her own, share a very close bond, and even share each other’s wardrobe.
However, she added that it hasn’t always been easy, and said that after giving birth, she faced lots of judgement from trolls who said the pair “wouldn’t make it”.
She added that many people told her she should have given her daughter up for adoption.
“I still have to pick people’s jaws up off the floor when they find out she’s my daughter”, she said.
Sharing details of her unusual family dynamic, Michele, who has three other children, revealed that her oldest daughter finished secondary school the same year that her youngest daughter started pre-school.
She added that her own sisters became aunts before they became teenagers.
Michele said that she raised her children herself, without the help of her mum and dad.
She said that their life has been hard, but they have made it through.
Sharing a message to other young mums, Michele said: “Everything you do in your life, you will be judged for by somebody.
“Had I not kept my baby at 13, I would not be living my best life with my 23-year-old and her two babies.
“Teen mums can make it”.
Michele’s video, which was posted under the username @micheledalton, has likely struck a chord with many people, as it has racked up over 4.8 million views on the video sharing platform.
TikTok users raced to the video’s comments section to share their thoughts.
One person said: “I absolutely love how close you are!
UK Teen Mum Statistics
Teen pregnancies in the UK have been decreasing considerably since 2007...
The under-18 conception rate has decreased considerably since 2007, reports Nuffield Trust.
Between 2007 and 2021, the under-18 conception rate in England and Wales decreased by 68%, from 42 per 1,000 women to 13 per 1,000 women.
This resulted in 13,131 under-18 conceptions in England and Wales in 2021.
“I had my first at 18 as a university fresher and it was the best I made.”
A second person said: “I was a mom at 15, she’ll always be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
A third person said: “People would rather judge than see the fact it took such a strong smart person to raise a child at that age! Great job.”
A fourth person said: “My mum had me at 16 and people always thought she was my sister.
“We grew up together. My mom made a ton of mistakes but looking back I respect her so much”.
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