INTERGENERATIONAL CHANGES IN THE CONTEXT OF EARLY MOTHERHOOD

Abstract

Population level shifts in the timing of parenting onset and family composition have been well documented. However, the impacts of these changes on the life course experiences of high risk, teen and younger mothers remain poorly understood. To address this issue, this paper examined intergenerational changes in the family formation and parenting experiences of teen and younger mothers who gave birth in the 1970s and the 2000s (G2, N = 108). The study sample consisted of two generations of early parenting women studied as part of the Christchurch Health and Development Study in New Zealand. Early motherhood (<25 years) was defined relative to concurrent national childbirth data. Results showed that contemporary young mothers (G2) were subject to greater parental, housing and school instability during their childhood years than early parenting women of their mothers' generation (G1). These risks persisted following their transition to motherhood, with G2 mothers being at increased risk of non-marital childbearing (65 vs. 11%), single motherhood (38 vs. 21%) and welfare dependence (37 vs. 19%) despite gains in educational achievement (36 vs. 18% tertiary qualified). Further examination of the family circumstances and parenting practices of contemporary G2 mothers showed that about half were working in unskilled or part time employment, with many experiencing a range of financial problems (13-40%). Breastfeeding (89%) and infant immunization (92%) were common, but one in four G2 women were exposing their children to passive cigarette smoke, physical punishment (82%) and abuse (14%). These findings provide support for secular changes in the context of early motherhood, with contemporary young mothers raising their children in family contexts characterized by higher levels of psychosocial adversity than the previous generation of early parenting women. Such findings raise significant concerns for the health and wellbeing of these young mothers and their children.