The number of teenage single mothers in the UK is growing rapidly; it is a demographic which gathers a great deal of negative press attention. They are constantly attacked, labelled, and can become scapegoats for economic, moral and social problems.

This project centres on a close friend who gave birth to her first child at sixteen years old and to her second a year later. I have been witness to her ups and downs; emotionally, physically and economically. I have followed her struggle to work again, to study again and to battle against the prejudice she receives from society. The work of Jo Spence and Rosy Martin has been influential to my approach of challenging family photography conventions. I have focused on the children’s lives created for them by their mother and examined the effort she exerts in ensuring their childhood is as normal and happy as possible. The words used in the book are her own personal story.