Also here in Australia at age 16 it is so that in many cases you can decide where you want to live. Although it is not an right, but your wishes are important. When you leave home at sixteen year of age and it is reported the authorities -such as Child safety and Police- may investigate if the child is safe and if is has a safe place to live. We went through this with one of our foster daughters

First of all I can understand the mums concern.
However waking her daughter up every two hours during the night will in my opinion create fraction in the relationship with your child; instead of showing understanding and support it is as if you will teach her a tough lesson. This could have caused your child the run away

I really don’t know what my mum would react in this situation if I were. But if I am in this situation with my daughter I would support her in her entire hard times. As a mum of my daughter she definitely needs me and my support. Hope I would not let this happen at very young age.

Well, it’s obviously a bad situation but it’s what you’re stuck with. No matter what, don’t alienate your daughter – which could be tricky as she’s both a teenager and full of pregnancy hormones. Tell her that while you don’t agree with her choices, you accept that she’s made them and you’ll help her handle those choices and their consequences.

Oh my! This is a hard situation. From experience, I feel you need to support the daughter no matter what. I know she’s only 16. But you have to trust her and her decisions. Just be there for her through thick and thin. I’d be wanting to meet the partner, maybe have him and her over for dinner, feel the vibe. If you go hard, you could push her away further.

Being open and listening is the best way to maintain relationships. We do not have to agree with the choices that children and other people make but to maintain relationships they have to be worked on. Being part of a scenario such as being woken up to replicate a waking baby is of course going to cause angst.

It is a very tough situation for you all. I can’t really say much because I moved in with my boyfriend when I was only 14 but I had my parents consent. I couldn’t live at home any more because my half sister was mentally challenged and kept hitting me and destroying everything I owned. My boyfriend loved me and helped me to realise I’d done nothing wrong. I think what you need to do is make sure you don’t alienate your relationship with your daughter otherwise, if things don’t work out with the boyfriend she’ll feel like she has no’-one to turn to.

Keeping relationships strong and healthy is so important and everyone needs to be treated with respect. Communication is key to maintaining relationships and supporting each other despite the differences. A sit down conversation to be open and honest and listen to each with respect is important to move forward in a healthy way.

What a tough situation. As a mother you always want the best for your kids, and it is worrying when the consequences are so impactful. I hope that you are able to maintain your relationship with her.

Doesn’t the fact that she is only 16 mean that this is technically statutory rape? I doesn’t matter if she consented or not. She is basically a child and he is an adult. That is so wrong. I think here is where parents need to step in and say no. She is still a child and still under their control. I honestly don’t know how the parents could not know this was going on! Very scary.

Not a nice situation to be in, but all you can do is be supportive and embrace the situation. Show her you’re committed to supporting her even though she has left home, do meet her in a public place and build that relationship back. At the end of the day a girl is always going to need her mum.

I’m sorry that you are going through such a difficult time. I know it’s scary and you might not think and is ready but who ever really is?
Your daughter is also going through alot right now. She has just made the decision to become a mum and probably wants to enjoy this time. She would enjoy it a lot more with you being part of her life and enjoying it with her.
I know it’s daunting that she is with an older male but thankfully he’s standing by her and is ready to become a father with her. Not all girls are so lucky.
Your daughter is very young and she will make mistakes but what mother doesn’t. I was a mum at 20 and my mum was very judgemental and made my life miserable so we avoided her as much as possible. You need to sit down with your daughter and boyfriend and get to know them as a couple, explain you have been struggling with this but you would like to be there for them both. Be open to this no matter how difficult it is. In a years time that baby will be one of the happiest things to happen to your family and this will all have past, wishing you all the very best with it. X

There is a lot here. Firstly 9 years age difference is not that bad but I do understand that 16 seems young to many. It really depends how mature she is. I was 16 when I met my husband and he was more then 9 years older then I was. I did not become pregnant until we were married when i was 21 though. I did move in with him when I turned 18. We were married for 34years and would still be married if he had not passed away.
I agree with your daughter waking a pregnant female every 2 hours during the night to teach her what having a newborn is like is just foolish. She will find out soon enough and as her parent it would be best if you were supportinve

I know it’s terrifying, but beginning a mum at 16 is not actually the worst thing in the world and definitely not as taboo as it used to be. There are actually a lot of support and options for young mums now.
I understand this wasn’t your plan or hers but it has happened and I think it is important you support her.
I suggest meet with her like she said apologise for your reaction and explain you were shocked. She still needs her mum and knowing you are there for her. Also try meeting her boyfriend and getting his perspective of the situation, what sort does he have? You are going to be family now
Take some time to yourself Seek counselling if you want to address your feelings and emotions about all this as well

Be there to support her show her that no matter what you will be there to help whenever she needs it the more you push her the more she will resent to the point she won’t want you around I know she’s young but she still needs her mother no matter what

I can’t say for sure what I would do in this situation. It’s a massive age gap and the man in the situaton has done the wrong thing more than once. He has dated and had sex with a minor knowing it’s illegal. He’s allowed himself to get her pregnant even though he should know good and well the consequences of unprotected sex. This alone indicates little consideration for her future and it’s sad she’s too young to see that. A 32 year old got me pregnant at the age of 15 and police did sweet FA back in the 2000’s except for give me an avo years later after I’d been through hell. I’d like to think things have changed but I don’t think the police would help. All I can suggest is being there for her when she eventually decides to come home. I send you all the best wishes for dealing with this.

While the age for consent is 16 years old there is to be no more than 2 years age difference so yes a law has been broken.

I’d apologise for waking her up every 2 hours and invite them both over for lunch. Be a supportive mum. Find out if they are wanting to live together. If he’s happy if he’s told his parents and family etc, how they will feel about a baby arriving. If all good help her move out. Buy her a plant. Tell her you will keep her room in case she needs anything she always can return home

I am not too sure i would have taken the approach of waking her every 2 hours. Although we all parent differently, I think this may have had something to do with her moving in with her boyfriend. Unfortunately you can’t change what has happened so if you want your daughter to be part of your life and respect you, you need to be there for her through all her mistakes and life lessons. No one is perfect and this can’t be unchanged so you want to be part of her life you need to be onboard and maybe over time she might look to move back in.

Your decision to wake her every 2hours overnight to teach her a lesson may have done more harm than good to your relationship with her. In my opinion the best you could do is making things right with her.
You didn’t want her to spend time with this boyfriend and when things came to a head she left to stay with him.
The age for consensual sex is 16 years for ACT, NSW, NT, Qld, Vic and WA, so she has not broken the law.
At this point in my opinion the best you can do is making things right with her, accept she keeps the baby and lives with him and support her as much as you can, otherwise you may lose her further