Mom Shares How She Reacted To Her Teen Daughter's Pregnancy And People Are Praising Her Parenting Skills

Storytelling on TikTok is an art form in and of itself. One of the more popular trends on the platform right now is re-enacting events through a song from Teen Beach Movie called I Can’t Stop Singing.

But few have used it as brilliantly as Nicole Hennessy. The mom-of-three and photographer from Maryland recently filmed a video to the tune to speak about the way she and her 17-year-old daughter Angelina handled the teen getting pregnant.

With permission from Angelina, Nicole showed how the two of them battled emotions in search of the best course of action. It becomes clear pretty soon in the clip that the 35-year-old mother simply wants what's best for her daughter, without being angry or judgemental.

So far, Nicole's calm and educational reaction has been applauded by over 14 million people who watched the video, and something tells me she's gonna be just as cool of a grandma as she's a parent.

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"Angelina is a soul from the '80s, I would say," Nicole introduced her daughter to Bored Panda. "She is incredibly artistic, she paints and works with ceramics -- her talent blows me away. She is a lover of all types of music, an awesome cook, and the type of person whose heart feels for everyone. She is not afraid to be true to herself but she also lifts up others. With a dash of sarcasm and humor for good measure."

The moment Nicole saw the pregnancy test wrapper, she knew it was Angelina's. Her initial reaction was 'Angelina needs me, so don’t react!' The mom hugged her daughter tight and told her she would help her figure this out.

"Our relationship is ever-changing. At the start of teens, it was typical; we loved each other but she'd much rather be out with friends," Nicole said. "Now, with the pregnancy and the pandemic, we spend our days together."

Nicole admitted it was quite the transition, looking at her little girl become a young woman and then a mother. "We have a mother-daughter relationship that is strong, respectful, and also like a partnership, we help each other out. I'm so proud of her and her maturity and strength!"

So when she sat down with her daughter helping her to make a rational, informed decision, Nicole understood that it was Angelina's next chapter, not hers. Her job was simply to educate the 17-year-old as much as she could. "I told her that she has 3 options: abortion, adoption, or keeping and raising the baby," Nicole said. "My husband and I sat down with her and talked in length about all 3 and the pros and cons to each one. He and I agreed in advance that we would not voice our opinion to her because it is her life to choose and we did not want to pressure her to make a choice."

After going over the facts, Nicole found Angelina a therapist so she could not only make the decision but fully accept and live with it as well. "We talked to my Reverends at church (who are open-minded and loving) and we also went to the women’s center and Ob-Gyn. Also, her primary called her to check in."

Angelina took a long while to process her options. "She at one point considered each of them (I made a 'part 2' video about that) but at the end, she felt keeping and raising the baby is what her heart wanted," Nicole said. "So here we are, 7 weeks away from meeting her little boy. She will stay living at home so she can finish school and college and try to save money. She has our full support. It takes a village."

After going through this journey as a parent, Nicole highlighted that no matter the issue, it's important for moms and dads to constantly strengthen the bond with their kids so they feel safe coming to them. "Yes, they are young but they are a person with feelings and they need to not feel scared and alone."

"If I did anything right as a mom, it was creating a space where my kids know they can come to me and my love won't ever go away," she said. "Also, because she was given space to make her own choice, she will thrive, she will not feel like a victim of the choice pushed on her. She chose her path on her own and that means she is willing to sacrifice to be successful with that choice."

Nicole added that things happen in life that seem scary and bad, but she personally believes it all has a purpose. "Try and stay positive and look at what positivity can come from each bad thing."