We are the parents of a 15 year old mother. She does'nt want to file for child support because of her "feelings" for her babys father. According to the Texas attorney generals office, there is nothing we can do unless she signs the papers herself. Can anyone help us?

This is a suggestion-- ask her if you can become the child's legal guardian, then after that occurs, you can go after both her and the father for child support. I suggest that you consult an attorney locally to see the success rate should you make that kind of move in your local court, but not sure I can think of anything else.

This is a suggestion-- ask her if you can become the child's legal guardian, then after that occurs, you can go after both her and the father for child support. I suggest that you consult an attorney locally to see the success rate should you make that kind of move in your local court, but not sure I can think of anything else.
We tried that. She won't budge. thanks :(

Maybe you can sit down with her and go over your budget and show her how much goes to the care of a baby. Fifteen year olds usually don't understand that. Then maybe tell her if she cannot sue for child support then she needs to make up that money some how. I know she cannot work yet but have her do extra things around the house. That's a hard one to do also but maybe this might give you some ideas. Tell her that you have to cut back somewhere since no child support is coming in and take it out of things she likes to do. Make it real to her. Make it so that she feels the sacrifice.

I am 30 now, but my daughter, my oldest was born right before my 17th bd in Texas. I went through allot of the same things your daughter is going through. Heres the deal, as her mom, be supportive. She will get angry, and when this happens this is when you step in and help her. My daughter was born premature, with medical problems, and it took all these things, me having to graduate early, miss prom, miss my friends, miss being a kid, having to grow up real fast, and seeing him go with no responsibility for me to get PO'd. But when it happened, the AG's office was a blessing, I thought. Support was established and medical support.Though after time I let him give up his rights, which let me say to you as a mom, that part was for the best. Things that I think about as a mom in this situation are, 1) Is dad stable? 2) Will or can he even provide for my grandchild? 3) And what kind of person is he going to be, meaning what kind of things will your grandchild end up being around?

For me, my husband now adopted my daughter and believe me life before was hard, but I don't have regrets. I actually regret pushing the child support issue with the AG's office because for my situation he had never seen her, but once and when he did he said to me and her that it didn't matter what the blood tests showed, she would never be his daughter. Now my mom went through allot of the things you are feeling, but when that happened to her grandaughter, and we spent 4nights with my mom while Britt curled up in a ball an cried and couldn't understand what she had ever done to make him feel that way about her, my moms view changed big time. She actually went with me to court when the termination happened. there is something I have learned the hardway, being a sperm donor doesn't make you a father. Sometimes things happen for a reason. Sometimes they are for the best. Don't be hard on her, I made it, went to Nursing school, became something, raised my daughter and she hasn't suffered as far as her needs, other than she will never forget what he said to her. Even now, she loves her daddy, and he is the best thing that ever happened to us, but she still deep down remembers what he said, and it has made her very strong in some ways, but very not so strong in others. She isn't as trusting and she is very hard on men period. Plus she always feels that she has to prove her self in everything she does. Has to be the best, to make everyone proud. Although we are all very proud of her!

I know for us, me going through all that I did, have raised her telling her the truth, and I have always told her that I will always be here for her, I don't wish for her to make the choices I did, but if it happens we as a family will deal with it. she has dreams of medical school, and I will not let anything stop that, even if that means me and dad have to work extra hard to raise our grandchild. Take sometime and really think about the BIG Picture. Because for everything that we do impacts something later. I will pray for your family, and that God gives you all strength. :)

Maybe you can sit down with her and go over your budget and show her how much goes to the care of a baby. Fifteen year olds usually don't understand that. Then maybe tell her if she cannot sue for child support then she needs to make up that money some how. I know she cannot work yet but have her do extra things around the house. That's a hard one to do also but maybe this might give you some ideas. Tell her that you have to cut back somewhere since no child support is coming in and take it out of things she likes to do. Make it real to her. Make it so that she feels the sacrifice.


I don't agree with you, punishing her will turn her away. And believe me you don't want that. That grandchild will know how you treated their mother, and then will not want much to do with you in the future. Remember you are talking about another human being here. Punishment is for breaking rules, like not doing chores, or coming home late,ect. Not for having a baby. And as far as making her feel the sacrifice, she felt that the day the child was born!

I don't agree with you, punishing her will turn her away. And believe me you don't want that. That grandchild will know how you treated their mother, and then will not want much to do with you in the future. Remember you are talking about another human being here. Punishment is for breaking rules, like not doing chores, or coming home late,ect. Not for having a baby. And as far as making her feel the sacrifice, she felt that the day the child was born!

Merely my personal opinion, but I don't think the advice that 'signature' gave was in any way a punishment, it was more of a wake-up call that it's time for daughter to take on the financial responsibility for her child, instead of depending on Mom and Dad to support it. It's not treating daughter badly to expect her to contribute to the expenses of raising her child (although at 15, I'm not sure that's possible) or at the very least to give up her extras (cable, internet service, cell phone, etc) so that diapers, formula, clothing, etc can be purchased. I personally thought it was very good advice.

Merely my personal opinion, but I don't think the advice that 'signature' gave was in any way a punishment, it was more of a wake-up call that it's time for daughter to take on the financial responsibility for her child, instead of depending on Mom and Dad to support it. It's not treating daughter badly to expect her to contribute to the expenses of raising her child (although at 15, I'm not sure that's possible) or at the very least to give up her extras (cable, internet service, cell phone, etc) so that diapers, formula, clothing, etc can be purchased. I personally thought it was very good advice.

I believe that you are misunderstanding my view entirely. So let me try to explain maybe a little better. Do I agree that mommy needs to be responsible, YES! I do. I was, I did it on my own, college, raised my child, worked 2 jobs, worked while going to college, ect. But my parents basically told me, YOUR ON YOU OWN and kicked me out, to the point that they went away that yr for Thanksgiving take in mind I was only a few months pregnant, and living from friend to friend, thank GOD their parents kept the door open or I would not have finished school. But my parents left me all alone for that holiday season didn't care where I was or even if I had someone to share the holiday with. Then about 1 month before my daughter was born I found out I had cancer, my brother told my mom. I didn't care if she even came around at that point, then my daughter was born premature, went by careflight 3hrs away, and YEAH MOMMY had to grow up real fast. I never said not to sit her down and say look you are not old enough to work so your dad and I are not only responsible for you but also this baby, so we have to cut costs and some of these costs are going to have to be things like cable, internet, ect. That is different, than punishing a child. I didn't talk to my mother again for the way she and my father treated me, until I was married to my first husband, and then it was because our son died. She flew in to be there with me at that time, now I believe God had his hand in all of that because honestly if she wouldn't have come there, I wouldn't have the relationship that I have with her now. But as far as she and my oldest child go, well lets just say my daughter truly has no feelings for her. My mom regrets the things she did now, so the point I'm trying to make in all this is, you can't go back once you've said or done something. Yes she needs to help out, but her having a child is not a crime. But making her feel bad inside for having a child, and making her feel like she has destroyed your life because she gave birth to your grandchild, well all I can really give is how things played out in my situation. And the only one of my children who even really cares to be around my mother is my 7yr old. That is sad, but what is done is done. You can't go back. Anyways if I offended you by my opinion I'm sorry for this but all it is, is an opinion. :)