It's time to debunk the myth of the perfect mother | Poppy Wells | TEDxLondonWomen

Who comes into your mind when you think about a young, single mother? After becoming pregnant at 17 years old, having not finished her education or moved out from her family home, Poppy knew it wouldn’t be easy to balance motherhood and adolescence. However, what Poppy didn’t realise was that on top of being a new mum and finishing her studies, she would also have to deal with huge amounts of judgment about becoming a mother from friends, family, colleagues, strangers and society at large. In this passionate talk, Poppy dismantles common misconceptions about young mothers, highlights the unfair judgement all mothers face and proposes we all stop equating age as a key factor in determining good parenting. Poppy is a primary school teacher and lives and works in inner London. She was named London’s Newly Qualified Teacher of the Year in 2019 and she represented Ekaya at a conference in Brussels regarding the rights of young citizens in Europe. As a mother and teacher, Poppy works towards eliminating barriers that prevent children from realising their full potential, regardless of their backgrounds. Poppy is a graduate of TEDxLondon’s young speaker programme, OPENx. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx