UK’s youngest grandparents have said that strangers are dismayed when they see them out walking their granddaughter. Richard and his wife Jenni Medlam who are 35 and 34 years old respectively, believe they could be the youngest couple in the country to have a daughter with a baby.
Their daughter, Charmaine, 17, gave birth to Isla-May in June 2021. This is exactly the same age as Jennu was when she gave birth to Charmaine. The brand new grandmother from Hull told media houses that: “When we are out with Isla everyone just assumes that she is mine and Richard’s daughter.
“When we explain to them that we are actually grandparents they get the absolute shock of their life. Most people don’t believe us when we tell them.
“But I can obviously understand why people would think we are her parents as we are still in our early thirties.”
When Charmaine first told her parents that she was pregnant, Jenni – who was 33 when Isla-May was born – admits they were “really shocked”.
However, after coming to terms with the news, she now says they are both loving their new roles.
“I’m Nanna and Richard is G’pa,” she says. “Being young grandparents just means you have more time to love your grandchild and longer to cherish them.
“And we might even get great-grandchildren
Jenni also has two other daughters, Scarlett, 10 and Chelsey, 13.
Jenni, operates her own cleaning business, thinks that teenage mums are stereotyped but insists that having a baby doesn’t mean your life is over.
“Charmaine has watched me go to work and do well for myself while bringing her up, so she knows it’s possible,” she explains.
“She wants to go to college and do beauty. There is a stereotype about young mums which I don’t think is fair.
“You can still enjoy your life and achieve whatever you want even if you have a baby when you’re younger.
“I am glad that I am able to show my daughter that everything can still work out for you.”
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