Visualising Young Parenthood: Through the Eyes of Children

The pilot study that informed Reframing Young Parenthood

This exhibition shares the photographs and stories of six young parent families, exploring everyday life through children’s and parents’ experiences.

Led by Dr Linzi Ladlow and funded by the Policy Hub at the University of Lincoln, Visualising Young Parenthood supported children aged 5–11 to conduct photovoice research with their parents. Together, they produced photographs and narratives about their family lives.

Six families took part, including six mums, one dad and fourteen children. The study was conducted in partnership with Hawksworth Wood Primary School in Leeds. School staff also contributed, sharing their approach to supporting young parent families.

The families’ accounts explored experiences of stigma, the challenges of limited resources and the importance of support. Their photographs and stories also show the love, joy, playfulness and adventure of everyday life for young parents.

A community exhibition was held at Hawksworth Wood Primary School and attended by the participant young parent families, school leaders, councillors, charity organisations, and members of the local community. You can see Linzi opening the exhibition here:

Explore the family stories

Choose a family to explore their photographs and stories.