Why such a downer on teenage pregnancy?

[oxSarahxo]

Its nt about take what you can get its takin what you deserve!
I have payed so much damn tax since i started working and u pay tax on everythin u do so why shudnt i get what i deserve and what is rightfully mine!
We have paid for the people who dont work and who have never worked a day in their lives yet we have to feel guilty cos we wanna be there for our children!
Its not takin what you can it taking whats rightfully ours!
And i am no way ever goin to feel guilty about that!!!

That's what I meant...

However I do think we're getting a bit off topic here lol

Sorry people!!!!

 

[mz_jackie86]

ah well we're pregnant our minds wonder...we're allowed lol!!!

 

[sparkswillfly]

"Take what you can, while you can, cuz soon there's gonna be a revolution with the way things are with the credit crunch and people being sacked left right and centre. Look after yourself and your own, no one else will do it for you..."


You were the one you said take what you can while you can. I dont think that is personally the right attitude to have whether you have previously worked and payed tax or not. Benefits are there for people who are in need and have no other option. Not for people who have another option but choose not to take it. The system shouldnt be abused just because it can be. Im not saying there is anything wrong with claiming benefits when you need to because I did for a while when I lost my job. However if you have other options you should take them. "Take what you can while you can" were your words not mine.

 

[mBLACK]

what? Now I forgot what this thread is actually about.

 

[mBLACK]

OH lol. The way I see it is people act like they have sticks up their asses, they have to spit on anybody who doesn't live life the way they do! Teenage pregnancy shouldn't be frowned upon, unless it's for the wrong reasons. & if you get pregnant for the wrong reasons, any individual of ANY age should be frowned upon not just teenagers!

 

[sparkswillfly]

The original thread was about people looking down on young people having babies but then it turned into a debate about benefits which is beside the point. The original point is that no one should have a baby if they cant provide for it, or like you said for the wrong reasons. It just so happens that older people are more likely to be able to provide for a child because they are more often than not more financially stable. I dont think it is down to age at all because there are women in their 30s who arent capable of looking after themselves let alone a child.

 

[Sarah-Jane]

Personally I agree with all of you, you've all got valid points...
I'm 17 and me and my OH have said from the start that we don't want to turn to benefits unless we're desperate because we don't wanna get judged.
We very rarely go out so we've managed to save up a bit up to now (around £200) but we've not even started buying for the baby yet. My OH is off to Uni in 2 weeks and we're gonna struggle like hell for money.
I'm only 14 weeks gone and I'm finding it so hard to find a full time job at the moment, because of all the credit crunch no-one seems to be employing, I must have applied for at least 30 jobs in the last 2 weeks but got nowhere.
We're both working part time but not a chance is that money going to support us. I'm staying at home so I don't need to worry about rent money, but I still need to provide for my baby which may mean turning to benefits which was a last resort.
Everyone has their own opinions on benefits including me... I've paid my fair share of tax since I started work as soon as I turned 16 and I don't think it's right when women get pregnant just to scrounge off benefits etc. but there's not much more I can do apart from turn to benefits at the moment unless I suddenly get a well paid job which is unlikely.
Benefits are there if you need them, not to be taken advantage of. I will probably end up on them in a few months for a year at the longest because once my baby's 6-9 months old, I'm gonna be able to get a job. But if we need them and we're not scroungers then why shouldn't we claim to support our family?

 

[Carley]

My problem is we have 14 year olds getting pregnant in Australia for the baby bonus which is $5000 per child...(2,281.75 GBP) then they get $600 per fortnight (273.842 GBP) discounted housing, medication, doctors fees, the list goes on. The teens HERE, are spending the money on them, drugs, alcohol, phones, tv's and not the baby, then a year later they are pregnant. I have people who live on my street who have 6 kids and claiming for each one, and guess what? Pregnant again? It's not uncommon here And then you see the kids/babies in dirty clothes. This is where I live. i'm not judging all teen mum's on this but when you see it daily, it's hard not to.

 

[sparkswillfly]

My problem is we have 14 year olds getting pregnant in Australia for the baby bonus which is $5000 per child...(2,281.75 GBP) then they get $600 per fortnight (273.842 GBP) discounted housing, medication, doctors fees, the list goes on. The teens HERE, are spending the money on them, drugs, alcohol, phones, tv's and not the baby, then a year later they are pregnant. I have people who live on my street who have 6 kids and claiming for each one, and guess what? Pregnant again? It's not uncommon here And then you see the kids/babies in dirty clothes. This is where I live. i'm not judging all teen mum's on this but when you see it daily, it's hard not to.

Thats a ridiculous amount of money! Why do they dish out so much? Thats only going to encourage babies for the wrong reason. Thats madness

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

My problem is we have 14 year olds getting pregnant in Australia for the baby bonus which is $5000 per child...(2,281.75 GBP) then they get $600 per fortnight (273.842 GBP) discounted housing, medication, doctors fees, the list goes on. The teens HERE, are spending the money on them, drugs, alcohol, phones, tv's and not the baby, then a year later they are pregnant. I have people who live on my street who have 6 kids and claiming for each one, and guess what? Pregnant again? It's not uncommon here And then you see the kids/babies in dirty clothes. This is where I live. i'm not judging all teen mum's on this but when you see it daily, it's hard not to.

Thats a ridiculous amount of money! Why do they dish out so much? Thats only going to encourage babies for the wrong reason. Thats madness

Gotta say i agree, have absolutely nothing against teen mums but that does seem to be encouraging it as a viable alternative to ensuring you're financially stable and working hard to provide for your child.

 

[Carley]

Because Australia is an aging population they want to encourage women to have children...I get the 2,281.75 GBP but that's it because hubby works... That's why a lot of women frown on teen Mum's in Australia... that's why I do.

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

It makes sense to encourage increasing the population, but to offer all those benefits to younger people just seems a little silly to me. Can't think of a better way to phrase it.

 

[heather91]

Sarah-Jane - Don't struggle because you are worried about what people will think about you if you're on benefits! You should apply for what you're entitled to. You'll find most people in the country are on benefits, take child benefit for example. It will be likely you'll be entitled to working tax credits, child tax credits and child benefit. You might even get a £500 surestart maternity grant after the baby is born. x

 

[heather91]

Oh and can I just add - If you're not working and pregnant the benefits you can claim are barely enough to live on. Although me and OH are a bit short of money and working we still have money to buy ourselves things like clothes, games, just general things we want. If people are purposely getting pregnant and living off benefits then rest assured that they won't have more than the absolute bare minimum to live on. x

 

[oxSarahxo]

I can't believe the amount of money people get in Australia, but to be fair, there are loads of people in England too that just have kids for the money they can get. Woman in my old street was 30 and pregnant with her 8 or 9th child, never worked a day in her life, same with her partner.

I don't think there is any reason to put a downer on teenage pregnancy as such, it all depends on personal situations.

I know some teenage mams that are excellent, where as my own mother was in her 30s when she had me and then she decided she didn't want me and ran off leaving my Dad to bring me up...

This sorta thing is forever going to be debated I think, everyone has their own opinions.

All I can say is, I'm 19, 37weeks gone, got a private flat with my OH (22 - works, 2 degrees in graphic design), money in the bank that we use to help us get by and we manage. No money off the state paid for any of our baby things, we sold our own belongings and used our own money to buy everything she needs... We got the £500 sure start grant, and that's aside to go in a bank account in the baby's name... So SHE gets the money, we don't. Anyone doesn't like how I/we live, its not really my problem.

I'm a teen and I'm proud. For someone who was told she couldn't naturally conceive at 18, it hit me for six and changed how I felt about my life all together, any future prospects of settling down with a family felt like they were shot, so when I fell pregnant by some miracle a year later, I thank my lucky stars its happened.

I hope other teens are lucky enough to be able to manage too, and give their babies the lives they deserve and strive to give them more than we have ourselves.

 

[Sarah-Jane]

Thanks for that Heather
I'm just scared people will think I'm a teenager purposely getting pregnant for the extra cash, and it's them that give us teen parents/parents-to-be a bad name.
I know it will be a struggle and we're trying so hard so save as much as we can at the moment, we're trying to get as much extra work as possible, but I don't think it will be enough. No teenager should feel the way I do and like a lot of others feel right now, I decided to keep my baby to give him/her a life like others, I want to be able to provide for my baby and shouldn't feel guilty about turning to benefits when they are there when we need them but I just feel like me and my OH will get frowned upon and we shouldn't feel like that because of scroungers out there getting pregnant for money, not supporting their children, doing drugs, leaving there children with anyone so they can go out and get drunk.
I apologise for the rant, it just annoys me when there's younger people like me, my OH and many others out there that believe we can make really good parents, we just need a bit of extra support

 

[oxSarahxo]

Thanks for that Heather
I'm just scared people will think I'm a teenager purposely getting pregnant for the extra cash, and it's them that give us teen parents/parents-to-be a bad name.
I know it will be a struggle and we're trying so hard so save as much as we can at the moment, we're trying to get as much extra work as possible, but I don't think it will be enough. No teenager should feel the way I do and like a lot of others feel right now, I decided to keep my baby to give him/her a life like others, I want to be able to provide for my baby and shouldn't feel guilty about turning to benefits when they are there when we need them but I just feel like me and my OH will get frowned upon and we shouldn't feel like that because of scroungers out there getting pregnant for money, not supporting their children, doing drugs, leaving there children with anyone so they can go out and get drunk.
I apologise for the rant, it just annoys me when there's younger people like me, my OH and many others out there that believe we can make really good parents, we just need a bit of extra support

I totally agree with that, don't feel bad about it. If you need help, ask for help. I hope things work out for you both and LO has a happy family, that's the most important thing.

 

[heather91]

You really don't need to feel bad about it! After all, it's no ones business what benefits you're on. Make sure they know that if they ask! Young people are definitely not the only people that claim benefits so just remember that. They exist to help people and they really will be a big help to you especially if you're working as well. x

 

[Blah11]

If a teen who was using protection falls pregnant and is mature and stable enough to look after her baby then fair play to her. I don't think teens should be trying to conceive though, i really don't.

 

[polo_princess]

Also, can I just ask the working people on here... Who is garaunteed a raise?... Cuz people on benefits are. The ones with jobs at the moment, are actually the unstable ones, cuz you can be sacked tomorrow. (not trying to piss anyone off, but its the god honest truth, my OH has degrees coming outta his backside and the same goes for him).

Thus reaching my point - no one, regardless of what age you are, is completely stable.

Although i agree with the majority of what youve posted throughout this thread i think this is somewhat untrue ...

People who go to work are in a better position than people on benefeits to actually put money away to prepare for any financial unstability that can arise ... whereas someone on benefeits cant do that so easily, irrespective of age.