Im a single irish mother with a three month old baby. Im doing a research project about this as part of my final year in college. I was hoping to get some genuine responses to help me get started. A lot of people accuse single mothers of having children to get handouts and housing.. from my own personal experience i dont think this is true.. thats why i chose to do research on this topic
2006-10-04 07:51:09 · 16 answers · asked by singlemother22 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
I hope i havent caused offence to any1 who is not irish.. im doing my research specifically on irish women as i already have a knowledge of the history of irish motherhood from the degree im doing and want to take a look at irish mothers today and how things have changed since having children inside wedlock was the only acceptable way and the catholic church has lost the strong influence it once had in ireland. Hopefully in the future i will be able to do research into other cultures, races or ethnic backgrounds but for this assignment i want to look at the case of irish mothers specifically to show how things have changed and to challenge the stereotype in ireland that single mothers only get pregnant to get free housing and benefits etc.. Many Irish women do travel to england for abortions and to a lesser extent opt for adoption.. however most keep their baby as i did myself, i want to research the reasons for this
2006-10-04 08:19:33 · update #1
thanks for the response about narrowing my study thats exactly what im doing. i am irish myself and have studied a lot about the irish constitution and the catholic church and abortion legislation effects the family... i think the majority of women have maternal instincts regardless of race but just foucusing on irish women for this project to show how things have changed here since the magdellan laundry days
2006-10-04 08:28:33 · update #2
many unmarried women keep their babies...not just Irish women
2006-10-04 07:56:46 · answer #1 · answered by Becky 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I sense you are doing research on Irish women in order to narrow the focus of your study - not because you are suggesting that only Irish women can be accused of having babies to get hand outs. Just to clarify, so you don't keep getting accused of stereotyping or prejudice.
I imagine young women choose to keep their babies because they made decisions that had consequences and they felt they should live with these. I would also imagine some would have problems with the idea of abortion, especially maybe in Catholic Ireland.
It is unlikely to make anyone's life easier to have children - even if they are given a house and money - it is from what I hear from my friends - barely enough to live on. They continually feel guilty at never having enough to provide the best for their children.
Life's complicated and people are different, even in the same country. You will never find a single motivation as to why women choose to keep their children when they didn't have a partner.
2006-10-04 15:05:04 · answer #2 · answered by Smithy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi there,
I have a two year old daughter born out of wedlock. I was with my partner 3 years when I fell unexpectantly pregnant. Although there were some questions from both sides of our families on whether to keep the baby or whether or not to get married. I did what I thought was right. And of course what I wanted. We moved in together and had our beautiful baby girl.
My sister falls under your category of a single mum. I can tell you that being a single mum is no joke. Im not sure I would have her strength and courage to do it on my own. Handouts and Housing! She recieves approx 150 euro weekly. This has to be put aside for groceries, bills, gas, electricity and all other expenses. This leaves her with just under 10 euro a week for herself. If she wants a night out, she saves for weeks. Her experiences have been awful and she does not get treated with any respect. She dreads each and every of her appointments, be it with council or midland health board. If she could go back to work she would, only the cost of childcare would take all her wage. Raring a child on your own is far from easy. No handout from the government makes is easy, or appealing. She wouldn't change her circumstances for the world. She loves her son but I can tell you being a single mother is not an easy life. If you would like any more details, or personal experiences on this matter for your project myself and my sister would be more than happy to help.
Teresananny@yahoo.co.uk
2006-10-04 16:37:16 · answer #3 · answered by Teresa M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not Irish but I just wanted to say that it could be because they CAN keep their babies!!
As you have said - things have changed since the terrible days of the Magdalen Laundries!
I imagine like most women from all countries and cultures they fall in love with their babies when they are carrying them and can't face either an abortion or giving them away to strangers after birth (personally I think that would be far harder to do than an abortion - to carry a child for 9 months, go through the labour and then give it away to strangers never to see it again!!! I think it would kill me to do that!).
2006-10-05 17:55:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a lot of irish women are more scared of having an abortion than keeping the baby (because of religion, family, etc). You would be perceived by society as being brave and not someone who killed their unborn baby.
just a thought!
2006-10-04 15:00:05 · answer #5 · answered by cuddlymummy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it isn't just irish women that keep their babies. I got pregnant and I didn't give the baby up and I didn't go on welfare either. I took care of the baby. It isn't a race that does or doesn't take care of the baby, it is a person.
2006-10-04 14:55:31 · answer #6 · answered by brunette 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Because the married women wont let the unmarred women have theirs, and if they give this one away they will never have kids. The Irish do things because that is the way it has always been done.
2006-10-04 15:03:45 · answer #7 · answered by stuart b 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
im a single (irish) unmarried mother and i never got pregnant to get handouts accutually it made me do the reverse and go back to college and then on to a full-time job which ive been in for four years.i wanted to be independant in that way,as for housing lists you could be on them for years i was on it for three years but took myself off because it was too much hassle now im saving for a morgage.
2006-10-04 14:58:34 · answer #8 · answered by dedclever 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
why shouldnt they who would want to abandon thier child when they could look after it
whats the diference between irish people and not irish people
or are you just interested because youre irish (if you are irish)
2006-10-04 15:06:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of Irish women are Catholic and if your catholic, your not allowed to have an abortion. Its against the religeon.
2006-10-04 15:03:15 · answer #10 · answered by Mike N 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You do what you need to do. Whether it's working 3 jobs, moving back with your parents. This question can pertain to any single mother.
2006-10-04 14:56:32 · answer #11 · answered by Aidge 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋