Something In The Water?

I’m amused by the amount of pregnant women I’m seeing in my area recently. Every day, I see at least five different ones in my shop, with their bumps and their relaxed smiles on their faces. Their proud husbands or boyfriends holding their hands. Or maybe they’ve already got kids and they’re looking rather hassled with three kids running around them while carrying another. You would think that with the lack of jobs in the area and with people complaining about the lack of money around at the moment…women would be less wanting to have kids. But I guess I’m wrong.

I mean, I do have one of my own and my daughter is six. I got pregnant at the age of 23 and this year I’ll be 30- it’s certainly helped me to grow up a lot. But it’s been a struggle and an eye opener as to how bloody expensive how kids are! The expense never really seems to stop, with the nappies and the formula when they’re babies to the toys and the clothing and then school fees and field trips and bus fares when they get older. The day my daughter was old enough to take the school bus, she called me and told me all about it like the chatterbox she is. It was so magical to hear the joy in her voice as she told me about the girl she sat next to who had the same Hello Kitty lunchbox as she did.

I do love kids. But the amount of pregnant women around at the moment makes me giggle. It’s like there is something in the water, I swear. My local hospital must be overrun with babies at the moment. I wasn’t aware that the Government was giving out a cash bonus for getting pregnant. I mean, one day I would like another. That’s no secret. But I don’t think so at the moment, not when I can’t really afford to support one and can barely support the one I have at the moment. They’re not like puppies, you can’t just take them to the local animal shelter when you can’t afford to keep them anymore. That’s the job of Social Services. And I know that I would be devestated if someone came along and took a child off me because I couldn’t afford to keep them. I mean, it’s mine! You can’t just take it! It annoys me how some people have kids just so they can get a council house or live off benefits. That’s not how you look after children, you raise them with the right ideals and notions. Manners. Respect. A good working ethic. If you do that and your child gets to 18 and is a decent member of society- then you’ve done your job correctly.

I’m seeing a lot of these pregnant women that are foreign though. It makes me a little suspicious. Please don’t be getting pregnant just so you can stay here. That’s fucking stupid and a total waste of our healthcare system. Go back to your own country and have your brood if that’s your plan. Then you can come here with them and that’s okay. We’ve got enough of an issue with people having more babies than they can afford. Just because the people who live here do it, doesn’t mean it’s free reign to cheat the benefit system.