| Name: | Denise |
| Online Name: | Dams |
| Country: | Canada |
| State: | Alberta |
| Age: | 21 |
| Your Birthday: | August 28th, 1978 |
| Special Talents: | not sure if it's a talent or not but I'm a great listener |
| Hobbies: | I'm addicited to making web graphics, web sites/pages, I also like to cross stich when I have spare quiet time, and do anything that involves my boys :o) |
| Where do you work? | I don't |
| Were you working when you became pregnant? If yes, doing what? | no |
| Are you in school? | yes, I'm in college |
| If you've graduated, what is your degree? | |
| How old were you when you had your first child? | 18 |
| Did you keep? abort? give up for adoption?: | I kept him |
| Was it the first time you had sex? | almost I had only been sexually active for 3mos |
| Were you and the father a couple? | yes |
| Are you still together? | yes were married |
| If you're not together, is the father involved? How is he involved? | |
| Were you using protection against pregnancy? If yes, what kind? | only condoms |
| If not, was it because you were trying to get pregnant? Please explain: | |
| Did you know how you would support the baby? Support yourself? | yes, boyfriend had a job |
| Were you using protection against STDs? | yes condoms |
| How many children do you have? | 2 boys |
| What are their names, ages, birthdays? | Ethan, 2 1/2yrs, April 26th, 1997 & Andrew(Drew) 11mos, December 3rd, 1998 |
| Was the pregnancy emotionally difficult? | yes in the begining because I was very scared |
| Was the pregnancy physically difficult? i.e. were there any medical problems? | nope problem free |
| What was/is the most difficult experience as a young mother? | having strangers coment on how young you are and that they generalize us as bad mothers |
| Was your family helpful/supportive? | very |
| Did you stay at home with your parents? | only till I was about 5mos pregnant, we found an apartment and moved |
| Did your family help support you? The baby? Emotionally, financially, or both? | my mom is the greatest anything we needed something she was there for us, weither it was for money, advice or just a hug |
| Do they support you now? Emotionally, financially, or both? | same as before though we don't often need the finalcial help anymore. |
| Did/do you need public assistance? How did/does that make you feel? | yes in the beging cause a few months after we moved out on our own my husband(boy friend at the time) got hurt at work and wasn't able to return for a year, then had to search for a different job, got hurt at that one and is now unable to work labour jobs. It never made me feel bad that we we're on it, just that we we're always broke. |
| Was the father's family involved with the pregnancy? Emotionally, financially, or both? | yes |
| Did the father's family help support you? Emotionally, financially, or both? | yes when they could |
| Does the child have a relationship with the paternal Grandparents? | yes |
| Do you feel accepted by people your age? | sometimes, now though that I'm in my 20's people seem more friendlier towards me. |
| Do you feel like you have it harder than people your own age without children? | only becuse I have more responsiblity, and that I have 2 little people depending on me for everything. |
| Are you happy with the decisions you have made? (Be honest. . .it's ok to feel bad, we all do sometimes) | yes, I can't imagine my life with out my boys, they are everything to me |
| What are your personal goals? (goals for yourself as an individual not as a mother) | to finish my career traing, that is the main one right now |
| Have your goals changed since you became a parent? | ummm not really. |
| Do you feel that reaching your goals will be more difficult now that your a teen parent? | I don't think so |
| What would you tell a (school age) 12-18 year old girl that wanted to get pregnant? | to wait, there is a life time still to have children |
| How do you think being a Young Mother has changed you? | I no put the needs of someone else(my children) in front of my own, they come first for everything. |
| How do you think society looks upon teen pregnancy? | umm not really sure, I know though that they are starting to help more now the just preach |
| Why do you think there are so many teen parents? | |
| List 5 Pro's to being a teen Mother? | |
| List 5 Con's to being a teen Mother?: | discrimation, |
| What do you expect to get out of being a member of Young Mothers?: | friendship |
| Today's Date: | November 5th, 1999 |