Name:	Narelle
Online Name:	Narelle Y
Country:	Australia
State:	Queensland
Age:	25
Your Birthday:	24 July 1975
Special Talents:	I'm pretty good at computers, and there is not much that i can't cook or haven't cooked.
Hobbies:	Cooking, sewing, gardening, chatting, playing drums and keyboard, reading
Where do you work?	I work at TAFE (tech college) as a computer tutor with students with disabilities. I also work in an office.
Were you working when you became pregnant? If yes, doing what?	I wasn't working, I was still at school
Are you in school?	I am continually studying at TAFE.
If you've graduated, what is your degree?	I have several certificates in office admin and information technology
How old were you when you had your first child?	I was 14 1/2.
Did you keep? abort? give up for adoption?:	I kept my son, but my mother got custody when he was 16 months old.
Was it the first time you had sex?	No, it was the second time i had sex.
Were you and the father a couple?	Yes
Are you still together?	No
If you're not together, is the father involved? How is he involved?	The father is not involved. He left town before I knew I was pregnant and I could not contact him.
Were you using protection against pregnancy? If yes, what kind?	No
If not, was it because you were trying to get pregnant? Please explain:	I wasn't trying to get pregnant. Just had the "it couldn't happen to me" mentality.
Did you know how you would support the baby? Support yourself?	I never thought about it.
Were you using protection against STDs?	No
How many children do you have?	I have 3 children.
What are their names, ages, birthdays?	Robbie John, 10 years old, born 25 February 1990 Sarah Louise, deceased, born and died 30 November 1993 Tiffany Amber, 4 years old, born 11 July 1996
Was the pregnancy emotionally difficult?	Not with my son, but the other 3 were.
Was the pregnancy physically difficult? i.e. were there any medical problems?	Not with my son, but the other 3 were considered high risk with constant threatened miscarriages.
What was/is the most difficult experience as a young mother?	Not having someone your own age who had been through the same experience. I was the first in my peer group to have a baby.
Was your family helpful/supportive?	After the initial shock they did all that they could to help.
Did you stay at home with your parents?	Yes
Did your family help support you? The baby? Emotionally, financially, or both?	My family helped support me financially, but they didn't really understand the emotions that I was experiencing.
Do they support you now? Emotionally, financially, or both?	My parents continue to support me emotionally
Did/do you need public assistance? How did/does that make you feel?	I still receive the pension, but I am doing everything possible to change that.
Was the father's family involved with the pregnancy? Emotionally, financially, or both?	No
Did the father's family help support you? Emotionally, financially, or both?	No
Does the child have a relationship with the paternal Grandparents?	No
Do you feel accepted by people your age?	Now I do because a lot now have children of their own.
Do you feel like you have it harder than people your own age without children?	No. We all have our own hardships depending on our perception of life.
Are you happy with the decisions you have made? (Be honest. . .it's ok to feel bad, we all do sometimes)	The only decision I would change was allowing my mother to take custody of my son.
What are your personal goals? (goals for yourself as an individual not as a mother)	To get off the pension, find a loving husband and father and pursue my dreams.
Have your goals changed since you became a parent?	My goals have changed to include giving my children the best life and the most love possible, to always make them feel confident about themselves.
Do you feel that reaching your goals will be more difficult now that your a teen parent?	In some ways. But also makes me more determined to make something of myself. To make my children proud of me and to teach them to overcome obstacles.
What would you tell a (school age) 12-18 year old girl that wanted to get pregnant?	To look inside themselves and see if they are really ready for that much responsibility and also why they want to get pregnant. It is not an easy life and this child will be dependent on them for a lot of years. Get out in the world and see a bit of it before making that great a commitment
How do you think being a Young Mother has changed you?	It has made me more able to face problems and to deal with them.
How do you think society looks upon teen pregnancy?	There are some people who are accepting of it. But most of those are people who were teenage parents or parents of teen parents. Some in my own family had a great deal of problem accepting it. And there are still those that think that we become mothers to bludge off the system.
Why do you think there are so many teen parents?	A lot is lack of education. But there are many that are looking for love and acceptance. And who better to give love and acceptance than your own child?
List 5 Pro's to being a teen Mother?	1. You are young enough to have plenty of energy. 2. You have "been there" fairly recently and can relate to them better. 3. You are still young enough when your children leave home to do the things you want. 4. You are not set in your ways and can adapt easier to the disruptions that babies bring. 5. You are still young when your children have babies to be actively involved in their lives.
List 5 Con's to being a teen Mother?:	1. The judgement that others pass on you because of your age. 2. Not having time to establish your career. 3. The difficulty in finding a job because employers don't think that you can handle the extra responsibility. 4. The lack of peers to turn to who can understand what you are going through. 5. The lack of support from society in general.
What do you expect to get out of being a member of Young Mothers?:	To meet others who are in the same position as me. To share ideas, thoughts, frustrations. To help others in the same position.
Today's Date:	15 July 2000