Brad and Fiona were just your typical 17 year olds. Brad worked at the local service station and Fiona didn’t work at school. Brad was out to prove his manhood and Fiona was out to prove to her friends that she wasn’t frigid and she could bed a man as well as the best of them.

Like many teenagers they weren‘t prepared to put their hormones on hold or take precautions. To them curbing your emotions meant making love in a parked car. To Brad precautions spoilt the performance and for Fiona, she had been lucky so far and anyhow if she fell pregnant she’d give that baby so much love it wasn’t funny.

So the inevitable happened and Fiona was pregnant and Brad was packing it, he wasn’t ready to be tied down, he wanted to be up with the action, riding the waves, downing the amber, winning the women so he called it off and claimed it wasn’t his kid anyhow.

Unfortunately DNA tests confirmed Brad was dad, and Fiona found she could claim child support payments from Brad direct from his wage so why not keep the kid. Brad will now be paying 16% of his salary for the baby for the next 18 years to help feed, clothe and educate his offspring. In this world of reneged relationships, Brad is now realising that parenting is permanent.

Dr Irvine is a leading child psychologist and Generation Next speaker. He has developed a series of DVD’s on managing children’s behaviour and has written several books including “Thriving at school” and “A handbook for happy families”. Dr John is a staunch advocate for school and family partnerships in education.

 

Writer Dr John Irvine. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.
Dr John Irvine is a speaker at the Generation Next “Mental Health & Wellbeing of Young People 2012” seminars in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Canberra