Blog-marching against Cuts to Child Benefit!

The Irish Parenting Bloggers group have been having a chat behind the scenes, and it turns out that we’re all pretty annoyed by the proposed cuts to child benefit. Our reasons vary, just as our stories do. The cuts will affect each of us differently, some more than others. But there’s no denying, we’ll all feel the cuts.

We’ve decided to vent our frustrations in the way that bloggers do best, and blog about it. Starting yesterday (sorry I’m a bit late with this post!), and running for ten days, a different Irish parenting blogger will post each day telling her story and sharing her views on the issue.

We’ll be publicising the posts on the Irish Parenting Blogs Facebook page, which you can find here: https://www.facebook.com/IrishParentingBlogs Please feel free to Like the page and follow along! In fact, please post on the page and share your stories and your thoughts on the issue.

Here’s our press release if you’d like to know more about our Blog March!

Irish Parenting Bloggers stage BlogMarch Against Child Benefit Cuts

(Monday, 8 October 2012) 10 Irish parenting bloggers have joined forces in a “BlogMarch” to raise awareness of the crippling impact that cuts to child benefit will have on Irish families if introduced in December’s budget. The bloggers will publish a blog post each over the next ten days to highlight the negative impact that child benefit cuts will have and are calling on parents to join them in protesting against any further attack on families’ incomes.

Commenting, Lucy Pearce, blogger at Dreaming Aloud (http://www.dreamingaloud.net) and mother to three children, aged 7, 4 and 2, said “It feels like this country has taken cut after tax rise lying down because people, especially already stretched families, feel isolated and don’t know what to do. It is because so many parents are under pressure providing and caring for their families and don’t have the time or resources to down tools and take to the streets that we have organised this BlogMarch. The voices of Irish families need to be heard. We would strongly encourage parents who object to a crude cut to child benefit to sign the online petition at http://bit.ly/SG3R49 to let Government know just how many families cuts will affect. Over 25,000 people have already added their name.”

Kate Gunn, who blogs at Kate Takes 5 (http://katetakes5.blogpost.ie) and is mum to three children, aged 8, 6 and 4, commented “Our bloggers come from a broad spectrum of Irish society with the common ground that we are all mothers. Together, we are against unjust cuts that hurt the most vulnerable in our society and we are united in finding a fair way to make changes to child benefit, not just a blanket cut”.

The BlogMarch begins today with “Child benefit stole my child’s allowance” on The Irish Rhymes blog (http://theirishrhymes.blogspot.ie) and continues until Wednesday 17 October.

The full line up for the blog march is:

Day 1: The Irish Rhymes – Child Benefit Stole My Child’s Allowance

Day 2: The Clothesline – Stuck in the Middle – No to Child Benefit Cuts

Day 3: Mind The Baby – Leave Child Benefit Alone. Tax Maternity Benefit Instead

Day 4: Dreaming Aloud – Down to the Bare Bones – Cutting (the fat) of Child Benefit

Day 5: The Daily Muttering – Hands Off My Childrens Allowance

Day 6: Kate Take 5 – Won’t Get Fooled Again

Day 7: Wholesome Ireland – Let Them Eat Cake

Day 8: Meetmums – March Against Cuts to Child Benefit

Day 9: The Serious Wagon – That’s Fighting Talk

Day 10: Mama.ie – You do the maths