I'm a little late, and it sounds like you've got some pretty good input here, but I wanted to throw in my two cents.
1) Stability sounds like the best reason to me for the mother to give up her child - it's a good reason and still plays on her maternal instincts for wanting what's best for the kid.
2) As people have already menioned, there will be people who will demonize the mother for wanting to give up the child no matter what her reasoning is (although there might be an exception to something like.... Solomon's dilemma, was it? I know the story. but I learned it in a different context, so I'm not sure).
But, my point in that would be to bring up that in US divorce courts, at least (you said western, but I don't know if you meant the US or Europe), there is a presumption that the mother will get custody of the child. And there are many judges who still believe thatstaying with the mother is always in the best interests of the child, barring exceptional circumstances. I also think, though, that the other's job involving traveling is an excellent argument for exceptional circumstances, and no one is going to argue with them if both of them agree, anyway (again, barring exceptional circumstances - Even if both parents agree, if the father turned out to be abusive, for instance.... well, they probably would try to find the next nearest kin if the mother couldn't take care of them.)
I'm speaking more from a legal perspective here (I've got a little experience with domestic violence and family law, though its not what I'm practicing now)- none of this should pose a problem for your story, but it might resent something you characters have to deal with.
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Date: 2010-03-05 04:12 pm (UTC)1) Stability sounds like the best reason to me for the mother to give up her child - it's a good reason and still plays on her maternal instincts for wanting what's best for the kid.
2) As people have already menioned, there will be people who will demonize the mother for wanting to give up the child no matter what her reasoning is (although there might be an exception to something like.... Solomon's dilemma, was it? I know the story. but I learned it in a different context, so I'm not sure).
But, my point in that would be to bring up that in US divorce courts, at least (you said western, but I don't know if you meant the US or Europe), there is a presumption that the mother will get custody of the child. And there are many judges who still believe thatstaying with the mother is always in the best interests of the child, barring exceptional circumstances. I also think, though, that the other's job involving traveling is an excellent argument for exceptional circumstances, and no one is going to argue with them if both of them agree, anyway (again, barring exceptional circumstances - Even if both parents agree, if the father turned out to be abusive, for instance.... well, they probably would try to find the next nearest kin if the mother couldn't take care of them.)
I'm speaking more from a legal perspective here (I've got a little experience with domestic violence and family law, though its not what I'm practicing now)- none of this should pose a problem for your story, but it might resent something you characters have to deal with.