I can only picture what this father is thinking at the moment. I mean when you think of your 12-year-old daughter, you might think of her just getting

out of the tomboy phase and beginning to like boys. Or if you are lucky enough she is still playing with Barbie dolls and walking around with her baby dolls. Maybe she’s outgrown the dolls and is in the designing purses or any type of craft phase. Either way, you don’t normally sit and wonder what type of mom she will be, or how you could’ve prevented this. There is a 12-year-old in Australia that is about to face becoming a mom at such a young age.

The girl’s mother had allowed the boy to move into their home, but the DOCS failed to take any action despite her father’s repeated pleas with the staff.

Cops said that they were also unable to intervene because both children were under the age of consent, and they could have only started a criminal investigation if the boy was 18.

The girl’s father, who is separated from the mother, discovered she was pregnant after he took custody of her in March.

And now, the girl is halfway through her pregnancy.

Her father is angry that it was the news of her pregnancy that made government agencies to finally take notice of the situation.

What would you have done? Obviously this man’s hands were tied, the courts wouldn’t listen to him and he didn’t have custody to prevent this. When he finally got custody she was already pregnant. Now instead of planning first dates, prom and high school dances he’ll be preparing a baby shower, the birth or adoption. I haven’t read yet if they plan on adopting the baby.

Linda Burney, the NSW Community Services Minister has stated that the department should’ve done something before it came to this point. She has admitted they were in the wrong and should’ve intervened. She even states that the father of the 12-year-old did contact them back in March but nothing was really done.

Oh but get this, the 15-year-old boyfriend that got her pregnant has been banned to see her. Umm, I think the damage is already done, she’s already pregnant and can’t get pregnant again for at least a few more months. Any thoughts on this?

All week I’ve avoided writing about this topic but it seems to be a hot one and something others are chatting about and I thought I’d ask ya’ll what you think. Bristol Palin, the daughter of Sarah Palin (who ran in the last election) was pregnant through the whole campaign which caused tons of controversy. This month’s issue of People Magazine had Bristol Palin appearing on the front cover in her cap and gown, holding her son, Tripp. (click that link to see her)

Earlier this month Bristol appeared to be a spokesperson for abstinence for the National Teen Pregnancy Awareness Day. She plans on becoming an advocate for the prevention of teen pregnancy. Bristol says that she hopes more will not do what she did and learn from her experiences. I must ask, when you see a young, pretty mom in a cap and gown while holding her baby and waving is this discouraging to our kids…our teens?

According to Bristol thought, this is the message she wants girls to get:

“Girls need to imagine and picture their life with a screaming newborn baby and then think before they have sex. Think about the consequences. If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex. Trust me. Nobody.”

It’s too bad the magazine didn’t shoot a picture of her in a gown with spit up on it and a crying child in her arms. Or maybe even her hair a mess and sleepy eyes. That would’ve painted a different picture for teens that were contemplating it. What’s your opinion?

Dropping the drinking age to 18 may affect more than just road safety. It can cause recklessness in bed.

Lowering the drinking age would lead to more low-birth weight babies and unwanted pregnancies, says researchers at the University of Georgia.

They found that a drinking age of 18 would lead to an almost 5% increase in the number of births to 18-20 year olds. The likelihood of women under 21 having a low-birth weight baby increases by 6% with the lower drinking age. Premature birth rates are also increased by 5-7% in teenagers under age 18 when the drinking age is lowered.

Researchers used data on alcohol use during a period when state minimum drinking age laws were in flux from 1978 to 1988.

Does the potential for higher rates of unwanted pregnancies affect your opinion about lowering the drinking age?

(Image via stock.xchng )

My daughter and I had a conversation about April Fools jokes or pranks. We had very different opinions. I think that this stems from the difference in our ages and our life experiences.

I can clearly remember when I sold shoes way back in the day and my boss and a co-worker tried to get me to go into the rest room, where they’d rigged up a bucket of water to fall on me. The bait was a first aid kit that I knew was not “on the back of the toilet.” Yuck, who would put a first aid kit there?? Anyway, the point is that I did not fall for it, but I did appreciate their effort and I would have laughed at the drenching.

My daughter told me that her friends talked her into calling her boyfriend at school, they go to different schools, and telling him that she is pregnant. His reaction, “Well, my life is over,” which of course it would not be, but still my heart ached for him when I heard what she had done. It must have felt like an instant punch to the gut. He works so hard at school and every day he talks about his plans to become a firefighter. Why would she think that putting that in jeopardy would be humorous? 

She told me that her friend had a teacher from school (which seriously makes me question this teacher’s common sense) call her Aunt, whom she lives with, to tell her that she had been caught at school with drugs in her backpack. She said that she was going to call me with the same news, but didn’t have a chance. I was flabbergasted.

What is this kid thinking of?  Unplanned pregnancies and drug busts as humor?  When did April Fools turn into horrify your friends and family day? 

I tried to explain my point of view to her. I said, “It would be like me calling you to say that I had cancer, when I don’t.” She said that would be horrible, because cancer kills.  I tried to explain that these other things were huge and life-altering, as well. We did not have a meeting of the minds. We both ended up frustrated, which is no kind of fun or joke for anybody.

What do you think?  What do you consider an appropriate or inappropriate April Fools Day joke or prank?

Bucket of water on the head = funny
Teenage pregnancy = not funny

Image credit: All Posters.com

So working moms and dads don’t have enough to worry about — now they have to add co-ed sleepovers to the list?

I’ve mentioned previously that we don’t have children, but here’s how I imagine this conversation taking place:

You are on a business trip, preparing for a big presentation — while you are on the plane (no less) you receive a text message from your 13-year old daughter.

• Daughter Hanna: Can I sleep over Victoria’s house tonight?
  
• You: Will the parents be there?
  
• Daughter: Yes
  
• You: Who else?
  
• Daughter: Victoria
  
• You: And who else?
  
• Daughter: Everyone
  
• You: Everyone who?
  
• Daughter: JenniferIsabellaMadisonOliviaAlexisRyanDaniel
  
• You: Oh…What?! Did You Just Say Ryan and Daniel?
  
• Daughter: Like, um yesssss.
  
• You: No Way.
  
• Daughter: Why? Don’t you trust me? Goddd! You Don’t Trust Anyone Do You!
  
• You: Yes, I trust you…but you’re too young to go to a sleep over party that includes boys and by the way, I’m on a freaking plane!

This is the trend now a-days…and not only that, some parents are making arrangements for these kids to have sleep-overs at hotels.

Can you believe?

Again, I don’t have children, so what is the right answer?

Whatever happened to 4 girls over someone’s house, watching “Creature Feature”?