How do single mothers provide good male role models?

Filed under: Dads, Teenager, 15-19 years, Parental relationships, Peer pressureAs a single mother raising a son, I have always been concerned about having good male role models in my son's life. Even though his father and I had our differences, I was glad that my son knew him because I had always worried about that "void" my son would feel if he had never met his father.With the death of his father last year, I continue to be concerned as my son gets older. He is at a very impressionable age, going through the teen years, where he needs to have strong men to look to as role models.I try to point out examples of good and bad behavior in news stories, the behavior of people we know and the behavior of others, such as celebrities. I know that he is well informed on topics such as being respectful to women, among other things, but I worry that there are things he might be missing that a good strong male in his life could provide.If you are the single mother of a son, do you have other men in your life who are good role models for your son? If not, how do you provide your son with good examples of male behavior?Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Do child rapists deserve the death penalty?

Filed under: Media, 8-9 yearsIn 2003, a Louisiana jury found Patrick Kennedy guilty of raping his 8-year-old stepdaughter and sentenced him to death. The law states in Louisiana that aggravated rape of a child younger than 12 is punishable by "death or life imprisonment ... without parole." It is one of five states that allows juries to sentence convicted rapists to death. In May, 2007, the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld this sentence.Patrick Kennedy is appealing this sentence because his attorneys claim that the Louisiana law conflicts with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that "a sentence of death is grossly disproportionate and excessive punishment for the crime of rape." Kennedy's claim is that he is the only person on death row in Louisiana for rape. However, Kennedy did not rape an adult, he raped an 8-year-old child. In fact, Dr. Scott Benton of Children's Hospital testified during the trial that the child's injuries from the rape were the worst he had ever seen in a sexual assault of a child. Kennedy also refused to plead guilty to a lesser charge, which would have reduced his sentence and removed the death penalty possibility from his sentence. Kennedy's petition will be considered on January 4 by the Supreme Court Justices in a private conference.Do you think Kennedy's conviction should be overturned as cruel and unusual? Do child rapists deserve the death penalty?Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

A glimmer of hope for (extremely patient) Harry Potter fans

Filed under: Books, Rumors, BrandsCould there have been a light left on over at Hogwarts?! J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, has hinted she might be considering adding an 8th book to the popular line-up. I In an interview with Time magazine (who gave Rowling a #3 ranking on their Person Of The Year list) the author said: "There have been times since finishing, weak moments, when I've said 'Yeah, all right' to the eighth novel." But before you get your Amazon pre-order hopes up, Rowling quickly squelches the flames adding, "If - and it's a big if - I ever write an eighth book, I doubt that Harry would be the central character. I feel I've already told his story. But these are big ifs. Let's give it ten years." TEN YEARS?! I'll be REALLY old and gray by then! If you can't wait that long, I have good news for you. Remember that limited edition Rowling book that sold to an unnamed buyer for $4 million? We now know who the buyer was: Amazon.com. And while the online book store isn't allowed to sell copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, they are allowed to review the stories it contains and have set up a discussion board where muggles can ask questions and discuss the second-hand-yet-still-magical addition to the Pottermania. %Gallery-12546%Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Apple Martin could teach her dad a few things

Filed under: Celebrity babies, Celebrity parents, Celebrity parents behaving badlySo, your dad is a big rock star and mom is a famous actress. Complete strangers treat you like royalty and constantly tell you how wonderful and cute you are. With all that adulation, you are bound to become a little spoiled and possibly even bratty, right? No so in the case of Apple Martin, 3-year-old daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband Chris Martin. According to shop assistants at the New York boutique Ink Pad, Apple is a real sweetie, but her dad could use a refresher course on manners. A source at the shop says, "She was so cute, speaking a mile a minute and telling the clerk that her dad was taking her to see the new Alvin and the Chipmunks." As for Chris, the source says he "wasn't polite to the staff at all."The article doesn't say exactly what Chris did to be deemed impolite, but if Apple is anything like Ellie, she will set him straight. If Ellie sees me losing my patience or getting short with someone, she never fails to correct me. She will say, "Nana, you are being negative." This always gives me pause and forces me to rethink my attitude. How can I expect her to be well-mannered and polite if I don't set the example?Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

You want fries with that baby?

Filed under: Pregnancy and Birth, Teenager, Working moms, Going into labor, Birth complications, Birth announcementWhen I worked at McDonald's, I brought home what seemed like a huge amount of money, for a teenager. Sometimes, I would bring home dinner too. One girl, working at a McDonald's in Vancouver, Washington, brought home a bit more than that. She brought home a surprise -- a bouncing baby boy.Sixteen-year-old Danielle Miller was working at McDonald's when she suddenly felt ill. She ran to the bathroom, followed closely by a concerned friend and co-worker. The friend asked if she might be pregnant, to which Miller replied that she wasn't. Or so she thought, anyway. With the help of a 911 dispatcher and her friend, Miller gave birth in the restaurant restroom to her son Austin.Certainly, the birth of a child is a life-changing event and it's even more so when it is unexpected. "I was so shocked. I couldn't talk," said the new mum, who was taken with her baby to a nearby hospital by emergency personnel. "I was shaking the whole time. I didn't stop shaking until 3 a.m. the next morning," she added.If you ask me, I think this should qualify the kid for free nuggets for life or something. At the very least, if he goes to McDonald's for a snack after school, it will be just like going home, eh?Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments