If you're a mom, chances are, at least once a day, you worry that you're a bad one. Maybe you worry that you're a bad mom because you took your kids through the drive-thru for dinner... again. Or, you're fretting about that extra half-hour of TV you let them watch, or feel guilty for snapping at them over something. But, never fear. Compared to the parents featured on the site, My Parent is an Idiot, chances are, you're doing alright. The Telegraph shared some of the site's particularly cringe-worthy pics, which are one-part hilarious and one-part just plain wrong. From the parents who fashioned a harness-style seat out of duct tape for their baby and taped her (and her stuffed yellow duck) to the wall, to the dad who taught his young daughter how to shoot a rifle, from the comfort of her stroller..., there's a slideshow full of photos that will make you shake your head in disbelief.
Is shortened school week leading to more teen sex?
Every weekend is a three-day weekend for kids in Elbert County, Georgia. Last year, faced with budget cuts, the Board of Education shortened the school week down to just four days, in an effort to save money. While parents there are undoubtedly worried about the impact this has on kids' education and the extra childcare costs involved, they're also worried about something else it impacts -- teen sex. With Mondays off from school, and few things to do around town, many worry that teens will amuse themselves in each others' bedrooms. Though many tell health advocates that they're just at home or babysitting, other kids tell a different story. As Georgia Health News reports, one kid says that a lot of teens use their day off to hook up, or even rent rooms at the local motel. Health officials report that local teen pregnancy rates have gone down in recent years, but speculate that they may be going back up, thanks to all of the opportunities a school-free Monday presents.
Overall, fewer teen girls having sex
While parents in Elbert County, Georgia may be worried about teen sex, parents in other parts of the country may not need to worry as much anymore. As MSNBC reports, a majority of teen girls are, in fact, choosing abstinence. That's right, to the undoubted disappointment of teen boys, 57 percent of teen girls are waiting to get frisky. For parents just as worried about teen pregnancy as teen sex, there's also good news. Kids that are getting intimate are being smart about it, with sixty percent of girls using "highly effective methods of contraception," like the pill or IUDs. But, what if your teen actually does get pregnant? While we usually think of teen pregnancy as one of the ultimate cautionary tales, one former teen mom says having a baby saved her life. Sharing her story at Mile High Mamas, this now 38-year-old mother of six remembers being a 17-year-old girl, living with friends and not obeying any of the rules. Then, she got pregnant. While it was undoubtedly a struggle, hauling a baby on a bus to an inner city high school for teen moms and dealing with an abusive husband, this mom kept going. Today, she believes that having a baby when she did, saved her from herself and probably actually saved her life.
How much are your eggs worth?
Teen girls hope and pray they don't get pregnant. But, somewhere down the line, that fear of getting pregnant turns into an often desperate desire to have a baby. Sometimes it comes easily, sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't come easily, women turn to a variety of options to get them the baby they want, including egg donation. While it may be that all men are created equal, not all egg donors are paid equally. As the LA Times reports, Asian egg donors are able to rake in the big bucks, fetching between $10,000 and $20,000 for their eggs. Women of other backgrounds usually earn about $6,000, if they can find a taker, that is. What makes Asian women's eggs so valuable? Supply and demand. There's a growing number of infertile Asian couples who want a baby that looks like them, but relatively few Asian women willing to donate. Some fertility clinics even run ads in college newspapers, practically begging for Asian egg donors. One Chinese-Vietnamese-American college student has sold her eggs three times, to the tune of $26,000. Demand is also high for Jewish women's eggs. While there aren't any legal restrictions to offering more money for one ethnic group's eggs, rather than another's, some believe there are moral implications about valuing the eggs of an Asian woman higher than that of say, a Hispanic or African-American's.
Would you kiss your mother with that mouth?
When our babies first smile at us, it melts our hearts. The first time they say "I love you, Mommy," we're goners. But, what about the first time they say, "I hate you," or swear at you? Those are the times that break a mother's heart. Writing at Babble, one mom recounts overhearing a teenage daughter tell her mom, "You're such a f***ing b****, you have no idea." As a mom, there are likely many things you want to do in such a situation. Chances are, there are fewer that you should do. While experts often offer predictable advice, such take a deep breath and remind them about respect, some experts are offering more creative advice, such as take away their "mom privileges" for a while. A teen losing mom privileges will miss out on things like cooked meals, clean laundry courtesy of mom, morning wake up calls, and help with homework. We've been talking a lot about creative discipline techniques here lately, what do you think about this latest idea?
Dana Macario is a TODAY Moms contributor and Seattle mom to two sleep-depriving toddlers. Once properly caffeinated, she also blogs at www.18years2life.com.