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"Last month, Angela's youngest daughter, 16-year-old Lisa, ran away from home to be with Glyn's father, Nigel, who, at 46, is precisely 30 years her senior. Lisa was due to sit her GCSEs this week and was expected to achieve a succession of As and A*s. Nigel Trowbridge is an unemployed father of five - including a daughter who is a year younger than Lisa - and would not strike you as a particularly ideal catch for anyone, let alone a girl who is meant to be taking her GCSEs. To say Angela is horrified is an understatement. This, after...

'Teachers are surrogate parents now' By Graeme Paton and James Kirkup Last Updated: 2:38am GMT 10/03/2008 The demise of the traditional family is breeding a generation of children who are increasingly relying on teachers to become surrogate parents, a prominent education leader warned yesterday. Thousands of children lacked basic social skills, said John Dunford, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders. Many pupils were unable to hold simple conversations, use a knife and fork or sit at the table, he added. Others suffered serious behavioural problems because of the lack of a stable home life. For...

Pray for my dad

(With schools closed between Christmas and New Year's, Mom and Dad are forced to find child care alternatives) Kids are on vacation this week, but many working parents aren't. School and work schedules misalign for snow days, teacher conferences, random holidays and, of course, summer, but the mismatch is at its worst between Christmas and New Year's. West Allis resident Jeanne Rohde considers herself lucky to be a regular at one of the few programs that bridges the gap - vacation camp at the West Suburban YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee in Wauwatosa. Daughters Stephanie, 10, and Michelle, 8, usually can...

No, no, sorry. I don't have any . . ." Why does this always seem to be the first thing I'm asked? It takes my breath away, yet why do I feel the need to apologize for my reply? Looking vague and embarrassed, my questioner glances over my shoulder for someone else to talk to: someone with whom he or she has more in common, someone with children.... Just as some women talk of a visceral urge that propels them to have children, others speak of an equally visceral urge that propels them not to. Laurie, a transplanted southerner who...

One of the great ironies of our time is that today’s parents, with more professional resources at their disposal than ever before, are experiencing more and greater problems in the area of discipline than their grandparents even thought possible. Once upon a not-so-very-long-ago time, children were mischievous. They tried to get away with what they thought they could when adults weren’t looking. All too many of today’s kids are surly, rude, disrespectful, ill-mannered, petulant, and openly defiant. The nature of the child has not changed in fifty years, so the problem must lie with changes in how parents are going...

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey, JULY 22, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Life without children is a growing social reality for an increasing number of American adults. This is the conclusion of the 2006 edition of "The State of Our Unions" report on marriage, released last week by the National Marriage Project. The project is based at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Up until recently, for most people, the greater part of adult life was spent with young children forming part of the household. A combination of marrying later, less children and longer life expectancy means, however, that a significantly greater part of...

In the name of the fatherhttp://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=1033732006 http://tinyurl.com/ozefu DANI GARAVELLI Sun 16 Jul 2006 ONCE upon a time, I believed it didn't matter a whit whether a baby was born into a family with one parent or two. Or with two mothers or two fathers rather than a mother and a father. Why should it? What was important was not the number or gender of the parents, but whether or not they were loving and attentive. That was, of course, before I had any of my own. Now I realise that bringing up children is a challenge even for two well-meaning...

The debate about neonatal circumcision is over. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), neonatal circumcision is the result of ignorance, bad medical practice and American social and cultural pressure. Regarding the three most commonly cited justifications for neonatal circumcision (penile cancer, venereal disease and penile hygiene), the AAP now states that the benefits are negligible, which means that the majority of American men are walking around without foreskins for no good reason. Yet, the barbaric practice shows no sign of abating, and for this reason I plan to shed some light on the cultural dark spot of circumcision....

One exciting thing about the free market is that you can't predict what the market will create. Big-government advocates tell you exactly what will happen when their plans work (as if they actually would work!), but we who trust the free market can only say that people will compete and good ideas will win. We do know that competition works. It works because it gives people the chance to be creative...

A Fostoria (Ohio) man pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the drowning-deaths of his 10-month-old twins. On August 7, Gregg J. Kleinmark, 24, left his sons unattended in a bathtub for 30 minutes while he played a “computer game” three rooms away. One report suggests that Kleinmark was playing a Game Boy Advance, which as we know, is portable and could have been just as easily used in the bathroom while supervising the infants. Kleinmark is facing up to 10 years in prison

David and Tonia Parker of Lexington, Mass., saw a red flag when their son came home from kindergarten last January with a "diversity book bag" that included Who ' s in a Family, a book promoting acceptance of gay marriage. The Parkers thought it was their right, as parents, to decide when and how to introduce their son to the issue of homosexuality. The Parkers believed the public school, Estabrook, is right to be teaching tolerance of gays but wrong in raising the subject in kindergarten and then indoctrinating 5-year-olds on gay marriage. Tonia Parker says gay parents are allowed...

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, September 1, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Utah Supreme Court heard Tuesday the case of a mother who wants a lower court decision granting parental standing to her former partner, a lesbian, overturned. “I am here to protect my child,” Cheryl Barlow said. “That's the only reason.” In a courtroom with standing room only, Barlow’s attorney argued that, “This case is about the right of a natural mother to decide what is best for her child. My client decided what she thought was best for her 2-year-old child and left a relationship and a lifestyle,” said Alliance...

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's conservative-dominated parliament has approved abortions in cases where themother's life is in danger or the child would be handicapped, the official IRNA news agency is reporting. "It is the first time in the past 26 years that parliament dared to debate such a controversial law," the agencysaid on Tuesday, referring to the period since the 1979 Islamic revolution. IRNA remarked that opponents of the bill argued many disabled people had played important roles in societyand that the legislation was open to abuse. Proponents of the law underlined the financial drain of handicapped children on families. IRNA...

Please sign the New Hampshire petition for Protection of Parenting Equality. And please visit www.nhcustody.org for an education on the problems in New Hampshire and across the country relating to how the family courts continue to sever the parent/child relationship after a no-fault divorce or separation and are thus creating huge numbers of NH and American children with only a single parent. Equal parenting rights require protections explicitly written into our states' child custody statutes, even though these same [parental] rights have been historically upheld as amongst the most sacred liberties protected by the constitution's 14th amendment equal protection clause....

GRANITE CITY - A Sothern Illinois woman was arrested last week (March 17) after trying to intervene on behalf of her 14-year old daughter's effort to have an abortion. The girl was allegedly taken to an abortion clinic by the mother of the man allegedly to have impregnated the 14-year old. According to the girl's mother, her 14-year old daughter was called off from school in Madison County by a woman posing as the girl's “grandmother.” The woman took the girl from her home only minutes before the girl’s mother returned home from work. It was later determined that the...

Japanese police questioned three siblings today after it was discovered they had been living with the decomposed corpse of their father for nearly a decade. Police found the body of Kyujiro Kanaoka lying on a futon bed at the family’s home in Itami, western Japan, said a police spokesman. Kanaoka’s three elderly children, all in their 70s or older, told police they thought their father was still alive but that one of them recently had consulted a relative about the possibility that he might be dead, the spokesman said. Police were investigating the cause of Kanaoka’s death. Judging from the...

A St. Paul mother and her live-in boyfriend are accused of locking the woman's 11-year-old daughter in a chain-link dog kennel in a warehouse basement, leaving her cold and, one night, naked. Deborah L. Cameron and Eric Bare appeared in Ramsey County District Court on Wednesday, each charged with two counts of unreasonable restraint of a child, a gross misdemeanor.

Meet Douglas Dycus. The 40-year-old Florida man was charged yesterday with felony child abuse and domestic battery for allegedly using a stun gun to discipline his 14-year-old son. Dycus, an engineer with a Palm Beach firm, admitted to cops that he used the electrical device on the boy when the child was wrestling with a brother and holding up the family's departure from their home last month.

Group of Baptist families face possible loss of children to state "German Christians who choose to homeschool their children are coming under continued enforcement action by the government, with one group of families fearful they may lose custody of their kids..." [ Snip ] "...The families are part of one of two Baptist denominations in the area that reportedly split over the issue of whether or not to continue homeschooling the younger generation..." [ Snip ] "...Guenther says if the parents' attempt to negotiate with government officials fails, the parents could have their children removed from their homes. Thirteen children...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

Union Sent Threatening Letter To Parent Who Complained POSTED: 5:16 pm EST November 18, 2004 UPDATED: 5:37 pm EST November 18, 2004 LETTER: Teachers' Union Responds To Parent Who Complained (PDF file) SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. -- Channel 9 has obtained a letter from the teachers' union to a parent who complained Kathy Garrett beat her child years ago. Carol Goings was shocked by the threatening letter she received.

================================================== MORE THAN PATRON OF HOMES, IT'S TIME FOR ST. JOSEPH TO GAIN HIGHEST OF RECOGNITION By Michael H. Brown Much of the time, it is baffling. While St. Joseph is widely recognized by Catholics (many churches and religious orders are named for him, as are many people), he has remained in the background when it comes to intercession. Oh, his prayers are sought. He is on the list. But he has not been granted recognition in proportion to who he was -- the father of Jesus while He was on earth. Perhaps St. Joseph is kept in the background...

North dons its gay apparel By David Ertischek / Staff Writer Tuesday, December 16, 2003 Usually at 7:50 on a high school morning, sleepy faces struggle to keep their heads up. But last Wednesday at the Newton North Little Theatre, all eyes were focused on four speakers leading a panel titled "Life Outside the Gender Norm." The panel was one of six events occurring during Newton North's Annual Transgender, Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Awareness Day, known as ToBGLAD Day. ToBGLAD Day has sparked protest in the past from some Newton parents who say they're not adequately informed about the day's...

Parent Claims Drama Teacher Threatened Son School District Says It's Investigating POSTED: 2:41 PM CST January 9, 2004 UPDATED: 3:01 PM CST January 9, 2004 OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- The Blue Valley School District has opened an investigation after a drama teacher allegedly threatened a student. KMBC's Krista Tatschl reported that a student at Blue Valley North High School told his mother that his teacher threatened him. "He was shocked and scared," said Christena, whose son was allegedly threatened. Christena asked that KMBC not use her last name to protect her son. Christena told Tatschl that she knows discussions in...

A parent of a high school student asked local school officials last week (Nov. 14) to reconsider a Sept. 22 decision that paved the way for students to choose clothing that displays the Confederate flag. Stella Moore told members of the Jackson County Board of Education that her son had heard racial slurs at Smoky Mountain High School and described an incident where students ran across the football field (during a pep rally) carrying a Confederate flag and yelling "KKK." "Your decision was made without regard for the feelings of those who think that flag represents racism and slavery," Moore...

The FBI's Terrorism Task Force is investigating an incident that occurred last month at a girls' yeshiva in Pikesville, Maryland. The Baltimore Jewish Times reports that an alert parent spotted a young man, later identified as a Saudi Arabian national, and a female companion videotaping students at Bais Yaakov School for Girls. The parent followed the filming couple for about a mile, despite their efforts to lose him. He wrote down their license plate number, called the police, and later filed a formal complaint with the FBI. The Saudi man has been questioned, his camera has been confiscated, and the...

1. If you were going to send your child to a Christian College, what college would you choose and why? 2. Rank the colleges listed below by order of name recognition (1=best name recognition to 20=least name recognition). 3. Rank the colleges listed below by order of academic reputation (1=best academic reputation to 20=worst academic reputation). Wheaton College Gordon College Azuza Pacific University Messiah College Houghton College George Fox University Calvin College Huntington College Indiana Wesleyan University Westmont College Biola University Cedarville University LeTourneau University Taylor University Goshen College Greenville College Anderson University Hillsdale College Geneva College John Brown University...

Michael Tanner, director of health and welfare studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, took conservatives to task for offering legislation to promote marriage, in his July 29, 2003 New York Times op-ed, "Wedded to Poverty." Tanner may well be correct in claiming that conservative do-gooders are going astray in promoting marriage through the "welfare reauthorization bill passed by the House and awaiting action by the Senate: a proposal to spend nearly $2 billion over the next six years to encourage people to marry." Countless governmental and nongovernmental undertakings have foundered on the fallacy bearing the Latin name post hoc, ergo...

<p>When it comes to California politics, even Father's Day is partisan.</p> <p>The same Assembly that fought for hours about whether to support U.S. troops when war broke out in Iraq has found a new issue to pit liberals against conservatives.</p>

A Freeper Home School, Educator, Interested Parent Invitation to come and listen to: A Presentation Mr. Dean Gotcher -  the founder and director of the Institution for Authority Research and author of the booklet Dialectic and Praxis: Diaprax and the End of the Ages, explaining the dialectic process which is the foundation of and justification for Goals 2000, Outcome-Based Education, and School to Work.Courtesy of Arkansas Publik Skulz   WHAT’S HAPPENING TO OUR SCHOOLS, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR FAMILIES, OUR NATION?Date:   Saturday, June 21st, 2003 Time:   6 P.M. Place:St. Joseph’s HospitalMercy – McCall Room300 WernerHot Springs, ArkansasMapQuest Come discover the truth...

Diet During Puberty Influences Sex Hormone Levels, Possibly Breast Cancer Risk A modest reduction in fat intake during puberty is associated with changes in the levels of certain sex hormones, according to a study of adolescent girls in the January 15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. In adults, elevated levels of sex hormones are associated with an increase in breast cancer risk. Joanne F. Dorgan, Ph.D., of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, and her colleagues conducted a study ancillary to the Dietary Intervention Study in Children to examine whether diet influences sex hormone levels...

North American Report/Fatherhood At-Home Dads Gather and Bond by Kristyn Komarnicki in Des Plaines, Illinois At a November 21 convention in suburban Chicago, 100 American men gathered to network, listen to experts, and exchange strategies for improving job performance. But any resemblance to corporate America ended there. Dress was casual, the atmosphere noncompetitive, and topics included ways to support working spouses, tips on defusing a two-year-old's temper tantrums, and the desire to see more diaper-changing tables installed in men's restrooms. Giving voice to the growing ranks of men engaged in full-time fatherhood, the third annual At-Home Dads Convention in Des...

When Eric and Jody courted during graduate school, they assumed that when the time came to raise a family, Eric would work and Jody would stay home with the kids. Six years later, things looked different. "I liked my job, but Jody loved hers," says Eric. "Jody made lots more money than I ever could have. It became clear to each of us that she should work and I should stay home. We came to this decision through a lot of prayer and by discussing it with our church friends ad nauseum."Three children later, Eric is passionate about being a...

TEST YOUR PARENTING SKILLSSomething tells me that Michael Jackson's handlers do not consider this a PR victory.Call me crazy.Warning: it may be in poor taste..

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCERhttp://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/96968_babysell23.shtml Mother accused of selling babyPolice say former boyfriend's ex was buyer; $2,000 used to buy clothes, PlaystationsSaturday, November 23, 2002By CANDACE HECKMANSEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTERKENT -- The 3-month-old baby was crying all of the time, trying her patience. So, his 28-year-old mother told police, she took him down to a local Fred Meyer and gave him to a stranger for $2,000 in cash.And it turned out the stranger was really her former boyfriend's ex-wife.The mother used the money to pay off a traffic ticket, then buy groceries, clothes, two Sony PlayStations and a VCR -- before she went out...

MND COMMENTARY HOME | PAGE 2 | RESOURCES | MEDIA | ARCHIVE | SHOP | MEMBERSHIP | FORUM | MND RADIO Free Fall November 20, 2002 by David E. Reiser, MD. Two weeks ago, I fired all of my lawyers. I will not replace them. Nor will I press ahead. Instead, I will cease. I am dropping all attempts to enforce a court order issued a year-and-a-half-ago, threatening my ex-wife with contempt for refusing to relinquish the pittance I was “awarded” in an “equitable distribution” decision. It was not equitable, it will never be distributed, certainly not to me,...

<p>Christine Skarin and her daughters are suing over Woodbine High School's graduation song.</p> <p>WOODBINE, Iowa — Christine Skarin and her twins have struck a sour note with a lot of people in their farming community of Woodbine, Iowa, but this small-town dispute isn’t the same old song-and-dance.</p>