Free Republic

Afton Burton was 16 and living with her parents in Illinois when she discovered Charles Manson. Now, nine years later, her name is Star, she’s 25 years old, and she considers herself Charles Manson’s wife, even though it isn’t official yet. “He filed for the first round of paperwork,” says Star, who says she’s in love with the 79-year-old convicted murderer. “I’m completely with him, and he’s completely with me. It’s what I was born for, you know. I don’t know what else to say.” Star says she was first attracted to Manson after reading about ATWA, Manson’s environmental philosophy...

<p>Apparently, after waiting in line in front of a careless mother and her screaming small child, a man who was having a bad day (and had a headache) decided to ruin that family's day: The child was screaming "I want fucking pie!" so the man bought up every last pie — all 23 of them — and walked out of the Burger King location, turning only to see the enraged mother and child, helpless as the cashier told them that the restaurant had just sold out of pie.</p>

I n the United States, conventional wisdom holds that you should raise your child to be religious. Taking the kids to church is the default; leaving them home requires justification. Push parents to explain why they should pass on their religion—apart from a principled urge to keep the faith—and they’re likely to tell you studies prove that kids do better with religion than without it. Mark Joseph Stern Mark Joseph Stern Mark Joseph Stern is a writer for Slate. He covers science, the law, and LGBTQ issues. But is religion really good for kids? That might depend on what kind...

Do you know your family? You may think that’s a silly question. “Of course we know each other,” many parents would reply. “We live under the same roof. We see each other daily. We go on vacations together. How could we not know each other?” Yet, in an important sense, many parents and their children are almost strangers. The time many families spend together is crammed with wall-to-wall activities. Mothers and fathers ferry their kids feverishly about—a play date here, a practice there, not a moment to spare—tethered by cell phones and sustained by meals on the run. You can’t...

Nine out of 10 parents admit that spanking their children is sometimes appropriate. This week, a New York court ruled in favor of a father charged with child abuse, saying that it was a “reasonable use of force.” On Fox and Friends this morning, psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow said it’s “never a good idea” to spank kids. “The bottom line is it’s always the end of the discussion—hitting your kids. It’s never the beginning of a discussion. It teaches them nothing,” he said.

The latest version of the company’s Sienna minivan has a feature called “Driver Easy Speak.” It uses a built-in microphone to amplify a parent’s voice through speakers in the back seats. Toyota says it added Easy Speak “so parents don’t have to shout to passengers in the back.” But chances are many parents will yell into the microphone anyway. And the feature only works one way, so the kids can’t talk back. At least not with amplified voices. The feature is an option on the 2015 Sienna, which is being refreshed with a totally new interior. It also has an...

Valeria Tanco (L), and Sophy Jesty pose with their new baby girl, Emilia, at their home in Knoxville, Tennessee April 7, 2014.Several liberal media organizations are reporting the results of a new same-sex parenting study which suggests that gay parents do a better job of raising children than the general population. There are four imporant points to understand about that study, however.Here are a few of the headlines:CBS News: "Children of same-sex couples healthy, well-adjusted, study finds"NBC News: "Children of Same-Sex Parents Are Healthier: Study"The Huffington Post: "Children Of Gay Parents Are Happier And Healthier Than Their Peers, New Study...

Thursday, May 29, 2014                Top 10 Ways to Give Your Kid a 1970’s Summer It is officially the end of May. The Pinterest pages, Facebook feeds, and family magazine features are loaded up with all the activities you should do with your kids summer. AS. IF.   As if we need more activities. MORE I say!  As if I am sitting here, ok, really lying here in my end of school year coma,  thinking, "OMG! I CANNOT wait to tackle that homemade moon sand recipe  we will dye ourselves with the skin of...

Here are 40 images that put parenting in perspective for all of us. 1. The moment they’re born, kids are instantly skeptical.

Mother, Mom or Mommy, the name matters not to me; it's the person who matters. My earliest memories of my mother were of her holding me in her lap, tight against her ample chest and soothing me when I was upset. She was my comforter, even when she was the one who had just disciplined me. In her lap, with her arms around me, I felt loved, safe and secure. When I was a teenager, she played the role of the heavy. "I have broad shoulders," she once told me. "Blame me, instead of yourself, if you don't want to...

A year ago, I wrote a two-part series titled "My Mom's Advice for America." Those columns became two of my most read pieces. With both my mother's 93rd birthday (May 4) and Mother's Day (May 11) on the horizon, I decided to write a two-part series this year on her mother's advice for America. Grandmother Scarberry, whom I affectionately always called "Granny" until the day she died, was an inspirational matriarch in the family, especially in my life. Outside of God and my wife, Gena, my mom and Granny were the two bedrocks and influences in my life. There are...

(Reuters) - A family of four rescued from their sailboat after their infant daughter became seriously ill at sea returned safely to San Diego on Wednesday aboard a U.S. warship that picked them up in the Pacific over the weekend, a Navy spokeswoman said. The parents, Eric and Charlotte Kaufman, and their two daughters, 3-year-old Cora and 1-year-old Lyra, left the Navy frigate Vandegrift after the ship arrived in port around 10 a.m. local time and proceeded to their family doctor, according to Lieutenant Lenaya Rotklein of the Third Fleet. Rotklein declined to give any further information about the arrival...

As a mother, I often dwell on my role and that of my husband in influencing our children. I also think about the roles their peers and their environment play in affecting their growth. Are our children being challenged enough? Are they being taught responsibility, gratitude and manners? Should they be focusing on one activity or many? Are they over- or under-scheduled? The list goes on and on. Recently our 14-year-old daughter Maggie has been questioning me about her talents. Specifically, she has been wondering what those talents might be. My response most often has been to tell her that...

THE EVOLUTION OF PARENTING.. The 40’s.. THE EYES.. If an adult looked at you, you froze.. The 50’s.. THE SILENT TREATMENT.. If they stopped talking, you stopped asking, or else.. The 60’s.. THE COMMAND.. Sit down and Shut up, and that was the last straw.. The 70’s.. THE DISCUSSION.. Let’s talk about this. The compromise.. The 80’s.. THE PAY-OFF.. If you stop, I’ll buy you.. The 90’s.. THE THREATS.. You told the school councilor WHAT? 2000’s.. ..  THE END.. You could do time Behind Bars for placing your kid in TIME OUT! YIKESDoes anyone have the number to a Bail...

A New York City boy was reunited with his family, after leaving home for five days because he refused to clean up after his dog, a family member said. Kareem Granton, 11, disappeared with a friend Wednesday in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, and his return came after he was spotted by a stranger on a subway train, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday...

The traditional family is dead, so we've been informed. It's been replaced by blended families, cohabitation, single-parent families, and, if the latest scientific controversy regarding mitochondrial DNA pans out, multiple biological parents for a single child. It's not wrong to declare that the face of the American family is changing (even if most of the changes have been for the worse), but it may be overwrought. The only way to sing a dirge for the "traditional" family is to define it exceedingly narrowly -- and even then, it's not dead, just diminished. If you define "traditional" as a father working...

TORONTO – For women, smelling a newborn baby feels as good as drugs are to addicts or cheeseburgers to those just breaking a fast, new Montreal research suggests. A University of Montreal scientist says a newborn baby’s odour lights up the reward centres in our brain in a way other scents can’t. And for women – specifically moms – the experience, a rush of dopamine to the brain, is heightened. The reaction is so strong, it exists even if the baby isn’t in front of you. It’s chemistry between mom and baby. “What we’ve shown for the first time is...

Via Ace. “Not only would parents have to attend” if they want their kid to pass sixth grade, notes Walter Olson at Cato, “but for good measure the bill would require employers to bestow a paid day off each year for employees who are parents to do so.” Sounds good to some New Yorkers, as you’re about to see.Here’s the bill, which you can read in 30 seconds. The state would put together workshops on 12 different subjects with parents required to attend four, one of which must be a workshop on sexual abuse. That’s the bill’s saving grace potentially;...

Max Price's parents Lisa and Martin are raising their son according to the technique known as 'gender-neutral parenting' Toddler is happy playing with his collection of toy cars and revels in wearing his favourite dresses and tutu Mother Lisa said: 'Gender stereotypes can be so damaging' The couple say they hope their decision will help boost Max's confidence Max Price is a happy, healthy one-year-old boy who spent yesterday morning playing with his vast collection of toy cars, planes, tractors, and dinosaurs. Max scampered upstairs to his bedroom with his 23-year-old mother, Lisa, and re-emerged several minutes later wearing a...

A White House Council on Women and Girls was formed in 2009 under the Obama administration to ensure that government agencies were taking into account the needs of women and girls. Warren Farrell, who has served on the board of NOW in New York City and writes books about men’s and women’s issues, was asked to be an adviser to the Council. He agreed, but suggested the need for a White House Council on Boys and Men. He was invited to submit a proposal to create one. Farrell got to work, and over the next 18 months put together a...