I also have 3 older children,all daughters,all raised.

I have a childhood friend who lives in NY state,christian,she really does live what she believes.I have enormous respect for her.Her oldest daughter got pregnant,was not married.Because her daughter was under 21,the state was making my friend and husband responsible.

Now,the only way around this was for the daughter to go to court and imancipate herself,which she did.

The state was not making the father of the baby's parents responsible.

If the daughter had not done this,my friend and husband would've been responsible for the grandchild,hospital bills,dr's everything.

Now,keep in mind,this is a christian home.Church every Sunday.A loving home,they had dinner each night,parents involved.She has 3 children.This daughter was the oldest.Her son,the middle child is in colleg.The youngest,daughter,is graduating next year.She plans to be a paramedic.She already goes out on calls with her dad,who volunteers.

It gets old with the media focusing on single mothers.When a boy can go out and father many babies.

I moved from a small town at the age of 16 to St Petersburg Fla,1973.I had never been around pot.But I knew it wasn't cig smoke coming from the bathrooms,which the smell filled the halls.The teachers were too scared to go in.

I later found out from my brother,he smoked pot in high school,he's 3 yrs older than me.I had no clue and we lived in that small town then.

Drugs are there,they've been there for a long time.I never chose them,though easily could have.

All you can do is the best you can as a parent.There are alot of other influences once your kids go out into the world.

If they make mistakes,wrong choices,you still love them,forgive them.Talk to them,yes.Does it mean that they'll make all the right choices,no.

But as a parent,the love is always there.

There are always going to be good kids, no matter what. But do you think the general trend is away from any sense of morality?

Unbelievable what kind of laws they come up with. But like you said all we can do is our best after all when we had babies it didnt come with a instruction manuel. Darn.

It would be one thing if there was an instruction manuel comprabale to say...

how to housetrain your pet....

but kids leave the house and you have no control on what influences them.

I don't think it's a matter of good or bad kids,just choices that are made.We've all made choices that aren't in our best interest,no matter what age,what generation.

My mother found out later in life that her aunt was actually her bio. mother.She was young,single,got pregnant with my mom.So,she went away to have my mom and my mom was adopted by the older sister.

It happens all through time.We just have more knowledge of it now with mass media.

you hear about that from time to time...Jack Nicholson's Aunt was his mother....so was Bobby Darrin.

Well,after my mother-in-law died,her sister started having a fling with my father-in-law,before my poor mother-in-law was even buried. A couple of weeks later,she moved down with her 2 sons from up north.8 months later,they got married. So,my husband's aunt was then his step mother (and a wicked one at that)and the 2 cousins became his step brothers. Fortunatley,we were married and eventually broke ties.