Boy is Dad at age 13, he looks so very young

[Lizzylou]

Here, he just looks so young

But there are consequences. These people keep living sh*t lives in grinding poverty.

I wish them all the luck and success in the world. I also hope that the media glare dies quickly. It will be hard enough for them all without the added constant shock/horror/criticism/comment/pity/sympathy from the nation.
A lot of the comments here using words like "dirty" and "nasty" are very harsh and judgemental. While everyone is entitled an opinion, the coldness of some posts are almost more startling than this sad tale of early parenthood.

sorrento - I too have reported your post. Highly inappropriate use of language IMO and very personal attack on this young teen mum

'But there are consequences. These people keep living sh*t lives in grinding poverty.'

It may look like this to someone who is not accustomed to living the way they do.

But perhaps they don't see it that way?

I dunno.

If it were my children, I wouldn't be abusing them by forcing them to have abortions or adoptions they didn't want. I think it's obvious what I'd do Kimi - I'd offer them the same level of unconditional love and support that I offer them now. Surely that's what most normal parents would do?

But the question is, how is the cycle stopped? Because I bet you anything Kimi and Sorrento, if you two had been born into this family, the odds are you wouldn't have turned out much better
LOL
I am the illegitimate child of a alcoholic father and a mother who claimed state benefit when needed, I grew up on a council estate where stabbings, drugs and other such activities were the norm, the mum, dad 2.4 kids thing was not the norm. I did not do well at school I am dyslexic but in those day it was not picked up on so well. Most of the girls I was at school with had babies in there teens, with no partner, no jobs no means of raising them.

I am not a drunk
I did not and never have lived on benefits
I got engaged, married then moved in with DH
I have 2 children who I was in my 20s before having.
I live in a lovely house in a very good area
I have never taken drugs
I have 2 children who know right from wrong and do well at school.

Why because I saw that life style and I wanted better and I did better and I know I am lucky... But please don't think I look down from my ivory tower and know not of what I speak because I do.

HBLB I hardly see it as child abuse, not letting a child have a baby.
It is more damaging to the child to be a parent at 15.

No sane person wants to see their baby become a parent at 13/15.

Just because her body could have a baby, emotionally she is a child,

And yes if I had a daughter and if she came home expecting at 15 one way or another she would not be having a baby.
Thankfully I have sons and they know right from wrong

"HBLB I hardly see it as child abuse, not letting a child have a baby.
It is more damaging to the child to be a parent at 15."

No you are wrong. It is an abuse to take away the choice from a person. Forcing a girl to have an abortion, is as abusive as forcing her to carry a pregnancy she doesn't want. And yes, you are right, it is more damaging for some children to be a parent at 15, which is why legal abortion is a necessity, but for others it is far more damaging to be forced to undergo an unwanted abortion.

See my point about children having too many rights.
I am saying I would not let my (if I had one) teenage daughter have a baby.

I would not have had a baby at 15

Its called choice, and my children are my responsibility until they are legally responsible for themselves, and as a responsible adult I would not let a child have a child.

I love my sons and I want what is best for them, so I have taught them to work hard, learn, do well, save money, be responsible for their actions, respect for themselves and others.
And unlike the parents involved her I protect my sons not use them as a money making object.

This is nothing to do with rights.

It's about the emotional well-being of my DD and my family.

"'But there are consequences. These people keep living sh*t lives in grinding poverty.'

It may look like this to someone who is not accustomed to living the way they do.

But perhaps they don't see it that way?

I dunno."

Exactly, Expat. They don't see it that way. Why not? How come there are families like this who think it's fine to be this way? Are they so far out of the mainstream of life, out the work ethic? We can't carry on with people living like this surely? I think it means our society is pretty rotten and non progressive TBH.

13 and 15 year olds are not emotionally ready to be parents

"Thankfully I have sons and they know right from wrong"

Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ahem.

Whaaaaat? You'd better hope one of your sons doesn't get a girl knocked up, love. Because it happens. It happens to many people, from sink estates to Belgravia - mistakes happen and it's not really often to do with knowing right from wrong.

How I wish I could live in such a black and white world. But I'm not dim. So I can't.

Agree with winky

Kimi, you couldn't stop her!

Then everyone is to blame. Not just isolated pockets of deprivation. Far too easy just assume everyone has the same start in life and advantages. They don't.

"13 and 15 year olds are not emotionally ready to be parents"

No but some of them are less emotionally ready to have abortions which haunt them forever than they are to be parents.

Life isn't always so simple and clear cut Kimi. If it were, there would be no such thing as problems. Everyone would always know what to do and do it - personally, socially and politically. But we live in the real world, where life is complex.

I am not dim thank you very much, I had a very posh friend from a lovely family who is now a crack whore so it works both ways.

I have never said there is a problem with using benefits short term and needed but the girls family seem to have made a life style choice to live like this.

If one of my sons got a girl knocked up as you put it I would hang my head in shame not call the sun newspaper, I would have failed as a parent and he would have thrown his life away.
I would strongly advise an abortion.

I broke the cycle, I got a better way of living and yes I am lucky and I know how fragile it all is.
Some people never even try, just sit with their stlla, fags and day time T.V.
And the saddest part is they don't see what a waste of a life that is.

The parents of these children amounted to nothing, their children are now parents while still children, who do they look to for role models? Their parents? Who will this baby look too? And so on and on and on.

At some point it has to stop, not be allowed to carry on.

This story wouldn't even be news apart from the girl naming a prepubescent boy as the father and that boy's father realising he could make a few quid

I'm sure there are plenty more 15 year old mothers on that estate

I am sure there are 100s of under age mothers out there, don't make it right.
Funny old world this when people have been slated on here over giving their child a fruit shoot, but a 15 and 13 year old having babies is defended.
Can not wait to see what the DNA test shows.
Sadly families like this are on the rise and until someone says enough is enough and gets tough on them nothing will change

"If one of my sons got a girl knocked up as you put it I would hang my head in shame not call the sun newspaper, I would have failed as a parent and he would have thrown his life away."

I don't want to trivialise the problem of teenage pregnancy, but it is nonsense to suggest that every boy who gets his girlfriend pregnant has thrown his life away. Or even her's away. That is just melodramatic silliness. The whole of life is still to be lived, maybe not in the way the people involved would have envisaged or dreamed of, but the idea that every single fuck up you make is a throwing away of your life, is a very pessimistic and hopeless way of thinking. Somebody's life is much more likely to be "thrown away" if that is what they think the inevitable consequence of bad choices are. Sometimes, where young people have support, love and common-sense help, they come through even the most dire situations and yes, make a good life for themselves.

I won't be telling my children that they've thrown their lives away, unless they a) commit suicide or b) commit murder. Anything else, we'll deal with, however tough.

what planet are some people living on here. there's an awful lot of casting stones. it's really sad what has happened but there's no point pointing the finger at the young girl and the boy of 13.
I have a DS and hope that I will raise him well enough to know that being at dad at 13 wouldn't be a wise move but I don't know for certain he will be careful at that age. who knows. none of us know what our kids are going to turn out like at that age. we can try and raise them best we can, doesnt' mean they'll do everything we say, and take our advice. some people need to get a reality check.
this situation could happen to any of our kids.