SHORT TERM PLEASURES.....

EQUAL A LIFETIME OF PAIN!!! This is exactly what my 6TH grade teacher repeated to my class OVER and OVER and OVER again!!! I will never forget it and I often asked myself, why does she keep repeating herself? Is she crazy? Now I know. In this particular situation, it is a tad different. This is probably the most disheartening part. These instances were "planned" pleasures and honestly, at that age there was probably no pleasure involved. Only stupidity. If you have not heard about one of the MOST FOOLISH and SAD things ever, I will inform you. In Gloucester, Massachusetts, A spike in pregnancies at a Massachusetts high school is being blamed at least in part on an agreement made by a group of girls to get pregnant. All of them are 16 and under.
Time magazine quoted the principal of Gloucester High as saying the girls decided to get pregnant and raise their babies together. HOW DUMB!! HOW FOOLISH!!! They have NO idea what they are getting themselves into. But more importantly, WHERE ARE THE PARENTS!?!!?!!? That may be part of the problem. Obviously these girls lack self esteem and have bigger issues. Maybe it is a lack of love in their lives overall? No accountability from whatever family structure they currently have? Principal Joseph Sullivan told Time magazine that the girls were making frequent stops at the school clinic for pregnancy tests and "seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were." He said when some of the girls found out they were pregnant, they traded high fives and talked about baby showers. There are currently 17 girls "with child" vs. 4 from the previous year.
One of the fathers was identified as a 24-year-old homeless man, Sullivan told the magazine. WTF!!!!! What were you thinking? Oh, I am sorry, you weren't obviously.

As a parent to a little girl, My husband and I are already starting to make "Our Keys to Life...." It will be straightforward, to the point, and hopefully very helpful! Here it is in its early stages....

1. Make good solid decisions- This is very important. You will make wrong ones, however, at least be able to recover.
2. "Show me the friend and I will show you the man" Choose your friends wisely- They are a direct reflection of you! You can all be different, eclectic, and even strange in some ways, however, you should still share the same core values.
3. Look at the BIG Picture! You have a very promising lifetime ahead of you. You have SO many more opportunities than I ever did and I promise to give these opportunities to you even if I have to make sacrifices, I will NEVER sacrifice you!
4. If you love it, let it go. If it comes back to you it is yours, if not, don't sit around waiting for it! Life is too short! Better is available and wanting a wonderful woman like you...

Do you have rules for good parenting? If so, do you mind sharing? I would love to hear them!!! It takes a village......