Well right now I've got all three daughters and six of my nine grandkids staying at the house for a few days. My newest grandson is now a week old and his mom, my 17-year-old, has a glow about her that only a proud mother can have. As I looked at them all a while ago while eating lunch I said to myself: ain't God good! I guess I'm as proud a grandparent as many of you folks are out there!

I know the feeling. I have 4 kids of my own, and that means 8 grandkids. The one missing, these days, when everybody gets together is their grandmother. She's in a nursing home now. There are a few times a year when the kids all get together, but it's the grandkids that are the best to watch. The kind of get-together that you wait for as soon as the last one is over.

One thought, however. 17 is a bit young for a girl to become a mother. In some states, like Wisconsin, Daddy would be on his way to prison for statutory rape. There, it's not a wise thing to do before her 19th birthday, legally. And, for that matter, she has not finished high school, has she? It's going to be much harder for her to get the rest of her education now. Our society is getting to the point that no one will get any kind of job without a high school diploma. Regardless of what kind of glow she might have, that's just too young to become a mom. It suggests no plans for the future. They're going to need a lot of help in the present to insure their future.

My daughter met this young man at church camp last summer and they began dating. Well things went a little too far and she found herself in a family way. Rather than give up the baby for adoption or abortion she decided to keep him and he's the most beautiful baby in the world. My daughter is a straight A student, will be a senior in high school this fall, and already has several scholarship offers for college. Yeah, she made a mistake but she's gonna finish her education and wants to eventually become a doctor and I know she'll do it as whenever she sets her mind to do something she always does it. She'll be okay and will finish her education.

That's some strong family support, with evidence of love, conviction and strength of character. Good 'ol American family values. :thumbsup:

I'm sure there is some dysfunction somewhere... I know my family has a bumper crop of it, with a lot of weeds in the patch.

Well, life can be so fragile sometimes.
I just got news my lovely niece just lost her baby in her womb an hour ago.
This was her first pregnancy, but at least she is okay.

Roadhog, you and your niece are on my prayer list for tonight. As you said life can be so fragile.

WW, yes she has a hard road ahead of her specialy if daddy doesn't stand by her. My wife and I started out young too ( 18 & 16) after 33 yr we're still together and have 2 kids and 4 grandkids

Midnight, give her all the room she needs/wants, the trick is to be close enough to prop her up when she needs it and she will need it! BOL

She has a ton of support right now from both myself and my ex and her family. My daughter was four when my wife and I split up and she took it kinda hard but eventually learned to accept it. She's in church every Sunday and makes straight As in school and as I said has several college scholarship offers. She hasn't heard from the baby's father (aka The Invisible Man) since December when she told him she was pregnant but you can bet money that he WILL pay child support. I love my kids more than life itself and would give up my own life for them.

My daughter had her first baby a bit early, but they did get married, and now have two. He wasn't a guy I would have picked for her, but looking back on it now, I'm very glad I didn't try to get in between or break it up. It's been 16 years now, and they're still going strong. I did give them all the support I could and I'm not sorry. I wish her, and you, the best.