Things have just been.. crazy around here. Finally starting to settle down so that is good.

Anyways. So I've got a rant/soapbox. There are just *to* many mamas still trying to hang under the teen mama title. "I want to party! I want to be MY age! I want to have FUN!" Guess what? It's not your age, it's not about having fun. I don't care about how many kids you have, what you do with your day or how bad your relationship is. Being a mom is NOT an age thing. You're either a parent or you aren't. It's simple. You either act like one or you don't. There's no difference between a 17, 21, 27 or 45 year old mom, except they are all different people. They ALL have issues, they ALL have people that make rude comments. It may not be their age but it's just as well, because it can be about their parenting styles, choices, financial situations, married or not etc. it goes on and on.

I know people look down on teen moms. But let me tell you WHY. It's because there are moms that are GOOD moms for the first year or so, then all the sudden, "I NEED MY FREEDOM!" Freedom? What the hell is freedom?? Freedom is choosing what church you want to go to vs being woken up before sunrise and being marched to a place of worship by gunpoint. Freedom is saying what you feel is the truth and not being put in jail for life. Freedom is going to the store, with the idea of buying ice cream and soda, and having more choices than blue bell and cocoa cola. Freedom is NOT just about going to the bars and drinking yourself into stupidity. It's not about "getting out" "having fun". That's not what freedom is about and it sure as hell isn't what parenting is about.

"I need my ME time. I need time to have fun and hang out" Thats good too. The thing is, if you want freedom, you surely didn't think getting married or moving in with a boyfriend/girlfriend and having kids was the way to get it did you? Because then, it not only has to be ok for you, but it has to work for everyone.

Did I say you couldn't EVER go out? No. Did I say you didn't deserve to go out? No. What I am saying is you can't say.. I have a RIGHT to go out.. I DESERVE me time. I am young, I want to act my age! And that right there, is a cop out. That right there is what gets the ball rolling to giving young parents a bad name. Going out and partying all night is not what a parent of any age should do. You've got responsiblities, you've got a home to take care of. You said you want it, now you've got it, now you want something else? What gives? I really don't see anybody doing anything so spectacular that they deserve more than anyone else. It doesn't make sense to me. Most of the moms I know take care of their kids all day or all night if they work, they spend time w/ the whole family on the weekends, they do trips together, etc. When they talk about me time, they talk about reading, playing on the computer, shopping and so on. They don't talk about doing things to "be their age". Once you have kids, there is NO AGE. You're either parent with kids or not. Simple. So you either act like a parent or you dont. that's simple too.

Whoa.. before you burn my book, or cuss me behind my back, keep listening. I'm not talking about the parents that go out *sometimes* I'm not talking about the parents who occasionally like to hang out with friends, I'm talking about the parents who get pissed when anyone says.. Hey.. what about the kids? Or.. You party to much. I'm also talking about the young moms that have it in their head that they can do whatever they want because "Nobody ever talks bad about older parents when they do this stuff". That's a LOAD. Ever heard of a bar whore? What about everbody that was talking smack on the mom in CA who was supposedly out drinking and a swinger? She was older, barely but older. They talked smack on her. They talk smack on the moms in the bars.. they talk smack behind YOUR back, if that's what you do. They'll party, sure, they'd party if you didn't go. but then when you're not listening they say "So and so goes out EVERY weekend. She should spend more time with that kid" and then when the FIRST thing goes wrong w/ the kid, they say 'yeah if she was HOME more that wouldnt' have happened." So whatever ya know?

Anyways.. the whole point is, once you CHOOSE to have sex, you're making a decision of "I could very well become a parent" And.. if you weren't able to realize what all that entails, you shouldn't have been in the position to decide between having sex or not. period.