16 And Pregnant / Giving Thanks to Supporters / Missouri Legislation & Common Sense/ SceamFree deal -4/21/10

Smartmarriages smartmarriages at lists101.his.com
Wed Apr 21 14:57:23 EDT 2010 

- 16 AND PREGNANT - SCHOOL/YOUTH RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION
- CONGRESSMAN HERGER HONORED FOR HIS SUPPORT
- NO FAULT REFORM FOR MISSOURI?
- JUST TO PROVE MISSOURI HAS GOOD COMMON SENSE
- SCREAMFREE DEAL: WHY WEAR COMFY SHOES AT THE CONFERENCE

--------------------------------
- 16 AND PREGNANT - SCHOOL/YOUTH RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION
Intact families protect against teen pregnancy. I've watched two more
episodes and find this show extraordinary in it's demonstration of
intergenerational transmission. It makes clear that, as with divorce,
out-of-wedlock childbearing is a legacy that is passed down through the
generations. Most girls on the show are adopted or raised by single parents.
Even adopted girls, raised by two loving, adoptive, married parents, and who
don't know even their birth parents, the pattern is repeated.  Even if we
don't give this show an award, watching it makes it clear that we must do
more to get Relationship Education to junior high and high school.  See the
school/youth track and if these programs are not offered in your community,
do something about it.  Start by getting trained to teach the curricula.

Here are some comments.  Please do weigh in if you've seen it.  Award?

 - diane   
-----------------------

Diane, I've watched several episodes of "16 and Pregnant" and I
find myself wishing this show was mandatory viewing for every teenager
from 13 on up.  It's incredibly powerful.  MTV had a marathon of the
show this weekend, and I caught 3 episodes.  In each one, the teen
mother-to-be expressed her belief that the baby's father would be there
for her after the baby was born.  And in each case, he wasn't.  One boy
went so far as to text his girlfriend that he doesn't care what she does
with "that mistake."  As you can imagine, the young lady was devastated. . .
. . . .Overall, I find it to be an honest look at the issue of teen
pregnancy and the fallout that follows, and a show that provides parents
with some great talking-points with their teen (and pre-teen) children.

Dena B. Hallman, MC
Soldier & Family Assistance Program Mgr.

---------------
I have been watching 16 and Pregnant with my 28 year old daughter who said
all her friends watch it. I think Teen Mom, which follows them afterwards,
is very realistic, showing the angst and disappointment and how hard it is
to raise a baby alone. It breaks your heart to watch all these girls that
think the same thing; he's going to change now that we're pregnant, I can
have a baby and still be a normal teenager, too, my mom will take care of
the baby while I go out at night.
 
A lot of the kids have chaotic families, too, many with moms that were
pregnant while teenagers, few have fathers involved, it really gives a good
insight into what we in the marriage movement are trying to prevent.
  
Kim Hagerty, MA, LPC, PCSG
Assistant Director
www.familyministries.org
--------------------------

Diane, I was a teen mom, got pregnant at 16 had baby at 17, got pregnant at
17 had baby at 18. I was done then. Why, because I decided i was. My hands
were full. Now my daughter who is sixteen says she will not have any
children until she is at least thirty. We watch the show and she sees them
and asks me is that how it was and i tell her yes and worse. Its a good
show.  
B

 --------------------------
- CONGRESSMAN HERGER HONORED FOR HIS SUPPORT

Here's a press release about what it will take to continue to provide the
kind of relationship education to reverse the epidemic of breakdown.  It
would be a great idea to honor similar supporters of Marriage and
Relationship Education funding in your own district.  A little effort that
can go a long way. It pays to say thank you and to make a big deal of it.
 - diane 

Relationship Education Programs Changing Society and Families. Congressman
Wally Herger Honored
April 13, 2010 


Reflecting on Stoica¹s comments that the healthy-marriage funding he worked
so hard to pass several years ago was now in jeopardy, Herger remarked ³The
amount of money we spend on these types of preventive programs is such a
tiny fraction of the entire TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families)
budget, so it is amazing to me that some people want to kill the funding for
these types of projects ­ especially when you consider the tremendous impact
these programs have on so many people¹s lives and the amount of money that
these types of programs can end up saving the government². 

Clearly impressed by the evening¹s testimonies, Herger stated in his
conclusion, ³Now that I have seen first-hand that this program has had the
type of impact I hoped it would have when I sponsored it, you have my
assurance that I will do everything in my power to make sure that this
funding gets renewed.²  

For the full release with photo: http://tinyurl.com/267d57o

-------------------------------------
- NO FAULT REFORM FOR MISSOURI?

It would seem fitting if the "show me" state were the first to do
this......they got the nickname for their devotion to simple common sense.
-diane 

Dear Diane,
 
I thought you¹d be interested to hear that I will testify tomorrow to the
Missouri House Committee on Children and Families chaired by Rep. Cynthia
Davis, on how the state might reform No Fault Divorce by requiring that
couples with minor children obtain the consent of their spouse, unless major
fault can be proven, adultery, abuse, etc. I predict that if Missouri could
become the first state to reform No Fault Divorce, it would be a model for
every other state, and would sweep the nation, just as No Fault did so 40
years ago. 
Mike McManus
www.marriagesavers.org

------------------------------------------
- JUST TO PROVE MISSOURI HAS GOOD COMMON SENSE

The Missouri Association for Marriage and Family Therapy just presented
their Media Award to Jennifer Baker for her Marriage EDUCATION campaign,
Getting It Together and for her work on educating couples on her radio show.
Just proves that Missourians do have great common sense and that even
Missouri THERAPISTS can see the benefits of an upstream, educational
approach.  

---------------------------------------
- SCREAMFREE DEAL: WHY WEAR COMFY SHOES AT THE CONFERENCE

When we mail your Smart Marriages conference badge at the end of June, we
include advice, one piece of which is to wear comfortable shoes.  Here is an
example of WHY.  I just received the packet inserts for ScreamFree and see
that they're giving away a FREE ScreamFree Marriage CD and a FREE ScreamFree
Parenting book to the first 300 professionals that stop at their booth.
Imagine yourself flipping through your packet. You see this and realize
you're in a workshop upstairs far from their booth.  You want to be able to
run!  Wear flat, comfy, shoes!  :)  - diane

#
Copyright Smart Marriages®

This is a moderated list. Submissions and comments are read by Diane Sollee.
Please indicate if your comment is NOT to be shared with the list.  PLEASE
include your email address and/or url as part of your signature.

With thousands of subscribers, not all comments can be shared. Opinions
expressed are not necessarily shared by members of the Coalition.

To SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, or Change your subscription address,
visit: http://www.smartmarriages.com/app/Newsletter.Subscribe

To read past posts to the listserv, visit the Archive at:
http://lists101.his.com/pipermail/smartmarriages/

Or, if you lose track of a post, you can find the contact information for
programs mentioned on the Smart Marriages Directory of Resources:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/app/Directory.BrowsePrograms


14th Annual Smart Marriages® Conference, The Shingle Creek Resort Hotel,
Orlando, Florida, July 6-13, 2010 (General Conference July 8-11)
Pre-Conference Training Institutes Tues, Wed, Thurs, July 6-8
Post-Conference Training Institutes July 12-13
Up to 69 Hrs CE

Download a Conference Brochure:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/download.brochure.html

 
Shingle Creek: http://www.rosenshinglecreek.com/

For Conference information & Exhibit applications:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/conferencedetails.html
 
List your program and resources on the Directory of Classes at
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html

Order Smart Marriages conference audio & video CD/DVD/MP3s: 800-241-7785 or
http://www.iPlaybackSmartMarriages.com

Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education, LLC (CMFCE)
Diane Sollee, Director
5310 Belt Rd NW, Washington, DC 20015-1961
http://www.smartmarriages.com
202-362-3332

More information about the SmartMarriages mailing list