Well, today my “baby” got her driver’s license. I’m sure she’ll hear plenty of remarks, some in fun, some congratulatory.

But, for my husband and me, it’s scary.

As I said, she’s our “baby.” She will always be, no matter how old she gets.

Lacking the mileage of an experienced driver, she isn’t as quick to react. And, like any driver, she can make mistakes.

After riding with her the other night, there had been a discussion of my hesitation when I told her whether a lane was clear. After we were home, and we’d destressed a bit, I sat down with her.

“The decisions you make when you’re driving are life and death decisions,” I told her. I didn’t like having the conversation, but it’s exactly what every driver needs to be told.

I remember when I first got my license, and I’m sure my driving wasn’t perfect. If it had been, my mother wouldn’t have been applying the invisible brake on her side of the car every time she rode with me.

Now, I seem to be pressing on the invisible brake when I’m in the passenger’s seat. It’s annoying to my daughter, but it’s just a reaction on my part.

Although we’re still not ready to let go and give her full reins of the car, I know this rite of passage will be helpful in the future. Those early morning band rehearsals, trips to the store for last-minute items, meeting friends … these are all reasons that another driver in the family could prove useful.

Friends and family also are encouraging. They’ve experienced first-hand how it made their schedules a little more manageable. 

I’m not sure we’re ready, but she is. She is moving forward, growing.

I just want her to keep in mind the responsibility she carries with her every time she gets behind the wheel of a car. My baby’s in that car.

Linda Lynn

llynn@opubco.com

Anyone else ready for their children to get back into school?

I wouldn’t have expected to be so happy about this. But our house has seemed even more chaotic than usual. I’m not sure that it’s actually that the kids are out of school. I think the strain is partially caused by the stress of preparing to go to school.

Beyond the usual requirements of getting school supplies and some added clothing items to round out their wardrobes, we also are dealing with three information day sessions we need to attend, band meetings, band camp, doctors’ appointments, daycare enrollment, transportation issues with busing my young son to and from daycare, freshman orientation, both daughters’ worries that they won’t have friends in their classes,  orthodontist and dentist appointments, approaching birthday party planning, passports for an overseas band trip …

And did I mention the frenzy of cash flowing out of our pockets to pay for many *incidental* things?

Last night, as my daughter asked me a question repeatedly after I had answered twice, I started to count to 50 … not 10, but 50.

At first, I thought, “What is happening to our family?” For several days we had all been snapping at each other, voices were being raised. Everyone, except maybe for the youngest member of our family, was ready to get away from each other.

Then, it occurred to me that maybe the stresses, anticipation, extra this and that were taking their toll.

So, yes, I think we’re ready to start school.

Then, we can deal with sleep issues, homework, ballgames, teacher conferences, lunches, juggling schedules and mealtimes …..

– Linda Lynn

LLYNN@OPUBCO.COM

“Be Creative @ Your Library” is a free program for children and teens. Just to get you and your child started, you’ll get a packet with all kinds of free goodies: stickers, a coupon for free tots at Sonic, a couple of bookmarks, a reading log, free admission to local attractions and a chance to win tuition from Oklahoma College Savings Plan.

Then all you need to do is read 8 books to your child to reach your first goal.   Do that, and your child gets a really nice award ribbon, and coupons for free food at area restaurants.

For each goal met (8 books, 8 hours or 800 pages read) , your child is entered in drawings for really cool prizes.   There isn’t a list of books, and you don’t have to just read books checked out of the library (although kids do love getting new books to read). 

So sign up today at your local Metro Library branch or go to www.metrolibrary.org  for more information.

~Erica Smith, copy editor

esmith@opubco.com

The show, which began July 2008, has been called realistic by some, downright campy by others.

Either way, the dramedy about a pregnant high school girl may be of interest to teens and their parents.

I enjoy the show because it brings up some interesting scenarios that today’s teens and their parents (myself included) can discuss in an informal setting.

The show airs on Mondays this season and I’ll likely blog about it each Tuesday. It would be great to get some feedback/comments from others who watch the show as the season continues.

The issues raised on the show hit home particularly in light of Staff Writer Susan Simpson’s story about teen pregnancy featured in today’s Oklahoman.

 The story notes that Oklahoma’s teen birth rate is among the nation’s highest, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disase Control and Prevention.

The story went on to quote Sharon Rodine, director of youth initiatives at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, as saying that 2007 data for the state also shows an increase in teens giving birth.

Having said all that, I won’t comment on this week’s “Secret Life” season premiere because some folks might not realize that the new season has begun.

I’ll drop you a hint about the premiere’s focus, though: Something old, something new …  

Carla Hinton

Staff Writer  

Sharon Rodine, director of youth initiatives at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, said the more conversations about the issue of teen pregnancy, the better.

If it’s a TV show that has parents and teens talking on the subject, so be it. 

“Hopefully the talk will lead to some positive discussions for some young people because we have been ignoring them for too long,” Rodine said.

Some critics have jabbed at the new ABC Family show “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” saying that it focuses on sex too much and that it plays a lot like a soap opera parody, but others, like Rodine and leaders with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, say it has folks talking and that’s worth a lot.

Rodine said it’s often hard to get people in Oklahoma to see how much teen pregnancy has become a concern. 

“Between 2005 and 2006, and that’s the latest data we have, the births to teens in

“It’s an alarm bell going off because, in so many ways, we’ve become complacent.”

Rodine said it’s sometimes hard for people to relate to numbers so she found another way to describe the problem.

“How do we help the public understand what this means? To help put this in perspective I tell people that the number of teens giving birth in

“We need to say ‘diplomas before diapers’.”

With that said, here are some national statistics from the National Campaign to ponder:

– The teen pregnancy and birth rate has declined dramatically since the early 1990s (down 38 percent and 32 percent respectively), driven by decreased sexual activity and increases in contraceptive use. Even so, recent data shows that the declines in teen sex and improvements in contraceptive use have leveled off. And the teen birth rate is on the rise for the first time in 15 years.

– At present, 3 in 10 girls in the

– There are more than 729,000 teen pregnancies annually and in 2006, there were 435,000 births to teens.

– At present, half of all pregnancies in the

– Carla

Cut out caffeine during the day.
Too much caffeine can wire kids up and make it difficult for them to drift off to sleep at night. As a result, they are tired and cranky when the alarm goes off in the morning.

Keep your routine as consistent as possible — even on the weekends.
While it’s fine to let them catch up on a little sleep, it’s not smart to let them sleep their Saturdays and Sundays away. If you do, they’re going to have a hard time adjusting back on Monday morning.

If your child normally gets up at 7 a.m. on a weekday, don’t let her sleep any later than 8 or 8:30 on the weekend.

Don’t expect a young child to be able to use an alarm clock.
Most experts say that alarm clocks aren’t really useful until a child is around 12 years old or in the sixth grade. Before that, you’ll need to go in and get them up. (And, unfortunately, even after age 12 you still may need to go in and make sure they get up after their alarm clock rings.)

Use the night before to get organized.
Pack the backpack, set out the bowls and spoons for breakfast, and pick out the clothes your child will wear. Remember, the less surprises you have to deal with in the morning, the less hectic it’ll be for everyone.

What tips do you have?

Susan Simpson, Education Writer 

The most recent edition of TIME magazine includes a story about a so-called “baby pact” made between a group of girls at Gloucester High School.

The author of the story appeared on NBC’s TODAY Show this morning to discuss her interviews with school officials. She said they told her that several pregnant teen girls, out of a total 17 at the school, had confessed to making a pact that they would each get pregnant at about the same time and raise their babies together.

One girl apparently was impregnated by a 24-year-old homeless man, the TIME reporter said.

 None of them, according to reports, is older than 16.

The blogosphere is abuzz with this latest bit of news, particularly since actress Jamie Lynn Spears, 17, reportedly had her baby on the same day that the world got wind of the so-called high school baby pact.

One interesting blog is Pregnant Pause, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy’s Web log.   

What are your thoughts about the Gloucester baby pact?

– Carla Hinton