Nebraska law allows abandonment of teens

LOL. Brian thanks for the great laugh. I really enjoyed reading your comment. I know a lot of people will not find the humor in this law, and possibly not your comments, but the first thing that came to my mind, as a parent of a teen, when I read the article is, "how far is it to drive to Nebraska from here?"

I am sure that we were all "disrespectful, ungrateful, selfish, self-centered monsters" to some degree as teens. The difference is that we are raising them now, not our parents. Hopefully I will live through my kids' teen years and come out a better person. Have a good evening.

of course parents could send there child to therapy instead of abandoning or beating them.

Therapy is a joke. I sent my kid to therapy and he ended up playing chess and having his aura massaged...

Wrong therapist!

Okay, a good smack on the a$$ is good for any child. It hurt my ego, but that was the point. At 17, I got smacked across the face for telling my mom to stop being such a b!$%h. I deserved it. I turned out okay too. I don't fear going to jail because I spanked my child. I think people have calmed down from that fear. As the gen x-ers become parents, we see the brats of those that had children between when we were born and when we were able to be parents and we realize the complete disaster the "don't spank your child, it will hurt their ego" generation has become.
I live in Nebraska and I don't see this law being used as many people have speculated in these messages. I do see it being threatened in a few parent to teen conversations, but actually being used.....not likely. I think reasonable people live in this state and it will work fine.

No therapy needed, just need to quit overprotecting all these kids. Hell, some of the crap I did as a kid would kill the whiny, lazy turds of today or government would throw the parents in jail.

I work for a school system and at our in-service to start the year, the super remarked about this trophy generation. All the lovely liberal laws that think they have to protect everyone have created this freakin' mess we have now.

We have really tried to identify with our teen who now has a suspended license, flunked some junior classes in high school and has refused to acknowledge drug use, even though she is clearly using drugs. Schools don't help much because they have too many kids like this to deal with. If we could drop her off at a drug treatment facility, we would. Nobody seems to want to help us get her under control and we feel isolated in thinking that drugs, flunking in school and wandering at night without permission including getting so many driving tickets that she is suspended is a problem. Her psychiatrist in Denver, Dr. McGovern, has refused to support us in an effort to have her confined for treatment. Parents who want to control their teens behavior are in the minority and not supported anywhere that we can see.

Obviously it did affect you or you wouldn't have such radical and dare I say ridiculous ideas Brian-328194

While I applaud Nebraska for broadening the protection of all children, not just infants, this will be a daunting task.

First of all, as with every other state, I am sure the foster care system there is overburdened, so where will all these children go? Will the juvenile detention centers turn into glorified orphanages?

Secondly, as the children begin coming into the system how is the state going to address these children's basic needs...i.e...housing, food, clothing, education? Will state taxes be increased? After all, the law is written so that there are no repercussions on the parents.

On the flip side of these arguments there are a few other things to consider. Will parents who cannot take care of thier children actually take advantage of this option? As Brian said, parents these days are so busy working to provide for thier kids, that often children are left to thier own accord.....this of course leads to a variety of problems.....crime, drugs, teen pregnancy, gangs, etc..etc.....could the state actually reduce some of these incidents?

There are pro's and cons on both sides. However, this is a huge task Nebraska is taking on. One Senator said, the law is there, now it's up to the courts to sort it out. In reality is not as simple is that, and I have only presented a few arguments.

Personally, as a single parent for 10 years of three children ages 15 girl, 12 boy, 11 boy, I can honestly say the thought of being able to drop them off has on a few rare occassions looked appealing. While I am an educated individual, with a decent job, it has been a struggle to be the bread winner, the disciplinarian, the cook, the maid, the teacher, the taxi cab....and the many other jobs that come along with being a parent....it's overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I am not at all complaining.

The traditional family unit has been on a constant decline since the 1950's. Today it is standard for both parents to have to work to provide for thier families, however, with statistics showing that more than half of marriages fail, one can see how that equation adds up to many single family households or blended families which comes with a host of issues. It is no wonder thier are so many parents overwhelmed and so many children who are just abandoned, whether that be emotionally, physically or both.

Perhaps the answer is not to broaden the spectrum of children covered by this law, but rather create programs to support todays family. I think if parents had more support in maintaining the family unit (whatever that unit may be) I don't think they would be so quick to just drop off thier children.

It will definitel be interesting to see how this works out for Nebraska, but more importantly for the children and the parents.

Cynthia,

I am sorry to hear about your teen and the troubles you are having. I must say, though, that a child with such problems who is still allowed to drive has me stymied. Maybe you should have taken away the keys long before the license was suspended. From an outsider, you aren't a parent, you are trying to be a friend. Bad idea, a kid has plenty of friends, but YOU are the parent! The school, therapist, and "identifying" with your kid is not the answer, being a PARENT is. That doesn't mean yelling or hitting, that means setting rules, parameters, and sticking to them!! No negotiations, the kid has to earn back privileges after proving responsible behavior. Take away the keys, money, cell phone and all phone privileges, make-up, whatever it is that you need to confiscate. Then assign chores and responsibilities for her. She won't like it and will try to make you feel badly, but that is because she has learned how to get her way. If you don't help her to learn respect, responsibility and the other character values that children are supposed to learn, you have not equipped her for life. Yes, YOU, it is YOUR responsibility! You can do it, just keep reminding yourself that she is what is important.

I Agree, I know some will argue that parents should be responsible for their children or seek professional help when a child is out of control and while these are legit arguments, one has to acknowledge that some parents can not afford to do so. Then there's the kid{s} that totally waste every ones time and efforts yet continue down that disruptive road, leaving parents with no other alternative (in their stressed out minds) than the cases we watch on the news. I'm with the senator who said if this law saves the life of just one minor no matter if it be a 19 day old new born or a "19 year old minor" then it's well worth it. What I think some of us need to accept, It's the fact that some parents or guardians can not deal with the stress of a disruptive child or teenager and left with out a legal alternative or safe haven choose a drastic criminal ending. It is easy to say, Parents have to take responsibility no matter what! But this is never going to save parents from committing murder & or child abuse, when left with no way out. Nor will it save the lives of those this law was written to protect.

I agree totally with Brian. This is a great law for teenagers, only. Parents need a threat to hang over the head of any habitual misbehaving teenager, who refuses to straighten up.

Yeah, maybe the parents need to get into some therapy! Babies don't come with a set of instructions when they are born. There are parenting courses, child development courses, communication classes and a plethora of books in any bookstore about raising teens. I hold the parents responsible for what their kids have been exposed to without supervision and tough love. You don't have to teach a teenager how to brush their teeth (if you do you failed as a parent), button a shirt, tie their shoes, or wash behind their ears anymore, now the real test of how much you know about raising kids starts when they are 12! It's wisdom they need not thrown away for someone else to clean up after their parents failure at parenting. We throw our spouses away in divorce at an overwhelming rate, and now we throw our kids away. As a society we are in a loosing battle for stability and security in a lot of our families. I am angered that a law that started out as an attempt to keep newborns out of trashbins, has endorsed getting rid of children we don't want because it might take a little more time, effort, and energy to help them. I shake my head in amazement!

I don't know what state you are in, but in Washington, after your child turns 13, you can not make them do anything--go to therapy, take medications, get medical help, go to school, etc. BUT--if they don't, people like you feel the need to blame the parents, all the while supporting legislation that gives them the rights without consequence. What about the laws that let them act like heathens without consequences to anyone but the parents? What about the schools that tell and encourage our teens they can make decisions that affect their entire lives with their parents permission, knowledge, or approval? What about the therapists that tell your child their normal teenage rebellion, confusion, etc., is not normal, but let's medicate you? What about the communities like in New York that create "safe-havens" for cutters and tell them that is normal. All the while, we as parents, are trying to teach our children right from wrong (as they certainly do not always get the BIG PICTURE at 12), and be supportive of their changing lives and personalities. You should not state that the parents should be held responsible for what our children are exposed to, since most of the crap comes from the schools, our laws, and their friends. I suppose we should go to the schools, where they don't have to allow us due to privacy, to monitor everything?

Myboogie it sounds as though your state government has failed you. Even if the state says that at age 13 they don't have to listen to you I think its your job as parents to make sure that your kids know that they will do as you say.

Myboogie it sounds as though your state government has failed you. I don't think it matters that your state says a 13 year old doesn't have to listen to his parents, its your job as a parent to make that kid knows that he/she will listen or there will be hell to pay. I grew up in Nebraska, but it was in western nebraska where its a little different. If your parents told you to do something, you did it.

I show up at my daughters school all the time. That's my child and I want to know what she is doing and how she is being taught. The school request we give them a heads up but I never do. I want to see them as they are on a normal school day. Me and my husband will stand out in the hall way and listen for a good 15-20 minute before we let the teacher know we are there. In doing so we have found our daughter was being treated with prejudice and was being spoken to in a very angry voice. Not by the teach but by the teachers helper. My kid is the only white kid in class and has endured some crap. But she says to us its ok I still love Mrs......... please don't be mad at her she is having a bad day. I forgot to mention our daughter is mildly retarded. Talk about a heart of gold. Don't get me wrong she can be a monster when she wants to be .

Myboogie is completely misinformed regarding the laws of the State of Washington. I am a Washington resident, an attorney, and the father of a 16-year-old child. I make her go to school every day. I make her attend doctor's appointments. I even make her attend church. In every case, I am within my rights as a parent acting within the parameters of being legally responsible for the care, custody, and control of my child. There are far too many parents these days who want to abdicate responsibility and point their finger at legal misinterpretations such as these, or myths such as those that say that you cannot spank or otherwise discipline your child. It is not reality, it is a cop-out. I don't mean to say this is the case regarding "MyBoogie"; as I said, this individual is simply misinformed and spreading that misinformation to others. If you ever have any questions regarding your rights as a parent, I encourage you to check with your State Attorney General's office or local police department.

Yes you are right that more description of the law is needed. People look at our children and then try to tell us we need to discipline them more without even walking in our shoes. They look at these single mothers who can't get a job that pays enough to provide for them and there children and then try to tell them what they should be doing for the children.
Maybe if some of these no-it-alls would take a look as to why our society is in the turmoil it is we could work towards solving this problem.
Look around people, we have been set up to be controlled by the people that are able to influence our legislators. We are being controlled by the people who know how to influence our society by controlling our commodities, whether it be food, fuel, or our currency. They know that by creating turmoil within ourselves it makes us feel powerless to regain control and offer to use ways they can help but in so doing we have to relinquish some of our rights and freedoms that were so nobly fought for when this government was set up. If some of you whiners would have put forth half the effort in trying to keep our monetary system ours with a hard currency backing it instead of giving it away to the private banking elite things would likely be quite different. You ask how??
These are the same people that have controlling interest in our main stream media, have and will continue to influence our daily lives by creating shortages in our commodities. These are the people who have manipulated our governments at both the state and federal levels so as to create hardships and fears in our society to gain more control by offering safety in exchange for freedom. You try to say that we haven't given up ant freedoms and I'll show you how much you are truly blinded from reality. For none are more truly enslaved than those that are falsely believing they are free!! Stand up for your rights and freedoms while there are still some there. Take control of what is happening around you in local, state and federal governments. These people are supposed to be working for us not us for them. If so many are opposed to this new law in Nebraska why was there not opposition to it before it was passed. Why are we not demanding of our congressmen and senators to show us what laws are being presented to the floor for consideration. These people are supposed to be working for us to maintain a society that is free from government control. But there have been so many that have sat back and said nothing until it actually effects them. Society is easily fooled and quick to judge.
In looking as to why some parent(s) might be giving up there children we should look at the reasons the parents are in that position in the first place instead of just blaming the parents. With the inflation rate of our economy, the devaluation of our dollar, unemployment rates continually increasing, demands by our government to increase taxes to pay for our countries debt, it's not hard to see how some parents see no other way out and feel out of control of even the smallest things.
If you were to look at the very reason why we have such problems in our society it can be easily traced back to the implementation of our Federal Reserve System and our income tax system, both being designed, introduced and controlled by people that our not part of our government but want to be the ones that govern. If you doubt these things as truth, please search google for William Cooper. View the documentary of his life and death. View his documentary about his book 'Upon a Pale Horse'. He was a highly decorated military official who discovered things in our government that didn't seem quite right. In researching discovered more which drove him to more research which disclosed more. Please don't believe everything I have to say, research it yourselves, PLEASE. Then maybe you to will want to take a closer look as to why our society is the way it is. You know the old saying "you can't fight city hall" who would want to have you believe that more than the people in city hall.

Being a parent can be testy to teens of any gender...We as parents do the best we can, I would hope for your children, we all direct them throughout their lives to work hard, study hard for the better. If we do well with their up bringing children do very well in my experience ( I have 3...29, 25 and 19) sure they may swerve off a bit at times they are growing and sampling-If one sets good examples through out their lives sometime they will come out of this as a good adult-but we as humans are not perfect-but this is life. Lets all do better and not hold grudges and fight one another, work together. Thats my one wish about about all of this in life!

This entire story takes a single law and throws up 'what-ifs'. What if there is a way to track people, say by names or fingerprints or something, and tell who their parents are? What if the law says, "I'm afraid you left your child at the hospital and they didn't care to take advantage of this safe-haven, so here's your kid back"? Use some common sense and assume, for just a moment, that everyone around you isn't worthless and stupid. Please. We're in America where people are, for the most part, decent and caring. No other country has given even a percentage of their hard earned money to those in need. It would be nice if folks would quit seeing something that has potential to be very helpful and destroy it with possibilities based on a hatred of society.

-Gen.CommonSense

"No other country has given even a percentage of their hard earned money to those in need. "

Are you kidding?!?!?! Many countries besides the US give to those in need. This statement seems completely out of context with the discussion and is patently untrue.

Agree completely! And in response to other comments, not all teens are "monsters", that is just absurd! In fact, none of them are monsters at all. You were a teen once too remember that one!!!

Your are right kaitech. It is a big job raising kids. I have raised 3 kids and it can also be a scary job! They started that "you can't spank a child crap" when my kids were in grade school. I had to slap my daughter on day and she threatened me that she was going to call the police! I just handed her the phone and I told her to call, and then I told her that she would never threaten me again! She never called the police! And you know what? She grew up to be a beautiful mother with kids and she to smacks when needed! Parents have to be in charge! And some of this crap they watch on tv does not help to raise your child. I don't think that parents should give up on their kids! But I know that sometimes you just don't know what to do with them!

A boot up the ass would have gone a long way! A spanking or two and getting lined out early in life probably would have taken care of this. Sorry but there is no excuse for bad parenting.

What a sad and horrific story... But you know, these issues affect anyone, at any age... I elect this to be irrelevant.

Lala, I am a teacher and I have seen many, many kids who have had to go live with their friends because they could no longer live at home. I hate to say this, but....whether parents are married or divorced, a mother CEASES to be a mother when she chooses some "live-in" over her own children. I've had young women who were raped by these "step-fathers" or "live-in molesters" and a lot of them gave birth to unwanted babies. We've always had problems with fathers who disappear or abuse their wives etc, but now we have the biggest problem with MOTHERS of children who aren't wanted. They don't feed them, clothe them or take care of their medical needs. Watch the news and you'll see these derelicts. It's disgusting!

Those who say "there are no bad kids" have no experience with a child like this. There is apparently some genetic abnormality involved with these children. They can't behave any other way. They are a danger to themselves and others. These children are abusive to their family members and anyone else they come in contract with. They are not the result of abusive or permissive parents. They often end up getting killed or killing someone when they get older. Many end up in prison.

Rev. Phelps???

Raphael you forgot to say "your (Raphael's) Father in Heaven." You are one of those sick, crazy people who protest at the funerals of soldiers, aren't you? Our country is a great country, and we are NOT being punished for anything. How little your god is. Keep your god and your heaven to yourself!

easy there buddy, your stepping on hollow ground

Raphael, the last thing we need on this blog is a whack job like you. Please keep your opinions to yourself. You know nothing about God; NOTHING.

Is there a Raphael Phelps? So MUCH inbreeding with them there may be. Stick you your own message board of hate.

HA HA HA HA that is hilarious!

Russell, I'm going to sue you! i laughed so hard, I fell off the chair and bumped my head. my lawyers will be intouch! Roflmao!

there's only one thing i can add....

Henry.... don't leave me here with the kids..... HENRY!!!!!

A child is NOT like a dog. Abused children remember it their whole lives. Abandoned children can really never feel loved or accepted. Please think before you type.

"Also "dropping off" a kid other than an infant should also have mandatory sterilization, so that way they cannot have more kids to be able to do the same to in the future. "

GREAT IDEA! As a mom of one, a great little 18 month old, it really sickens me that people would actually do this to their children. The children they have raised. It's sad enough that people abandon their pets like this. It's so, far much worse with a child. Children are not disposable and if you don't want to take care of a child save the poor child the suffering and get sterilized (or get on some very, very effective BIRTH CONTROL). A much better option would have been to put the child up for adoption AT BIRTH before any attachment was built. That is a much smarter decision in that it's not this "let me just try the baby out and then when they start to become problematic dump them", it's actually giving a home to your child that you know (in advance) you cannot provide.

It sickens me that someone would do this to a child. It's not the poor child's fault they were born to parents who didn't care for them. I just get so upset that people that would do something like this can easily reproduce in many cases. Yet couples I know who desperately would love to be able to have a child of their own are infertile. Injustices.

BRAVE NEW WORLD!!!! Exactly. Huxley saw it all about 80 years ago. If you haven't read it, please do. He didn't miss a thing.

You can't really say that these are worse parents then those in the animal world. If an animal senses something wrong with its young, it will kill it. Now I don't know whats happening all over the U.S. but I haven't heard of that. We are already abandoning "old folks" and the "disabled." We send out parents to nursing homes when we dont want to deal with them and we send state funded care workers to take care of the disabled. So its really nothing that we aren't all ready doing.

Maybe we should follow Chinas lead and limit families to only one child. Snip the dad so he can't have anymore children. Then the mother and father can take the time to take care of just one kid and not 5 or 6 running around doing whatever they want.

You are a wise woman Cathy :)