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Filed under: In The News
Despite his short stature -- he's barely four feet tall -- and his child's voice, 13-year-old Alfie Patten bravely stood up to fatherhood when his 15-year-old girlfriend Chantelle gave birth to their daughter, Maisie. "When my mum found out, I thought I was going to get in trouble. We wanted to have the baby but were worried how people would react," Alfie told The Sun last week.But Alfie may not be the father after all.
On Sunday, 16-year-old Richard Goodsell came forward to say that he thought there was a very good chance Maisie was his. "I know I could be the father. Everyone thinks I am. My friends all tell me that baby has my eyes -- even my mum thinks so," he told News of the World.
He's not the only one. Since Alfie and Chantelle shared their story in The Sun, yet another teen, Tyler Barker, 14, has come forward to say Maisie could be his. Several other boys have said they, too, have had sex with Chantelle.
A DNA test will be done "as soon as possible" to determine paternity, said a spokesman for Alfie's parents. "It would be prudent to have a DNA test."
Alfie isn't taking the news well. "Other stupid boys are lying, saying bad things, like they have slept with Chantelle too. But I am the only boyfriend she has had and we've been together for two years, so I must be the dad. When she found out she was having a baby, I asked her 'Am I the dad?' and she went 'Yeah' so I believe her."
Chantelle agrees that Alfie is her first and only boyfriend.
It's the stuff of soap operas or at least a bad movie of the week -- one tiny baby and eight dads, lined up to claim her or to breathe a sigh of relief that they've dodged this particular bullet. One thing's certain: The story is lucrative.
It's hard not to lift an accusing eyebrow at Alfie and Chantelle's parents, but while they're certainly responsible for these two particular teens, Alfie and Chantelle aren't the first two kids to have a baby before they were ready. Just last fall, the country couldn't stop arguing about whether Sarah Palin's teenage daughter Bristol was a clear sign of Sarah's lax parenting or a national hero. And Juno so romanticized teen pregnancy and adoption that a teen girl behind me in the theater said, "I wish I could have a baby." I almost choked on my popcorn.
About half of all teens have sex by the time they're 19 years old. Fifty percent. One out of two. A teen who is actively having sex has less than a 10 percent chance of avoiding pregnancy over the course of a year if she doesn't use contraception.
While I don't think we should expect that our kids will be sexually active before they reach the age of majority, the statistics don't lie and neither does that baby Alfie cradles so tenderly. We need to have an open and ongoing discussion with our kids about sex and responsibility, honest talk that gives them the tools and the knowledge to make smart choices for themselves as they ease themselves into adulthood.












ReaderComments (Page 1 of 8)
2-16-2009 @ 5:07PM
Melissa said...that kid doesn't even look 13, he looks like he's 10! it's just a sad story, whether he's the father or not, they are all too young! i'm not saying i was a virgin at 16, but i new how to prevent myself from getting pregnant! and also, protect myself from nasty diseases!
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2-16-2009 @ 9:56PM
Ashley said...I'm starting to think this is all just a big hoax. I'm 16 and the friends of mine who have gotten pregnant can tell you that their baby's daddy wont take responsibility, most of the guys pretend like they dont even know the girls half of the time. So for a whole bunch of guys to say "oh no I'm the dad!" seems fishy, like theyre doing it for some amount of fame.
2-20-2009 @ 6:52PM
tlittlemoon said...speaking of protection;I don't think they make condoms xxxxsmall.Do U?also i don't think he boinked hr,he's so small ,he'd problably fall in and be lost 4ever. :)..i know this is a serious matter ,but hey,the damage is already done,so may as well make light of the situation.Gee,the kid didn't even know what "financially" meant;:D .He'll find out when he's old enough to work ,and that child support starts kikng that A%$.iwant to see how cute his / her moms think it is then.especially when they have to live with either parent.is the girl still in school?
2-16-2009 @ 10:15PM
Mike Creek said...I am not surprised. Recently I told my wife and blogged on this very topic. With all the attention the 13 year old boy is getting, everyone else wants to copycat him. What sort of parents does this girl have that so many of the boys in the neighborhood can claim they have had sex with her? What sort of boys are these that will "kiss and tell?"
http://hystericalrightwing.blogspot.com/
2-16-2009 @ 10:46PM
Emily said...This is why kids should be talked to openly about sex and whether you like it or not you should give your kids, well not kids but teens condoms. You should say I don't want you to have sex but if you choose to please be safe. I have worked w/ teens for years teaching them about hiv/aids and other std prevention.
2-16-2009 @ 11:09PM
goldfinger said...lol...what are you saying melissa,when you say their too young,and that your NOT SAYING YOU WAS A VIRGIN at 16,..just because you knew how to protect yourself from catching an STD,or get pregnant,doesnt mean you wasnt doing the nasty,or make it right at that age to have sex...and YOU USED THE WRONG WORD (KNEW)...in your comment,..NEW mean BRAND NEW,..KNEW is TO KNOW,which is the KNEW you should have used
2-17-2009 @ 12:27AM
Former sailor said...Goldfinger: As you criticize Melissa for her spelling error, you need to be made aware that your post, by my count, contains at least fourteen errors (and probably more - I did this quickly, and I'm not an English major) in spelling (2), punctuation (3), uncapitalized word (1), wrong tense (3), and sentence construction (5). Your post was so poorly written that It was hard at first glance to tell what you were trying to say. Feel free to make your point, in any manner you wish, but avoid criticizing what others have written, without first getting someone with at least a seventh-grade education to proofread your comments.
2-17-2009 @ 10:59AM
clarissa said...I did not even have sex until I was 22. About a month after that, we got married. Not cuz we had to, either. I cannot have kids. Now, I wish I had waited until I was married to have sex. It cheapens the act. Living together cheapens it too. Once you "do it", there is no turning back. But, you can take a vow to NOT do it again until you get married. If I had known he was going to abuse me, I would have never done it. Nevertheless, Alfie is TOO YOUNG to be even doing this stuff. NO ONE should have sex before marriage,no matter how old you are. It's a beautiful thing God intended to happen between a man and his wife. That is just the way it is. But, you know, hindsight is 20/20.
2-17-2009 @ 12:33PM
Melissa said...Goldfinger:
I couldn't even understand half of what you were saying because it was so poorly written....so I left off the "k" on a word, oops, one typo (one to your 14 or 15 lol)....and I said I was 16, not 13, and he got the girl pregnant when he was 12! He also said she has been his "girlfriend" for 2 years....that means since he was 11 and she was 13....when I was 11 boys still had cooties! A 13 year old boy tried to kiss me when I was 12 and I punched him lol! My whole point was that kids are having sex younger and younger these days, and they are not being taught about how dangerous it is (HIV/AIDS, herpes, all other kinds of STD's that I can't even think of right now, pregnancy). I was with the same guy from the time I was 13 until I was 17. He was my first boyfriend, I was his first girlfriend, and we lost our virginity to each other. I was 16 when it happened, he was 17, and yes, I wish we had waited, but we didn't. But we were also safe, we used a condom, I was on the pill, because my mom talked to me beforehand. She told me, "no I don't want you to do this before you get married, but if you are going to, you need to be safe."
I have ranted enough. I better proofread this so no one else gets on my back lol.
2-23-2009 @ 2:01PM
Lia said...i agree most guys don't take responsibility for a pregnancy.
im 18 and have a 1 year old. and that doesn't mean i wasn't responsible, or that it was my parents fault, or the village. bottom line is it was my decision and my boyfriends decision. Clarissa, that whole no one should before their married is your opinion and some of us aren't like you so if the kid was having yea because it was not stuff, it was his decision. He's taking responsibility you should be preeching to the millions that don't and leave the poor kids alone
2-16-2009 @ 5:19PM
ame s said...I know it would upset him, but I do hope he's not the father. It's hard enough being 13 sometimes even without adding a baby to the mix.
I lost my virginity at 17, to the boyfriend I'd had since I was 14. We married when I was 20 and I wasn't with another man until 2 years after he died.
I went to our local health department for birth control pills and we used condoms. The thought of getting pregnant scared me to death.
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2-16-2009 @ 10:19PM
MISS_CDP said...U R right ashley i mean this whole thing is fishy it reminds me of that whole anna nicole smith ordeal
2-20-2009 @ 11:14PM
dave said...It's really not about whether he is the dad or not, but rather did he have sex with her. The proof is in the pudding.
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2-16-2009 @ 6:23PM
ame s said...12 and 13 year olds should keep their pudding in their own pants ;)
2-16-2009 @ 6:59PM
quader35 said...How come when stuff like this happens the focus is always on the irresponsible kids or parents of the kids? They say it takes a village to raise a child, I say take both the kids and their parents to court and let the "village" decide what is in the best intrest for the newborn. Even if a DNA test proves the 16 year old to be the father, I very much doubt that all his years of wisdom would benifit the child. I say give the little girl something that her parents never had; a stable and loving home with boundries.
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2-16-2009 @ 10:02PM
Pauline said...It doesn't mean the kids didn't have a stable home life. Kids make their own decisions if they live in a normal home. Do yoyu want them tied to the bed post 'til they are 21?
2-17-2009 @ 12:03AM
Former sailor said...What is needed in this situation is a calm voice of reason, who will get to the heart of the problem through rational means that will answer all the questions and provide some sense of rightness and propriety for all concerned, as well as everyone else. Bring a light to this dark situation, with someone who really, really cares about these kids and their well-being! We americans know the RIGHT way to sort out and solve these problems: Please! Quick! Someone call Maury Povich!
2-17-2009 @ 4:09PM
hope said...I guarantee if any of those other 8 boys realized the responsibility that lies ahead for the father of this baby, they would NOT be jumping on this bandwagon.
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2-16-2009 @ 9:26PM
ame s said...The "village" will probably end up footing the cost of the DNA test. People don't seem to mind it when the "village" steps in with monetary support but resent it when the "village" dares to suggest the person should make more wise decisions.
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2-16-2009 @ 9:46PM
God said...The only thing a Village can raise is an Idiot. Parents must be held accountable