JamesG
02-17-2009, 01:55 AM
13 Year Old May Not Be Father After All
by Bethany Sanders Feb 16th 2009 4:00PM
Categories: Teens & tweens, Pregnancy & birth
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. Richard is demanding a DNA test.
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.
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. How does this happen?
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.
http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/16/13-year-old-dad-may-not-be-father-after-all/
Schoolboy father: Alfie Patten may take DNA test after two more teens claim paternity
The family of 13-year-old Alfie Patten have said he should take a DNA test to prove he is the father of his girlfriend's baby, after two more teenagers claimed they could be responsible.
By Lucy Cockcroft
Last Updated: 6:52AM GMT 16 Feb 2009
Alfie Patten: The schoolboy is now father to 7lb 3oz Maisie Roxanne, born on Monday Photo: THE SUN The schoolboy was reported to be Britain's current youngest father last week after Chantelle Steadman, 15, gave birth to 7lb 3oz daughter Maisie.
However, it has now emerged that two other boys, aged 14 and 16, claim they could have fathered the child.
Chantelle's neighbours in Eastbourne, Sussex, have also alleged that at least four boys had been allowed to spend the night in her room.
The schoolgirl and her mother, Penelope, 38, have insisted the claims are false.
Alfie, who stands just 4ft tall, also defended her.
He told The People: "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.
"I didn't know about DNA tests before, but Mum explained it's when they do a swab in your mouth and it tells you if you're the dad.
"So, if I have that, they can all shut up. But I don't really care what people say. And I don't like them being bad about Chantelle."
However, some members of Alfie's family are questioning the paternity and have suggested he should have a DNA test.
His father Dennis, 45, a vehicle fitter who has eight other children, told The People: "A DNA test is the only way to settle this once and for all.
"I kept asking if she was sure because I thought a boy of his age wasn't capable of conceiving.
"But then these other lads have come out of the woodwork claiming they have gone with Chantelle too.
"I am not saying I believe them and I don't want to blacken the girl's reputation, but we have to know for sure – for Alfie, for her and for that baby."
It is also claimed that Alfie's mother Nicola Patten, 43, who has split from his father, would like him to take the test to settle the issue.
His aunt, Julie Patten, told the Sunday Mirror: "Nicola is distraught. She told me she wants a DNA test to prove if Alfie is the father.
"She wants the truth to come out now rather than months or years down the line after Alfie has bonded with the baby and become a proper dad.
"The family think Chantelle has had at least two boyfriends before Alfie."
Richard Goodsell, 16, a trainee chef, has claimed he often shared a bed with Chantelle over a period of three months around the time she became pregnant.
His mother Barbie-Jayne, 35, also backs his story
He told the News of the World: "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.
"Only a DNA test is going to sort this out properly. If I am the father, I have the right to know."
Tyler Barker, 14, also claims to have had a relationship with Chantelle, who appears much older than her years.
He told the News of the World: "I slept with Chantelle in her bed about nine months ago and I'm really worried I could be the father.
"I hope it's not me. All my mates have been teasing me about it but this isn't funny, it's serious."
The news that 4ft Alfie conceived baby Maisie when he was only 12 renewed calls for better sex education for the nation's children.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "I think all of us would want to avoid teenage pregnancies."
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said; "You look at that young lad being a dad when he is so young - and also the teenage girl - and you think it's not right, this looks so terrible.
"Our first reaction has got to be to make sure that the young lad, the teenage mum and the baby get all the support they need.
"And it's also vital that we do everything we can to make sure that these kind of teenage pregnancies don't happen in the future."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4630866/Schoolboy-father-Alfie-Patten-may-take-DNA-test-after-two-more-teens-claim-paternity.html
by Bethany Sanders Feb 16th 2009 4:00PM
Categories: Teens & tweens, Pregnancy & birth
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. Richard is demanding a DNA test.
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.
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. How does this happen?
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.
http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/16/13-year-old-dad-may-not-be-father-after-all/
Schoolboy father: Alfie Patten may take DNA test after two more teens claim paternity
The family of 13-year-old Alfie Patten have said he should take a DNA test to prove he is the father of his girlfriend's baby, after two more teenagers claimed they could be responsible.
By Lucy Cockcroft
Last Updated: 6:52AM GMT 16 Feb 2009
Alfie Patten: The schoolboy is now father to 7lb 3oz Maisie Roxanne, born on Monday Photo: THE SUN The schoolboy was reported to be Britain's current youngest father last week after Chantelle Steadman, 15, gave birth to 7lb 3oz daughter Maisie.
However, it has now emerged that two other boys, aged 14 and 16, claim they could have fathered the child.
Chantelle's neighbours in Eastbourne, Sussex, have also alleged that at least four boys had been allowed to spend the night in her room.
The schoolgirl and her mother, Penelope, 38, have insisted the claims are false.
Alfie, who stands just 4ft tall, also defended her.
He told The People: "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.
"I didn't know about DNA tests before, but Mum explained it's when they do a swab in your mouth and it tells you if you're the dad.
"So, if I have that, they can all shut up. But I don't really care what people say. And I don't like them being bad about Chantelle."
However, some members of Alfie's family are questioning the paternity and have suggested he should have a DNA test.
His father Dennis, 45, a vehicle fitter who has eight other children, told The People: "A DNA test is the only way to settle this once and for all.
"I kept asking if she was sure because I thought a boy of his age wasn't capable of conceiving.
"But then these other lads have come out of the woodwork claiming they have gone with Chantelle too.
"I am not saying I believe them and I don't want to blacken the girl's reputation, but we have to know for sure – for Alfie, for her and for that baby."
It is also claimed that Alfie's mother Nicola Patten, 43, who has split from his father, would like him to take the test to settle the issue.
His aunt, Julie Patten, told the Sunday Mirror: "Nicola is distraught. She told me she wants a DNA test to prove if Alfie is the father.
"She wants the truth to come out now rather than months or years down the line after Alfie has bonded with the baby and become a proper dad.
"The family think Chantelle has had at least two boyfriends before Alfie."
Richard Goodsell, 16, a trainee chef, has claimed he often shared a bed with Chantelle over a period of three months around the time she became pregnant.
His mother Barbie-Jayne, 35, also backs his story
He told the News of the World: "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.
"Only a DNA test is going to sort this out properly. If I am the father, I have the right to know."
Tyler Barker, 14, also claims to have had a relationship with Chantelle, who appears much older than her years.
He told the News of the World: "I slept with Chantelle in her bed about nine months ago and I'm really worried I could be the father.
"I hope it's not me. All my mates have been teasing me about it but this isn't funny, it's serious."
The news that 4ft Alfie conceived baby Maisie when he was only 12 renewed calls for better sex education for the nation's children.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "I think all of us would want to avoid teenage pregnancies."
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said; "You look at that young lad being a dad when he is so young - and also the teenage girl - and you think it's not right, this looks so terrible.
"Our first reaction has got to be to make sure that the young lad, the teenage mum and the baby get all the support they need.
"And it's also vital that we do everything we can to make sure that these kind of teenage pregnancies don't happen in the future."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4630866/Schoolboy-father-Alfie-Patten-may-take-DNA-test-after-two-more-teens-claim-paternity.html