The Responsibility Project

Liberty Mutual

Responsibility. What’s your policy?™

Blog: Parenting

Teen “Pregnancy Pact”: The Perfect Storm?

Posted on June 30, 2008 by Kathy McManus Comments (73)

The shocking news from the small fishing town of Gloucester, Massachusetts spread across the country and around the world: 17 girls from one high school were pregnant, part of a supposed ‘pregnancy pact’ in which the students intentionally set out to become teen mothers, with a vow to raise their babies together. Read full article »
Parenting or Spying: Who’s Watching The Kids?

Posted on June 26, 2008 by Kathy McManus Comments (38)

If you electronically monitor every website your kids view, secretly read all their instant messages, filter their TV viewing, restrict their incoming and outgoing calls, and track their movements by GPS devices lurking in their backpacks and cell phones, are you parenting, or spying? Read full article »
Having a Third Child

Posted on June 10, 2008 by Kathy McManus Comments (74)

Pamela Paul wants a third child. Writing in the Washington Post about her desire to have a “sprawling” family like the one she grew up in—“with seven brothers, real and step”—Paul mused about the high cost of raising a child these days: $204,060 according to a new federal estimate. Read full article »
Dad Behind Bars

Posted on June 5, 2008 by Kathy McManus Comments (13)

A juvenile court judge in Ohio ordered 40 year-old Brian Gegner to make sure his high school dropout daughter earned her GED. But when teenaged Brittney didn’t hit the books hard enough to pass the test, the judge threw the book at Brian Gegner, ordering the father jailed because the daughter failed. Should a father be responsible when his 18 year-old daughter can’t do the math? Read full article »
Babies at Work

Posted on June 3, 2008 by Kathy McManus Comments (19)

There’s no question where babies come from. But there are plenty of questions about where they belong. In a bar? With a nanny? Starting a new life with someone else? Your recent comments here on other posts show there’s lots of spirited debate about responsibility when it comes to how and where we care for our kids. So, do babies belong at the office every day? Read full article »
White Lies

Posted on May 20, 2008 by Kathy McManus Comments (19)

Do these pants make me look fat? We all tell white lies, but when we do, are we being irresponsible? Read full article »
Fight Club Junior

Posted on May 12, 2008 by Kathy McManus Comments (97)

When two dogs are in a cage to fight each other, it’s illegal. When two children are in a cage to fight each other, it’s part of the fastest growing sport in America: “ultimate fighting.” Read full article »
America’s Worst Mom?

Posted on May 8, 2008 by Kathy McManus Comments (43)

Mothering without smothering. That’s the responsible balance Lenore Skenazy was seeking when she recently allowed her 9-year-old son to ride the New York City subway alone for the first time. Read full article »
Cash for Grades

Posted on May 1, 2008 by Kathy McManus Comments (17)

Education opens many doors. But should the main one be at the bank? School districts throughout the country are increasingly paying students for coming to class, taking tests, and improving their scores as part of controversial incentive programs known as “cash for grades.” Read full article »
Father’s Day

Posted on April 16, 2008 by Kathy McManus Comments (2)

Responsibility encompasses a lot of inevitable territory: family, friends, job, and country. But should responsibility extend to forgiveness? Giving second chances? Seizing the moment before it’s lost forever? Read full article »