Cassie, any time I hear of someone under 25 having a child it bothers me. Few are mature enough before age 25 in today's society to be a parent. Even so, it happens. We can't stop our kids from having sex if they're bound and determined. I much prefer that Palin is supporting her daughter in this than leaving her on the roadside to figure out what to do on her own. I'm not going to condemn her for her daughter's pregnancy and I will applaud her willingness to stand by her daughter. That doesn't mean she approves (I doubt any sane parent would be thrilled).

Yes, it is hard to explain this to our daughters but it really isn't something Palin has a lot of control over. Her daughter is pregnant. She's lucky enough to have a boy who wants to step up and be a father and a husband. These are not easy choices for kids nor for their parents. This is a private family matter that should stay within the family. It is something that happens to many families -- some of the best and some of the worst. As I said, to me this should not be an issue of this campaign. Parents are going to have to decide how much to discuss with their children about this issue.

What you can do is discuss how hard it will be for Palin's daughter. She's not going to have a lot of privacy through this pregnancy, the birth nor the marriage. No matter how powerful her mother is, she's going to have to live with her boy friend/husband and lose out on college, sororieties, dances, football games -- all the joys of emerging adulthood. Instead, she's going to be changing diapers, listening to a baby cry at all hours of the day and night, sacrifice for the baby. Being a teen parent is hard regardless of who your parents are.