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England Welcomes Its Newest 13-Year-Old Parents

02.13.2009 - Baby-faced boy who became father at 13 'was allowed to share bed with girlfriend, 14'

Oh the joys of being 12. A time when beating final bosses in videogames consumed many an evening, your biggest arguments were with your parents over extended curfews, and you didn't have to live with your pregnant girlfriend. What, you don't remember that last part? That's probably because you didn't grow up in England.

Already in possession of highest the rate of teen pregnancies in Western Europe, England welcomed its newest set of child parents on Monday when Chantelle Stedman, 14, gave birth to baby Maisie. The father, 13-year-old Alfie Patten, was only 12 when he impregnated Chantelle.

"When my mum found out, I thought I was going to get in trouble," said Alfie.

When asked how he was going to support the baby financially, Alfie responded: "What's financially?" (Incidentally, Gordon Brown muttered those same words recently when asked about the global financial crisis.)

While this news is shocking to us here in the United States, it's a lot more common place in England, the land where children have children. Alfie, with his shoddy financial knowledge and complete disregard for consequences, is not only England's youngest dad, but could very well be England's youngest Prime Minister.

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