Caylee's Law Not Just For Toddlers

Casey Anthony is not guilty of murdering her child and will be set free next week. This verdict has saddened many people and outraged others. The only thing the court was able to confirm was that Casey is a liar, which most of us knew from the get-go. We all sat on the edge of our seats for weeks watching this despised young mother and wondered how her little girl died and how this woman could not report her child missing for over 30 days and yet still continue to party and carry on the way she did. We will never know and must leave it at that.

Despite the outcome of this trial, there is some good that will come from it in the form of Caylee's Law, which is targeted to hold parents' accountable for failure to report their child missing. Various petitions are being signed and legislators from various states are working toward making this law. When we think of Caylee's Law, we think of babies, toddlers and pre-school children, however, keep in mind that children are not considered adults until they are 18 years of age and that this law would be extended to teenagers as well. So how would this potential law affect parents of teenagers, who are not constantly under the parental eye?

If you are a parent reading Momma Dukes, be sure to follow your state legislators in regards to Caylee's Law and consider how it would affect you and your child in all the stages of his/her life. How many countless tales of horror have you read about caring, loving parents who were charged with child abuse and that parent brought into the police or, worse yet, had that child removed for something absolutely ridiculous? I, as a parent, want Caylee's Law to have a positive impact on our legal system and not have it become a thorn in the sides of parents raising children of all ages. It is our responsibility to ensure our legal system get it right the first time around in memory of Caylee Anthony.