Jamie Lynn Spears wants a 'normal life' for Maddie

As she settles into new motherhood, Jamie Lynn Spears says she’s striving for normalcy.  The 17-year-old actress, who welcomed daughter Maddie Briann Aldridge just six days ago, is now happily ensconced in the Liberty, Mississippi home she shares with boyfriend Casey Aldridge — a long way from the prying eyes of paparazzi, and the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.  Together, the couple "want to give the baby the most normal life she could ever have," Jamie tells OK!.  She added,

More than anything, I just want this baby to have a normal life.

Source: OK!; Photo by Thorton/Adao/INFphoto.com.

Comments

I really hope Jamie Lynn and Casey can give Maddie a normal life. I don’t think it will ever be as normal as the everyday person, of course. But as normal as possible.

- tink1217 on June 25th, 2008

I hope that for the baby’s sake Jamie Lynn has grown up enough to know what a baby needs. I can only imagine having a child at 16. I really cant imagine very many 16 year olds being ready mentally for such a big job. I know that she has help from family but man…she must be in total shock right about now. I can congratulate them but I also feel so sorry for them at the same time. They are missing out on such fantastic years of young adulthood. I feel for them.

- Allison on June 25th, 2008

I love the spears family. despite there crazy antics. im always looking for new posts on them and im happy for them. i dont think there dillemas are as outrageuos as the media makes them. im happy for jamie-lynn. i cant wait to see a picture of the baby though

- Meg on June 25th, 2008

I’m so happy for Jamie Lynn and Casey and I think they’ll be great parents to little Maddie. I am also 17 and I would love to have a child. I am not the kind of person who likes to party and I don’t drink or smoke, I have more fun playing with children than partying. I hope that they can give Maddie a normal life and the fact that they are far from Hollywood is great, I don’t think she’ll make the same mistakes that Britney did.

- stéph on June 25th, 2008

Allison~ That comment is ignorant! I had my son at 16, and I knew exactly what he needed! What just because I was 16, was I suppose to be completly stupid and not know what was the best things for my child?? Common, there are alot of older mothers, who should NOT be mothers. Age does not define a mother. A mother defines a mother.

- Ashley on June 25th, 2008

Allison, she is not 16, but 17. And there are lots of people out there who are more matured at 17 then others at 35. So since she already happened to have a baby and she is showing that she knows what to do and where to go from here, you shouldn’t be marking her as unfit mother

- Nikka on June 25th, 2008

“Ensconced” in her home? Huh?

- Stef on June 25th, 2008

Stef its a nice way to say shes hiding out in her home.

- SM on June 25th, 2008

I wish this family everything good and all the happiness in the world.
I had my first baby in my early 30′s. My third at 37. Although I wasn’t into partying and I loved children there was no way I was ready to be a parent in my teens or even early 20′s. My education was important. How else would we have afforded a baby? Being a parent (providing for them, being selfless, worrying, raising future responsible adults) is much different from loving children or taking care of children.

- Lorelei on June 25th, 2008

I think Allison makes a valid point. While we can do nothing but wish the best for the young couple, it is true that 16/17 is really not the ideal (that’s the key word) age to become parents. That’s it.

JL seems to be making the best of it, and I don’t doubt her love and good intentions for her daughter.

- Xan on June 25th, 2008

Even thought their young, I know they’ll be great parents.

- Lacey on June 25th, 2008

I just don’t understand the “normal” comment that celebs make! “Normal” went out the window when they became millionaire movie stars! They want to be able to turn the fame on and off when it suits them. Having Brittany Spears as a aunt, there is NO WAY that baby Maddie will have a “normal” life!

- Amy on June 25th, 2008

@Amy

True, but Jamie Lynn was a child star who did a Nick show. She’s hardly a millionare movie star. If not for Britney nobody would know her.

It will be difficult, but I hope she’s able to do it. I think it’s what her sister wanted and was unable to achieve. I think Jamie Lynn will have an easier time at time though because she’s not as famous and she also lives in Mississippi.

- melissa on June 25th, 2008

Despite her age I’m choosing to look at Jamie Lynn’s actions thus far. If those are anything to go by, I think little Maddie will be just fine. From the moment we found out she was pregnant this young lady has done nothing but be dignified in her situation and she has been taking steps to protect her child.

Voluntarily moving back down South, buying a home, getting her GED, doing her best to stabilize her relationship with Casey, and spending time with her family and small town friends were all the best things she could have done for herself and her daughter. Whatever the way or reason she got pregnant, she’s handled it better than adults I’ve encountered and I think she should be credited for that. The fact that all she wants for her daughter is a normal life is yet another sign she’ll be a great mother to her. Congrats to her her and to Casey.

- Grayson's Girl on June 25th, 2008

I think the fact that Jamie Lynn isn’t in a normal situation means her child will have a better life than most born to teen mothers. Jamie Lynn has resources many women in their 30s don’t have. Very few teen mothers are capable of giving a child everything it needs. Most women who have kids in high school don’t graduate and hardly any get a college degree. Besides, why should a child have to grow up with its parent? Teen pregnancy usually leads to poverty and instability, but I think Jamie will be an exception. She’s not in a typical situation.

- Nicole on June 25th, 2008

I was nearly 27 when my son was born. Married for five years, college graduate, good job, baby planned down to the month. STILL not prepared for the shock of motherhood. Bottom line — everyone is different and no one can say who is or is not ready. (Everyone sure thought I was, especially me!)

Fast forward two years and things are great, but I can’t say it was in the beginning!

- mmh on June 25th, 2008

I agree Ashley. And talk about being “mentally” ready. I think she took all the steps she could to be ready and age does not define how much you love your child, and that is so important.

- Kayla on June 25th, 2008

I think its great that shes taking that approach. Im seventeen and not every seventeen year old drinks or does drugs.

Congratulations to the spears-aldrige family

- shawna on June 25th, 2008

Steph your only 17 so you shouldn’t be smoking, drinking and partying yet anyways At 17 I didn’t think about those things either. I babysat kids constantly and rather of hung out with them then be with friends. But trust me had I had a child I would of completely regretted it because once I turned 21 I needed to get that lifestyle out of the way!! At 17 you have so much ahead of you! The idea of a child sounds fun but trust me it requires ALOT of work!!

The difference between Jamie Lynn and your average teenager is JLS has money! Therefore she has a means to hire a nanny if she needs to, buy the baby whatever it requires, and even finish school if need be. Many teens don’t get those things handed to them and they end up struggling! They look at being parents and think it would be fun to just spend they’re days taking care of a kid but trust me you quickly learn how much of a responsibility they are and change your mind. You can’t turn off the switch on motherhood. It is there forever

This show Baby Borrower’s should be interesting to see LOL

- J.M. on June 25th, 2008

Her actions are so hypocritical! She wants a ‘normal’ life for her daughter and privacy, yet she ‘sells’ her life and pics of her baby with OK Magazine for all to see and read??? This just does not make sense-you cannot have both~

- brooklyn on June 25th, 2008

brooklyn, if she didn’t “sell” to the magazines they would publish whatever rubbish they wanted to and stalk her night and day (even in Lousiana or Mississippi) to get pictures. I think I would have done the same thing. It takes all the mystery out of it and the pressure off the new parents.

- tink1217 on June 25th, 2008

I think it’s interesting when posters say that they “know” that she and her boyfriend will be good parents. Really? You know that? Do you know them personally? What we see in the media is just a snapshot of a life, so how can we really “know”? Who would have said, a year ago, that she would have a baby at 17? Who knew that Britney was going to be the way she was and lose custody of her kids? My point is that you don’t “know” anything about how a person is going to be as a parent just by watching them on a tv show, listening to their cd, or seeing their picture in a magazine or on a gossip site. Only time will tell if Jamie Lynn will be a responsible parent.

- Amber on June 25th, 2008

Brooklyn-
I do not think Jamie Lynn is at all hypocritical. We cannot judge her for her actions,she is 17 and just had a baby. I understand that she had made mistakes and must live with the consequence. But being 17 is scary, being a new mom is scary, and I would assume being followed by the paparazzi is scary and she has been thrown all three scenarios. Who knows what deal OK gave her for the photos. They may have agreed to back off after the publications or given her much needed money. We do not know any of the variables so therefore we cannot judge.

- Katie on June 25th, 2008

We all are different. I had my baby in January of my senior year in HS. I graduated with my class, took 2 years off, graduated nursing school and then got my BA in Criminal Justice. My daughter is very well adjusted and happy. Not everyone that has a child so young is going to end up on welfare or have family services involved in their life. I think the most important thing is to have a great support system and to stick to the goals that you made for yourself, no matter how hard it may seem.

- Kelli on June 25th, 2008

“I also feel so sorry for them at the same time. They are missing out on such fantastic years of young adulthood. I feel for them.”

Allison, I don’t understand your comment. She is not missing on anything. It’s not like you die when you have a baby. She is still enjoying fantastic years of young adulthood. Someone travels, someone goes to college and then works, someone dates, someone has a baby. All of these people do enjoy these fantastic years and you should be able to understand and accept that

- Mae on June 26th, 2008

JLS posted the baby pics on her Myspace, she didn’t ask money to post them down, right ?

We should just stop being judgemental all the time because we seem to know best, because we are older or because whatever. We are never in the same situation. Even if some had a child as young as JLS, it doesn’t mean they will have the same experience. Everyone is different, so let us just leave them the benefit of the doubt.

- Jo Ann v. on June 26th, 2008

Jo Ann, that myspace is a fake.

Why is it such a bad thing that Jamie Lynn is selling Maddie’s first photos? If she didn’t, she would be hounded by the paparazzi. I would rather be introduced on the mother’s terms rather than having that little girl harrassed by sleazy photographers…

- Luisa on June 26th, 2008