Evan Asher

Boyfriends beware: if you hope to win Jenny McCarthy's heart through her son, you better be in it for the long haul. The actress, author, and autism advocate appears on today's Ellen DeGeneres Show to show off her new line of eco-friendly baby and children's products, and the conversation quickly turns to her new boyfriend. When discussing the man she has been dating for just over a month, she told the host that he has yet to meet her son, Evan, 8:

Evan is on the strictest VIP meet and greet — which is like six months. I don't have guys meeting him on a cycle. That boy is very important to me.

What do you think is the proper waiting period to introduce a new partner to your child?

Common law marriage is recognized in some states, but what about the concept of common law parents and children? If a couple divorces or splits, a child who is only biologically tied to one of the adults may be shaken by the change in circumstance, particularly if they had a close or lengthy relationship with the other half. When news of Jesse James' infidelity hit the news recently, the public speculated about the lack of legal rights step mom Sandra Bullock has to his three children whom she grew fond of during the course of their marriage — namely his youngest daughter Sunny, 6, who the actress helped raise since the girl's mother was in jail.

Then, this week Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy called it quits. The couple was together for five years and spent a great deal of time campaigning for autism in honor of Jenny's 7-year-old son, Evan. While we're certain these celebrities will work out what is best for the kids and pseudo parents involved, it made us wonder what happens in cases that aren't publicized or when split-ups aren't amicable. Do you think the concept of a common law parent/child relationship should exist to protect all those bonds?

Jenny McCarthy is one candid cover girl. We'd expect nothing less from the passionate mother and autism advocate who posed with her son Evan, 7, for the September cover of Cookie. Check out a few of the highlights from the interview.

On how she felt when Evan had a seven-hour seizure and went into cardiac arrest in 2004: I ran out of my house and into my driveway and screamed at the top of my lungs to God to just take him away, because I loved him so much and he was in so much pain.

On Amanda Peet calling parents who don't vaccinate their children "parasites": I think vaccines are one of the greatest things ever invented. I used to be [Peet] before I had a kid with autism.

On the position of Generation Rescue: "Vaccinations are safe — dot, dot, dot — for some kids. Vaccinations are not safe — dot, dot, dot — for other kids. Let’s protect the ones who are weak. We are pro–safe vaccine. Vaccines are just not one size fits all. If you gave everyone in the world penicillin, there would be some adverse effects for some people, and possibly deaths."

On parental instincts: "We’re the generation of parents who are saying, ‘Listen to us. We are the bosses of our children.’  I want parents to realize that, and not get pushed around by doctors who say, ‘Oh, that’s 100 percent safe.’"

On her most humbling mom moment: "Watching Evan pee on a fake tree in a waiting room."

On her relationship with Jim Carrey: "It’s wacky-weird that not only does [Carrey] not want to get married, which I love, but he also doesn’t want to have more kids, which I love."