Teens Might Benefit from 'Baby Borrowers'

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Ok, as much as I disagree with most liberals on certain reproductive issues, I fully support more sex education and access to birth control. The reason Roe v. Wade got passed was because society was too busy imposing guilt on girls who got pregnant out of wedlock, instead of helping them find the means to support themselves and their children. It doesn't have to be the end of a girl's life when they find out that they're pregnant, society can make sure she never gets back on her feet, however. Pregnancy happens; sex happens. So should we shame the young men who got them pregnant too? It's amazing how we always seem to forget that two people are involved in making a baby. Religious people, or people in general who complain about the lack of shame in our culture, should blame their attitude for the large number of abortions that occur every year. (Even if you're pro-choice, I know that most of you would rather prevent pregnancy; so we can at least agree on that issue.) Prevention through education is the logical goal, not public shame.

KAM of OH 3:45PM September 02, 2008

I am apalled that this "social experiment" is allowed. At what expense to young children's well being do we allow this to happen in the name of "entertainment?" Animal rights activists don't allow anything done to animals and yet we allow this to happen to the most vulnerable children and a time in their development when they are becoming attached and creating brain connections that last a lifetime???
First of all, I can't believe that we saw a teen almost dislocate the arm of an infant as she dragged him across the floor to change his diaper. If this had happened would we have seen the emergency room visit as well? Then we saw a teen change a baby's diaper without even wiping his dirty bottom. Will NBC show us the painful diaper rash that might have resulted? There's another clip of a baby crying, "I want to go home". The teen replies to him - don't worry, you're mom will pick you up tomorrow. Will NBC show us the child once back home when he is clinging to his parents and going through separation anxiety for perhaps weeks to come? While the parents and other teens did comment about the "inappropriate care" - it was still allowed to happen. This is Child Abuse and Neglect. And we're promoting it on Prime Time television.
I think the lessons here are atrocious.
The comments on the website from many immature teens do not highlight social lessons here. I think NBC has sunk to a new low and hope the show gets cancelled before anyone watches an episode that shows elder abuse as well.

Michelle of 10:26AM June 26, 2008

I am apalled that this "social experiment" is allowed. At what expense to young children's well being do we allow this to happen in the name of "entertainment?" Animal rights activists don't allow anything done to animals and yet we allow this to happen to the most vulnerable children and a time in their development when they are becoming attached and creating brain connections that last a lifetime???
First of all, I can't believe that we saw a teen almost dislocate the arm of an infant as she dragged him across the floor to change his diaper. If this had happened would we have seen the emergency room visit as well? Then we saw a teen change a baby's diaper without even wiping his dirty bottom. Will NBC show us the painful diaper rash that might have resulted? There's another clip of a baby crying, "I want to go home". The teen replies to him - don't worry, you're mom will pick you up tomorrow. Will NBC show us the child once back home when he is clinging to his parents and going through separation anxiety for perhaps weeks to come? While the parents and other teens did comment about the "inappropriate care" - it was still allowed to happen. This is Child Abuse and Neglect. And we're promoting it on Prime Time television.
I think the lessons here are atrocious.
The comments on the website from many immature teens do not highlight social lessons here. I think NBC has sunk to a new low and hope the show gets cancelled before anyone watches an episode that shows elder abuse as well.

Michelle of NJ 10:24AM June 26, 2008

Did you see the electronic RealCare Babies from Realityworks on the show? Those Babies, along with the Pregnancy Profile Vest that they wore, are a very powerful way for people to experience being nine months pregnant and then what it's like to be the parent of an infant. And you don't even have to use a real baby! Everyone wins!

Jencita of WI 8:26AM June 26, 2008

I think this show is great, and very interesting! If there is a second season i would love for me and boyfriend of a year and a half to be on it! It would definetly be a great experiance to see what living with my boyfriend and a child would be like. I think the show is also neat because you get to see how the teenagers react in different situations.

Breanna of GA 10:50PM June 25, 2008

What's to be ashamed of. Jamie Lynn had sex and is pregnant. She can afford to have a kid and wants one. Done. Other teens that cannot handle the financial responsibility are the ones we are really talking about. Like the kids on Baby Borrowers...lucky for them they are only practice baby rearing. they can throw in the towel at any point.

Brett of KS 2:36PM June 25, 2008

I think that since Jamie Lynn Spears and these nutty high schoolers in Mass people are discovering that shame doesn't work. What's better is showing young people that raising kids is tough. Baby Borrowers makes that clear, and I think the producers of the show also asked the teen boys involved to consider vasectomies...they ARE reversible...

Gary of CA 1:19PM June 25, 2008

When I heard about the alleged baby 'pact' in Gloucester, and the ensuing riot of opinions both informed and ignorant, I couldn't help but think it went beyond the 'usual suspects'. It wasn't a failure of sex education in school. It wasn't a failure of the parents to teach "good morals" (In other words, feeling ashamed over doing something teens will do anyway). It wasn't the 'just say no' sex education campaign.
What was it, then?
The community standards.
In looking at that community, one discovers there is an overt and open acceptance of youthful mothers. Teens getting pregnant are not only tolerated, they're embraced. Rightly (for those who approve) or wrongly (for those who live in a different community with different community standards), this is the underlying cause of this kind of behavior.
Societies dictate behavior, much like peer pressure but with the authority of the 'system' behind it. If the system approves, it happens more frequently. If the system disapproves, it happens less frequently. In the case of Gloucester, the system fell apart (since it seems they now seem to think that many teens getting preggers at once is a 'bad thing'). A bury your head in the sand approach to teen sex won't work (never has and statistics show a teen who is uninformed is more likely to get or get someone pregnant than one who is informed). Parents who are uninvolved in their teen's life are also part of the problem. But in this case, its a failure of the community as well by not providing the right kind of information and providing a too lenient attitude toward teen sex.
Should day care be in schools? No. While it's a nice thought, and acknowledges the problem of how to educate a teen parent, having it in the public school is TOO supportive. Put it elsewhere. The parent(s) will have to make due.
Should schools distribute birth control? Hell YES! No matter the sex education doctrine, information about birth control should ALWAYS be included as part of it. Teens are going to have sex. That is a fact, unavoidable and impossible to stop. If they're going to do it despite the risks, they should have the tools to at least keep from making the kind of mistake these 17 (or is it 18 now?) girls made.
Should abstinence only be the preferred method of teaching sex education? Of course not. It can be advocated as the best way of avoiding pregnancy and STD's, but there is no way to teach abstinence to a horny teen that will always work. The difference is that an informed teen will at least have a better chance of preventing pregnancies and avoiding STD's than one taught nothing about birth control methods.
But communities set the standards, and in this community, the standards were lax enough that 17 (or 18) girls felt no need to avoid getting pregnant (and assuming the men/boys involved were products of the same educational system, they felt no need to take precautions, either). 'The system' there is broken. They all need to fix it.

Fatesrider of CA 3:25AM June 25, 2008

Why has no one mentioned the lost concept of shame. All I have been hearing is the need for more sex ed, more contraceptive devices, more, more, more.
Is it a coincidence that teen pregnancies have sky rocketed as shame has taken a back seat due to in-school day care centers, reduced barriers to birth control and liberal welfare programs providing financial incentives to make poor decisions? All the social messages are clear, make a bad choice and relax, we will take care of you and give you everything you need to get by!
I graduated high school in 1982. At that time I remember 1 classmate (out of 130) getting pregnant and having to leave school. By the way, shame for what had happened was a main reason for her departure. Unfortunate but a deterrent to others to make the same mistake.
Within about 5 - 6 yrs after graduation there had been a handful of other girls getting pregnant and some liberal "genius" introduced the concept of in school daycare to the high school. Surprise, within about 3 yrs the day care was full! Now the site of several teen girls proudly walking downtown with their strollers and new babies is commonplace.
Now for the best part! Doing the right thing and introducing shame as part of the message to counter teen pregnancy is FREE! Not one penny of taxpayer money need be squandered. In fact if shame does have the impact I expect it will then we can actually anticipate a tax refund for all the money saved by closing the day care centers and eliminating birth control handouts by the schools and either reducing the welfare rolls or perhaps requiring these welfare recipients to have a repayment plan similar to a college loan program. But that is a topic for another day!

Louis of MA 11:01PM June 24, 2008

The controversy surrounding this show and the issues it touches on is pretty unbelievable. The opposing sides are so passionate. I think the one thing that everyone can agree on is that teen pregnancy is out of control. And something needs to happen.

Carrie of NH 6:26PM June 24, 2008