MTV's 16 and Pregnant

[J.D.]

It's interesting to me that we are discussing these parenting issues as though they occur only to teen moms. (Of course I realize that is the focus of the thread....) Sure there are some parents of pregnant teens who might be more qualified to raise a baby - but we also should look at the teen they've already raised. That child didn't turn out to be mature or responsible either (i.e., last season's Farrah). It's a tough subject, with no clear solutions. I am also still not convinced this show will deter a young girl from getting pregnant.

I can't comment on the custody/visitation rights of the fathers - I've worked on too many domestic, custody, Guardian ad Litem and cases that I have become very jaded, regardless the ages of the parents.

[tears.and.rain]

You're absolutely right. It's a vicious circle. Sometimes good girls with good parents make mistakes. But more often than not, teen pregnancies happen to girls who grow up in homes where there are issues. Amber, Catelynne, Farrah, Janelle. Now, I think Farrah was spoiled rotten, that's the issue, and since her sister turned out fine it might be more Farrah than her parents. But so often in these situations when the teen isn't prepared, the parents take over, and the parents are the problem in the first place, leaving another generation in the same situation. It's a never-ending cycle.

I finally watched the last episode in entirety. I started out really disliking both Valerie and Matt, and ended up feeling the opposite. It's interesting that Valerie, who's only fifteen, says at the end that even though she hates to give up some things, it's what she has to do now, when Farrah, who was four years older than her, couldn't get that concept through her head for the life of her. It broke my heart a little how hard Valerie was trying to be mature and put her baby first, when you could see that she's still just so young.

[RealityLovesMe]

It's interesting to me that we are discussing these parenting issues as though they occur only to teen moms. (Of course I realize that is the focus of the thread....) Sure there are some parents of pregnant teens who might be more qualified to raise a baby - but we also should look at the teen they've already raised. That child didn't turn out to be mature or responsible either (i.e., last season's Farrah). It's a tough subject, with no clear solutions. I am also still not convinced this show will deter a young girl from getting pregnant.

I can't comment on the custody/visitation rights of the fathers - I've worked on too many domestic, custody, Guardian ad Litem and cases that I have become very jaded, regardless the ages of the parents.

It probably won't. Being a teenager is nearly an impossible situation these days. It is really like Russian roulette or any other game of chance. It is just too easy to slip up and get pregnant these days. I'm not trying to excuse any bad behavior. It is just that I can understand all he pressure kids are under to look and act a certain way. I understand peer pressure, hormones, and impulsivity. And the moment a kid makes a mistake, they have their increased fertility to deal with. It is impossible. All we can really ask of kids is just that they try.

[tears.and.rain]

Every teenager makes at least one real mistake that could completely derail their entire lives. Sometimes the consequences of these mistakes are blissfully absent and sometimes they are painfully present. Not all teenagers make their big mistake with sex - some do it with drugs or alcohol or driving badly or whatever - but they'll all do something really stupid at least once.

[clsriley]

It's interesting to me that we are discussing these parenting issues as though they occur only to teen moms. (Of course I realize that is the focus of the thread....) Sure there are some parents of pregnant teens who might be more qualified to raise a baby - but we also should look at the teen they've already raised. That child didn't turn out to be mature or responsible either (i.e., last season's Farrah). It's a tough subject, with no clear solutions. I am also still not convinced this show will deter a young girl from getting pregnant.
I can't comment on the custody/visitation rights of the fathers - I've worked on too many domestic, custody, Guardian ad Litem and cases that I have become very jaded, regardless the ages of the parents.

I am convinced it will encourage them to get pregnant. These teens get on TV, have photo shoots and have articles written about them in magazines!! It is made to appear sooooo glamourous!

[tears.and.rain]

Really? I don't think there's much glamour on the show. I think it's pretty real.

[clsriley]

Really? I don't think there's much glamour on the show. I think it's pretty real.

It does seem pretty real, but a 30 minute reality show is WAY different than the reality of dealing with a baby for 24 hours a day. You can't expect a 15 or 16 year old to have the same reasoning skills as an adult...that is why they are deamed minors until the age of 18. I don't believe young women realize the impact a baby will have on their life, even though they get a small taste of it from this show.

[tears.and.rain]

Have you watched it? Because it's an hour long....

I don't think it will do all that much to deter teen pregnancy, but I also don't think it will cause the rates to rise, as you previously suggested.

[RealityLovesMe]

I would be surprised if this show made a teenager want to get pregnant. I don't see this show as portraying teen parenthood in a glamorous way at all. Anyway, teen parenthood is rarely an issue of wanting and trying to get pregnant. I don't know the statistics but I am very confident that most teens don't want babies.

[clsriley]

Have you watched it? Because it's an hour long....

I don't think it will do all that much to deter teen pregnancy, but I also don't think it will cause the rates to rise, as you previously suggested.

I have watched it. I have Tivo, so maybe it seems like 30 minutes.

I think some people are attention seekers and will do selfish things like intentionally getting pregnant to gain attention. I am sure you have seen or heard about the Lifetime movie based on the true story about the prengancy pact.