Teen Mom Season 4

[Debb70]

About Teen Mom. This may have been said before, but when are this children being read to? When are their parents playing with them? When I was growing up, yes we had tv and movies. We even had educational computer games. But we also were read to, all the time not just at bed time. We did puzzles. We had a toy kitchen that we used every day. We played with Play-doh. We did art projects. When does this happen for these kids? That kind of imaginative play is what is really important in the development of children. It teaches them critical thinking skills and allows them to make connections in their world on their own. Basically, it teaches them how to think and explore. It's invaluable.

And, now that I think of it, I never just watched tv/movies when I was little. If I was watching Cinderella, I also had a Cinderella coloring book or dolls playing Cinderella at the same time or something that was stimulating my imagination.

GREAT points! ITA I'm not sure why there are so many children who are not getting that at-home time with books, puzzles, music, games, storytelling, pretend games, etc. WHY? Why don't the parents think it's important? I just cannot understand. I know people in my family who do NOT do these things with their child. It breaks my heart. When the child is with us, we do all those things and the child LOVES it! She runs in and ask for them and those activities and she is so joyful and proud that she can sing the songs, use her hands to demonstrate the song, put the puzzlie together, BUT the parents ignore it. They don't think it's important at all. They think she should walk around and hang out like an adult with none of that. It makes me CRAZY with frustration. Yes, they are young parents; younger than the ones on Teen Mom. Ugggghhhh! Okay, I got that off my chest.

The only thing I have seen Bentley do is play with motorcycles and cars. Sophia her dog and a pacifier. Leah not much except for last night she and Gary were playing with something at the end of the show. Not sure what it was.

What can I say about Farrah's sister. I forgot her name. What a piece of work. I will say that I wouldn't sleep with my door unlocked with that girl in the house! She looked evil IMO. I think she could hurt you in a second. HEY! I have an idea. NEW reality show. Farrah and her family move into a rehab center, under the care of Dr. Drew while they undergo therapy for anger, and complete personality breakdown. I'm kidding, but not kidding. What Farrah and her family are modeling for Sophia is the same thing that was done for Leah by AMber and Gary. It's violence whether it's verbal or physical. ANd I don't trust Farrah at all. She's too angry to not take it out on Sophia, IMO.

I love how Amber decided to take Leah's advice on who she should talk to at the rehab center. It's official. The 2 year old has better judgment than Amber. Recall Sophia had better judgment than Farrah, when she chose a fish over a dog. lol

Did you see Tyler's dad cut his steak with a knife, but hold it steady with his fingers instead of a fork? Tyler most have been so humiliated. I pray he moves away from that area. Butch has a full blown criminal mentality and he doesn't want to change. HE was focused on getting out from under the confines of parole instead of doing the right things! It's sad, but he's a loser that is not going to change.

At least Maci wants to get Bentley in a pre-school so he can get the things that are described above, counting, letters, etc. I'm not sure why she and Ryan never thought those things and others could have been taught at home. ????

[Tilden]

I would say most two year olds have better judgement than Amber and Farrah. Both of them have such hair-trigger tempers that it's very worrisome.

When Farrah and her sister sat there berating their mother in public, all I could think of was how much more maturely Caitlyn and Tyler handle their mother and father respectively, both of whom are way more messed up than Deborah. Not that Deborah's mother of the year, but if Farrah thinks she's bad, she ought to have to deal with April at her worst for a week or two. Also, if Deborah's so horrible, why is Farrah so content to leave her in charge of Sophia, even after the fingernail polish incident (that poor dog ought to be in a canine witness protection program and Farrah should never be allowed another dog, period--again, Caitlyn and Tyler have multiple dogs, but they all seem to be okay and reasonably well behaved)?

Oddly, though I'm sure I was read to, I don't remember being read to--what I remember is being hugely envious of the older kids who could read the actual words on the page when I had to make up stories to go with the pictures instead of knowing the words to the real story unless someone read them to me. Then, one day, when I was about five, one of my older sisters decided to start me on a beginning reader, and I went through the whole thing in one day. It was like--bang!--I just suddenly knew how to read. I swear, I learned out of pure desire and stubbornness not to be left out of what the older neighborhood kids were doing. Of course, before that, I had been taught all my letters and numbers, and I do remember realizing that if you put letters together you got words, and after that, my three or four year old self must have driven my poor mother nuts presenting her with page after page of groups of letters, asking which ones were words, so I could write them down again and again until I had them memorized. She eventually sat me down and explained the difference between consonants and vowels, so I had a better shot at coming up with actual words. I also distinctly remember thinking that if c-a-t was cat and c-o-a-t was coat that there was a good chance that b-a-t was bat and b-o-a-t might be boat. My fixation on all of that must have struck some as really odd at that age.

I also noticed that after my mom died and I cleaned out the house we'd been in since I was four that we had tons of educational games and toys, music and art related toys, and enough books to supply a small library, mostly because I was never denied the right to order from Scholastic Book Services (oh for the days when you could order SBS books for 50 cents a piece!; I lived for those catalogs and the days the books finally arrived and the teacher passed them out). I was also a huge supporter of the local library's annual book sale, especially on the days when you could get all the books you could carry to the front desk under your own power for $1. At age ten, I actually received a round of applause for the number of books I managed to stack up and get to that desk, despite being small for my age--again, just sheer stubbornness and desire. I checked books out of the library regularly too, of course, but living in a small town without a bookstore, getting to buy your own books was a real treat.

[Debb70]

Tilden, you hit the nail on the head about how Farrah is crazy for blaming her mom when you look at the respectful behavior of Catelyn and Tyler when they deal with their parents who are WAAAAY crazier than Deborah. So true.

As I sat and watched Deborah and her daughters act so horrible to her, I thought how sad. Soon Sophie is going to be just as bad, except I expect Sophie will treat them all very poorly. I wonder how Farrah will react to that. Oh, she'll blame her mom, I'm sure.

And I think we here at FORT are so upset about the lack of mental stimulation of the kids, because we were early learners and readers. I read before going to school too. My grandparents and great grandparents would sit with me and books for hours. Some were regular books, not even for kids. I didn't care. I just loved it. I would set my Golden Books up on their ends in a circle and lay in the circle with my head in the books. I recall that vividly. What great memories. Maybe I really feel sad that these are not only great memories these kids are missing out on, but basic learning skills that will stay with them for life.

[tears.and.rain]

Catelyn and Tyler are obviously good kids who made a mistake - which happens. You can tell they're good kids by the way they dealt with it. I don't necessarily mean putting Carly up for adoption, I do think that if they'd chosen to raise her they'd have been alright. But the same judgement that would have made them (and later will make them) good parents is the judgement that told them that since they don't have the support from family that they'd need, Carly would be better off with someone else.

I think Leah might be getting some of that. At least I hope so. Maybe that's just because I think Gary, were he able to separate himself from Amber's craziness, seems to really and truly want to give Leah the best.

Even going to Preschool will not solve this though. I read an article a while back about how preschools are now focusing much more on very structured activity - like you'd find in "real" school - and readiness for standardized tests as opposed to imaginative play. I think a lot of very well-meaning parents are doing this as well, focusing so much on how early their baby reads and speaks and putting them in every activity available to them. Really, their time is just as valuably spent with some Little People toys and a Sesame Street dvd/cd (c is for cookie, after all). Babies and toddlers and young children, essentially, are little scientists. They're naturally curious and by allowing them to imagine and play we allow them to work out possibilities in their head until they come up with logical ones. Blocks and legos are great for this. Play kitchens are perfect. But unfortunately, these kinds of toys are getting less and less use in classrooms for young children.

[Debb70]

So true about toys that encourage creativity. I looked at Walmart recently to purchase educational toys and they had more things to train your dogs than to help your kids learn. What's up with that? They had a few computer educational things, but not hands on things. Go figure.

[tears.and.rain]

It's awful. Although, you don't have to just stick to toys that are marketed as "educational". Those often discourage creativity in my experience. The Polly Pockets you find in Wal-Mart can be used just as creatively. I used to make up unbelievably intricate stories with them. And you'd lay them out in a town and create a whole world.

[momrek06]

OMG another very disturbing epi.

First of all Amber and her anger. I am so glad she decided to stay out the last 2 weeks at the rehab. But Gary … as he walked out the door (of his Mom's home) with his Mom and Leah, they were going towards the chair swing and Gary says loudly in front of Leah … "I am not going to sit on any damn chair swing" … OMG, shut your mouth, Gary IDIOT. Why the anger and the foul mouth? And then later on we see Leah being very aggrressive with Gary's mom … this is not going well at all. AND added to that that we all know that Amber is now locked up for 5 long years.

Farrah and her sister (Ashley I think)(who I guess is married as she mentioned her in-laws) … are awful awful awful. Listen traveling and changing time zones is exhausting and yet it is ALL Deborah's fault that Sophia got into the nail polish. And the screaming over and over and over again in that family is just so disturbing. I am hoping that Therapist back in Farrah's hometown is watching THIS season. She will be SHOCKED while the rest of us have witnessed this behavior from Farrah for season after season. Both girls were just so horrible to their Mother. What was with that stupid wig …. ??? Why did they want her wearing that anyway … ??? So that when Deborah took it off they would have something to SCREAM at her about … "we bought that for you and you should like it and wear it" …. WHATTTTTT????

Butch … just a life long criminal … getting mad about not being able to stay in the trailer park BECAUSE AFTER ALL his thing is NOT alcohol its COCAINE … are.you.kidding.me. Tyler, I so hope he moves on so far away from Butch. Tyler basically begging his father to BE GOOD … how disturbing is that scene.

[candor]

HEY! I have an idea. NEW reality show. Farrah and her family move into a rehab center, under the care of Dr. Drew while they undergo therapy for anger, and complete personality breakdown.

Great idea, but I think they should go to the Dr. Phil house. He's a lot tougher than Dr. Drew.

[Debb70]

Great idea, but I think they should go to the Dr. Phil house. He's a lot tougher than Dr. Drew.

Good point! He is tougher, because Dr. Drew is too scared he may lose a tv job to be honest about a situation IMO.

I suspect the MTV crew probably told the girls to come up with something amusing for their mom when she arrived. You know, to lighten the mood. They in turn took it as an opportunity to mock their mom and make her feel silly. Way to go girls! Their kids will treat them the way they treat their mom, so they will get a taste of their own medicine. Too bad they don't know that they are damaging Sophie with all that garbage.

[jenniferboston1]

Maybe in about 15 years, they'll do a Teen Mom 1 reunion show. Sophia will be....17? Love to see that!