I’m on vacation.  I’m snowed in.  That can only mean only mean one thing right?  Teen Mom marathon! I have to admit I judged the show prematurely. I thought, ‘Who wants to see a show about a bunch of kids making stupid choices?” Well, turns out, I do.

If you haven’t seen the MTV show, it follows four teenage girls who were originally featured on the show 16 and Pregnant. Teen Mom shows how their lives have changed after giving birth, the relationships (or lack thereof) with their baby’s fathers, and how their parents are coping with the situation.

It’s so easy to sit back and judge these girls for their decisions and actions. Yes, Amber came off as a seriously crazy girl with major anger issues in need of medication. No, Maci shouldn’t have run off to Nashville after her new boyfriend she hoped to marry. Farrah obviously needs to continue with therapy and stop talking to her mother the way she does. And Catelynn, well, I love her so I don’t have anything bad to say about her. The point I want to make is, even though all these girls have issues that we saw them live through publicly, there is something special about this show and I’m thankful I watched it.

I give these girls credit. It takes guts to put yourself out there like that. While it isn’t as shocking today when a teenage girl gets pregnant, people still have a tendency to judge them and call them a slut even if they’ve only been with that one boy who they were in a relationship with. It also can’t be easy to make the decision to put your baby up for adoption, as Catelynn did, knowing that there will be people out there looking at you with disdain because, “How can you just give your baby away?” I’m giving credit where credit is due.

There was no shortness of drama on the show, which I’m sure was the attraction for most people, but there was also a lot to learn from the show. Farrah showed us that having a baby does not make you a grown up. She made some steps in the right direction by working and getting her own apartment, but her childish behavior with her mother showed she still had a lot to learn about life. Don’t get me wrong, her mother was not perfect, but I feel like she was trying to help. Maci made some impulsive decisions like moving to be closer to her boyfriend, but I felt that she showed maturity in putting her son first when meeting with the mediator and giving her son’s father an extra day of visitation. Catelynn showed us how unselfish the process of adoption really is. To look beyond your own personal wants and desires, and make the impossible decision to let someone else raise your child, was an amazing thing to watch. It was even more impressive, given her mother wasn’t on-board with the decision and reminded her on every possible occasion. And Amber. Yes, even Amber showed us something. It may not be what she wanted us to see about her, but she reaffirmed that just because you have a baby with someone, doesn’t mean you should be together.

I’m so glad I decided to give the show a chance, and I look forward to Teen Mom 2 which premieres on January 11th at 10pm. Here’s the trailer for the show…

So what do you think about Teen Mom? Have you watched it? Who was your favorite? What did you learn from watching the show? And do you think that shows like 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom will keep teens from getting pregnant? I would love to hear what you think. Leave a comment please!

Just my humble opinion…Pebbles

I read a story this morning about a study that revealed that the gift kids between the ages of 6 – 12 want most for the holidays this year is…the iPad.  Yes, the iPad.  The “starting at $499 iPad.  My answer to that, as I used to hear as a kid, is “how does it feel to want?”  Don’t get me wrong,  I understand that kids are much more tech-savvy now, but have we really gotten to the point where we would even consider plunking down $500 of our hard-earned cash for a 6-year-old?  Looks like we have, because I’m guessing there will be some parents who will do it.

Ironically, I just got an iPad yesterday, and while I spent a significant amount of time looking for apps to download for my 8-year-old niece to use, I would never even THINK of purchasing one for her.  She can play with it, with me sitting right next to her, but that’s it!  This is the same kid I don’t trust not to spill on the couch!  Why would I trust her not to break an iPad.  And how could you not get mad if they did?  Then you turn into the crazy aunt freaking out on your niece…or maybe that’s just me!

I feel bad for parents (and Santa).  Every year the must-have gifts get more and more expensive.  Where do you draw the line?  I get wanting to give your children the best, and maybe I’ll never fully understand it because I don’t have kids myself.  But I don’t think you need to have kids to think that $500 dollars is a little excessive.

Besides the fact that a young child could break it, or you could be one of the people who can afford to spend that much, I personally think that giving a child a gift that expensive is sending them the wrong message.  Did they do anything special to deserve it?  Did they work hard?  Did they save up for it?  Probably not.  I guess I just think that kids need to learn the value of money,  handing over an iPad isn’t going to do that for them.

What do you think?  Would you ever buy your young child an iPad?  Do you think it’s OK even if you can afford it?  I would love to hear what you think!  Leave me a comment!

Just my humble opinion…Pebbles

I consider myself a semi-creative person, but when I see stuff like this I feel like a pre-school student making macaroni necklaces.  They’re cute…if you’re 4!   This was done by a group called OK Go for their new music video called Last Leaf.  Over 2,000 pieces of toast were used to make the video and it took 15 pieces of toast to make each second of the video.  Love it!

Looks like we have A Cleavage Controversy as Katy Perry’s boobs have been banned from Sesame Street.  In case you haven’t heard, Katy Perry was supposed to appear on the PBS show performing a kid-friendly version of her song Hot N Cold.  Well, that’s not going to happen after outraged parents complained about Katy’s choice of attire saying that her dress revealed too much cleavage.   Some parents even said their children were allegedly sexually aroused.   Hmmm, that is a moment that makes me happy I don’t have any kids.

Well, message boards all over the internet are jammed with differing opinions about The Great Cleavage Controversy, so I thought I would add my two cents.  First, let me say that I think the video is really cute, and Katy definitely has a personality that I think appeals to kids.  She comes off really sweet and fun, and teamed with Elmo, it’s a great combination.   While I do think that this would have affected parents more than the kids actually watching it,  I really do wish she would have covered up a little more.  I don’t consider myself a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but I have to say that for a family show, I think she could have chosen something a little less revealing.  I wish I had reasons a, b, and c to give you as to why, but I have to say that it’s just a gut feeling that I have about the situation.

The closest thing I can equate it to is going to a kids birthday party and there’s one parent who shows up with something a little too revealing.  No kid is going to be traumatized, and they’re going to care more about the cake and the clown, but for the occasion, it’s just not appropriate.

I’m not sure how Katy is feeling about the whole issue, but I’m hoping that she gets to re-shoot the video and that it will run on the show because it is really cute.

Just my humble opinion…Pebbles

What do you think about The Great Cleavage Controversy?  Do you think the whole thing is overblown, or that Katy should have covered up?  If you have kids, does it bother you?  Let me know by leaving a comment!  Thanks!

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