Children at Risk? "The Baby Borrowers" Uncomfortable to Watch
I know we're supposed to be watching the teens. But the parents - especially the moms - on NBC's new reality show "The Baby Borrowers" grabbed my attention. The show, which debuted last night, supposedly gives teen couples who've expressed a desire to have children a fast-forward parenting experience beginning with babies, then toddlers...all the way through whiny preteens. (At the end, it looks like they toss in some elderly parents as an extra care challenge.)
The teens care for 'their babies' round the clock for three days straight, then graduate to the next level and trade up for brand new, older children.
In our "famous at all costs" culture, I'm sure it was easy to find teen couples across the country eager to be on TV. But where - and how - did they find moms willing to give up their sweet, vulnerable (and frighteningly fragile) babies to a handful of teens who've already had multiple on-camera meltdowns even before the little ones arrived?
There are safety nets in place. Professional nannies live with each couple to ensure that the babies aren't placed in dangerous situations. The teen couples are under video surveillance at all times, and the parents - watching and staying across the street - can step in in extreme situations.
Three of the adults do just that. Two mothers and one dad (who's the primary caregiver) race over and very delicately give the teen parents advice and guidance. (And, as you can probably guess, at least one of the teens becomes resentful and dumps the baby's care on her boyfriend.) I found myself cringing as the teens refer to their respective babies as 'it' and either thoughtlessly starve them, keep them in dirty diapers for hours, or agitate them with too much holding, movement, and stimulation.
One mom looks at the camera and explains that she's participating because she was a teen mother herself, and she knows she missed out on life opportunities and wants to help other teens not make that mistake.
Give this woman a gold star. She's a bigger person than I am, because there's no way that I'd ever loan my child out to this show. I was uncomfortable just watching "The Baby Borrowers," which could be taken as good...or bad.
To promote the series, NBC is using the tag line "It's Not TV, It's Birth Control." So far, the birth control seems to be working. And if this show's a hit, maybe the community of Gloucester, MA, might want to offer itself up as a location for next season .
A teen 'parent' cares for her assigned 'baby'
Photo courtesy NBC Photo/Tommy Baynard
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