I admit it...I don't watch too many shows on tv that stimulate any intellectual part of my brain. It drives my husband crazy. He always asks if I watch these shows because I want to be like the women on them. It's pretty much the exact opposite. Seeing how some of the women on these shows behave makes me feel good about myself, as if to think "Hey, at least I'm not as awful as THAT one!" And it also helps me show my husband how good he has it, just in case he may have forgotten for a second. Sorry, but when I start my day at 5:15am and finish no earlier than 9pm, it's nice to put something on the boob tube that's just plain entertaining, smutty as it may be.
I am hooked on one show in particular, but it scares me more than it entertains me. Teen Mom. Have you seen it? It is heartbreaking, and for this mother of two strong-willed daughters, it's absolutely terrifying. These girls tend to go through their pregnancy living in some fantasy world where they'll be a nice, happy family with their baby and its father. They're certain any immature and selfish behavior their boyfriends showed before the baby was born will just disappear after it's born, only to be completely devastated when the baby's father continues to act like the child he still is. They give up bright academic futures and normal teenage social lives to raise their babies, often while the dad makes himself scarce (physically, emotionally, or both) because he's not ready for the responsibility that has been dropped in his lap. They become isolated, lonely, and depressed because they no longer have much in common with their childless friends. And don't even get me started on the stories about the girls who give their babies up for adoption...I'm usually sobbing by the time those episodes are over!
Ultimately, these girls are forced to grow up so much faster than they should have to, whether they choose to keep their baby or give it up. Most of them are incredibly strong and find new motivation to succeed because of the child who depends on them, but as a mother myself, watching the heartbreak they go through in the meantime is painfully sad and incredibly frightening. It truly makes me want to keep my girls in a bubble so they can just be like this forever instead:
Sorry for being a bit heavy this week! If you'd like to participate in your own Project 52: Glimpse Into Motherhood, click on the link below:
I caught a glimpse of that show the other day and you are right it is heart breaking...I hope to keep my girls little as long as humanly possible, I cannot imagine the trials they are going to face out in our world today. I know they are strong, I just hope I can do right by them.
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