3lilreds in NC Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 It's a little unbelievable to me - 5 couples, I think, who believe they are ready for kids and 5 couples who have agreed to loan their babies. The couples are, like, 12 years old and the parents handed their babies over!!! OK, so the parents are watching from a remote location and can intervene if they feel it is necessary. Also there is a trained nanny in the house who will intervene in case of emergency (no advice and no babysitting). One girl was having a hard time with her borrowed baby because he was teething and didn't want to eat - she got frustrated and said "STARVE THEN!" So the mother (who watched all day on camera) came over and explained, much more kindly than I probably would have, that although he might not want to eat, she needed to make the decision for the baby that he needed to eat, and have patience with him and get it done. She was very nice, and tried to guide this girl, and the girl got all pissy and went and hid in her bedroom and talked about how they are supposed to be able to learn from this experience and not be criticized and *****ed out, and now she's all nervous and anxious because she doesn't know what's expected of her. I thought that girl should have been very thankful that the mother didn't take her baby back and slap her. Good grief! I know they've had no baby experience, and that's the point - but did they not even read up on babies or try to educate themselves? They really don't have a clue that the babies are missing their mamas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 They really don't have a clue that the babies are missing their mamas? That's why we're not watching - the whole idea of this is not fair to the babies. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I am watching it, too. I have to disagree with you a little bit, which is weird because I tend to always agree with you.:001_smile: Miley's dad came over and was really helpful and kind. I think that the Mom that got snippy with the girl had a great teaching moment with that teen and didn't make the most of it. Now granted, that girl needs an attitude adjustment to begin with but I tend to subscribe to the flies with honey over vinegar method. I think it's a great concept though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 12? I had read in the paper that the caretaker kids were 18ish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 12? I had read in the paper that the caretaker kids were 18ish. I think that was hyperbole. But back to the OP, as I posted in a previous thread about this, I am disgusted by the entire concept. These poor babies lose their loving caretaker to be put with these selfish brats. Zero to Three has weighed in on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 This is the first I've heard of the show (not surprisingly) and it's one more reason I'm glad I don't watch television. What is up with the "reality show" fad? Is nothing sacred ~ not even a parent/child relationship? I think a whole lotta people need to turn of the t.v. and live their REAL life instead of sitting around watching other people being "real" in front of a camera. Or at a minimum, down some Kettle Chips and Mike's while conversing with online friends.:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaTanya Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 We were glad that a few of the teens really stepped up to the plate. (Though I would expect ALL of them to, since they VOLUNTEERED for this experience!) There is NO WAY I could do what the parents have done. The only time I left teens in charge of my little ones was when I was on-site -- teaching a homeschool group or having a yard sale! Maybe my babies were too attached, but a couple of them cried if they weren't with dh, me, or their grandparents -- even as young as 4 mos! Still disgusted by the "it's all about me" attitude of a couple of the girls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaTanya Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I think that was hyperbole. But back to the OP, as I posted in a previous thread about this, I am disgusted by the entire concept. These poor babies lose their loving caretaker to be put with these selfish brats. Zero to Three has weighed in on this. They make me think the relationship I had with my dc as babies was healthy and validate my reservations about the premise of this show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 There is no benefit to the babies, and it will certainly cause stress to them. I think it's child exploitation, plain and simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 Yeah, sorry, they are really 18, not 12. They just looked so young. I watched both hours and glared a lot - dh was laughing at me. (And you wonder why I have problems finding babysitters, LOL. They ALL look too young to me!) I didn't think that the mom who spoke to the one girl who felt that she had been unfairly criticized, was mean AT ALL. She was a lot calmer than I would have been in her situation. I thought that girl should have taken the instruction and tried to do better for the baby, rather than going all to pieces and refusing to take care of the baby after that. I suppose, since they are all teenagers who think their parents know nothing, that they have not one clue just how strongly a mother feels toward their child, but COME ON. I am not going to watch it anymore, even though I do think watching them deal with toddlers could be highly entertaining. Last night was heartbreaking. I reassured my Snort several times that I would NEVER leave him with people who did not know how to take care of him properly. And I didn't put him to bed until really really late because I needed to snuggle him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genie Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 My stomach turns just thinking about that show. My dh was watching it last night, so I tried to give it a look. Broke. My. Heart. The self-righteous attitudes of the moms toward those teens, just because the teens didn't do something right, bugged the heck out of me. I wanted to slap every one of those mothers who handed over their baby to a reality tv show, knowing full well that they would not be properly cared for. Sure, there are nannies there to make sure none of them are seriously injured. But come on! Totally messing up that baby's routine, taking them away from their parents and all that they know and love, and handing them over to people who admittedly know NOTHING about babies! I tried to ignore this thread because I know how strongly I feel about it. But it keeps popping up, and my stomach turns every time. So I figured maybe if I had my say I could move on a little easier. :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 I'm sorry, genie. It really bothered me too, which is why I had to post about it. I'm not going to watch it anymore, because it was too upsetting. I'm glad the babies are back home with their parents. What a horrible show. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genie Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I'm sorry, genie. It really bothered me too, which is why I had to post about it. I'm not going to watch it anymore, because it was too upsetting. I'm glad the babies are back home with their parents. What a horrible show. :grouphug: Oh gosh, I meant to put in a disclaimer that I wasn't being critical about your posting a thread about it. I'm not one for censorship! :) I understand what you mean. It really got under my skin, and I have a tendency to get all loud-mouthed when that happens, so I work to avoid threads that might cause me to say something too harsh. No worries! No apologies necessary! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 My stomach turns just thinking about that show. My dh was watching it last night, so I tried to give it a look. Broke. My. Heart. The self-righteous attitudes of the moms toward those teens, just because the teens didn't do something right, bugged the heck out of me. I wanted to slap every one of those mothers who handed over their baby to a reality tv show, knowing full well that they would not be properly cared for. Sure, there are nannies there to make sure none of them are seriously injured. But come on! Totally messing up that baby's routine, taking them away from their parents and all that they know and love, and handing them over to people who admittedly know NOTHING about babies! I tried to ignore this thread because I know how strongly I feel about it. But it keeps popping up, and my stomach turns every time. So I figured maybe if I had my say I could move on a little easier. :o I agree, Genie. Those moms were harsh, plain and simple. Yes, their babies were involved and yes, it was heartwrenching to watch but, they did sign up for it. They had a phenomenal teaching experience in the palm of their hands and they blew it. The African-American dad was the best. I think that he really tried to communicate what a huge responsibility parenting is without being condescending. I think that the concept is fabulous for teens that are thinking of having babies. There is a huge difference between loving "babies" and having your own baby. I have a cousin who gave birth at 17, thinking that she would be a great parent because she liked kids and was a good babysitter. 'scuse me??:confused: Suffice it to say, she got the surprise of her life. Had she been on a show like that I think that she would have given more thought to the seriousness of parenting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genie Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 The African-American dad was the best. I think that he really tried to communicate what a huge responsibility parenting is without being condescending. I loved him, too! He so obviously knew his baby, it was very heart warming. I think that the concept is fabulous for teens that are thinking of having babies. I think it's a great concept, too, but not to the detriment of the babies. Maybe have a teen shadow a mom to see what daily life is like. But this is in no way a dose of reality, because even those little babies were, what, eight months old or so? By the time your baby is that age, you have learned its little ins and outs. You know what makes them tick. It would be difficult for anyone to step in with a baby at that age and keep them happy all day long. Plus, just the lack of familiarity is going to affect things. The show is just complete sensationalism, at its worst because it involved innocent babies. And especially once they get to the pre-teen and teen stage, they have obviously chosen kids that they are hoping will be wild monsters. Well, first off, these teens will not still be teens by the time their kids are teens. They will have 13 year's experience by that point. And they will have laid the foundation of their parenting, and hopefully earned the respect of their children by that point. The whole thing is really just an exercise in futility, set up to be entertainment. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against reality tv. I enjoy several reality shows, but only in the knowledge that the participants chose to be in it. But when you subject an innocent child who has no choice in the matter, well that just gripes my rear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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