Friday afternoon I had the pleasure of talking with Amber from MTV’s Teen Mom. Before I even got to the second question, I realized, it doesn’t even sound like I am talking to a teen. Amber has learned a lot as a teen mom, she says, and it was apparent as she discussed the challenges and joys of becoming a parent. Along with growing responsibilities, she has become more mature. Things have changed a lot, but as Amber said, “it’s a good way of change.”
We talked about how she would have done things differently if given the chance, and as any mom can understand, she couldn’t really say that she would change anything, because that would mean she wouldn’t have Leah. It’s clear that her daughter means the world to her. “It wasn’t really a decision to have a child, but now I love her to death… but for other girls who have a decision in that, you need to wait, you need to think.. be more responsible.” Amber stressed numerous times that the reason she wanted to do the show and what she hopes can come out of her experience is that teens will really “think about what they’re doing a lot more. It’s not easy.”
On the show, we see that Amber has had to quit school to stay home with her daughter, Leah, while her fiance works to support their family. It was an adjustment staying home, but Amber has been able to get together with friends and family and have play dates with Leah’s cousins. Amber said she can’t do things as much as she used to, but it’s all part of being a mom. One of the biggest challenges is just learning new things along the way. Leah, herself, has not been a source of stress, for Amber. The best part of being a mom for Amber is watching her daughter grow and learn new things every day. She has also brought Amber and her fiance closer together.
Amber’s friends and family have been really supportive. Amber and her fiance are able to provide for Leah on their own, but she says the grandparents love to buy her cute clothes. (Isn’t that what grandparents are for? Spoiling their grandchildren?)
All of the teens on the show are going through really different struggles and situations. I really appreciate Amber and the other girls opening up their lives to the camera, because as you will see, becoming a mom as a teen is not as simple as some would think. It dramatically changes the course of your life – in some ways good and in some ways bad. As Amber said, waiting is the better option if you have it, and I think that is the message that teens need to hear from watching this show.
To watch Teen Mom, tune into MTV on Tuesday, December 8 at 10:00pm ET/PT.
