As I wrote about in another article discussing reality TV shows, I’m nuts for a lot of them. Another show I’ve been watching with some interest this summer is “The Baby Borrowers”.
“It’s not just television, it’s birth control.”
I may not have that tagline exactly correct, but it’s close.
A quick synopsis in case you haven’t been watching: five sets of teenagers who are ready to become parents have agreed to become guinea pigs. Every three days they’re given a new batch of kids to “parent.” It started out with babies, went to toddlers, then pre-teens, then teens, and will end with senior citizens.
It’s supposed to enlighten teenagers and show them babies aren’t all glamour and glory. That having babies means work. That their time is no longer their own. That the freedoms they currently enjoy will be replaced by responsibility. Major ones. And that it’s going to impact their relationship and maybe in a bad way. Are they really ready for all that?
A Funny Thing Happened During This Experiment
But the message transcends just the teenage audience. Any couple thinking of conceiving could learn from watching the struggles the teens endure. Because they’re dealing with issues all relationships struggle with from time to time.
Some of the couples are questioning whether they’re even with the right partner. Others see their partner’s work ethic isn’t very high and they’re going to have to pick up a lot of the slack –not just with raising the kids, but on the job front and housework too.
They’ve been confronted with differences from parenting styles to their ways of handling the stress after a long day dealing with unruly kids. As well as other issues, like who’s going to be the breadwinner? Both of them? If not, who’s going to stay home with the kids? (Some of the girls have made their boyfriends stay home with the kids to try and give them a taste of how easy it isn’t.)
And then there’s the biggest problem: how do they sneak in couple time?
Kids Can Make or Break a Relationship
This show has transcended cliched teens-facing-parenthood issues. It’s revealing all aspects of the parental process, from the stresses and frustrations to the joys and triumphs…and also the impact kids have on relationships. Lessons any couple, no matter their age, can learn from.
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