MTV'S new reality show "16 and Pregnant" just launched its second season, which promises to be even more dramatic than the first one. For those of you who haven't had the chance to see the show, "16 and Pregnant" chronicles the story of a pregnant 16-year-old each week, beginning with the end of her pregnancy and continuing for about two months after the baby is born. While an initial worry of the show was that it might idealize teen pregnancy, this hasn't been the case. Rather, MTV has done an exceptional job of documenting the both the emotional and financial challenges facing teen parents and their families.
Far from idealizing the challenges facing teen mothers, "16 and Pregnant" shows a realistic view of teen pregnancy. Being a new mother, much less a teen mother, is extremely difficult. The girls are shown getting up in the middle of the night to take care of their children and often lament both how exhausting and tiring the maternal life truly is. There are also relationship troubles, both with boyfriends and with parents. On most episodes, the girls express a desire for their boyfriends to grow up and take on some responsibility. The expectant mothers unrealistically tend to think that once the baby is born, everything will change and suddenly their boyfriends will become responsible. An oft-heard sentiment is that some girls think a baby will lead to marriage or at least a serious long-term relationship. This certainly isn't the case for the majority of the girls. Most of the girls are no longer with their boyfriends, and some boyfriends are no longer even in the picture. While a baby certainly is a wonderful thing, at this age it only adds serious stress and strain on a relationship
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