95 replies to this topic

[WhitneyWhit]

High School Moms

From TLC, the network that's always on the forefront of originality.

[KittyMarthaPoo]

Loved the voice over of the morbidly obese girl who said something along the lines of, I had no idea I'd be a mom a 17, with the baby's daddy in prison.

[Wok Chop]

Loved the voice over of the morbidly obese girl who said something along the lines of, I had no idea I'd be a mom a 17, with the baby's daddy in prison.

The girl actually said she became a mom at fourteen, not seventeen. :O Yikes!

Edited by Wok Chop, Aug 9, 2012 @ 1:57 PM.

[KittyMarthaPoo]

The girl actually said she became a mom at fourteen, not seventeen.

Fantastic! Even better... :/

[Shortcake2001]

Seems like TLC is getting on the MTV 16 & Pregnant/Teen Mom train.

High School Moms follows the real-life drama at a Colorado high school devoted exclusively to pregnant girls and teen moms. Every day brings new challenges to the school’s dedicated teachers and students, as the girls try to balance schoolwork, sonograms, diapers and dreams of a bright future.

Premieres August 12 @ 10|9c
Encore airing on Discovery Fit & Health, August 16 @ 10|9c

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/high-school-moms

[Suz at Large]

Here's a Denver Post column about the show: http://www.denverpos...stars-tlcs-high

You can find out about the school (and the interesting 100 year history behind it) at its website: http://flocritco.org/index.php

[marysue22]

I saw the trailer and I guess it's a good thing some people still give a damn about trying to get these girls to graduate? Daycare in a high school would've been unheard of in my town, but it must be a big help.

[meatball77]

My mother taught in a school like that when I was in middle and high school. Best birth control ever for me, I heard when anyone I ever met got pregnant (although one of the teachers kids ended up at the school--one that didn't get her kid birth control).

There were lots of fights, telling someone their baby is ugly is fighting words and girls would sometimes share babydaddies. They had kids that would graduate with multiple kids (although they would try to prevent that) and there were always tragic stories of abuse that caused the pregnancies, stepfathers and mom's boyfriends or 25 year old boyfriends for the middle schoolers.

[WhitneyWhit]

Well, I guess I'm glad that the girls are getting a chance to finish school but I still have no sympathy for them.

I was not impressed by the girl who said she "owns up to my mistakes" because I don't think keeping a kid you can't take care of is owning up to a mistake, it's sort of making it worse. She meets a homeless guy and her dad lets him move in on the promise he won't get her pregnant? Stupidity apparently runs in that family.

[bgcasey06]

Again with the beds without sheets! The girl who was talking about how she took a bunch of pregnancy tests was changing her baby on a bed with NO SHEETS! Wtf people--put some goddamn sheets on the beds. What is it about being a teen mother that makes them not use sheets! It's a question for the ages.

[tvallthetime]

Why do we need another show about teen moms?

[ReaderGirl]

How about an episode where a mom to one of the teen-moms takes the girl to the doctor for birth control? Yeah it's a bit late but still a step in the right direction.

[beeblebrox]

There had to be more to the whole situation of the girl's fiance who spent a night in jail for a traffic violation. I'm guessing that there might have been illegal substances or something else going on that we weren't told. I liked her a lot, but having two kids when you're barely 20 years old is crazy.

I found the girl with the most "referrals" and the baby daddy in jail weirdly fascinating. She clearly didn't like being at school, but was still there causing trouble for teachers mainly. When her mom came into the picture, her story got a bit more interesting. Her mom claims she ran away a lot while the girl portrayed herself as couch surfing because of family problems. I really didn't know who to believe in that scenario.

Edited by beeblebrox, Aug 13, 2012 @ 7:17 AM.

[GucciHoochie]

This show is very sad. I'll never understand teenage pregnancy. Londisha's attitude in school in horrible and her babydaddy relationship is ridiculous. But I guess that is to be expected because she is a child.

I'm still confused how homeless, poor kids can afford braces. Is free orthodontia offered in most states?

[munkin]

"You can find out about the school (and the interesting 100 year history behind it) at its website"

Back in the 40's, my grandmother worked (maybe volunteered?) at a Florence Crittenden home in Ohio. She stayed connected with the organization up until she died back in the early 90's. Girls in such 'situations' back then were virtually shunned from society. It was groundbreaking stuff, those havens, and very rewarding work for my grandmother. She spoke of it often.

[IvySpice]

I liked the show and found it a world away from "Teen Mom." The documentary format is much more informative than the staged-drama reality BS. I'm hooked.

There had to be more to the whole situation of the girl's fiance who spent a night in jail for a traffic violation. I'm guessing that there might have been illegal substances or something else going on that we weren't told.

Yes, or outstanding warrants. A Coloradan can correct me, but in my state you only need to put up 10% of the bail amount to get someone out. Judges don't set bail at $10,000 for a first-offense "traffic violation." Unless he has priors, it would need to be a DUI or hit-and-run type offense.

I liked her a lot, but having two kids when you're barely 20 years old is crazy.

She's gorgeous. She had a better figure at 8 months along than most of us have at 0 months. But the lack of planning is mind-boggling. The minute they said the rent was $1100, I thought, "Why are they paying that much in Denver?" Because it was a nice new-construction 2BR with a beautiful kitchen, that's why. You're broke! What are you thinking?

As for the "not planned, but not prevented" second baby, there isn't much to say. If the little boy keeping you up at night is not a sufficient reminder of how your body works, nothing ever could be. The social workers were dead on when they said she'd probably have to get her GED, because they could never afford day care for two kids. I'm hoping that the former-teen-mom school nurse provides birth control options. Any girl in that school without a medical counterindication needs to have an IUD or Depo-Provera.

I don't think keeping a kid you can't take care of is owning up to a mistake

This, in flaming block letters eight feet tall. It's punishing the child for your mistake.

[Shortcake2001]

I don't think keeping a kid you can't take care of is owning up to a mistake

Aside from giving up their baby for adoption or having an abortion, another way to own up to their mistakes would be to ensure they don't become pregnant again until they are either financially secured and stable as an individual or financially secured and stable with a spouse/partner. I hate that these girls refer to having a baby as a mistake when there is so much information out there on how to avoid becoming pregnant. A mistake is what you do on a test. Having sex with someone knowing the result could end up with a pregnancy or some STD is not a mistake. That's stupidity.

[GucciHoochie]

Finally finished the episode and was in shock when Caterina and John said they paid $1100 in rent. That is beyond ridic for people in their financial situation. Why are they doing this to themselves? This show might be too depressing for me to watch.

[IvySpice]

That is beyond ridic for people in their financial situation.

I know, right? It's not like they're trying to get by in New York or San Francisco. This is Denver. You can pay a lot less than that without getting into rats/roaches territory.

[scarlett45]

I don't know much about housing in Denver, but if their place is safe, near public transit and or/work I could understand making the sacrifices. I live in Chicago so $1100 for a two bedroom sounds like a steal to me (if you want to live anywhere near the city center) so I may be bias. If you are saving money on transportation the more expensive rent might be worth it. But I trust the opinions of those that know more about the area.

[IvySpice]

We saw them driving a pretty nice truck. I don't think they are dependent on public transport.

A dad with (at best) a high school degree supporting a non-working wife and two kids would be nuts to pay that much for a 2BR even in Chicago IMHO. If you are $2000 in arrears on your daycare, you can't live in the convenient neighborhood.

[scarlett45]

You're right IvySpice- I forgot about the truck.

I hope this school offers some type economics/budgeting class for these girls. Assisting them in planning their family budget so that the children have the important things- heat, clothes, food etc and not the newest/best clothes.

[BessieLimpet]

What I don't understand from this and similar shows, is when did wipes become a necessity?
There are so many of these shows that they all run together, but I remember a couple with only 30 dollars, pricing smaller,cheaper bags of diapers because they needed wipes too.

No, you buy as many diapers with that money as you can because the baby needs diapers, the baby doesn't need wipes. I have two grown kids and never bought a wipe in my life. Never had any diaper rash issues either.

The teacher was right, Londisha (?) is a brat. Did I hear right that the father of her baby is in jail? Her son will totally repeat the cycle and be locked up at 15 with a pregnant girlfriend waiting for him on the outside and they will move in with Londisha and her five other kids with five different fathers.

Edited by BessieLimpet, Aug 13, 2012 @ 5:21 PM.

[Shortcake2001]

Living in a 2BR apartment, paying $1200 is the norm around my parts, and it is not a huge city like Chicago or Denver.

having two kids when you're barely 20 years old is crazy.

I agree.

Edited by Shortcake2001, Aug 13, 2012 @ 5:28 PM.

[CPP83]

having two kids when you're barely 20 years old is crazy

Having two children when you aren't in any state to care for them properly is crazy, regardless of age.

I wish that was being driven into these girls heads, beyond them getting reminded they are teen mothers and why that is so bad, etc.

It isn't just your age that makes it a bad idea, it'd be a bad idea for a mother who's thirty to have two children when she is barely able to care for herself. You can't afford food or rent really, but somehow will be able to pay for diapers, daycare, and formula when a newborn arrives? And that's just on the financial end of things, you haven't even touched on the mother's mental or emotional state which can have an even bigger impact on the child than anything else.

The girl, Catrina, her mother was a prime example of all the above, walking out on the family, basically, and leaving her to raise a 1, 3, and 5 year old I believe at the tender age of 13.

Still, not even that traumatic experience kept her from getting pregnant just two, short, years later. To be honest, being immature and unprepared for parenthood seems to run in that family. Age does not breed maturity it appears in their gene pool, they may even regress from the looks of it.

Edited by CPP83, Aug 13, 2012 @ 5:55 PM.

[meatball77]

What I don't understand from this and similar shows, is when did wipes become a necessity?
There are so many of these shows that they all run together, but I remember a couple with only 30 dollars, pricing smaller,cheaper bags of diapers because they needed wipes too.

Are they supposed to use washcloths when they don't have washing machines? Make their own wipes when they can't even figure out how to use a condom?

Her mom claims she ran away a lot while the girl portrayed herself as couch surfing because of family problems. I really didn't know who to believe in that scenario.

It's probably a combination of both. The kid won't follow moms rules so she's not living at home which means she's a runaway.

[BessieLimpet]

Are they supposed to use washcloths when they don't have washing machines? Make their own wipes when they can't even figure out how to use a

If they are buying fewer diapers in order to buy wipes, yes. A wet napkin or paper towel works just as well and isn't too hard to figure out.

[CPP83]

It'd be nice if one of these girls were willing to use cloth diapers to save on money if anything.

[meatball77]

Cloth diapers aren't cheaper or workable at all if you don't have a washing machine.

[CPP83]

Cloth diapers aren't cheaper or workable at all if you don't have a washing machine

For those of us who remember the time before everyone had a washing machine, they actually are. All you need is a bucket, bleach, running water, and a line to dry them on.