reality candy

reality candy: baby borrowers

“it’s not tv, it’s birth control” is how nbc promotes the show.

the show is a social experiment that asks five teenage couples to fast-track to adulthood by setting up a home, getting a job and becoming caring parents…but of other folks’ children. i’m just wondering who in the world would give up their infants and toddlers for a show like this? i sure wouldn’t. how could you let some kids just “borrow” your baby?

the babies and toddlers participating in the series are being separated from their parents and caregivers for three days. THREE WHOLE DAYS! do you know what could happen in three days? the kind of stress that those children are probably going through? geez louise! it’s nuts.

zero to three, a national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers is questioning the potentially harmful effects that this show could have on the babies and toddlers involved. we all know that very young children experience separation anxiety and become distressed. they cry and become upset, but hey, maybe nbc thought it would be good for the teenage couples to have that experience. makes for good television if the child is crying constantly and the teens can’t soothe them, right?

as a “safeguard,” nbc has hired a nanny to be nearby in case there are concerns. but the nanny doesn’t know the baby any better than the two kids taking care of the child for three days. it just blows my mind what some people in our society do just to make an easy buck. they go on tv and tell all of their deep, dark secrets on “moment of truth” which seems to be doing harm to a lot of the contestants’ relationships. (that is, if they’re not all acting.) and now you have people handing over their infants to a couple of teens they don’t know for three whole days.

nbc must have doled out some pretty nice, phat checks.

 

© 2008 mama’s got moxie.