about ... - Pregnant Pause: Getting Bloggy about Teen and Unplanned

It was an emotional season finale to end this season of Teen Mom. Certainly big changes are in store for all the girls. Looking back, I'd say this season was all about the moms struggling to discover themselves as adults. They fought to find an identity outside of being a "teen mom." Ultimately, young motherhood is a role that cannot be escaped. Unplanned pregnancy changes self-identity to the core. Being a mother is a life-long role.

In this heart-wrenching finale, we saw how being a parent is one of the most difficult and demanding jobs in the world. The fear of disappointing your child or being a bad influence is constant. Deciding what is best for you, your baby, and your future is a never-ending balancing act. A teen mother often doesn't have the fundamental foundation of an education, career, partner, or even home to start with.

Maci, Amber, Catelynn, and Farrah all struggle with being the best parents they can be. Farrah worries that bringing Sophia to Florida will bring more stress than relief. If Sophia stays with Debra and Michael, she will be well-cared for by family in a home she is comfortable and stable in. In Florida, she would always be in daycare and shuffled around while Farrah completes school. Florida is the best place for Farrah to secure a future for her small family, but it means sacrificing motherhood for a few years.

Amber hopes that Leah doesn't pick up on behavior that has defined all the women in her family. She wants to teach Leah that anger and violence aren't the best ways to communicate. Amber tries to instill these values while still struggling with them herself. She's not prepared to try to be a family with Gary until she can be sure it won't mean fighting tears them apart again.

Maci breaks down and confesses all her fears to Kyle. Being a mother is the hardest thing she's ever had to do, and she's so scared that she can't provide everything that her little boy deserves. She wants to marry Kyle because she wants to be able to give Bentley a real family.

With Tyler and Catelynn, we see their own sacrifice, and the effect a disappointing parent can have on a child. They decide not to invite Carly to their graduation because they fear their immediate families would make things too difficult, even though they've been talking about wanting her there for months. Then at the end of the episode April reveals that Butch has been sent back to prison. Tyler breaks down, largely out of disappointment. He had faith that his dad would keep his word and become clean for the first time in his life. The sadness in Tyler's eyes is proof of the unconditional love and belief children have in their parents.

Concern for your child is a life-long worry. From the second that baby is born, their well-being is always first in a mother's mind. Teens, who are children themselves, are not ready to shoulder that kind of responsibility. Even with a strong support system, they are not adults who have figured out their lives. Like we see in Maci and Tyler's eyes, disappointing your child is heart-wrenching. Protecting teens from unplanned pregnancy is a vital key to their future.

*****

Kate Meroski is an intern for The National Campaign's Entertainment Media and Audience Strategy department. Kate is a senior at George Washington University, studying journalism and sociology. She loves theater and cooking, and she eats mashed potatoes every single day.

Source: http://blog.thenationalcampaign.org/pregnant_pause/2011/09/teen-mom-big-changes.php

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