Blog

Tag Archives: Teen Mom

 Teen Mom: Back to School?? 

Posted on by

The real world is closing in on some of the the teen mom’s this week.

Last night we found out Catelynn and Tyler won’t be hitting the books this coming fall semester. Uh, what?! After realizing they might be studying for the wrong major, the two decide to put college on pause while they do some research on which major better suits them. However, Tyler’s mom is freaking out and well, so is everyone else. Do you think they’ll go back to school next semester? Let’s hope these two can figure out what they need to do in order to get a degree, especially since they promised their cute little Carly that they will do whatever it takes to finish school.

Did you know? Less than half of teen moms under 18 ever graduate from high school and fewer than 2% earn a college degree by age 30. Let’s cross our fingers & hope Catelynn doesn’t become part of a statistic…

Then there’s Maci dealing with drama from Ryan AND his new girlfriend, Dalis. After Maci tweeting how it would be better if Ryan and her got back together for Bentley’s sake Dalis definitely didn’t like the sound of that, causing Ryan to side with Dalis. It’s obvious that Maci is still trying to figure out balancing the needs of a child and the complications of her relationship with Ryan. One thing is for sure, it doesn’t look like Ryan will be making his way back to Maci anytime soon.

Remember, a baby won’t make him stay- 8 out of 10 teen fathers don’t marry the mother of their child.

Learn how to take control of your sex life and find out What Works and What Doesn’t when it comes to protection.

 Teen Mom: Butch Goes Back to Jail for Domestic Abuse 

Posted on by

In last night’s episode, things got really rough between several of the shows couples.

Amber is back from rehab and working on getting her life back on track, including getting more time to see Leah. Unfortunately, spending time with her daughter isn’t going as smoothly as she wants either. This also means we’re starting to see signs of the old-Amber definitely coming back. Once she realizes Gary is hesitant on having her spend time with Leah, she instantly starts going off on Gary and verbally abusing him. Will this abuse turn into physical abuse as it has before?

Then there’s April–Catelynn’s mom–and Butch have a huge, and rather physical, fight after Butch accused April of talking to another man. Holes were made in the walls, name-calling occurred, and there were definitely some bruises. Now Butch is off to jail (once again) and April is left to deal with the mental and physical pain of the situation.

These situations may seem extreme, but you’d be surprised how many people experience abuse in their relationships either verbal or physical:

**1 in 3 teens in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner.

**Only 33% of teens who were in a violent relationship ever told anyone about the abuse.

**1 in 4 teens who have been in a serious relationship say that a partner has tried to prevent them from spending time with friends or family.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic violence or abuse of any kind, help is available. Call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit TheHotline.org. Talk to an adult you trust. You are not alone.

 Teen Mom, Episode 7: New Beginnings 

Posted on by

New boys, homecomings, college, and custody issues?! Last night was an interesting one to say the least!

Let’s see what the girls are up to:

Catelynn doesn’t seem to be in a rush to enroll herself in college and Tyler  is afraid she won’t take care of her to-do list before school starts in less than a month. Will she decide to not go to college this year? We know a lot of fans out there want Catelynn to pursue her education dreams, which so many teen moms have to give up. Fewer than 2% of teen moms earn a college degree by the time they are 30.

Amber is finally out of rehab and let’s hope it’s for good. But for now, she definitely has her own to-do list to take care of the second she gets back, and that includes moving in with Gary. Does that seem like a good choice given all the drama that’s gone down between them?

Maci is getting used to sending Bentley off to preschool, but now she has to deal with Ryan getting used to the idea too. Ryan and Maci always seem to have a tough time agreeing on what’s best for Bentley. They are trying to make it work but co-parenting looks super challenging.

And of course, Farrah met Daniel and after some ice cream and horseback riding, it looks like there’s hope in her dating future. Let’s also hope they know the meaning of a healthy relationship and that they are talking about protecting themselves from pregnancy and STDs should they take it to the next level. Now that Farrah told Daniel about Sophia, will he be able to be a part of both their lives?

The girls are all moving on with their lives and trying to make things work with their families, but it’s definitely not easy. Having a baby only complicates existing drama, between family members and couples. If you’re having sex, make a plan with your bf/gf/hook up to protect yourself from pregnancy and STDS. Learn what works and what doesn’t and  get tips on how to take control of your sex life at itsyoursexlife.org.

 Teen Mom: Family Tree Drama 

Posted on by


Whether it’s family drama, preschool, or even rehab, these girls are always dealing with something new and challenging in their lives.

In last night’s episode, Farah’s sister, Ashley, comes to visit her new place in Florida, but Ashley isn’t the only guest; Farah’s mom also decides to pay Florida a visit but the reunion turns ugly (and loud) quickly after Farah and Ashley start blaming their mom for their “lives being ruined.”

There was also Catelyn and Tyler dealing with Butch and his unstable living situation while on parole. With Tyler never knowing about his dad’s whereabouts, looks like he’s playing the Dad role after all, except not to Carly.

With Bentley turning three years old, the sound of school bells will be starting to ring, but is Maci not ready for Bentley to go off to preschool? We know Tyler isn’t up for the idea at all; he’s not pumped to watch Bentley go off to learn his shapes and colors, but for now at least he’s a little distracted with his new girlfriend.

As for Amber, her time in rehab is almost over, but will she be strong enough to make it to the finish line? After her many therapy sessions, it seems like Amber is slowly going back to her old ways.  Will she be able to leave on a clean slate or will Leah have to spend even more time away from her mom?

With all the new relationships and past drama, we’ll definitely be watching next week to see what’s coming next. If you or your friends are going through family issues and/or problems with relationships, it’s important to learn how to trust, respect, and most importantly, communicate. To learn how, visit itsyoursexlife.org to get the real deal on relationships. You can also simplify your own life and future by finding out how to protect yourself from unplanned pregnancy by reading up on what  works and what doesn’t.  You control your future and only you should get to make decisions about your sex life!

 16 & Pregnant Season 3: Where are they now? 

Posted on by

The girls from 16 & Pregnant Season 3 have experienced a lot of ups and downs since the cameras stopped rolling last year. On last night’s “Where are they now?” special we got to catch up their lives and saw just how challenging raising a baby at a young age can be.

Three of the teen moms’ stories stood out in particular:

-Kianna is now raising her son alone because her boyfriend Zak was sentenced to 15 years in jail for burglary. She is determined to wait for him to be released so they can be a family, but recognizes that her son will basically have to grow up without a father figure.

Kianna is attending community college and thinking about being a counselor, but she is sad she had to give up her big dreams and her plans to go to a four year university to raise her baby. Money is also a huge struggle: she tells Zak’s mom they are always running out of basics they need, like diapers.

- Jordan, who has a twin sister, has made a lot of life changes. She married her son’s father, and moved to California with him when he joined the military. But she got pregnant a second time because she wasn’t using protection or birth control and now has two babies she has to care for. It’s clear the stress of handling the kids, alone, while her husband is at training, is taking its toll on her. When she Skype’s with her sister we hear that Jordan hopes someday to go back to school, but can’t make any plans for that now.

-Izabella is still in high school and dreaming of going to college and becoming a doctor. She and Jairo are still working out the balance of their relationship, but he does seem committed to trying to help her reach her goals.

All the 16 & Pregnant girls expressed a strong need for time on their own, time to feel like teens and said they think that opportunity is gone for them now. But you still have that chance, and you CAN take control of your own health and future. Did you know that 3 in 10 teen girls in the US will get pregnant at least once before age 20? Get in the know and learn what works and what doesn’t when it comes to preventing pregnancy.

If you are having sex, make a plan for protecting yourself against unintended pregnancy and STDs. Remember that condoms protect you against both pregnancy AND STDs. They are the only method that does both.

 Teen Mom 2 Finale: Too Little, Too Late 

Posted on by

Teen Mom- Corey and LeahTeen Mom 2’s Finale Special was loaded with tears and regrets last night, as Dr. Drew walked Corey and Leah through their painful divorce.

“Having a sick child, few marriages successfully navigate that. Twins, few marriages successfully navigate that. Teen parenting– twice as likely to end in divorce. But it doesn’t mean you have to be a statistic,” Dr. Drew told the couple.

Leah admitted she still loves Corey and would do anything to get him back. But Corey seemed fed up and too frustrated to deal with the situation. He confessed he’s also been suffering from depression at watching their marriage fall apart. We really hope this family can find a way to come together for their girls, especially with the medical challenges ahead.

Dr. Drew is right, most teen parents don’t stay together and it can cause a lot of stresses in other parts of life.  Take control and choose not to be one of the 3 in 10 teen girls in the US who get pregnant at least once before age 20. Learn what works and what doesn’t when it comes to preventing pregnancy.

All of the Teen Mom 2 girls said they hope their stories help encourage other girls to protect themselves and use birth control. Kailyn shared that girls come up to her all the time and tell her she made them want to wait to have babies and go to school instead.

Leah said it’s become part of her purpose in life: “If I could prevent just one person from having to go through it—I was going to be a pediatrician, I want other teenagers to be able to set those goals and go for it.”

 Teen Mom 2, Espisode 9: The Beginning of the End 

Posted on by

There was so much drama on last night’s episode of Teen Mom 2, you might need some recovery time to process it all. Janelle’s fight with Keifer and her roommate was completely out of control, but it’s Kailyn’s legal fight with Jo over child support that probably hits home the most with other teen moms out there.

Jo appealed to the court to lower his child support payment to Kailyn. But she’s paying her rent and tuition, going to school and holding down a job, and it’s all become too much to handle. Watching Kailyn talk to a lawyer about all the details of child support showed just how complicated it can be to balance all the financial responsibilities of raising a child.

The issue got a attention on the Teen Mom Facebook page. A lot of you thought Kailyn was being unfair and trying to get more money from Jo than she deserves. But a lot of fans said it’s her right as a mother and Jo should pay his share:

“Kailyn should have filed for child support because she didn’t make that baby by herself.”

“She has nowhere to go and has custody of the baby…. I guess people forget you have to have heat to keep a child warm, electricity to cook for the baby, water to bath the baby…”

On MTV’s aftershow Kailyn admitted she often feels friends don’t understand all the complications of being a young mom, like her child support battle.

“Not one of my friends has a child,” Kailyn said. “They don’t really understand where I’m coming from.”

This dispute isn’t over, so there will be plenty more to debate. In the meantime, take a look at our preventing pregnancy FAQ’s…staying informed when it comes to how to prevent unintended pregnancy and what protection method is right for you could mean the difference between fighting your own court battles someday or getting to follow your own path!

 Teen Mom Soundtrack Now on iTunes Benefitting Teen Pregnancy Prevention 

Posted on by

We know you love the music featured on Teen Mom—admit it, you’ve even Googled a few lyrics trying to track down songs after the show. Now you can get your new music fix with the Teen Mom 2 soundtrack and help prevent teen pregnancy at the same time!

Starting Tuesday, 12 tracks from Teen Mom are available for download from iTunes, with all proceeds going to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Click here to purchase your copy now from iTunes.

Even though teen pregnancy rates are going down in the United States, three in every ten girls get pregnant before they turn 20. That’s a pretty staggering number. More than 700,000 teenage girls in the U.S. become pregnant each year and one out of every ten children in the U.S. is born to a teenage mother.  

We’ve seen MTV’s teen moms (and dads) struggle on the show with everything from paying rent to giving up dreams of going to college. Contributing to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy will help raise awareness among teens about taking responsibility for their future and  using protection  (check out more on what works and what doesn’t when it comes to using protection here).

Listen to some of our favorite tracks from the album below, like There’s a Light by Jay Malinowski:

This is Me Being Honest by E for Explosion:

Hard to Believe by Andy Davis:

 Teen Mom 2: Episode 6 

Posted on by

Whoa…in this episode of Teen Mom 2, Chelsea’s friend Megan tells her that she’s pregnant.   Chelsea immediately asks her if she was on birth control, and Megan admits that she hasn’t been using birth control for the past six months.   Did you know that a sexually active teen who does not use a contraceptive has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant within a year?!? 90% chance of becoming pregnant.   Within a year.   When a teen is having sex and NOT using contraception.   Sounds like the odds are clearly not in your favor if you’re not using protection.   Even though Megan was right by Chelsea’s side while she was pregnant, Chelsea wonders if Megan’s really thought about the big consequences that come along with being a teen mom.   Chelsea admits that she’s sad and scared for her friend because she had to give up everything to be a mom and knows firsthand how hard it is to balance having a baby with the other challenges of parents, relationships, friends, work, school and more.    If you have questions about pregnancy prevention, get the answers you need here.

 

 Teen Mom 2: Episode 4 

Posted on by

This week’s episode featured Kailyn’s decision to use a different method of protection.   First off, major props to Kailyn for talking with her health care provider about the best method of protection for her.  It’s important to know that while birth control methods protect against unintended pregnancy (like the IUD that Kailyn chooses), the only method that protects against unintended pregnancy AND STDs is using condoms correctly, each and every time you have sex.   For more information about What Works and What Doesn’t to prevent unintended pregnancy, click here.

And besides taking control and bringing up using protection with her doctor, Kailyn also brought up the conversation of safe sex and preventing unintended pregnancy with Jordan too.   This Teen Mom knows how to speak up for herself- she’s firm about her decision to use protection, she wants to be responsible after already having one child, and she knows it’s important to be open and honest with Jordan.   Even though Jordan has a hard time talking about it, he eventually comes around and tells Kailyn how much he respects her for taking the lead and that he appreciates her looking out for the oth of them.   So when you think that you or your partner might not be able to handle the awkwardness of a conversation, just remember: there is nothing more awkward than silence.   For tips on how to talk to your partner about using protection, click here.

 

 Teen Mom 2: Episode 3 

Posted on by

One of the highlights of the third episode of Teen Mom 2 was Leah’s conversation with her friend about how she wishes she had waited.   Although she loves her twin girls, Leah knows her relationship with Corey moved way more quickly than she would have wanted because they became parents.   And she playfully admits that in many ways, she’s still a kid herself.   When you’re living young and wild and free (in the wise words of Snoop Dog and Wiz Khalifa), it’s hard to imagine having to take on adult responsibilities, but think about how an unintended pregnancy would affect your life—your relationships, your career dreams, your academic goals, and more.   How would you have to “grow up”?   But more than dwelling on how her life has changed even though she wasn’t necessarily ready for it, Leah’s reflects on the topic of WAITING.   Whether you think you’re ready or whether you think you want to wait, either way it’s YOUR decision.   So be sure that you’re comfortable with your decision and know that you have plenty of time to make that decision.   For tips on talking to your partner about waiting, click here.

 

 Teen Mom 2: Episode 2 

Posted on by

Last night’s episode of Teen Mom 2 included some of the usual themes: dealing with providing for a child under tight resources, having communication in different relationship with boyfriends, parents and friends, and the pressure of trying to figure out and do what’s best for a child.  But this episode also brought to light another important issue: intimate partner violence.  Janelle and her boyfriend Kieffer have been living in her car after Janelle is kicked out of her mom’s house.   Their relationship has been tense for a while, but their situation really escalates when they get into a fight and shouting turns into physical pushing and shoving.   Even when under stress of financial troubles and relationship woes, or whatever other circumstances, it is never okay to resort to violence.   Everyone deserves to be in a safe relationship.   But unfortunately, dating abuse is on the rise, and this is an issue that’s really affecting young people.   In fact, 1 in 5 women and nearly 1 in 7 men who ever experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner, first experienced some form of intimate partner violence between 11 and 17 years of age.   For more of the latest facts on dating abuse, check out the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention here.   And to learn more about how to prevent, recognize and escape unhealthy relationships, online and off, or if you or someone you know might be experiencing sating abuse, visit LOVEISRESPECT.org.