Category — Weird Baby Stuff

I have to admit I am little shocked to see all the news about The Baby Borrowers. Opinions of the show vary wildly, but there is no doubt it is getting a lot of attention. Here’s a rundown of the sometimes pun-infused headlines:

• guardian.co.uk: Baby Borrowers: US version a hit
• The New York Times: Baby on Board for NBC
• Variety: Solid bow for ‘Baby Borrowers’
• Boston Herald.com: Teens say ‘Baby’ barely delivers
• Washington Post: A Case of Stolen Formula: ‘Baby Borrowers’ Follows The Reality Show Playbook
• Media Life: NBC’s ‘Baby Borrowers’ debut delivers
• The Boston Globe: There’s much to cry about in NBC’s ‘Baby Borrowers’

It’s definitely controversial. But if this show saves a few people from having to buy a Pack ‘n Play as a high school graduation gift, it can’t be all bad.

I caught the premier of The Baby Borrowers last night and I really enjoyed it. It put my mind at ease to see how on top of things the baby’s parents are, and to see them step in and talk to the teenage Baby Borrowers, because frankly, some of those teenagers are really immature for their age. I was actually surprised by the way some of them carried on, like the attitude Alicea took when baby Carson’s mom came in to give some much-needed instruction. News flash, Alicea - it’s not your baby, you aren’t entitled to that attitude. I LOVE that she decides she needs to be the one to get a job because she can’t handle Carson’s mom’s “attitude.” Good lord that girl is in for the shock of her life. Because now she will still have to deal with Carson, and the next kid, and the kid after that, in addition to now being the primary breadwinner - with a minimum wage job. Have fun with that, Alicea.

Kelly is another story altogether. It’s like putting on the pregnant belly suit that she has to wear for all of one day somehow infuses her with a mega-dose of pregnancy hormones that turn her into a blubbering mess. Either that or she is cripplingly insecure. Jezebel has a great clip of the meltdown; perhaps someone else can make more sense of it than I can. Her poor boyfriend certainly can’t.

Some concerns have been raised over whether or not The Baby Borrowers will really reach the audience it can most benefit, namely teenagers and young adults, but I don’t know if I necessarily agree. True, the televised version is not as “slick” as many teens are used to, but I think the clips making it online will get decent viewing from that demographic.

There are also some bitterly negative assessments of The Baby Borrowers, but I think they are a bit overblown, as I have said before. I started babysitting officially at age 13, sometimes for 12 hour clips, and was doing shorter stints from age 12. The girls in The Baby Sitter’s Club books are 11-12 years old. This is not unheard of in the world, because maturity is not dependent on age. It’s based on experience and an evolving sense of personal responsibility. What I think The Baby Borrowers really reveals is that some members of the MySpace/YouTube generation have never been put into roles of increasing responsibility in their lives, and that is what they are so mis-informed when it comes to understanding the responsibilities of parenthood and adult life. The girls on The Baby Borrowers break down under the slightest stress of things like having to wear a pregnancy suit because they have never learned that responsibility means sometimes having to suck it up and do something you’d rather not do because it needs to be done. But hopefully that is one lesson they will learn by the end of this season.

Here’s a reality show I can actually get behind:NBC’s The Baby Borrowers takes real couples, aged 18-20, and basically gives them a 3 week boot camp in the responsibilities of parenthood. The couple is set up in a house in Boise, ID, one partner needs to get a job, and they are “loaned” a 6-11 month old baby for three eye-opening and often emotionally exhausting days. Then the baby is taken away, and they are left with a toddler for 3 days. The cycle continues, getting more difficult every three days as the children get older (as old as teenagers) and pets and old people are added to the fray. After all the news about Jamie Lynn Spears and the high school pregnancy pact in Massachusetts, I think it’s great for teen couples to get a chance to see what parenthood is really, really like before the jump into it with both feet.

Some people have a lot of problems with the concept for The Baby Borrowers, and I can understand that on some level. I don’t think I would want random teenagers that I know nothing about man-handling my offspring, either, and I certainly wouldn’t allow it to be televised. I would think, though, that there is some sort of vetting process that goes on prior to casting to ensure that the children will be safe with these teens. Some of the concerns are really far-fetched as well. For example, a ten year old in the British version of the show apparently said he didn’t eat all day because the teenagers in charge of him “forgot” to feed him. Ummmmm….yeah. Unless that kid has some developmental problems, he’s just lazy. I know plenty of 10 year olds that would at least take that opportunity to binge on chips and cookies and snack food, if not make themselves a sandwich. Or would have been whiny brats until someone actually fed them. Or would have taken money out of one of the teenagers’ wallets and ridden their bike to McDonald’s and bought themselves a Happy Meal. But they would get fed. And frankly, I think the concerns about the kids in the show developing “issues” from this experience are way overblown. Kids get left with babysitters and other caregivers all the time, sometimes for 3 days in a row, and usually it’s a bigger deal for the mom than it is the kids. If the parents are always leaving the kids with random people, I could see the kid having some problems. But if it is for 3 days, and the parents have video baby monitors set up right next door and can step in at any time, I think they’ll be fine.

At any rate, The Baby Borrowers starts Wednesday, June 25th at 9PM on NBC, if you want to check it out.

I guess it’s true that you can’t take your eyes off a toddler for even a second. A 3-year-old in the UK recently got stuck inside a Skill Crane while his mom had her back turned to get more change. At least he got to keep one of prizes for his trouble. Apparently a similar incident happened in Austin, TX, a few years ago as well, also involving a 3-year-old boy. I am starting to see a pattern here with boys of a certain age, and it is once again making me revisit the toddler safety harness idea for little ones in my life.

I am totally cracking up over the ManBabies website. Whoever came up with this is genius. It’s so bizarre but SO funny.

I love the “Version 2.0″ idea for kids clothes, especially if the kid is a Jr. But I think you could only get away with it a few times when the kid is really young and doesn’t read. Otherwise, he might start developing issues and get all rebellious that his parents don’t respect him as an individual, etc. Or at least that is what After School Specials in the 1970s and 80s have lead me to believe.

Underage Drinking! Apparently ManBabies like Bud Light.

I want this kid on my soccer team!

Check out ManBabies for more hilarity.

Jessica Alba is the latest in a VERY LONG list of new celebrity moms. She and her husband welcomed baby girl Honor Marie this past Saturday, according to Yahoo!. Congrats to the happy new family!

This post about Ten Weird Baby Outfits on Divine Caroline is totally cracking me up. I know Halloween is months away, but I have a total soft spot for babies in ridiculous baby clothes. Part of me feels a little bad, knowing these kids will grow up and have to deal with friends and loved ones teasing them about these outfits.

But all that said, seriously, what is cuter than a kid in a ridiculous costume?

Muscle Beach Baby

Nice Elephant “trunk”….maybe they should just cut that off and call it a mouse costume?

Baby Oompa Loompa - what’s not to love?

Every time I think I am ready to take the plunge into parenthood, I read an article about some older child doing something horrendously embarrassing, dangerous, or expensive, and it sends a cold shiver down my spine. Maybe I am not as ready as I think and I can be okay with aunt-hood for a while longer. Today, it’s an story about a 13 year old in Texas who stole his father’s credit card and charged up $30k. As much as I’d want to kill him if I were his father, I have to give the kid some credit, he was creative and obviously pretty convincing to get away with as much as he did. But getting back to the wanting to kill him if her were mine….I am being metaphoric, of course, but in all seriousness, how do you punish a kid for something like this? It’s like the kid who accidentally set off the massive wildfire that burned 38,000 acres. I am sure the kid is remorseful, but I don’t think that’s adequate punishment.

One thing is for sure, if I ever do have kids, I anticipate lots of nanny cams and baby monitors and quite possibly a baby harness. I don’t want to be totally Orwellian, but I don’t think anyone wants their kids getting into trouble like that 13 year old.

A 3 year old won Minnesota Mullet Contest this year!

Congrats!…..I think!

All mullet joking aside, I really dig his hockey jersey.

 
I can totally see myself as a monkey parent. All of the fun of real kids, without having to worry about paying for college!  But I am not really down with the whole concept of diapering animals.  Obviously, I’d prefer a diaper to having monkey poop flung about, but I’d hope that monkeys are  at least somewhat easier to potty train than kids!