Never to be let down, I have found another reality show that I just can’t get enough of. This show – 16 and Pregnant – is hosted by Dr. Drew and is on MTV.

Somehow Don and I have ended up catching every episode although I have no idea what time it airs in it’s real time slot. We are glued the entire 30 minutes. It’s one of those shows that during every commerical break we completely try to imagine if we were in the same situation.

My heart goes out to every family represented on this show. These girls (and their boyfriends) truly have the weight of the world on their shoulders. I can not imagine the fear and the emotional burden that is on each of these couples.

Every episode I find myself just wanting to move these girls into our house. They all seem to be looking for love and just completely lost. I just want to hug them and encourage them.

It’s been so interesting to see which girls have kept their children and which girls have given their babies up for adoption.

An episode that comes to my mind is the one that followed Catelynn and Tyler, who gave their baby up for adoption. Catelynn’s parents were so horrible to her. The name-calling that her mother exuded toward this poor girl was shocking to me. As if what she’s going through isn’t hard enough. And, I too, realize that this mother was also under an enormous amount of stress. But it was sad to see the teenager handling herself better than her adult mother.

There is no way that, as a parent, you can watch this show and not think “what if this was my child”. There’s just no way.

It’s been so heart-wrenching to watch the teens in “Life After Labor” which revisits the parents after the baby is born. These kids grow up quickly! The looks on the mothers faces after they’ve faced the reality of childbirth, coupled with bringing a baby home and the care they require, is just remarkable. I had my first child at the age of 29, felt totally prepared for the baby, had a ton of support, and STILL was overwhelmed. I can’t even imagine what these poor girls have faced.

I can’t end this post without saying that each of the parents interviewed in the “after” segment seemed to really have the best interest of their children at heart. I was so glad to see that. These girls had matured 10-fold since their episodes began several months ago.

Food for Thought: Who can you support through a situation like this? Are you talking to your kids about sex? What organizations in your community support teens who are pregnant? How can you get involved?