VIDEO: Tyler Will Do His Easter Basket, And Catelynn Will Do Hers.

We were relieved to see Catelynn come completely clean to Tyler about her ex-boyfriend on this week's episode of "Teen Mom." While Ty considered making some less-than-mature decisions (like wanting to go through her phone records), he ultimately made a personal breakthrough by deciding to stop allowing his childhood pain affect his current relationship. Hopefully that's what the two need to move forward together.

Check out this bonus scene for the episode, where Tyler seems annoyed at the thought of visiting the adoption agency with Catelynn. Even though he's very excited to see photos of their daughter, Carly, the experience might actually be eclipsed by his anger.

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Interview With A Teen Dad: Tyler Opens Up About Love And Loss

The original focus of "Teen Mom" was to highlight the ups and downs young women face when raising a child born from an unexpected pregnancy, but since the series first aired, we've also gotten a unique opportunity to see the babies' dads struggle to find their own place in this brave, new world. One such dad is Tyler, who together with his girlfriend Catelynn made the heartbreaking decision of planning an open adoption for their daughter Carly.

Since Season 1, we've caught many glimpses of Tyler's sadness and confusion, but it's his supportiveness of Catelynn that's attracted the most attention on "Teen Mom" -- that is, until lately. As Season 2 moves forward, fans of the show are witnessing Ty's delayed acceptance and unresolved resentment as he finally begins to explore his own raw emotions, which is why we thought it was time to sit down with him for a personal interview.

Below, watch two clips from SuChin Pak's one-on-one with the sweet, caring father/fiance we've all grown to love. In the first video, Tyler explains that he's come to terms with his own father's weaknesses and limitations, which has put his mind at peace. In the second, he describes his selfless dream for Carly.

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Teen Mom (Season 2) > Teen Mom (Season 2) | Ep. 6 | Act 1

So disappointed that there was no teen mom last night as I am sure there are others out there who were just as disappointed to the same why could they have not put that movie they aired on a different night or a different time. Here is next weeks sneak peak for the upcoming and new show to air next week August 31st at 10 pm cant wait to blog this one not sure how blogging is gonna really work this week since we had no show I guess I can be grateful they showed old shows but that doesn't help me and you my readers at all huh so if you have any ideas for me to blog about please feel free to tell me i don't want to louse you my readers or my followers either thanks heather.

Teen Mom (Season 2) - MTV Shows

I hope every one is rooting for this couple like me: Catelynn and Tyler

Catelynn and Tyler look like there relationship is seriously on some rocky ground this week. On teen mom and I think Catelynn thought that it was seriously going to end at some point soon. Because of the way that Tyler the one who was so strong for her in the past got really mean towards her. By  first asking her for phone records from three years back.  Since she talked to the ex boy friend in Florida lots of tears were shed this week from Catelynn because of the way Tyler  treated her.

And Catelynn chatted the Tyler about the phone records and she told him that she talked to the ex in Flordia a total of only twice but that she also tried 6 times to talk to he and her got into a heated conversation were it ends in Tyler leaving the room after Catelynn trys bringing in the baby carylee into it thats when Tyler i guess decides he has had enough and walks out .

       Catelynn then talks to the counselor that they have been seeing about what was going on because she was hurting so bad and she couldn't talk to her mom about it cause her mom was in a bad mood. And Catelynn tells the counselor that he has requested her to give him phone records she also told her that  Tyler has been being really mean to her and texting her mean things to her telling her that the sight of her disgusts him and that she tried to sit down and talk to him about everything that was going on. And then  she got some encouraging words from the counselor telling her to hang in there and things will get better and that maybe she needs to back off a little and give him a little space to breath its obvious that he still wants to be with her other wise they wouldn't be seeing her.

       Catelynn and Tyler then get some Easter Baskets to send to there daughter and they get to see new photos of her and Catelynn then tells her mom that she wants to try and talk to him again about the phone records but she says she is not going to push it . Catelynn then gets the phone records from the phone company that Tyler  requested from her and Tyler has a nice conversation with his mom outside in the back yard and though that conversation comes to realize that he really does love Catelynn. And Catelynn worries about giving the records to Tyler considering how mean he has been to her and the fact that he is what she says is so mad at her and he texts to tell her that he is sorry and that he really does love her and he requests to see her And she gives him the phone records which since he has told her sorry they end up kissing and making up and tyler shreds and throws the records  out into the water .
    
            And tells her that he is going to do his best to trust her and have the faith in her that he knew was there for her all along i think tyler may need to go in to some of his own counsling because of the things that seem to bother him about his and his dads realionship does anyone eles feel this way cause when he was talking to his mom he expressed thoughts there with his and his dads reaionship so maybe that is gonna need some work in the near future for Tyler some how i have noticed that every time he talks about him and Catelynn and the things going on with them some how his dad alawys gets brought into that too not really sure what this is all about but just some thoughts from me and wondering what its all about  feel free to tell me what you think would love to hear from you

Teen MomM Amber and Gary "The Easter Bunny "

Amber and Gary made it home from Florida the house they left in total disarray and bath water still in the tub   i know if it would have been me going on vacation i would have cleaned cause there would be nothing better than coming home to a nice clean house its bad enough having to unpack and get all cleaned up that would have not been something i would have wanted to put my self in to on purpose but that's just me.

So Easter finally arives and gary comes in all ready and dresses the part for his daughter Leah with basket in toe and then its off the grandma carol's  for dinner. And once they get to his moms house its off with the bunny suit for Gary but the bunny suit was a big success for everyone . And then  Amber decides to tell them that she and Gary are getting married or that he proposed and that they want to get married in Florida with her family. And that they are gonna like help  find a way to help his parents get there for the wedding since they are gonna do it in Florida then Gary's dad Chris  asks who is gonna help us figure that out and Amber" says me  " and then she tells" so now i am planning the wedding now  and I  want to have it at the beach in Florida." and says " of course you guys will be coming out and we could like help you guys with like coming out " Chris then asks "whos paying for it ?" Gary then says well maybe we can talk to your family meaning amber and see if there is any way they can stay with someone there cause of course if they get help to get there there gonna need a place to stay. Chris says" no, no" then Amber says to Chris "why are you saying it like that" Chris says "no not with that family " and Amber says "my family " she then tells Chris what he said "was rude and it isn't cool " and  Gary's mom says" that he wasn't cool with staying with her parents if that is what she was looking to have them do"  and Amber says to Gary i am gonna say what i want to say and i am not gonna talk about the wedding anymore if family's cant get along by this time Chris has left the table Gary's mom says" lets enjoy are Easter dinner" Gary and Amber doing some bantering back and forth  then she says she wants to leave and she gets up from the table.

Gary soon calls her and tells her she needs to come back to finish there Easter dinner and even gets in the car to go get  her and during there phone call  she and Gary have a big fight over the phone and he comes and packs things for him and leah to stay at his moms house and while they were on the phone she did what she always  does or what she always has done in the past which is to tell him to pack his stuff and move out of her place . So once again she " BREAKS IT OFF"  and tells him to get packing and move out again once again.


Gary ends up spending the night with his mom and baby Leah  and he brings Leah back in the morning.And Gary then says" he is sorry about yesterday." Amber then asks him "why is he sorry??" Gary says " he is sorry that he wasn't there at there house like he should have " but that "the only reason why he left is cause he didn't want things to get worse."  Amber then tells Gary " if were engaged then treat me like your fiancee  Gary you don't understand when you proposed to me and then you say things and you bashed me as a mom yesterday " Gary then said " I didn't bash you as a mom , i wanted to be able to let you sleep " Amber then says " you don't say stuff like that to me after you ask someone to marry you"

Gary then says " well guess what i am here and i am not leaving i am here" and Amber asks " When are you gonna leave next ??" Gary says "never  " Amber says "we are fiancee now if were gonna get married, then things need to change." Gary then says " Ok Amber i am trying so hard , i love you can we get passed this can we all i want to do is get passed this so i can be happy with you, he asks do you want to get married" and Amber says it hurts her" and Gary says " we cant honestly get married like that with you being sad " and Amber says "then fix it " and Gary says "how do we fix it then Amber says "fix it " Gary says " can we stop fighting and give me a kiss "  so it seems there is some serious work here between these two litlle love birds that they need to work out for sure i think if they stop the bickering and bantering back and forth and trying to find a way to argue over everything all the time things for them might be ok in the end but only time will tell and we shall all see. what time will tell for Amber and Gary they have been together for four years but that and baby Leah are no reason for either one of them to stay. feel free to tell me what you think i would love to hear from you as always

Next Sneak Peek of MTV - Teen Mom

Teen Mom (Season 2) - MTV Shows

Maci and Bentley go to Nashville to see Kyle

Maci decides to take her self and Bentley to Nashville to visit her friends in college and to see the new beau Kyle for the weekend since this is kyle and Bentley first meeting kyle tries to warm up to Bentley and to pull him out of the corner he decided to hide in after Kyle gets there to get the ball out and to play toss the ball with Bentley all in all there first meeting went well.

The also while there went and played miniature golf and played at the race track and hit balls at the ball pin Bentley didn't but he did a good job being a cheer leader for momma Maci  and with the race track  you would think with Bentley being so young that he might be really scared and freaked out but no he was a little scared no crying though and he did have a few smiles Kyle even changed a diaper for Maci she told him he was the pro and met her expectations with the diaper changing and she talks to him about being with her and since that is what they are doing that they are the package deal they come hand in hand and they come as a combo
I think there will probably be lots more with this boy Kyle to come since Maci can even see her self some day marrying him one day she said in the after show this week when talking with the host of that that she and  Kyle and she have know each other since they were like 6 or 7 years old and that he has always been there for her. And that he did know about her being with Ryan and he also knew about the fact that she had Bentley with Ryan she said they have always been the best of friends and that there love that they have for each other grew out of the friendship that they have always had which she said she never had with Ryan at all  so i think she has gracefully let Ryan go for good and hopefully Ryan will do the growing up he needs to do the only thing i sorta worry about which i still don't know about is between Ryan and Kyle how they will get along since i think Kyle may be in it with Maci for the long hall since Maci used to be his and no longer is but seeing how Ryan has moved on too i don't really know that will happen since she has met once again the new love in Ryan's life and since Ryan told her that she is good and plays and has fun with him when Bentley is with him that she should not have any worries and she can now focus on her own new love Kyle so happy for the both of them YEAH FOR MACI AND KYLE feel free to tell me what you think i would love to hear from you as always

Teen Mom’ recap: “Secrets and Lies”

Maci thought Ryan’s new girlfriend wasn’t half bad and she didn’t mind her being around Bentley,  Maci probably felt this way since was getting ready to start a relationship of her own, with close friend Kyle. Amber and Gary got engaged again (yawn). Farrah was still pissed at her mom and refused to communicate with her parents (double yawn). However, she did break down a few walls, mainly the one that surrounds her feelings regarding Sophia’s dad. Catelynn and Tyler started going to couples counseling, because Tyler felt that he could forgive Catelynn for her lying, but he couldn’t forget.

While “Forgetting isn’t as easy as forgiving, that’s if you really forgive in the first place” was last week’s lesson courtesy of Tyler and Catelynn, this week’s lesson has to do with knowing when to call it quits. So in other words, Lesson No. 5 of Teen Mom season two is “No matter how hard you push, you can’t move a brick wall with just your bare hands.”

Now, no one here is condoning giving up without trying. But it does get to a point where no matter how hard you ‘try’ you’re not going to change the person, they have to choose to change on their own. And we’re primarily looking at Amber and Gary’s relationship when we say this. Honestly, you’d have to be blind not to see how hard they push one another to change. And if you pulled out a tape measure, you’d find that they both budge, well, pretty much just as much as a brick wall would when you’re pushing it with your bare hands.

It really is awesome that they’re trying to make it work, the best way they know how, but it has to reach a point where they accept that their relationship just might not work. And I can confidently say, from the edited film MTV has been airing, that these two just don’t work well together. I have no idea what they have in common, aside from a fear of being alone and Leah.

The lesson as whole also includes exhausting every option at your disposal and making sure you’re satisfied with what you’ve tried before you walk away. And you’ll also want to make sure not to burn that bridge when you walk away. I think this is a valuable lesson not just for Amber and Gary to grow and mature, but also the emotional development of their daughter Leah, who has to witness her parents fighting day in and day out. Sometimes you got to stop pushing and just walk around the wall. 

Now let’s get up to speed with the girls. 

Amber:

It looked like Amber, Gary and Leah’s Easter was off to a good start. Amber was still happy to be engaged and Gary dressed up in a bunny suit to spread the holiday cheer. And then they went to Gary’s house for Easter dinner, which was where everything took a turn for the worse. Amber mentioned how they were engaged again and as soon as she started discussing the wedding plans Gary’s step dad was not feeling it, because he obviously hates Amber’s dad, no idea why. And Amber of course stormed out of the house, which resulted in yet another fight between her and Gary during which they threatened each other with their engagement status. So Gary headed back to his mom’s house with Leah in an attempt to defuse the situation. And, like clockwork, they’re back together the next day exchanging apologies.

Maci:

Maci decided it was time for Bentley to meet Kyle, so she takes him down to Nashville for a weekend trip. Not normally the shy type, Bentley hid in the corner until he warmed up to Kyle, but he wound up liking the dude, who totally looks like he could be his dad, even though we know he’s not. And Maci wasted no time laying down the rules of the relationship, if her and Kyle are going to be together, putting an emphasis on how she has to consider the impact it could have on her child. She seriously is one of the most mature teen moms, and we’re not just talking about on the show.

Farrah:

Farrah gets scammed, if only she didn’t feel the need to upgrade her car situation all because she wanted a sunroof and power locks. So, here’s what happened, she sold her car and the person lived out of state, so they sent her a check for the price of the car and shipping telling her to deposit the check and wire them the cash so that they could pay the shipping overnight, which she did, without thinking, ‘hey, why don’t they just take the money out of the checking account this check is from instead of having me do it through my account?’ So yeah, she wired the money before the check had a chance to clear and it ultimately bounced leaving her overdrawn by about $3,000. But don’t the moms get paid to be on this show? Like, if The Jersey Shore people get paid, why wouldn’t teen moms, you know, the ones who really need the money? Oh, and Farrah taught us the art of making a homemade diaper!

Catelynn:

The trust level between Tyler and Catelynn plummets to a new low when she let him know that she had been in contact with her ex more than she originally let on. So the word selfish got thrown around, as well as Carley’s name, which, yeah, was kind of messed up, but an understandable defense mechanism on Catelynn’s part. It’s so painful watching them fight, it really is.  And Catelynn’s mom wasn’t of much help since she was in a bad mood. But as soon as Tyler’s mom sat him down for a talk she broke through. She pointed out how his anger with Catelynn really has to do with issues inside himself and it’s easier to blame her. So Tyler, of course, apologized to Catelynn, which was perfect timing since the phone records he requested had just come in. But he didn’t want to see them, because according to him, if he’s going to trust her, he needs to start somewhere and looking at the records would just be moving backwards when he wants to move forward.

Next Week:

Maci is moving to Nashville with Kyle and Bentley may have called him daddy, Gary is bummed that Amber can’t handle the GED test and she is offended as heck, Farrah’s down with the speed dating game and Catelynn’s mom lashes out on her for what seems to regard the adoption.

Catch up with our other Teen Mom recaps.


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Teen Mom Season 2 Continues Tonight; Last Week’s Recap.

I’m not ashamed to say that I’m extremely excited for the new season of MTV’s Teen Mom, or even that I cancelled my plans tonight so I could stay in and watch the new episode since I don’t have DVR….and will continue to do so.

In last week’s episode, Catelynn lies to Tyler (twice), he forgives her, and they remain engaged–solidifying the fact that he’s the best teenage boyfriend ever and she still has some growing up to do.

Gary develops a crush on a girl he met in the baby aisle at Walmart, takes a day to mull over life decisions, and ultimately decides that Amber, and a happy family for the sake of their daughter Leah, are what he wants.

Farrah and Sophia get their own apartment, since the court has ordered that Farrah’s mom cannot be alone with Sophia without another adult present.

Maci is now receiving child support from her ex-fiance Ryan for their son Bentley, but still works part-time (while going to school) so that she can provide the best for him. I hate to state the obvious, but she is awesome, and “Beeeennntleeeeeyyyy” is the cutest child alive.

Season 2, Ep. 3 is tonight, and it’s sure to have you on the edge of your seat! It’s Valentine’s Day, and Maci notices Ryan’s new lady friend in the car when he drops Bentley off. Maci, in the episode preview:

“It’s kinda weird, like, she’s chillin’ with my child….if she’s got the balls to come to my house she can have a little bit of a brain to introduce herself to me.”

I agree, Maci, but that’s Ryan’s responsibility, too. Be a man, dude.

So what does the rest of Season 2 hold? Will Amber and Gary tie the knot to complete the dream? Will Catelynn and Tyler finally come to terms with the adoption of their daughter Carly? Will Farrah grow up and sort things out with her abusive mother? Will Maci continue to be an inspiration to teen moms everywhere? I don’t know about you, but I’m bursting with anticipation. Stay tuned!

Check out the new episode of Teen Mom when it airs tonight at 10/9 Central.

Maci's Baby Daddy Ryan Is Such an Idiot

Catelynn and Tyler -- the pair who gave their kid up for adoption -- are going to couples' counseling. Self-help savvy Tyler's upset that Catelynn's got all these walls up and has been acting up by chatting with her ex, whom Tyler didn't know existed until recently. Eeeps! He wants to trust her, but he's having trouble. Man, these kids are bonded by their kid, but maybe this just isn't meant to be. After all, should 17-year-olds really be doing couples' counseling?

Then there's poor Maci. I get the whole "she's made her bed ..." thing, but man, her baby daddy Ryan is SUCH an idiot. Maci's trying to get little Bentley off of the binky -- apparently 18 months old is too old? -- and he's having a rough time. That's what's so great about this show. It's probably the only one on TV where you see real moms dealing with these everyday parenting issues.


Ryan takes the easy way out when it comes to Bentley and the binky.Anyway, Maci's naturally worried about papa Ryan plugging the pacifier into little Bentley's mouth whenever he acts up in the slightest. He seems like he'd take the easy way out, and let her deal with the consequences. Plus, she has plenty of reason to worry. Ryan still hasn't bothered to introduce her to his new girlfriend, who's been spending time with Bentley. And it's the girlfriend (who actually doesn't seem that bad) who ends up telling Maci that poor Bentley had a big time accident, banging his little noggin on a table, while Ryan was "watching" him. Ryan probably wouldn't have bothered to mention it at all -- and Maci would've watched it on TV with the rest of us. Oof. Anyway, all of this really has Maci thinking hard about whether she should introduce her new beau, Kyle, to Bentley. She says she could see herself marrying Kyle, albeit "in like 20 years," so she knows that Bentley's gotta approve.

And of course, no Teen Mom recap would be complete without the next chapter in the saga between Farrah and her abusive mom. After icing Farrah out during Sophia's birthday party last week, Debra still hopes she'll get to spend some time with her grandbaby. But she's still denying that she's done anything wrong. Still, she plea bargains so that the case can get resolved. That doesn't mean that Farrah's forgiven her though. Debra even brings Farrah's old baby book to their meeting to show how much she loves her. Farrah hangs tough though. Her parents' financial support comes at too great an emotional cost. She seems to be a lot better off without her mom's interference -- even if that means she has a hard time paying all her bills. I'm sure a lot of us can relate to that!


What did you think of this week's episode? What did you think about the binky?

VIDEO ‘Teen Mom’ Season 2, Episode 4 ‘Spring Break’

Is there any doubt in anyone‘s mind who will take home this year’s Emmy Award for worst proposal?
In Episode 4 of the second season of Teen Mom Amber and Gary pack up the minivan and head down to Florida to stay with Amber’s uncle. As you might expect, the trip down is an unpleasant 16-hour scream fest that concluded (appropriately) at a Crabby Joe’s restaurant. Gary, Amber Leah, Amber’s dad, uncle and her uncle’s girlfriend settle in for a meal in which the topic of marriage is once again brought up, to which Amber replies that it’s not up to her.

One thing leads to another and eventually we find Amber and Gary alone on the beach and the world is treated to its most argumentative proposal ever! (I’ll type it up later – it’s really spectacular in its horrible awkwardness.)

Meanwhile, in the rest of Teen Momville, Farrah continues her struggles with her mom as they meet up to talk about their future. Debra plays the “Farrah’s baby book” card but it’s clear Farrah isn’t ready to let bygones be bygones yet. It’s hard to fault her when you consider the emotional and physical abuse she’s been through. Plus, she’s 18 and living on her own so she has the right to make her own decisions. Right?
She later has a night out with a friend and seems to be enjoying herself, but would later break down when talking about her daughter’s deceased father Derek.

(^ In case you missed it, here’s a photo of Farrah Abraham’s plaid party tights!)
Maci meets Ryan’s new girlfriend Kristyn and they seem to get along even though Ryan was his usual moronically stoic self and didn’t introduce them to each other. Maci liked the fact that Kristyn told her Bentley had hit his mouth on the table, but those feeling might change when she watches the episode and sees Ryan’s butterfingers and Bentley’s vicious face plant on the coffee table!

Kyle pays Maci a surprise visit and finally gets to meet Bentley, which is a clear indication that Maci is falling for him big time!

Catelynn and Tyler were my favorite couple from seasons 1 (16 and Pregnant) and 2 (Teen Mom) but their contrived storyline this season is starting to get a little annoying – its as though the MTV producers told them they had to come up with some drama or they’d be off the show. I kinda liked Tyler and Catelynn as the petty dramaless “exception to the rule” – serving as a nice mature contrast to a lot of the other relationships on the show.

Here is a bonus clip of Catelynne and Tyler talking to the counselor individually. (Meh.)

Teen Mom (Season 2) - MTV Shows

By popular demand I’ll close this post out with that hunk o’ hunk o’ burnin’ love Gary – sans his patented skin-tight t-shirt!

Teen Mom Amber Portwood: I Lost 65 Pounds!

Whoa, mama!

Teen Mom star Amber Portwood says in the new Us Weekly (out now) she's "been chunky my whole life." That's a thing of the past: since giving birth to daughter Leah (with boyfriend Gary Shirley, 23) in November 2008, the MTV reality star has lost an impressive 65 pounds!

PHOTOS: Amazing post-baby bodies!

"I was looking in the mirror and I thought, I don't like this. I'm only 20. I need to kick it into gear," the 5-foot-4 Indiana native, now 118 pounds, tells Us Weekly of her post-baby body.
How did she do it? Out with mac and cheese and sweets and in with lean meat, fruit and vegetables -- plus two-hour cardio and weight sessions four times a week. (The Krav Maga disciple is even gearing up for her first martial arts competition.)

PHOTOS: Stars who've slimmed down this summer

"The first time I tried on jeans after I lost weight, there were a size one," Portwood reveals. "I thought, there's no way. This is crazy!"

PHOTOS: Who's expecting next?

"I'm more comfortable in my skin," she adds, noting that her beau Gary "really likes" her new shape. "Who wouldn't?"

Farrah moves out on her own was it what was best for her

I totally believe so i think a lot of people have gotten the wrong idea for what kind of a mom Farrah has been why because her parents especially her mom Debra has always done what ever she could to get and be in the way Farrah is still a teen and yes now she is a mom to Debra does not in my eyes give respect to her daughter.

For  Farrah there have been signs at least in my eyes for not only physical but also emotional abuse from Debra one of the things about the disrespectful at least in my eyes was there was a time when the two of them were living together when Farrah asked Debra to not come in and get baby Sofia in the morning because she wanted her to sleep even if she was awake to leave her alone because Farrah wanted her to go back to sleep and to not disturb her from allowing that to happen by coming in to get her Debra at the time said nothing to Farrah totally ignoring  her. When morning came..... In comes Debra and takes baby Sofia out of the crib while Farrah was sleeping.

I think now that Farrah has moved out on her own i think a lot of people will start to see yes she will make mistakes and yes there have even been a few since she has moved out but  every parent does. No one that i know of in my own personal life who is a parent has ever claimed to be the "perfect parent " i know i am not one of them and i know if others were honest with there self's they would say the same thing too .

Problems continue for teen moms

When MTV's Teen Mom series debuted in late 2009, the show was lauded for its brutally honest depiction of adolescent motherhood. Each of the featured girls showed viewers that parenthood isn't something to idealize, and that having a child so young introduces many obstacles.

In its second season, Teen Mom is continuing its PSA theme; these young women may have had a chance
to adjust, but problems keep coming. Maci must sue her son's father for child support; Amber worries about a second

pregnancy while her boyfriend considers breaking up; Farrah has an assault case against her mother; and Catelynn must move back in with her mother.

MTV walks a fine line between educating and exploiting, but the network does deserve credit for keeping the same cast for Season 2. Some had worried that, as a spinoff of 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom would encourage teen viewers to have a child in the hopes of getting famous.

MTV's 'Teen Mom' Makes For Teaching Moments

Teen Mom- TV Reality Show

From the Kardashians to the Real Housewives of wherever, there's no denying America's fascination with reality television. But much more interesting than what's happening in any of those households is what's happening in the homes of Farrah, Amber, Maci Catelynn, and several other girls who are featured in two MTV series about teen pregnancy.

16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom follow a small group of high school girls and their often feckless boyfriends as they go from being teens to being teen parents.

The point of the shows is to have teens demonstrate to their peers how hard it is to become responsible for a baby before you're really responsible for yourself. Cameras follow the young mothers-to-be as they make tough decisions about their lives, like dropping out of high school, either because it's too exhausting or to escape being gossiped about.

Eventually, the viewer goes right into the delivery room, where laboring mothers sometimes have to mediate between possessive boyfriends and protective mothers. There are no overtly graphic shots, but there are plenty of whimpers, gasps and grunts — enough to give viewers a clear idea that labor is very hard work.

"And you know what's funny?" says Amy Kramer, director of media relations for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, a nonpartisan D.C. nonprofit organization. "Pregnancy is the easy part — it's the parenthood that's really, really difficult."

According to Kramer's organization, teen pregnancy dropped about 40 percent between 1990 and 2004, which is good news. The bad news is that the United States still has the highest number of teen pregnancies in the fully industrialized world.

But if these MTV shows have anything to do with it, those numbers will drop even further.

'It Seems To Be Breaking Through'

MTV started thinking about a show on teen pregnancy in 2008, when Britney Spears' 16-year-old sister, Jamie Lynn, announced she was pregnant. A few months later, 17-year-old Bristol Palin became front-page news when she revealed her pregnancy as her mother was running on the Republican presidential ticket with John McCain.

Liz Gately, vice president of series production at MTV, says that when producer Lauren Dolgen pitched an idea for a reality series based on teen parenthood, she thought it could be the catalyst for an intense national conversation.