Guest Author - Previous BellaOnline Editor

Upfront, let me tell you that I don’t like reality TV. At all. The ongoing writer’s strike has only created more of it, much to my dismay.

(Thankfully my Sirius radio is on more than my TV, or my brain matter would definitely be half its size by now)

BUT, one show that I think I could watch is The Baby Borrowers, coming to NBC. Who wouldn't love a show with a slogan like, "It's not TV. It's birth control"???

Apparently they let teenage couples who “don’t think it will be that hard,” borrow babies to see what it’s like to take care of one. Then they move to toddlers, to teens, and eventually the elderly.

What I like about this program is that it shows the real deal of parenthood. No Kodak moments here. The previews show puking babies, toddler tantrums, and teens sneaking out. It doesn’t appear to glorify motherhood like so many other shows do.

The young couples seem to believe – like so many people do – that having a baby is fun, or easy, or just something that you do when you grow up.

And of course, they have no idea what they’re in for.

It would be interesting to do a follow-up to find out how effective their “parenthood” actually is. Will these kids take the lessons they’ve learned to heart? Will they decide not to have kids? Will they at least wait to have kids until they have started their adult lives?

I have long been a proponent of “borrowing” a kid to see if it’s for you (see the link to my other article “Are Kids For You? Borrow One and Find Out!”). I don’t think you can make a decision so important in a vacuum.

You should really take a kid for a test drive before you start planning a family. You wouldn’t buy a car without driving it, would you? Or buy a wedding dress without trying it on first?

Parenthood is a serious commitment. You have to be absolutely sure that it’s what you want. Because there’s no taking it back. Not when they are crying non-stop, making unspeakable messes in their diapers, or not sleeping more than an hour at a time.

I hope this show opens some people’s eyes about the reality of parenthood. And that it makes the idea of being child free more attractive to the fence-sitters out there! People who don’t can’t decide should ALWAYS wait.