Baby Love

Some 100 teen mothers candidly speak about the discrepancies between their ages and their levels of responsibilities; their feelings about sex, pregnancy, and childbirth; and other issues surrounding their life-changing circumstances. Intermingled with the conversation are scenes of them interacting with their children, all of whom are clean, adorable, and well-fed. And therein lies the problem with tapes of this ilk. I know the producers want to present a balanced picture of the topic at hand, but there are so few upsides to teen pregnancy, I just get nervous when I hear a teen mother rave on about "unconditional love," or explain that "she's my world--the answer to all my problems; that really keeps me going." These teens are walking ironies: the very thing that presents the biggest stumbling block to their future has become the one thing that gives them focus and maturity, and I'm afraid that all the warnings they DO give about their plights (no money, no social life, no decent jobs) will be lost among their children's lace petticoats, Gap beanie-hats, and, oh yes, that unconditional love. Nonetheless, this video is well-done, and could find a place in schools whose students could separate the cute clothes and playtime from the constant demands and stresses of teen motherhood. Aud: J, H, P. (K. Glaser)