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Download Discussion Guide Episode 101 Here.

SUMMARY

The five teen couples arrived at a Boise, Idaho cul-de-sac to participate in an experiment asking them to live "life in fast forward," to see what kind of parents they would make, if they could handle adult responsibilities, and test their relationships. After moving in, the couples were given a very brief "honeymoon" phase before receiving pregnancy bellies. The "mothers" were required to wear these at all times, including while they attended a class where they practiced parenting with plastic baby dolls. Early the next morning, the couples were thrown into an adult world of responsibility and parenthood with the arrival of the real babies. After their first day as parents, the couples realized that parenting was not going to be as easy as it looks.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR TEENS

• Most of the teens on NBC's The Baby Borrowers thought they were ready to be parents. Kelsey signed up for this experiment to show her boyfriend Sean that they could handle it. Sasha and Jordan took part in order to prove their responsibility to their parents. Do you think the teens who say they're ready for parenthood are right? Why or why not? What do you want to have in place in your life before you become a parent?
• Almost half of all teens have never considered how a pregnancy would affect their lives. Yet one in three girls gets pregnant at least once by age 20. Most teens who get pregnant-or get someone pregnant-say they never thought it would happen to them. Why do you think that is? What is the most important thing teens need to understand BEFORE they get pregnant?
• Why do you think Kelly got so emotional and refused to wear the pregnancy belly? What did you think of her behavior? Did it surprise you? How do you think she would have reacted to the changes in her body if she were really pregnant? How did her reaction affect things with Austin?
• When Alicea was home alone with Karson and he refused to eat, she got very frustrated and gave up. If you were in Alicea's place, what would you have done? Why? Are there other situations that you might have handled differently? Which ones? Why?
• How did the couples' relationships change when the babies arrived? Were they expecting those changes? Whose relationship changed the most from the beginning of the episode to the end? How do you think your relationship might change if you or your partner got pregnant? How do you think pregnancy and parenthood affects a couple's relationship?

• How do you think your son or daughter would have acted as a participant in The Baby Borrowers experiment? Which scene do you think would make your teen stop and think and react the most? Why?
• Did you know that teens say the #1 influence on their decisions about sex is their parents? Have you talked with your teen about sex and consequences? What are some good ways to get them to think about the consequences of sex? About the realities of pregnancy and parenthood?
• Is teen pregnancy a problem where you live? What is the impact of teen pregnancy on a family? Community?
• If you could walk into any of the teens' houses on the show and give them one piece of advice about parenthood or preventing pregnancy in the first place, what would it be? Have you shared that advice with your teen?

TRUE OR FALSE?

Test your knowledge by answering the questions below. Answers can be found on the next page.

1. You can't get pregnant the first time you have sex.
2. Most teens say they would rather learn about sex online than from their parents.
3. The only foolproof way to prevent pregnancy is to not have sex.
4. Most teens are having sex.
5. Teen mothers and fathers usually end up getting married.
6. You won't get pregnant if you use condoms most of the time.
7. A big age difference doesn't matter in relationships among teens.
8. Most teens aren't embarrassed to admit they haven't had sex.

1. Talk Back to Stay Teen

There are a lot of great things about being a teenager-and some things that might not be so great. A pregnancy will change all of them. Now that you've seen how the teen couples in The Baby Borrowers handle parenthood, it's your turn to shine the spotlight on yourself and your friends. Ask at least three friends the following three questions:

1. What is the best thing about being a teen right now?
2. What is the toughest thing about being a teen right now?
3. How would your life change if you got pregnant or got someone else pregnant?

Then write a brief summary (200 words max) of what they said and what you think about it. Send it to us at stayteen@thenc.org and it might be featured on "Stay Out Loud," the destination for teens to tell each other what they really think. For examples, check out the StayTeen.org website.

Things to consider:

• Do guys and girls see things differently?
• Before you asked them, had anyone ever thought about how a pregnancy would affect their lives?
• Did anyone's answers surprise you? How so?

2. Make your own "StayTeen" Public Service Advertisement

What does the word "relationship" mean to you? Sometimes it's hard to put something like that into words. So we say: Don't! Instead, show us your relationship reality by creating a public service advertisement (PSA).

Check out the Stay TV section at StayTeen.org. Upload your own videos, then customize with the right words and other details. Be a part of our latest ad campaign, "Stay Teen," which encourages teens to enjoy what's best about being a teen and postpone pregnancy and parenthood. For details, inspiration and to check out what others have done, go to StayTeen.org.

1. False. You can get pregnant every time you have sex, including the first.
2. False. Most teens say they want to get information about sex from their parents. In reality, however, teens say they get most of their information from the media.
3. True. Abstinence is the only 100 percent effective way to avoid pregnancy.
4. False. Just because you think "everyone is doing it" doesn't mean they are. Some are, some aren't - and some are lying. In fact, less than half of high school students say they have had sex.
5. False. Nearly 80 percent of teen mothers don't marry their babies' fathers.
6. False. You have to use contraception every single time you have sex, no matter what. A sexually active teen who does not use contraception has an 85 percent chance of pregnancy within one year.
7. False. Teens who are in a relationship with a partner three or more years older or younger are less likely to use contraception, and are more likely to report later that they didn't really want to have sex in the first place.
8. True. Two out of three teens say they don't think it's embarrassing to admit to being a virgin.