Site Meter The Attached Mother » Blog Archive » Controversy Over The Baby Borrowers

Controversy Over The Baby Borrowers

by Summer M.

The Baby Borrowers You might have heard about a new show that NBC is working on called The Baby Borrowers. Think Wife Swap, but with infants. The Baby Borrowers premiers this Wednesday the 25th at 9/8c. I for one will not be watching, but my heart will be breaking for the young infants left to cry with strangers for days, unable to understand why their parents have abandoned them. Though the show’s producers claim that the parents will simply be next door and able to step in as needed, their children are not old enough to grasp this at all. As you might have guessed there are many people, myself included, who think this is a horrible idea. Taking an infant from their parents, the people he or she has created a deep bond with, and just handing them over to a total stranger. This is a good idea?

Luckily there are people speaking up on behalf of the children, the ones being tossed off for ratings. Jan hunt of the Natural Child Project has issued an open letter to NBC and is encouraging others to join her as well. She explains the psychological damage a show of this nature could cause on children too young to grasp what is happening. While the parents might be able to understand that this is only for a short time the children certainly will not.

Jan is not the only one speaking up. Attachment Parenting International has called for a cancellation of the show and has asked others to urge NBC to stop this as well.


10 Responses to “Controversy Over The Baby Borrowers”

  1. Controversy about The Baby Borrowers Says:

    [...] over at Attached Mother is voicing up about this too. She’s not the only one, a person behind the scenes at the show [...]

  2. Lori Says:

    The more education, the better, so hopefully this show helps to raise awareness about the growing issue of teen pregnancy.

  3. Summer M. Says:

    But why should the education come at the expense of the children involved? The same education could happen by inviting these teens to live in the parent’s home, and without hurting a child already delving into separation anxiety.

  4. Elizabeth Says:

    I agree! The parents may feel better being right next door, but to the baby, they’re GONE, replaced by people who know nothing about caring for the needs of a baby, and aren’t sensitive to the special nuances of the particular baby in their care (which is the whole point of the show). Having the parents there and letting the teens watch and help would be just as effective, I think; they would still be shocked by the amount of work it takes to care for an infant, but it wouldn’t be a total train wreck at the baby’s expense. I love the idea of people–especially teens and judgemental non-parents who think they have all the answers–being able to see what it’s really like, but this isn’t the way to do it!

  5. Kellie Says:

    It amazes me the ammount of controversy that this show has created, I mean it’s only a TV show. And NBC isn’t stupid they would never put babies in harm. The parents can step in any time.

  6. Meghan Says:

    I’m gonna watch it, with my parents.

  7. Jamie Says:

    I agree this show is just wrong! NBC should be ashamed.

  8. Ginkgo100 Says:

    I am horrified by “The Baby Borrowers.” I struggled with whether to write about it myself or not because I did not want to give it more publicity, but I decided my little blog is a drop in the bucket, and more “drops” with a critical voice are needed!

    The biggest problem by far is the separation of babies from their parents. These children were manipulated by adults the same way adopted children are, but the difference is that it is not done in the best interests of the child. NBC’s deceptive marketing is distasteful, but not in the same league as the main issue.

  9. Sympathy Pain » Blog Archive » Book Club Says:

    [...] and off to bed he went… while the joviality continued in the living room. I also watched “Baby Borrowers“…which may deserve a post of its [...]

  10. Michelle Says:

    Yeah. It’s ONLY a TV show, they’re not REAL babies with REAL needs and REAL separation issues! /sarcasm.
    That’s sick.

Leave a Reply


About The Attached Mother

The Attached Mother is about the real-life experiences of an attachment parenting mom. Allison writes about her parenting ideals such as co-sleeping, gentle discipline, child-led weaning, baby wearing and how she applies them with her three young sons.

The Attached Mother Author(s)
    » Allison-Goines
    » Summer-M

Blogging Flair

Parenting & Family Channel Posts

  • You've probably guessed..
    ...by now, that I'm not your typical parent, and I most certainly am not one that qualifies as a "Helicopter parent". In fact, I hadn't even heard that term until a couple days ago, then all I could [...]
  • Becoming Jewelry
    I am a typical woman- I love jewelry. My husband has been nice enough to donate generously to my obsession, but I wanted something to celebrate my children. Something sweet and simple. [...]
  • Family Vacation Continued
    I wrote that last post for opinions just as it seemed.  Now, I'll tell you why I'm asking.  My husband and I have worked hard in the last year.  Owning a daycare is seriously one of [...]
  • Lucky Foot
    Tony is a scooting fool. He is not really crawling on his knees yet, but man he can make tracks in the military crawl. He especially likes the dogs water dish. It's been dumped a couple times. He's [...]
  • Mom's Sanity Tip #2
    Wine! I highly suggest keeping a good bottle of cheap wine in the house at all times. It's very nice to have a calming glass of wine after the kids go to bed each night. There are nights when that [...]
  • Family Vacation When School is in Session
    I feel perfectly capable of teaching my kindergarten child.  They send so much of the information home that I feel absolutely certain without a shadow of a doubt that I could do it.  Do I [...]
  • Organic Clothing for Little Ones
    Trying to find organic clothing for my twins was impossible five years ago, but now, they are everywhere. If you are a loyal reader of this blog you know that I love organic, mom owned companies [...]
  • Well, THAT was fast...
    So, remember a whole three days ago when I posted here about the first girlfriend, and also, first kiss? Well, it seems that it wasn't a match made in heaven. Give me a moment while I mourn. Ok, I'm [...]
  • Have You Had Your Eye Exam Yet?
    When the great people at BlogHer decided to a meetup at Lenscrafters I knew I had to go. Not only was I waaay overdue for an eye exam, my children had never had one. When I was in third grade I was [...]
  • Twilight
                      "Twilight made me feel young, and inlove again" Recently, my kids and I were having a bon-fire ; our conversations fluctuated from ghosts storys to [...]

Hot Off The Press

  • Why So Many People Are Going Gluten-Free -- Should You?
    If you’ve ever polished off a fresh baguette or fought over that last slice of deep-dish pizza, you’ve eaten gluten. It’s the healthy plant protein found in several grains that, among other [...]
  • Whole Heap O' Gay Weddings
    So you've probably heard this by now but Ellen Degeneres and girlfriend Portia de Rossi were wed in a ceremony at their Beverly Hills home Saturday night. Ellen kept it real...real small by only [...]
  • The New Lady on the Block
    I am the new author of Mental & Emotional Health.  I have studied the exact way in which I would like to introduce myself to you.  Since I just participated with some other women in a [...]
  • Jorge Garcia: Best Supporting Actor
    Congratulations to Jorge Garcia for winning the Best Supporting Actor trophy at the ALMA awards, the Latino oriented awards show held over the weekend. Jorge bested four other actors in this [...]
  • 6 guilt-free reasons to love carbs
    It’s time to give up the carb guilt. When we pack on the pounds, we often blame it on eating too many carbohydrates. But not all carbs are loaded with starchy calories. And if you severely limit [...]
  • Date Nights...
    Despite the stories being told and spread about Lindsay's past relationship with Courtenay Semel, Lindsay has no qualms showing who she prefers to spend her time with now. Saturday night, after [...]
  • Double-Dig to Improve Soil Health
    Double digging is a great way to improve nutrients and the overall health of your soil. Double digging loosens soil down to a depth of 18 inches. Why is healthy soil important, it increases [...]
  • Massaro Speaks on Strip Club Appearance, Eugene Update
    Ashley Massaro posted on her Myspace on her Strip Club appearance. Monday, August 18, 2008 Strip Clubs, Rain, Moving and Casinos What up yall, damn its been awhile, sorry I was away so [...]
  • Force Unleashed Demo "Unleashes" This Week... HAR HAR
    If you can't wait for over the top, unbelievable and extreme to the max Star Wars action that's like, TOTALLY UNLEASHED, then you should be happy to know that Star Wars: Unleashed is having a [...]
  • The Side Effects of Switching to Vegetarianism
    There's a common issue faced by nearly every new vegetarian. Worldwide, people changing their diet to a meat-free one are seeing the same thing happen. I experienced it a few years back when I [...]