The drama continues this week on Teen Mom 2. Jenelle might be facing jail time, Leah can’t seem to face her divorce, and Chelsea’s dad has to face the fact that she’s getting back with Adam. 

Jenelle fails her drug test meaning that she could go to jail for 45 days since she has an official violation against her. Her lawyer says that her probation officer is giving her the chance of going back on probation for nine months or going to jail for up to 45 days. Jenelle is sick of probation and doesn’t think she’ll be able to stop smoking. Do you think she’s making the right decision to serve her jail sentence? Jenelle tells her lawyer that she needs to put her son on hold because she has other things that she has to deal with. That’s not how life works, Jenelle! Good thing Jace has his grandmother for the support and attention that his mom can’t provide. A lot of children of teen mothers aren’t so lucky; young teen mothers are more than two times more likely to have their children placed in foster care. Jenelle should be thankful that her mom is taking care of her responsibility.

Kailyn is feeling really lonely because Jo has a new girlfriend and her mom is refusing to answer her calls, even going so far as to block her number. Kailyn hasn’t spoken to her mom in six months and feels really unsupported. She also feels guilty about how she treated Jordan after she cheated on him. She decides to reach out to him and they meet up and talk. Jordan tells her he still loves her and Isaac. It looks like they might get back together if things keep going so smoothly.  

Leah and Corey meet up to talk about their divorce and negotiate custody of their daughters. Both Leah and Corey say that they don’t want to go through this divorce. Leah is mad that Corey didn’t want to go to couples counseling to try and work out their relationship. She gets even more upset when she finds out that Corey is talking to other girls already. Corey didn’t think they’re marriage would end in divorce either, but the truth is one out of three marriages formed before the bride is 18 end in divorce within five years and half dissolve within 10 years.

For Chelsea’s 20^th birthday Adam gives her a promise ring. Chelsea is really excited that Adam wants to commit to working out their relationship but no one else seems as enthused, least of all her parents. When Chelsea goes to her dad’s house for a birthday meal with her friends, her dad is unhappy that she’s back with Adam and that she quit her job after getting in a fight with her manager. Chelsea and Adam have had their problems in the past but she says that this time she thinks it’s real. Do you think Adam and Chelsea be able to work out their issues?

It’s hard to be financially stable, but even harder when you have a child that depends on you for all their basic needs. Chelsea just quit her job and her dad points out that it’s going to be hard to find a new one when she doesn’t even have a GED. Jenelle says that if she gets the drug violation she’ll lose her financial aid and not finishing school will make it harder to find a job later. Kailyn has to pay for a babysitter or daycare while she is at school. Leah is lucky that Corey is paying child support to her because teen fathers are often poor and pay less than $800 in child support per year. Having a child when you’re a teen makes it harder to finish high school or get a college degree. Child care is also a huge expense on top of paying for school. The solution is to have a child after you earn all the degrees you want. That way you can be financially stable and be able to provide for your baby and yourself.  

Financial issues are just some of the challenges that come with being a teen mom. What are some other challenges a teen mother might face? Comment below!

Bisi is an intern for The National Campaign. She is an undergrad at Georgetown University studying Economics and is an avid reader who loves experimenting with different fashion trends. One day she hopes to be considered a decent cook.