By Cheryl Mattox Berry
The entertainment industry has been buzzing with news about Kim Kardashian and Jessica Simpson’s pregnancies. Both women are in relationships, but they’re not married or plan to walk down the aisle soon. No doubt, the pregnancies will be a big moneymaking opportunity with plenty of photo ops for these publicity-seeking women.
Am I the only one who doesn’t see why this warrants coverage day after day? After all, Kardashian is still legally married, and Simpson is expecting baby No. 2 with her boyfriend. If he likes it, when is he going to put a ring on it?
Back in the day, an unwed mother quietly had her child and worked hard to get her life back on track. Today, the media glorify celebs who choose to have a child outside of marriage. Entertainment shows and bloggers tried to put a positive spin on the pregnancies by saying these women are part of a trend: Celebrities choosing motherhood before marriage. Other unwed moms: Snooki, Angelina Jolie, Kourtney Kardashian, Jennifer Hudson and a lot of the women on reality TV.
Don’t get your life confused with theirs. Celebrity moms have streams of income and can support a child if the father skips out. In real life, unwed mothers often end up on welfare, estranged from the baby’s daddy and dependent on their mother for support. I’ve said it before, and I repeat: Being a single mother is a life of drudgery. There’s nothing glamorous about it.
Exhibit A – My niece, who got pregnant shortly after she graduated from high school. She drops off her 2-year-old daughter at day care around 7 a.m. She doesn’t see her again until 9 p.m. when she picks her up from grandma’s house. She works six days a week, sometimes seven. Her daughter’s father, who lives in another state, has seen his child only once. He sends money occasionally. My niece was so in love with him in high school, but now she thinks he’s stupid and can’t stand him.
My niece isn’t able to spend any quality time with her daughter. She has to work like a slave to pay rent, childcare, car insurance and buy food. Having a husband, who would share chores, childcare, parenting and expenses is better for the child and would make the mother’s life a lot easier. That’s the kind of life every girl deserves. It’s worth waiting for.