Toddler

I'm not sure if it's good news or bad news. Teen Mom star Amber Portwood is officially headed for prison. We're talking a five-year sentence behind bars. And word has it she chose it.

After the back and forth, back and forth over probation and drug tests, it may be the only thing to set Amber straight. But I can't help asking: what happens to her daughter, little Leah? Is this really the "fair" choice for Amber to make?  

The reality star has struggled with drugs and been hauled into court countless times, officially losing custody of her daughter to ex-boyfriend Gary Shirley. She's not exactly the greatest mother. But what does prison mean to a kid?

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To put it bluntly: she's got an uphill battle. If Amber's daughter is anything like the other kids in America who have a parent in prison, the toddler is now at a higher risk of being expelled from school, getting into drugs, or ending up in prison herself.

Sad to say about a kid who isn't even 4 years old. The Leah you see on MTV's show is sweet, lovely, and innocent. She's just a kid, and she is doing nothing wrong. But those are cold hard facts. It isn't an easy road for kids whose parents are part of the system.

Now add the female child of a female inmate to the mix, and my heart breaks for this little girl. If Amber spends the entire five years in prison, her daughter will be approaching the tween years by the time she gets out. Who is going to talk to her about her period? Or put her hair in pigtails? No offense to Gary, really. Maybe he's amazing. But my husband is an amazing dad. He is what some would call metrosexual, and he still throws his hands up at our 6-year-old's request for braids on each side.

I want Amber to get better. In a way, she may have a right to be selfish right now. I want her to drop the drug habit and stop blaming everyone else for her trouble. In the end, that will likely be best for her child: at least in the role model sense.

But I can't help fearing for poor little Leah in the years to come. Will she make it through until mama Amber is out of prison? Will she be able to recover from her mom's choice?

What do you think of Amber's five-year sentence? Best for Leah or does it hang in the balance?

Image via MTV