‘Teen Mom’ Girls Jade Cline, Catelynn Lowell & Kiaya Elliott Say Their Parents’ Past Abuse & Alcoholism Showed Them How Not to Parent
“Thanks for being a complete terror, Ma!”
On the upcoming season of Teen Mom Family Reunion, viewers will watch as moms from the Teen Mom franchise tackle parenting like never before.
While most of the focus throughout the last decade has been on the moms parenting their own children, Season 2 of ‘Teen Mom Family Reunion’ will allow viewers to see the moms tackle the (sometimes) complicated relationships with their own moms through team-building exercises and honest conversations, facilitated by life coach Dr. Cheyenne Bryant, aka Coach B.
Raise your hand if you think Coach B needs a raise this season…
Catelynn Lowell, Kiaya Elliott and Jade Cline are a few of the cast members who brought their moms along for Season 2 to work through issues, learn from past mistakes and, ideally, form stronger bonds with one another.
For Cate, whose turbulent relationship with mom April Baltierra was first televised–- rather infamously–- on 16 and Pregnant, she told Insider that “growing up in addiction” is the reason she chooses to run a strict household that “is literally chaos-free.”
April, showing Cate (and viewers) how not to parent and who not to go shopping for prom dresses with…
“It’s super chill and calm,” Cate said. “I grew up with an alcoholic mother, so I’m very strict.”
Cate said in order to ensure that her daughters feel safe in their home, she doesn’t drink in front of them, nor does she allow wild parties to be held at her house.
“It’s a sad reality of growing up in addiction, but I want my home to feel like a safe place for my children.”
“We also keep the joint fully-stocked with therapy horses, so that’s a plus.”
As for Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant star Kiaya, she said her mom Tiffany would throw a sandal at her whenever she’d get in trouble as a child. Instead of doing the same with her own son, Amour, Kiaya practices “gentle parenting” by talking to her four-year-old and teaching him how to vocalize his feelings.
Tiffany, after finding out Kiaya called her out for throwing sandals back in the day…
“If he’s being impatient, I say, ‘Do you remember the word patience?’ and he’ll say, ‘Yeah, it means wait.’ I say, ‘OK, so do that,’” Kiaya explained. “I’m trying to be a little more communicative.”
“…and I is not in favor of that sandal nonsense, either.”
Another mother-daughter duo who have frequently battled it out on-screen since joining the ‘Teen Mom’ franchise are Jade Cline and her mom, Christy Smith. According to Jade, her mom’s approach to parenting has served as a lesson in what not to do with her own daughter.
“I learned throughout my childhood what not to do and how to be a better parent and show affection,” she said. “I remember growing up, we would have to go outside and pick out a switch to get our ass whooped, and I could never imagine doing that with my daughter.”
“I mean, I gotta draw the line somewhere.”
Christy’s unreliability and substance abuse issues have plagued her relationship with Jade countless times on ‘Young and Pregnant,’ Teen Mom 2 and more recently on Teen Mom: The Next Chapter. While the two are in a seemingly better place than they were when Jade was younger, Jade is still learning to accept that she and Christy are “just different people.”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Jade.”
“You think as an adult, you and your mom become best friends,” she said. “With me and my mom, so much has happened that we just never got there. I’m trying to accept that we’re just different people. Not every mom and daughter are going to be BFFs.”
Like Jade, Cate said there’s room for improvement in her relationship with her mom. In fact, Cate said she’s accepted that “there’s always going be work that needs to be done.”
Yep…work to be done, quirky hairstyles to try, and plenty of menthols to smoke along the way.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever be super, super close but who knows,” she added.
Season 2 of ‘Teen Mom Family Reunion’ premieres Tuesday, January 3, on MTV.
April was horrible to Cate when she was younger. and Cate just took it, was still very sweet and obedient, still loved her mom. It was hard to watch. But after a few years it was good to see the turnaround, and April apologizing was good.
Too bad Janelle wasn’t on this episode with Barbara. I think Barbara was a really terrible and abusive parent to Janelle. Jace would of been better off going to live with another family member or the State. I don’t think I ever saw an episode where Barbara wasn’t screaming.
Cate and Ty may have some faults and things to work on, but their relationships with their daughters are fun to watch. They’ve done a great job ensuring that their kids will never see or experience the things that they saw and went through as children themselves. I will say I don’t understand their willingness to let April babysit. Maybe she’s a much better grandmother than she was a mother.
That COULD be the case. My dad was an addict pretty much my whole life but not to the point where he was TOO incapacitated (around us anyway) and he was MUCH more present as a Papa to my boys so it could be the reason they allow her to watch them. Who knows.
April was horrible to Cate when she was younger. and Cate just took it, was still very sweet and obedient, still loved her mom. It was hard to watch. But after a few years it was good to see the turnaround, and April apologizing was good.
Too bad Janelle wasn’t on this episode with Barbara. I think Barbara was a really terrible and abusive parent to Janelle. Jace would of been better off going to live with another family member or the State. I don’t think I ever saw an episode where Barbara wasn’t screaming.
Thank you!! That’s what I’ve been saying all along, everyone thinks Barb is such a good person but in truth she’s no better than Jenelle!!
I can’t stand neither one of them…the apple didn’t fall far from the tree in their case!!!!
Cate and Ty may have some faults and things to work on, but their relationships with their daughters are fun to watch. They’ve done a great job ensuring that their kids will never see or experience the things that they saw and went through as children themselves. I will say I don’t understand their willingness to let April babysit. Maybe she’s a much better grandmother than she was a mother.
I agree, and I think Kiaya Elliott does a good job too, I LOVE Amour, I think he’s an adorable little boy, and he is so funny!!!
That COULD be the case. My dad was an addict pretty much my whole life but not to the point where he was TOO incapacitated (around us anyway) and he was MUCH more present as a Papa to my boys so it could be the reason they allow her to watch them. Who knows.