S07.E02: In The Dark

[CofCinci]

Janelle and Leah are the best mothers on the program. Their children thrive under their warm guidance.

April Fool's.

[BitterApple]

Janelle and Leah are the best mothers on the program. Their children thrive under their warm guidance.

April Fool's.

Lulz! And Jenelle found a job in the medical field, right?

[blubld43]

Some of what she does I like, other times it seems like she over-decorates - takes 15 different Pinterest ideas and throws them into one room. But taste aside, her house is clean and organized. I believe her boys are well cared for

 

Isaac's room is adorable :)  Good stuff Kail.  She's the one I most admire in this incarnation of TM, she's overcome the most to get where she is.  Chelsea is also doing very well with Aubree, IMO, but she's had rock-solid family support the entire journey.  Not to take away from her experience, just the difference between her and Kail.  Both these young women are going to make mistakes, but as moms they at least have their kids' best interests at heart.

Leah would surely say that she has the girlses best interests at heart, but no honey, I'm sorry.  When you're in active addiction, your number one thing is your drug of choice, that's it.  Everything else comes a distant second, as we're seeing right on camera.  The sight of Leah sleeping while Miranda and Corey celebrated their victory was pretty poignant.

One more comment about little Kaiser:  he's already getting way too fat, and that's a direct result IMO of Jenelle shoving a bottle, or food at him every time he makes any noise at all.  And certainly she would never do anything so mundane as take her son outside, let him run, enjoy the sun and grass, etc.  So a lifetime of obesity, although from the looks of things, that might be the least of his problems.

[CofCinci]

What was up with Janelle's Stooge and her broken hand? Too much drunken partying while Kaiser was "kidnapped"? Seems like they alluded to that while in the car to pick him up.

[lezlers]

Isaac's room is adorable :)  Good stuff Kail.  She's the one I most admire in this incarnation of TM, she's overcome the most to get where she is.  Chelsea is also doing very well with Aubree, IMO, but she's had rock-solid family support the entire journey.  Not to take away from her experience, just the difference between her and Kail.  Both these young women are going to make mistakes, but as moms they at least have their kids' best interests at heart.

Leah would surely say that she has the girlses best interests at heart, but no honey, I'm sorry.  When you're in active addiction, your number one thing is your drug of choice, that's it.  Everything else comes a distant second, as we're seeing right on camera.  The sight of Leah sleeping while Miranda and Corey celebrated their victory was pretty poignant.

One more comment about little Kaiser:  he's already getting way too fat, and that's a direct result IMO of Jenelle shoving a bottle, or food at him every time he makes any noise at all.  And certainly she would never do anything so mundane as take her son outside, let him run, enjoy the sun and grass, etc.  So a lifetime of obesity, although from the looks of things, that might be the least of his problems.

 

Eh, lots of babies are chubby.   And babies don't eat unless they're hungry.   Jenelle is a horrible mother, but saying her one year old is fat because she feeds him too much is a bit of a stretch.   Babies tend to lean out once they hit their toddler years and start moving more.   When this was filmed, I don't even think he was walking yet, so it's not like she's going to have him running laps at the local park to help keep him svelte. 

[FozzyBear]

I'm getting to the point where I really need some backstory for Afam's friend. Who is this guy? A relative, a sponsor, a PO, Adam's secret lover? Please internet PIs, get me something!

I will forever be amused at Adam's indignation that people hold his actions against him. "Everything is just put aside until you do something else wrong." Yes, you dumbass. That is, in fact, how credibility works. People will give you the benefit of the doubt until you do something to change their minds. For instance, people will believe you are trying to change until you get caught causing an accident that almost kills someone while driving wit a suspended license. Then they are less inclined to trust you. Or a judge might believe you are trying to be a better father until you leave town during one of your scheduled visits and neglect to inform your child, her mother, or anyone. Then that judge might not take your talk about wanting to see your kid so seriously. He and Janelle should hook up. They share a similar cognitive dissonance about life.

[lezlers]

OMG.  Adam + Jenelle = match made in heaven.

[BitterApple]

If I recall, Adam left town on Father's Day, of all weekends. But he's like so serious about being a dad to Aubree.

Chelsea once said Adam is only around when the MTV cameras are rolling or when he wants to impress a new girlfriend. I believe her.

[FozzyBear]

If I recall, Adam left town on Father's Day, of all weekends. But he's like so serious about being a dad to Aubree.

Chelsea once said Adam is only around when the MTV cameras are rolling or when he wants to impress a new girlfriend. I believe her.

The thing is, I pretty much believe that about Janelle too. I think most of Janelle's interest in her kids (especially Jace) is when she wants to look like a good mother for he cameras, or a PO, or a new guy. She and Adam are such a perfect match. They could spend all day pretending to be sober or have any interest in their kids. Then they can complain that everyone acts like they're bad people just because they do shitty things all the time.

[Snarky McSnarky]

OMG.  Adam + Jenelle = match made in heaven.

Or Hell, if you are their offspring.

[FanOfTheFans]

What's worse is that it wasn't on the couch, it was on the floor. For a second I thought she was actually going to clean up a little before her sister brought the girls home, but nope, she just grabbed the blanket and pillow and took a nap on the couch.

I don't love Leah, but I think a lot of people take for granted that we all have different thresholds for the amount of pain, stress, heartbreak, etc. that we can take, especially if you're a person who's been through a lot and you see others crumble over something that you overcame. I'll totally admit that I used to be judgmental as hell until I had my own experiences with depression and anxiety (and hid it) and realized that what's seen on the surface is usually just a tiny fraction of what's going on inside. Sometimes, the simple act of being can be overwhelming. I honestly think Leah is a very dim girl from a state with very poor education who has little to no coping skills. Everybody has catered to her or favored her because she was pretty and that led to a lot of her self-worth being tied up in her looks as opposed to education or skills and her mother did nothing to discourage that. Throw in twins at 16, one of them being special needs, and you've got a perfect clusterfuck.

It's always been my opinion that every step and misstep she's made after having the twins has been in an effort to find out who she is now because her entire persona was based around external validation. If she's not "pretty girl Leah Messer" anymore, who is she? Is she the young, hot MILF? Is she the special needs advocate mama bear? Is she the small town mom working as a dental hygienist? Is she the savvy Mary Kay businesswoman? Hell, if you aged her up a couple of years, a lot of her actions are classic midlife crisis: Cheating with an old flame that made you feel young and desirable again, constantly buying new, pricey things, having a band-aid baby, etc. Leah has no clue who she is, what she wants or what she's good and she's terribly insecure. She probably hates herself. It's indicative of her state of min that her drug of choice seems to be downers, she craves escapism over euphoria.

This is a good analysis. I think people in general (excluding her rabid fans who already think she walks on water), would like to give Leah a break if she would take some personal responsibility for her lot in life. I realize there most likely is denial issues related to an alleged drug problem but even before that issue existed, she has always had poor self awareness.

Personally, I would cheer her on if she would exhibit some emotional growth and she would certainly start to feel better about her life too. Like you said, one problem is all the sycophants she has surrounded herself with.

Edited April 2, 2016 by FanOfTheFans

[blubld43]

Jenelle is a horrible mother, but saying her one year old is fat because she feeds him too much is a bit of a stretch.

 

I actually realized this as I was typing it, but I despise Jenelle so much I decided to let it stand :)  She's an awful, uncaring mother, not deserving of that title in any way.

I would cheer her on if she would exhibit some emotional growth

 

Yeah, I think most of us would.  She has those three little girlses who are counting on her, even if Gracie is doing most of the care taking right now.  Textbook children of addicted parents, one of them is always doing the parenting role.

Chelsea once said Adam is only around when the MTV cameras are rolling or when he wants to impress a new girlfriend. I believe her.

 

I certainly believe Adam comes around for the MTV paycheck.  And who is that very skeezy friend of his?

Edited April 2, 2016 by blubld43

[Fosca]

Or Hell, if you are their offspring.

 

Ah, but Adam got himself snipped!  Thus if he's with Jenelle (and she doesn't, say, have sex with her dealer for weed), no more babies for Jenelle!  It's a win-win!

[lezlers]

Ah, but Adam got himself snipped!  Thus if he's with Jenelle (and she doesn't, say, have sex with her dealer for weed), no more babies for Jenelle!  It's a win-win!

Did he actually do it or did he just say so for the cameras to be more "likeable"?  Goddamn I hope he did. 

[Fosca]

I suspect he did get snipped, not to look better for cameras but rather to ensure he wouldn't have to pay any more child support.

Besides, if he's on steroids as much as he looks like, a side effect of that is sterility (if a guy doesn't need his testicles to make testosterone, they shrivel up and shut down, ay least partially).

[Mkay]

I found Adam's friend on facebook not too awful long ago.  Now I don't know where it is.  It is posted somewhere in a thread here.

[blubld43]

I found Adam's friend on facebook not too awful long ago

 

Who is the guy?  He;s one of those people who always looks like they just bonded out of county (jail).

[StatisticalOutlier]

Ah, but Adam got himself snipped!  Thus if he's with Jenelle (and she doesn't, say, have sex with her dealer for weed), no more babies for Jenelle! 

 

I swear, I think Jenelle could get pregnant even in a lesbian relationship.

[Darknight]

There was an article a couple years ago about child support. Jenelle was ordered to pay a measly $130 a month and for whatever reason, Babs agreed to let her off the hook. It was when Jenelle started the whole 'I'm going to get Jace back' crap. Babs has legal guardianship of Jace. Jenelle hasn't totally signed away parental rights like she would have had to in the case of adoption (if she had, there would be no trying to regain custody). But, she has no legal standing to make any decisions involving Jace and Barb is the custodial 'parent' with the decision making power.

Babs should just go to court and try to terminate Jenelle's rights. Unfortunately she wont.

Jo Frost, who used to be the Supernanny and now has a different show, was bouncing around South Carolina and thereabouts this season. I would have loved to see her get her hands on Barbara and Jenelle.

This would be awesome. I love nanny jo

[lezlers]

This would be awesome. I love nanny jo

 

Unfortunately I think Jace's problems go way beyond inconsistent time outs and lack of a chore board.  :(

[ghoulina]

Yea, Jace needs much more of an investment than 5 days with Jo Frost. He needs someone to legitimately CARE about him. 

 

 

As for Kaiser's size - I agree it's too early to tell. My best friend is vegan and her family eats very healthily. Her youngest (almost 2) is a super chunky chunk! She's so cute, though. So yea, Kaiser might very well thin out. Mine always seem to thin out sometime after turning 3. But regardless of his size, that kid is constantly being given a sippy/bottle of something red. Juice? Koolaid? Who freaking knows. She puts him to bed with it! So it's definitely not out of the realm of possibility that she's setting the kid up for a whole host of health and dental problems. 

[SlothLoveChunk]

Gonna have to agree that Kaiser's weight could change dramasticly in a few years.  I know some kids who were HUGE chunks as babies and thinned out considerably when they started walking.  My daughter is a tiny petite thing who only got on the weight chart (2%!) when she hit 2.5 years old, despite being offered food at every chance.  Some kids are just bigger than others, especially as babies.  It all evens out in the end.

[MyPeopleAreNordic]

Agree with what everyone is saying about Kaiser slimming down once he starts walking around more. Definitely happened with my son. But that makes me wonder.....

 

I think Kaiser is 5 months or so older than my son (who just made 16 months). Assuming what we're seeing was filmed in the fall of 2015, I think Kaiser should be around 16 - 18 months depending on when it was filmed.  My son started walking around his first birthday and now he walks (and tries to run) constantly and is into everything he can get his hands on.

 

Have we ever seen Kaiser walk? I know some kids walk later than others and sometimes boys walk later, so I'm not really worried about if can he walk or his weight (yet). I guess my question is - does Jenelle ever let the child move around and walk/try to walk? Is he left in his crib or high chair most of the time? Can the poor child even try to explore and really move? Because rather than baby-proofing her house and you know, actually watching & engaging with Kaiser, I bet Jenelle would totally just keep him confined.  Our son is extremely curious and quick (and does not "re-direct" well), so we've baby-proofed the house but still spend most of our time when he's awake & we are at home watching him like a hawk (and stopping him from climbing, etc). Parenting got to be a LOT more work when he started walking. I can totally see Jenelle just confining Kaiser to his crib so she doesn't have to deal with that. Poor baby.

 

I'll be watching the next few episodes to see if we ever see Kaiser walk/try to walk or explore on his own or if he's always in his crib, high chair, or being held when he's shuffled in between the two.

Edited April 4, 2016 by MyPeopleAreNordic

[charmed1]

I think the most exercise Kaiser gets is when Jace visits. Jace is probably the weekend nanny anyway. Jenelle and Torri left him in the house with Kaiser while they sat outside to confront Barb. Somehow, I doubt that's the first time.

[BitterApple]

MyPeopleAreNordic, with my addict cousin she usually dumped her kids once they began walking and weren't content to just sit in a crib and sleep all day. Now that Kaiser is getting older and needier, I predict he'll be spending a lot more time at Nathan's mother's.

[blubld43]

I think the most exercise Kaiser gets is when Jace visits. Jace is probably the weekend nanny anyway. Jenelle and Torri left him in the house with Kaiser while they sat outside to confront Barb. Somehow, I doubt that's the first time.

 

This!  lol, Jace being the weekend nanny.  He might at least engage with Kaiser, Jenelle certainly can't be bothered.  And does Barb ever hold him, or interact with him at all?  Kaiser, I mean, I can't recall seeing the two of them together much, I think Barbara just can't bring herself to see how abusive Jenelle is to him.

[Elizabeth9]

Why don't we just let Aleeeeah raise Jace? She's already raising two...

[FlowerofCarnage]

A mobile Kaiser+ inattentive Jenelle= accident waiting to happen. I doubt she has baby-proofed the house.

[jumper sage]

Eh, lots of babies are chubby.   And babies don't eat unless they're hungry.   Jenelle is a horrible mother, but saying her one year old is fat because she feeds him too much is a bit of a stretch.   Babies tend to lean out once they hit their toddler years and start moving more.   When this was filmed, I don't even think he was walking yet, so it's not like she's going to have him running laps at the local park to help keep him svelte. 

Who feeds a toddler a hot dog?  Both Leah and Janelle feed their kids crap, all day every day.

[leighroda]

Agree in the hot dog, I work in pediatrics and hot dogs are on the do not eat list regardless of how small you cut it... Because hotdogs are dense, and even in small pieces could become lodged and block the airway. Perhaps if someone really wanted to allow the child to have one if they cut it into small pieces and supervised the eating enough to only give the next peace after the last is completely chewed/swallowed, but we also know that's the last thing Jenelle would ever do.

[beesknees]

Yea, Jace needs much more of an investment than 5 days with Jo Frost. He needs someone to legitimately CARE about him. 

 

 

As for Kaiser's size - I agree it's too early to tell. My best friend is vegan and her family eats very healthily. Her youngest (almost 2) is a super chunky chunk! She's so cute, though. So yea, Kaiser might very well thin out. Mine always seem to thin out sometime after turning 3. But regardless of his size, that kid is constantly being given a sippy/bottle of something red. Juice? Koolaid? Who freaking knows. She puts him to bed with it! So it's definitely not out of the realm of possibility that she's setting the kid up for a whole host of health and dental problems. 

My daughter used to sing the Nanny Jo theme song when she was little.  She used to sing it and refer to her name in the song as Jo Frosting.  Made me giggle every time.  What freaked me out in the episode regarding Janelle and Kaiser - was she boiling him hot dogs ?!!!  I was only half-watching but it looked like she was cutting up hot dogs or some type of sausage.  HUGE choking hazard for a tot that age.  Just no.  My elderly dad almost died from getting a chunk of hot dog lodged in his throat.  Trip to the ER and having to have a surgical procedure to get it physically removed.  Pretty scary stuff.

Edited April 5, 2016 by beesknees

[blubld43]

What freaked me out in the episode regarding Janelle and Kaiser - was she boiling him hot dogs ?!!!  

 

Yes.  Which she tore in half and then plopped on his food tray, no plate, inside a bun.  He evidently ate some of it and then was put to bed with the mess all over him.

[Katt]

OMG, Hot-Dog-Gate. I had several arguments with my M-I-L about her microwaving them for my son when he was a baby. I did, of course, tell her what I do and do not feed my son and also that I did not give him bacon (at all) with salt poured all over it. Needless to say, I stopped letting her have him over and she whined to all the relatives about what I bitch I am and now hardly any of them speak to me. Which is WONDERFUL. 

[lezlers]

Who feeds a toddler a hot dog?  Both Leah and Janelle feed their kids crap, all day every day.

 

Um...me?  I've given both my kids a couple of little pieces of hotdogs here and there.   Guess someone should call CPS on me.  *shrug*

[ghoulina]

Um...me?  I've given both my kids a couple of little pieces of hotdogs here and there.   Guess someone should call CPS on me.  *shrug*

 

I've given my kids hot dogs as well. Starting around age one. But only very small pieces, and they were monitored the entire time. I don't think Jenelle cut Kaiser's up. Nor do I believe she has EVER watched him eat. Nor do I think she ever feeds him anything more on the healthy side. We're not all kale and quinoa over here, but we try to keep a balance. All I've ever seen those kids be given is sugary drinks and convenience foods. 

[DoctorWhovian]

My mom gave me whole hot dogs before I was 2 (at least, there's a home video where she did). Jenelle does so much wrong I can't find myself able to get that bothered by a hot dog. And putting Kaiser in the dark seemed to be because it was his nap time (or she mentioned something about a nap before doing it during the hot dog scene). I think they're both just more to pile on her, they're just both very small parts of that pile.

[guilfoyleatpp]

My kiddo loves hotdogs. So did my brother. Hotdog may or may not have been one of his first words back in the early 80s.

 

Of course, I buy the organically fed, natural casing no nitrates chopped up lips and assholes version. Who doesn't love a hot dog?!

 

But I agree that Jenelle probably doesn't pay close enough attention to anything Kaiser is doing. It sort of shows how resilient most kids are.

[GreatKazu]

Um...me? I've given both my kids a couple of little pieces of hotdogs here and there. Guess someone should call CPS on me. *shrug*

If you are anything like Leah I would.

CPS is not for cases such as giving a child a hot dog. It is there for people, like Leah, who are neglecting their children and/or putting them in harm's way.

No one will convince me Jenelle is feeding Kaiser nothing but shitty foods. She is one lazy piece of shit. Just last night her friend mentioned how she was the one who vacuumed Jenelle's house and how Jenelle must not have vacuumed since then.

Nothing wrong with the occasional hot dog as long as they are cut in itty bitty pieces, but Jenelle did not do such a thing. I bet Kaiser's meals consist of hot dogs, fast food, microwaveable nuggets, you know, the same shit Kail feeds her family.

Edited April 6, 2016 by GreatKazu

[akr]

I got my sister what I thought was a really interesting book about infant development when she was pregnant, not realizing that she might take it as a critical guide to how to do things right!  When actually my takeaway from the book is that so long as you're not running a Romanian orphanage, and care about your kids, they'll be fine. She was somewhat mollified, and in my defense it really is kind of fascinating what's going on with their brains before they can communicate much to you. (I'm not saying bad parenting can't have an effect, but that was never going to be an issue with my sister.)

 

I say all that because my instant reaction to how Jenelle was treating Kaiser was, "she's running a Romanian orphanage!" As in, she has next to no loving interaction with that child. Probably just feeds him so he'll shut up and nobody will criticize her for failing to do so. (i would expect that he may have a strange relationship to food because of this - it will have been a more reliable source of comfort to him as a baby than his mother, that's for sure - but attachment and trust issues are bound to be more important. I hope he's getting some good interaction somewhere that he can latch onto as how things ought to be.)

(Romanian orphanages in the Ceausescu era, that is. Nothing against Romanians in general, but there was a systemic problem there for a time.)

[BitterApple]

Throw me on top of the hot-dog lovers pile. *small voice* I even love the cheddar dogs from 7/11.

I think the gripe with Leah and Jenelle is that their kids eat crap 24/7. Most parents will at least try to balance out their kids' diets, but the girlses and Kaiser are living off of Mountain Dew and GMO's. They're developing really bad eating habits at a young age.

Edited April 6, 2016 by BitterApple

[GreatKazu]

Throw me on top of the hot-dog lovers pile. *small voice* I even love the cheddar dogs from 7/11.

I think the gripe with Leah and Jenelle is that their kids eat cap 24/7. Most parents will at least try to balance out their kids' diets, but the girlses and Kaiser are living off of Mountain Dew and GMO's. They're developing really bad eating habits at a young age.

Don't forget the canned Chef-Boy-Ardee at midnight with one slice of bread.

[FozzyBear]

Throw me on top of the hot-dog lovers pile. *small voice* I even love the cheddar dogs from 7/11.

I think the gripe with Leah and Jenelle is that their kids eat crap 24/7. Most parents will at least try to balance out their kids' diets, but the girlses and Kaiser are living off of Mountain Dew and GMO's. They're developing really bad eating habits at a young age.

Yeah. I have no problem with the occasional junk food treat or even keeping around a few convienence foods for those days when you just can't even with dinner. My mom did it, but the rest of the time we ate home cooked meals pretty much from scratch for breakfast, lunch, and dinner(well, home packed for lunch). Now I am in no way saying anyone needs to or should go by that standard (I've got no patience for the mommy Olympics. Everybody in this whole country needs to chill about child rearing), but there are ways to feed you kids that fall between Martha Stewart and Leah's day-glow pantry. And while I have lots of sympathy for working and poor parents who are trying to live up to the current obsession with a perfect diet on no time or money, that ain't these chicks. They both have plenty of money and aren't even full time parents. They don't go to the grocery store because they're too caught up in their own drama to care. These are not moms working 3 jobs trying to figure out the best way to feed their kids on $20 a week in a motel kitchen. They are rich women with cars and nice houses and NOTHING THE FUCK ELSE TO DO ALL DAY! They could learn the entire French Art of Cooking if they wanted to, they just don't.

[ghoulina]

Don't forget the canned Chef-Boy-Ardee at midnight with one slice of bread.

 

BURNED Chef-Boy-Ardee. Didn't she fall asleep while it was cooking or something?

[Katt]

A mobile Kaiser+ inattentive Jenelle= accident waiting to happen. I doubt she has baby-proofed the house.

Not much point when she'll be moving again in 3.. 2.. 1...

[Elizabeth9]

Actually, on FB she just posted that they're house hunting!

[Darknight]

Why?

[guilfoyleatpp]

Maybe she's looking for a 3 story house.

[ReadMeLattice]

Yeah. I have no problem with the occasional junk food treat or even keeping around a few convienence foods for those days when you just can't even with dinner. My mom did it, but the rest of the time we ate home cooked meals pretty much from scratch for breakfast, lunch, and dinner(well, home packed for lunch). Now I am in no way saying anyone needs to or should go by that standard (I've got no patience for the mommy Olympics. Everybody in this whole country needs to chill about child rearing), but there are ways to feed you kids that fall between Martha Stewart and Leah's day-glow pantry. And while I have lots of sympathy for working and poor parents who are trying to live up to the current obsession with a perfect diet on no time or money, that ain't these chicks. They both have plenty of money and aren't even full time parents. They don't go to the grocery store because they're too caught up in their own drama to care. These are not moms working 3 jobs trying to figure out the best way to feed their kids on $20 a week in a motel kitchen. They are rich women with cars and nice houses and NOTHING THE FUCK ELSE TO DO ALL DAY! They could learn the entire French Art of Cooking if they wanted to, they just don't.

So true. I get so sick of food shaming and food politics. Most people do what they can with their time and money and knowledge. Some areas still don't even have produce available at all, and definitely not affordably. But I'm sorry, that doesn't apply to Leah/Jenelle/Kail/Maci/Amber. It seems like Farrah and Chelsea might feed their kids actual food (and maybe Kail, I'm not sure).

[AdorkableWitch]

This is just now on Hulu. I am reminded again just how flat Jenelle's emotions are. She genuinely comes across as a sociopath.

[Rebecca]

Have we seen Aubree eating real food often? I just remember ice cream and treats and things but those didn't necessarily seem like daily things. I'm certain aubree eats healthier food than Leah, Jenelle, Catelynn or Amber provide. I feel like Maci and Kailyn do ok with what they feed their kids, like Chelsea probably does. Who knows with Farrah, she seems to have body issues, hopefully that doesn't influence Sophia but since Michael is mostly there with her, it seems, Sophia might have the best diet in the franchise.

I agree that Jenelle's a sociopath. She shows it more with each passing season. I really hope Kaiser somehow makes it to a more self reliant age in her "care" (it's kind of a wonder he's made it this far) and if he does, it will be thanks to being shoved off on others instead of actually really relying on Jenelle. Tori sucks but I'd rather see Kaiser with her than Jenelle.