Something Unexpected: Seasons 1 and 2 Discussion

[SnarkEnthusiast]

On 9/4/2018 at 4:56 PM, Soup333 said:

This is interesting because it also seems like Kelsey didn't really consider it a real relationship - or it wasn't on the same level as Lexus/Shayden. I can't wait until next week because I'd like to hear Kelsey explain how "playing house" with a girlfriend is any different than doing it with the actual father of her child. Or maybe it's the totality of the situation that has made her feel like Lexus and Shayden aren't ready to be parents.

Part of it is probably not taking bisexuality seriously, especially when teenagers and particularly girls express same gender attraction because it so easily written off as a phase or a play for attention. Maybe she wishes Lexus had started experimenting earlier to avoid this situation altogether LOL. But I think most of Kelsey's issues and fixation on Shayden stem from the fact that in her mind, he's the catalyst for the corruption of her daughter. He was convincing Lexus to sneak out and have sex with him when she was what, 13? That's an early loss of innocence that must be hard for Kelsey to swallow. Shayden marks the beginning of history repeating itself and is a physical manifestation of her failure as a mother. Whenever she sees him, she's reminded of the fact that she couldn't convince her daughter to follow a better path. Sure, you can and probably should blame Kelsey's shitty parenting, but from her perspective, it will always be his fault and she will never be able to forget that which is why she can't stand having him in her presence. He's a huge psychological trigger for her because when he is in the house, she remembers all her parental shortcomings. She has no such emotional connection to Lilly and was probably grateful to not have to babysit as much for a few weeks. Plus, even though women should still technically use protection, Lexus and Lilly can have all the sex they want with no risk of pregnancy, whereas if she and Shayden are too lazy to put on a condom one time, it's baby #2 for Lexus and another kid for Kelsey to raise. So there's not as much pressure and anxiety to constantly monitor their sexual relationship.

tl;dr from an emotional and procreative standpoint Kelsey doesn't give a shit about Lexus' relationship with Lilly, but hates Shayden with the passion of 1000 suns because she holds him responsible for ruining Lexus' life and miring her own finally stable adult life with unplanned babies and unwanted pregnancies that she didn't sign up for but now one douchebag's carelessness is going to dictate the next 20 years for her, so I can get why she's obsessed with keeping him away.

Edited September 6, 2018 by SnarkEnthusiast
typo

[SnarkEnthusiast]

On 8/27/2018 at 4:23 PM, politichick said:

Kelsey went down in my esteem when I saw her 25-year-old boy toy. WTF? After seeing the previews last week, I was like, who is that dude? Thought maybe he's a co-worker but no, he's her fucking 25-year-old boyfriend. Now what do we think Lexus thinks when she sees that coupling? With his crazy hair and all of those tattoos.

And yes, Kelsey can do what she wants, but damn. Way to set an example.

I haven't seen the guy, but everyone seems to be highlighting the age difference like it's the worst thing the world, and frankly I don't see how it's that bad. It's only seven years and it's awkward dating a little younger when the generations are that tight and your boyfriend's age is equidistant from yours and your daughter's, but a 25-year-old is a full on adult and hardly a boy toy for a 32-year-old. It's not like she's shacking up with a college sophomore or something. If it was a 25-year-old woman dating a 32-year-old man, I don't think anyone would bat an eye or call her arm candy. I guess there's the anxiety that he'd be into Lexus or she'd be into him when she gets older, but that's a lot of projecting. I just don't see why everyone is so scandalized by his age in particular. Kelsey is incredibly immature and stunted in her teen years for obvious reasons, so it makes sense she would go with a vapid Instagrammer as opposed to settling down with a balding 40something with a salary.

[lezlers]

12 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

I don't see it as "sticking it to her."  And do we know that Laura even wanted her there? 

As I said in my posts, I'm operating under the assumption that she did.   If she didn't, it obviously wouldn't even be an issue.   And if you choose to not be with your underage daughter while she gives birth (they said on the show she was actually 17 at the time she gave birth) or "even show interest in being there" which is the comment I was responding to, I can't imagine any other reason than wanting to punish her for getting pregnant in the first place.  I'd be hurt as an ADULT if my mother "didn't even show interest in being there" when I was about to give  birth, I couldn't imagine how a teenager would feel about that.  I stand by my post.  That's petty and cruel.

[IvySpice]

Quote

a 25-year-old is a full on adult and hardly a boy toy for a 32-year-old

This one's a boy toy. Talking about how he enjoys the no-strings-attached fun with Kelsey. Which is objectively Kelsey's call, but I agree with Politichick that it doesn't suggest that Lexus is learning anything about how to find a reliable partner.

[SnarkEnthusiast]

34 minutes ago, IvySpice said:

This one's a boy toy. Talking about how he enjoys the no-strings-attached fun with Kelsey. Which is objectively Kelsey's call, but I agree with Politichick that it doesn't suggest that Lexus is learning anything about how to find a reliable partner.

Fair enough. Who posts that on social media? lol

[Pepper Mostly]

On 9/3/2018 at 12:57 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

I've noticed that all of my friends' kids call adults by our first names.  I never called any of my parents' friends by anything other than Mr. X or Mrs. Y (and never could, even when I was an adult), but 40 years ago, when my friends first started having kids, they all called me by my first name.  Mr. Outlier has one business associate whose kids call him "Mr. Outlier," and I always do a double-take when they do.

All my son's friends called me and his dad by our first names when they were kids. (They're early 20's now). I've never been a formal person and I would have cringed if I was addressed as Mrs. Now most of his pals call me Mama Mostly (owing to my penchant for plying them with meals and baked goods, and beds in adversity, I guess). Which suits me fine. My husband is Papa Mostly and he loves the shit out of it.

 

20 hours ago, IvySpice said:

Diego's moral superiority towards Bridget pushed me over the edge. "That's when I realized what a bad person she is. You just don't say that to a teenage girl." Dumbass, that's exactly who you say it to! Now Emiley is shackled to your punk ass for the next 18 years. What a disaster.

As I've said before, if it was my daughter she would have been placed in the car and brought to Planned Parenthood. Want a baby? Wait till you're out on your own.

17 hours ago, lezlers said:

Pfft, I'll leave condoms out in a candy dish for my kids if I knew they'd use them.  

I bought a box and made sure my son knew where they were once he was about 16. At 24 he still hasn't impregnated anyone.

McKayla and her mother are a mess. And really Shannon? You wanted McKayla to contribute $500 a month for expenses in that pigsty? I live in the expensive Northeast, and I have the super fancy, everything included cable package which is insanely expensive, plus electric and gas; all my utilities together, every month, don't add up to $500. Shannon's grifting, grifting hard.

And I had to thump the bejesus out of my son's back when he was a baby to raise a burp!

[gonecrackers]

6 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

As I've said before, if it was my daughter she would have been placed in the car and brought to Planned Parenthood. Want a baby? Wait till you're out on your own.

If it's about choice, then there's no choice there. It seems horrific to force an abortion on a young girl - a trauma that would never leave her.

I agree with not coddling, but choice is choice, & going either way on the issue, it's still her body.

That's why I want to know more about what is happening after the show - are the girls in school & who is taking care of the baby? How much money, assistance etc. are they getting from family & others? I want to know if they're being coddled (as in everything being done for them) or helped to become independent & responsible. She's still a kid & she'll still need to learn the ropes from someone.

8 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

And I had to thump the bejesus out of my son's back when he was a baby to raise a burp!

Yes on this.

[Pepper Mostly]

7 minutes ago, gonecrackers said:

If it's about choice, then there's no choice there. It seems horrific to force an abortion on a young girl - a trauma that would never leave her.

I agree with not coddling, but choice is choice, & going either way on the issue, it's still her body.

Oh I know. I'm indulging in hyperbole. If I had a teenage daughter she would of course know my position on birth control, (good and to be used, properly and every single time), teen pregnancy, (to be avoided at all costs), and the availability of safe, legal abortion. If my mythical daughter was as stupid and fatuous as these doe eyed little darlings I would surely lose my mind. None of the parents on this shitshow seem to be doing much parenting. They seem to just throw up their hands and say "what can you do?". I was never strict or authoritarian, pretty easy going and light on rules, but Jesus my son never got anyone pregnant or acted like a complete douchebag to any of  his friends' parents. I would have been mortified. And he would have been mortified if any of his friends or girlfriends acted like these little princes and princesses around  me and his dad!  

[gonecrackers]

5 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

I was never strict or authoritarian, pretty easy going and light on rules, but Jesus my son never got anyone pregnant or acted like a complete douchebag to any of  his friends' parents. I would have been mortified. And he would have been mortified if any of his friends or girlfriends acted like these little princes and princesses around  me and his dad!  

Yeah that baffles me & I don't understand how they didn't learn just basic respect. Never mind the 'elder' thing but just respect for another human being. And the parents just sit there & shake their heads, as in, 'have no idea how this happened'. 

I have to suspect there were no consequences for bad behavior when they were younger, so it escalated... just a thought.

Edited September 5, 2018 by gonecrackers

[BravoAddict72]

I don't think there was anything wrong with the mom bringing up abortion. I hope all the mom's brought up all the options available, including abortion and adoption. I think sometimes the parents of these pregnant girls give too much support in a way. They have a baby at a young age and get to do the fun stuff like dress them up and take pictures for social media. But it is the parents of the teenagers who are doing a lot of the work, including paying for everything. These girls (and the fathers) still get to go out and do everything a normal teenager does while the grandparents stay home and raise the grandchild. These girls never have to worry about daycare, juggling working and taking  care of kids, work a full day and come home to keep up a household and take care of kids, or things like that. The parents are making it too easy on them when they have babies at 17. I have told my children I have raised my kids. If they have a child as a teenager I am not raising it, or paying for everything. They can work and pay for everything just like we did with them. If they want to go out to have fun they can find and pay for a babysitter like we did.

[ghoulina]

13 hours ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

I haven't seen the guy, but everyone seems to be highlighting the age difference like it's the worst thing the world, and frankly I don't see how it's that bad. It's only seven years and it's awkward dating a little younger when the generations are that tight and your boyfriend's age is equidistant from yours and your daughter's, but a 25-year-old is a full on adult and hardly a boy toy for a 32-year-old. It's not like she's shacking up with a college sophomore or something. If it was a 25-year-old woman dating a 32-year-old man, I don't think anyone would bat an eye or call her arm candy. I guess there's the anxiety that he'd be into Lexus or she'd be into him when she gets older, but that's a lot of projecting. I just don't see why everyone is so scandalized by his age in particular. Kelsey is incredibly immature and stunted in her teen years for obvious reasons, so it makes sense she would go with a vapid Instagrammer as opposed to settling down with a balding 40something with a salary.

I don't care so much about the age. It was the dude himself. He was all about Snapchat filters and Instagramming his dinner, while Kelsey is bemoaning some serious shit like filing for custody of her granddaughter. He could have been the same age as her; he just seems to be in an entirely different stage of life. 

[Pepper Mostly]

35 minutes ago, BravoAddict72 said:

I don't think there was anything wrong with the mom bringing up abortion. I hope all the mom's brought up all the options available, including abortion and adoption. I think sometimes the parents of these pregnant girls give too much support in a way. They have a baby at a young age and get to do the fun stuff like dress them up and take pictures for social media. But it is the parents of the teenagers who are doing a lot of the work, including paying for everything. These girls (and the fathers) still get to go out and do everything a normal teenager does while the grandparents stay home and raise the grandchild. These girls never have to worry about daycare, juggling working and taking  care of kids, work a full day and come home to keep up a household and take care of kids, or things like that. The parents are making it too easy on them when they have babies at 17. I have told my children I have raised my kids. If they have a child as a teenager I am not raising it, or paying for everything. They can work and pay for everything just like we did with them. If they want to go out to have fun they can find and pay for a babysitter like we did.

This. Over and over again on these shows you hear these dippy girls whinging about how they just want to "go out and be a normal teenager!". Honey. You decided that you and your lumpy, mumbling, spotty, moronic boy toy should have a goddamn baby. Your "normal teenager" ship has sailed! And the parents could dole out a little tough love. You can love your child, and your grandchild, without being a pushover.

[gonecrackers]

Kelsey's bf presents as a teenager himself. There are more mature 20 somethings than him. The fact that she's into him hints at her own immaturity; as someone said - she's emotionally stunted -I tend to agree.

Edited September 5, 2018 by gonecrackers

[heatherchandler]

On 9/3/2018 at 12:37 AM, Ijustwantsomechips said:

 

God, Max is annoying!  My boyfriend and I just had the baby shower argument last week.  Personally, I think showers are for women only, and not apologetic for it.  Let the girl have one damn thing for herself before the baby comes, sheesh.  And I agree with mom, he does not need to be and should not be involved in every aspect of Chloe’s life.  You might be having a baby together, but you’re not a married couple.  She has a right to space, activities and friends outside of him.  I’d keep an eye on someone that possesive.  

 

Did your boyfriend want to go to one??  Does he know how boring they are?  I am a woman and I try to get out of them!  Just kidding, kind of.  My husband came to mine at the end to load up the car.  And he was just fine with that.

 

On 9/3/2018 at 10:17 AM, Mswldflwr said:

I detest Shannon and all.  But in the scenes for next week that shows Shannon whining for the umpteenth time, they show her baby girl sitting in her lap.  That is one gorgeous baby girl.  

 

Ehhh!!  I know I am going to hell in a handbasket, but I do not agree with that.  She looks just like Shannon.

 

On 9/3/2018 at 11:57 AM, StatisticalOutlier said:

 

I've noticed that all of my friends' kids call adults by our first names.  I never called any of my parents' friends by anything other than Mr. X or Mrs. Y (and never could, even when I was an adult), but 40 years ago, when my friends first started having kids, they all called me by my first name.  Mr. Outlier has one business associate whose kids call him "Mr. Outlier," and I always do a double-take when they do.

Maybe it'll swing back the other way--people naming their children Hazel and Mabel and having them call adults Mr. X.

 

YES - I always called people Mr or Mrs Lastname, but my kids call people Miss or Mrs. Firstname.  I am ok with that.  I am bothered when young adults and kids call people by their firstname.  It is a sign of respect to address someone Mr or Mrs.  Not surprised these kids lack respect for adults.

Edited September 5, 2018 by heatherchandler

[lezlers]

On ‎9‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 11:38 AM, Bridget said:

After uber enabling Grandma Cindy told McKayla that she’d call Shannon to break the “McKayla’s not moving in with you” news to Shannon, Grandpa Tim said McKayla needed to be the one to make the call. I am on his side. McKayla doesn’t know how to have uncomfortable conversations/go outside of her comfort zone/be an adult because she’s been catered to her whole damn life. 

In the next scene, we see freakin Cindy calling Shannon, on speaker phone, with McKayla just sitting there in silence, listening to the conversation. I was beyond livid and disappointed that Grandma bailed her out. Again. 

What the hell happened to McKayla making the call? I would love to see the footage of the argument that went down where Cindy told Tim that McKayla shouldn’t have to make the phone call. He clearly lost that battle.

Unpopular opinion perhaps, but I have never been a fan of McKayla. I saw it in season one and I just can’t with her. She pits people against each other and doesn’t get involved at all, so she doesn’t look like she’s got a voice or opinion. She remains the little girl who lost her father, had/has an addict for a mom and grew up with her grandparents. She’s playing some sort of martyr/victim act and I don’t care for it at all. She strikes me as being quite opinionated and doesn’t care who she pisses off, especially with her horrible “pranks.” 

When she mentioned going to college and how she’d need her grandparents to help, I wasn’t surprised. Not sure if it’s financial help or someone to watch the baby while she’s in classes, but God forbid she grows up and does what the rest of the world does: gets financial aid/grants that nearly every undergraduate is eligible for, along with daycare (on or off campus) for her son while she’s in school.  She can also take out some student loans and start adulting at any time. The sooner the better! 

I don’t buy the whole “I want everyone to like me” ruse she’s got going on. If she was really THAT upset about Shannon’s true intent about the two of them living together, she should’ve asked her mom to coffee and explained why she wasn’t moving in and also mentioned “it hurts my feelings that you’re looking at me as a dollar sign instead of your daughter.” By avoiding her mom, as terrible as Shannon is, McKayla is only driving a deeper wedge into their relationship. I hate that I have to say anything decent about Shannon. Damn you, McKayla!

I’m taking a wild guess here, but why the hell isn’t M in therapy? Kid or no kid, she’s got issues to work out and needs to learn some coping tools and communication skills ASAP instead of relying on her grandparents to bail her out of everything. They’re doing her no favors at all. Her crazy & ridiculous  weekly on again/off again relationship with Caelan should be a red flag to anyone who cares about her that she needs some sort of help ASAP. Whether she has daddy issues or not, that isn’t a healthy relationship for either one of them and shouldn’t be encouraged. 

M claims to be to grown in one segment, but then we see evidence of her immaturity ten minutes later. I know the editing monkeys are partially to blame, but as someone who works with teenagers of this entitled/zero responsibility for my actions era, it really pisses me off to see it happening. I don’t understand these grandparents/parents who think it’s OK to bubble wrap these teens instead of teaching their kids the basics of life:

-how to interact with and be civil/ respectful of those you don’t like

- how to handle your business appropriately (keep commitments, be the one to communicate when things go sideways)

-learn that there are consequences to your actions 

And most importantly, unprotected sex = a baby! 

I see kids practically fornicating at the mall, so I don’t understand why their parents don’t pay attention to their teens who date and the telltale signs. Working long hours + sneaky kids = maybe they don’t know, but when in doubt, talk it out! The trend I’ve seen as a teacher is that parents want to be a friend, not an authority figure.

Even if the “adults” are too embarrassed to have the sex talk with their kids, they need to head down to Planned Parenthood and grab every brochure about the services offered, take a handful of the available free condoms, throw in some phallic shaped produce and print some FAQs about safe sex. 

@AussieBabe, kudos to you for making sure your oldest is protected! If I’m honest, I wish all teenage girls had that type of prevention in place. I’m not saying that it’s up to the girls to be responsible about birth control, but let’s take a look at these boys on the show. They don’t even know to not keep an empty gasoline can in the backseat, next to their newborn in a car seat, yet are raving about how their 17 year old arses are the most knowledgeable parents who have ever lived?  I doubt they can figure out how to put on a condom correctly. 

I also think it’s smart to have both people protected to further reduce chances of an unplanned pregnancy! 

Sex education is a joke in most schools and I can confirm that the students are not told about resources like Planned Parenthood or that it takes 90 continuous days of taking the pill at the exact same time, every day, for it to be effective. The off the record conversations I’ve had with my students shocks me as they truly don’t know the first thing about how to protect themselves. I once had a group of 8th grade girls share with me that their #1 goal was to graduate high school without getting pregnant “like their sisters all did.” 

I didn’t realize I was so fired up about this until I started typing! 

I still don’t care for McKayla or her grandmother. 

I could not agree with you more about Mckayla!!  She's rubbed me the wrong way from day one.  She's a master manipulator and might be just as selfish as her horrible mother.   Have you seen her youtube channel? It's...disturbing.  And it looks like she's pregnant again.

[lezlers]

6 hours ago, gonecrackers said:

Yeah that baffles me & I don't understand how they didn't learn just basic respect. Never mind the 'elder' thing but just respect for another human being. And the parents just sit there & shake their heads, as in, 'have no idea how this happened'. 

I have to suspect there were no consequences for bad behavior when they were younger, so it escalated... just a thought.

I'm telling you guys, this show is making me bring the hammer down on my kids already, and they're only 6 and 3.   It's scaring the shit out of me. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

10 hours ago, lezlers said:

As I said in my posts, I'm operating under the assumption that she did.   If she didn't, it obviously wouldn't even be an issue.   And if you choose to not be with your underage daughter while she gives birth (they said on the show she was actually 17 at the time she gave birth) or "even show interest in being there" which is the comment I was responding to, I can't imagine any other reason than wanting to punish her for getting pregnant in the first place.  I'd be hurt as an ADULT if my mother "didn't even show interest in being there" when I was about to give  birth, I couldn't imagine how a teenager would feel about that.  I stand by my post.  That's petty and cruel.

We just don't know if she wanted her mother there or not. 

And maybe a teenager would think, "Wow--my mom said I was on my own but I didn't believe her.  But damn, it looks like she meant it.  What the hell am I going to do?  I can't do this alone--I'm not even out of high school.  Maybe I should re-think this and consider giving the baby up for adoption."

[Bridget]

10 hours ago, gonecrackers said:

Yeah that baffles me & I don't understand how they didn't learn just basic respect. Never mind the 'elder' thing but just respect for another human being. And the parents just sit there & shake their heads, as in, 'have no idea how this happened'. 

I have to suspect there were no consequences for bad behavior when they were younger, so it escalated... just a thought.

 

Come sit next to @Mrs. Hanson and me. We will tell you all about what we see in the classroom and how kids of all ages try and talk to us. I don’t want to speak for my teaching sister from another mister, but...

I know it’s not how everyone parents. What some parents don’t understand is that they are modeling behavior for their kids, 24 hours a day, even when their kids are young. Kids learn it’s OK to scream at people or act like a jackass because they see it at home and no one ever admits or says “I made a mistake by lashing out at the cashier; it was wrong of me to act like that because I had a bad day. I should apologize for my behavior.”

I also suspect it’s a combo of things that include lack of education of the parents/guardians, no respect for “society”, a sense of always being the victim, parents who are bullies or assholes model that specific behavior for their kids, having totally screwed up priorities (iPhones are way more important than having pencils for school - I am not making this up!) along with loads of other things (I blame smartphones and tablets!) that anyone over the age of 30 just did not even think about as a teenager. Period. Bottom line. End of story.

Remember the kids at school who had the weird parents who always made a scene (screaming & shouting) or barked at the teacher during Open House? Those kids didn’t act like their weird parents, at least not the ones I went to school with. 

When we (those of us here on the thread) were teens, we still knew right from wrong and knew what consequences would be for screwing up, no matter how many parents were in the house or how late they worked. We also knew if we did something stupid, no one’s parent would buddy up to us and keep their mouth shut - and that’s how it should be! We did our HW because it was expected. We didn’t mouth off to teachers. We also didn’t utter a swear word at school unless we were in the parking lot - in our car! 

Sadly, that’s not how the majority of teenagers who are in the country at the moment behave or think. However, there ARE some rock stars out there, I promise, but the idiocy and ignorance we see with these teens doesn’t shock me at all. 

Tagging in my partner in for her words of wisdom...

Edited September 6, 2018 by Bridget

[lezlers]

1 hour ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

We just don't know if she wanted her mother there or not. 

And maybe a teenager would think, "Wow--my mom said I was on my own but I didn't believe her.  But damn, it looks like she meant it.  What the hell am I going to do?  I can't do this alone--I'm not even out of high school.  Maybe I should re-think this and consider giving the baby up for adoption."

Again, I specifically said (twice) in my posts that this is assuming she wants her mom there.   I still stand by my post.  I don't think abandoning your child when they need you the most is going to make them suddenly come to a very adult and selfless realization, culminating in an instant  life altering decision to give up their baby for adoption.  And even if it did (which would never happen) congrats, you no longer have to be a grandma at a young age, but you've most certainly permanently damaged your relationship with your child in a cruel and manipulative way.  

[Ijustwantsomechips]

2 hours ago, lezlers said:

I'm telling you guys, this show is making me bring the hammer down on my kids already, and they're only 6 and 3.   It's scaring the shit out of me. 

Better safe than a grandma in ten years

[eatsleep]

On 9/2/2018 at 11:09 PM, Ivylady said:

Bridget is a bad person for suggesting an abortion? Diego is an idiot. She was absolutely right to bring up all the options available. 

 

Ugh. Next week looks a hot mess, and I can't wait. 

I'm anti-abortion, so for me, yes, suggesting abortion would be bad. (Not saying it makes her a bad person.)

But the way it felt to me was that the abortion "suggestion" came across to Diego like an abortion "recommendation" or close to an abortion "mandate." IDK how Bridget suggested it, but after Emilie relayed the discussion back to Diego, it may have sounded pretty damn uncaring. And at 17, if I perceived someone was strongly suggesting that to me, I'd prbly have just as bad an attitude. Yeah, I felt a twinge of compassion for him at that point.

[eatsleep]

On 9/3/2018 at 1:37 AM, Ijustwantsomechips said:

 

I tried to give Shannon the benefit of the doubt, but y’all were right. She really was only about the money. I don’t care for McKayla, but I felt bad for her. Obviously she was moving for the right reasons, and it never dawned on her that Shannon wasn’t. At that moment, she was just a vulnerable girl with a shitty mom who let her down once again.  Shannon is garbage. 

 

I guess if Shannon sees McKayla as an adult now, she would expect her to pitch in as an adult roommate would, and not expect to mother her as one would a child. IDK, that's such a sad and horrible type of mother/daughter relationship to.

At one point, Shannon was crying to her parents, "But you're supposed to be *MY* parents. You should have told me before I signed the lease." Very childish behavior; she sees herself on the same level as McKayla, like peers, siblings. 

[gonecrackers]

The grandparents have put McKayla on such a pedestal that it's obviously triggering Shannon - she's shown jealous behavior before. I have to point back to Tim & wife & wonder if perhaps Shannon was always a bit of a target for them growing up & beyond which caused many of her own issues, while McKayla is obviously spoiled (causing other issues for her). Given Shannon's immaturity & addictions there's no way this is a recipe for a good relationship between mother & daughter, & I don't see Tim & wife as totally blameless in this situation.

That doesn't mean Shannon shouldn't hold responsibility for her shit, or that the basement wasn't crappy, or that she wasn't downright using McKayla for income; all true. I'm just wondering about the dynamics of their relationship & how there's probably more to it from many years past that we'll never know or understand.

Edited September 6, 2018 by gonecrackers

[cmpbl]

If Max wants to go to a baby shower so bad he should have his father or friends throw one for him. Heck he can throw his own baby shower. Problem solved 

[tobeannounced]

2 hours ago, eatsleep said:

I'm anti-abortion, so for me, yes, suggesting abortion would be bad. (Not saying it makes her a bad person.)

But the way it felt to me was that the abortion "suggestion" came across to Diego like an abortion "recommendation" or close to an abortion "mandate." IDK how Bridget suggested it, but after Emilie relayed the discussion back to Diego, it may have sounded pretty damn uncaring. And at 17, if I perceived someone was strongly suggesting that to me, I'd prbly have just as bad an attitude. Yeah, I felt a twinge of compassion for him at that point.

I'm pro-choice, but I really felt like Diego and Emilie looked genuinely upset when remembering the incident, so I'm wondering how it all went down.

[Mrs. Hanson]

23 hours ago, Bridget said:

Come sit next to @Mrs. Hanson and me. We will tell you all about what we see in the classroom and how kids of all ages try and talk to us. I don’t want to speak for my teaching sister from another mister, but...

I know it’s not how everyone parents. What some parents don’t understand is that they are modeling behavior for their kids, 24 hours a day, even when their kids are young. Kids learn it’s OK to scream at people or act like a jackass because they see it at home and no one ever admits or says “I made a mistake by lashing out at the cashier; it was wrong of me to act like that because I had a bad day. I should apologize for my behavior.”

I also suspect it’s a combo of things that include lack of education of the parents/guardians, no respect for “society”, a sense of always being the victim, parents who are bullies or assholes model that specific behavior for their kids, having totally screwed up priorities (iPhones are way more important than having pencils for school - I am not making this up!) along with loads of other things (I blame smartphones and tablets!) that anyone over the age of 30 just did not even think about as a teenager. Period. Bottom line. End of story.

Remember the kids at school who had the weird parents who always made a scene (screaming & shouting) or barked at the teacher during Open House? Those kids didn’t act like their weird parents, at least not the ones I went to school with. 

When we (those of us here on the thread) were teens, we still knew right from wrong and knew what consequences would be for screwing up, no matter how many parents were in the house or how late they worked. We also knew if we did something stupid, no one’s parent would buddy up to us and keep their mouth shut - and that’s how it should be! We did our HW because it was expected. We didn’t mouth off to teachers. We also didn’t utter a swear word at school unless we were in the parking lot - in our car! 

Sadly, that’s not how the majority of teenagers who are in the country at the moment behave or think. However, there ARE some rock stars out there, I promise, but the idiocy and ignorance we see with these teens doesn’t shock me at all. 

Tagging in my partner in for her words of wisdom...

I am one of the few teachers who still loves (LOVES!) parent teacher conferences.  The apple rarely falls from the tree.  Weird parents make weird kids, bully parents make bully kids, etc.  There are a few exceptions to the rule but.....yeah.  Happily, most well adjusted, well meaning parents make great kids!!!    And not to get too off topic:  I had a GREAT phone call today with a parent who TOTALLY had her kid's number, saying "Oh hell no, he is NOT going to act a fool in school - we are partners, Mrs. Hanson!"  YAY!!!

Being a role model is hard, which as parents we all are whether you like it or not.  This summer my almost 20 yr old son and a former neighbor boy (age 14) were working in the yard for me.  Went to a Home Depot, got supplies and left.  Next to my car was a potted plant/tree someone had left - my first thought was to take it!!! LOL!  But no, gotta be a role model, even for older kids.  (Oh who are we fooling, I would have brought it into the store regardless.)

[Bridget]

9 hours ago, eatsleep said:

I'm anti-abortion, so for me, yes, suggesting abortion would be bad. (Not saying it makes her a bad person.)

But the way it felt to me was that the abortion "suggestion" came across to Diego like an abortion "recommendation" or close to an abortion "mandate." IDK how Bridget suggested it, but after Emilie relayed the discussion back to Diego, it may have sounded pretty damn uncaring. And at 17, if I perceived someone was strongly suggesting that to me, I'd prbly have just as bad an attitude. Yeah, I felt a twinge of compassion for him at that point.

I suspect it was a really bad game of “Telephone” when Emiley told Diego about her mom’s suggestions or ideas for how to handle the situation.

This is the same girl who wanted him to come over to the house so she could pack her hospital bag.

Sadly, many teenagers only hear things the way that they want to hear things (and the content as well). Even when adults are mindful of things like tone, word choice, and respect, it all goes out of the window when teens are hearing anything they don’t want to be told. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if Emiley presented it as something like: “My mom is forcing me to get an abortion!”, which would naturally upset Diego and create more animosity towards his baby mama’a mama.

Just like those of us who want to know about the logistics of life after baby (Do the moms go to school? How do they handle daycare? What is life really like?), I’d love to see the teen parents and their parents sit down and talk about realistic options before the baby is born. It’s wishful thinking, I know, but perhaps realizing how tough it will be before the baby arrives would do more to deter teen pregnancy than showing scenes from a baby shower or Pinterest-perfect nurseries. 

Edited September 7, 2018 by Bridget

[Soup333]

On 9/5/2018 at 12:26 PM, Pepper Mostly said:

And I had to thump the bejesus out of my son's back when he was a baby to raise a burp!

In hindsight, it may also have been the microphones making it seem super loud to me. 

20 hours ago, eatsleep said:

I'm anti-abortion, so for me, yes, suggesting abortion would be bad. (Not saying it makes her a bad person.)

But the way it felt to me was that the abortion "suggestion" came across to Diego like an abortion "recommendation" or close to an abortion "mandate." IDK how Bridget suggested it, but after Emilie relayed the discussion back to Diego, it may have sounded pretty damn uncaring. And at 17, if I perceived someone was strongly suggesting that to me, I'd prbly have just as bad an attitude. Yeah, I felt a twinge of compassion for him at that point.

I don't know...I don't trust Diego enough to believe that he was that traumatized by all this. Emily clearly likes this boy and his family and I think she wanted this baby, may have even not cared that they were having unprotected sex and could get pregnant. Maybe her mother already didn't trust this kid (because he's an obvious douche) and she heavily suggested abortion because she didn't want her daughter connected to him for the rest of her life.

I'd rather have a parent present all options than force their child to do something they really don't want. When my mother found out I was pregnant at 17 she told me, "we don't believe in abortions in this family" and that was that. Being a teenage parent definitely impacted my life in long-lasting and pretty terrible ways. 

[readheaded]

12 hours ago, Bridget said:

I suspect it was a really bad game of “Telephone” when Emiley told Diego about her mom’s suggestions or ideas for how to handle the situation.

This is the same girl who wanted him to come over to the house so she could pack her hospital bag.

Sadly, many teenagers only hear things the way that they want to hear things (and the content as well). Even when adults are mindful of things like tone, word choice, and respect, it all goes out of the window when teens are hearing anything they don’t want to be told. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if Emiley presented it as something like: “My mom is forcing me to get an abortion!”, which would naturally upset Diego and create more animosity towards his baby mama’a mama.

Just like those of us who want to know about the logistics of life after baby (Do the moms go to school? How do they handle daycare? What is life really like?), I’d love to see the teen parents and their parents sit down and talk about realistic options before the baby is born. It’s wishful thinking, I know, but perhaps realizing how tough it will be before the baby arrives would do more to deter teen pregnancy than showing scenes from a baby shower or Pinterest-perfect nurseries. 

Agreed!  I think Emiley and to some degree, Diego, have this romantic view of having a baby rather than the more realistic view that Emiley's mom has so any suggestion that it all won't magically work out is just unfathomable to Emiley and Diego.

[configdotsys]

19 hours ago, eatsleep said:

I guess if Shannon sees McKayla as an adult now, she would expect her to pitch in as an adult roommate would, and not expect to mother her as one would a child. IDK, that's such a sad and horrible type of mother/daughter relationship to.

At one point, Shannon was crying to her parents, "But you're supposed to be *MY* parents. You should have told me before I signed the lease." Very childish behavior; she sees herself on the same level as McKayla, like peers, siblings. 

Shannon's behavior is so incredibly infantile. It's like her growth stopped at a young age and never advanced. To quote the great Stewie Griffin: "It's like she's FUCKING FIVE!"

17 hours ago, cmpbl said:

If Max wants to go to a baby shower so bad he should have his father or friends throw one for him. Heck he can throw his own baby shower. Problem solved 

I don't think I've ever gone to a baby shower. Even at work when they have them. They are just not my thing. Wedding showers either. I had no shower. I told my friends that I did not want one. I don't judge those that like them and attend, but the idea of sitting watching someone open presents and ooohing and aahhing and putting ribbons on their head or something is just so insanely unappealing to me. That being said, Diego went to the shower. I think on the Teen Mom shows some of the guys were at the showers too. As I remember from years back they were a gal thing only but it seems this has changed along with co-bachelor/bachelorette parties so I don't have an issue with Max going unless Chloe wants it to be a gal only event. It seemed to me that the mother's dislike for Max was the motivation for not wanting him there, not that guys don't belong at baby showers. That's wrong, IMO. I am not crazy about him either but did feel bad for him when they were making fun of him making whatever they were making.  I think Max genuinely feels he belongs there because it is his baby too, not because he wants to keep an eye on Chloe or anything.

12 hours ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

I am one of the few teachers who still loves (LOVES!) parent teacher conferences. 

I LOVE parent/teacher conferences. 

[ghoulina]

21 hours ago, tobeannounced said:

I'm pro-choice, but I really felt like Diego and Emilie looked genuinely upset when remembering the incident, so I'm wondering how it all went down.

To be fair, though, Emily ALWAYS looks upset. She has perpetual "I'm about to cry" face. 

[jacksgirl]

Emiley's mom may work in the medical field (thought gathered from her clothing and badge). She seems pretty calm and measured. I'm guessing that she put adoption, abortion and raising the child as the 3 options pretty calmly and with reasoning behind all 3. Diego is a rude and insolent child who thinks he is hot stuff, I don't believe 1/10 of what comes out of his mouth. Mom had every right and responsibility to bring up all options. I, for one love these young parents getting their comeuppance when the baby is 2 weeks old and crying day and night. Chloe is in for a rude awakening. Hope it's on film. I know it's not the reason behind the series, but does anyone consider adoption these days?

Edited September 9, 2018 by jacksgirl

[gonecrackers]

Was that Emilie's mother running the red light in the previews, saying it's 'legal when you have a pregnant lady in labor'?  She could've killed them all.

[readheaded]

50 minutes ago, gonecrackers said:

Was that Emilie's mother running the red light in the previews, saying it's 'legal when you have a pregnant lady in labor'?  She could've killed them all.

I couldn't tell if that was her mother or someone else.  Maybe Diego's mother or a friend?  Her mother doesn't seem like she'd do that.

[gonecrackers]

1 hour ago, readheaded said:

I couldn't tell if that was her mother or someone else.  Maybe Diego's mother or a friend?  Her mother doesn't seem like she'd do that.

Whoever it was shouldn't ever be driving.

Edited September 10, 2018 by gonecrackers

[PityFree]

4 hours ago, gonecrackers said:

Was that Emilie's mother running the red light in the previews, saying it's 'legal when you have a pregnant lady in labor'?  She could've killed them all.

And other drivers and innocent pedestrians. I am furious, just furious that she took that kind of a chance.  The mom is a moron.

Also, no one wants you around Max. You are creepy and weird and odd. Take a hint.

Edited September 10, 2018 by PityFree

[Ivylady]

Diego's sheer presence irritates me. His whole little speech about dealing with people you hate irked my spirit. 

 

Max is a leech who thinks because he knocked up Chloe he's part of the family. No. He's just the guy who knocked up their daughter. 

 

Loved Chloe's stepfather talking about them worried about it being awkward going out when she's 16 and pregnant. I laughed. 

[Ivylady]

Shannon still thinks like an addict. She's very selfish in her thoughts and actions, while deflecting blame on others. McKayla may be annoying, but she's 17. Shannon is 37 with the mentality of a teenager. It's really sad to watch. 

[Ivylady]

4 hours ago, gonecrackers said:

Was that Emilie's mother running the red light in the previews, saying it's 'legal when you have a pregnant lady in labor'?  She could've killed them all.

That's her grandmother apparently. She sounds crazy. "We're going 68 in a 45. Let's get it up to 70." No. 

 

I didn't realize Lexus didn't have insurance for Scarlet. That's crazy. She should qualify for Medicaid if Kelsey can't add her to her insurance, right? That means that she was too lazy to fill out the paperwork, which is ridiculous. 

[DVDFreaker]

Lauren is fucked up in the head wanting to be a stripper, gross! 

[Mswldflwr]

Yes, Max, you little turd.  Chloe's mom does have control over her.  She's 16.  Her mom gets to call the shots for a minor, like it or not.  

[ghoulina]

Emily's grandma needs to calm down. Running red lights and shit. Emily wasn't even in active labor yet.

Y'all, Diego ain't TRYING to be a guru, but damned if his profound wisdom about flies on poop didn't get to me. NOT. (Also, is he the poop???? And Bridget's the fly?)

 

I feel like Kelsey just keeps threatening a whole bunch of shit, but never follows through. That's why Lexus is the way she is. I'm over it. 

 

I'm also really starting to dislike Jessica. The more i watch her, the more sneaky and underhanded she comes off. She was ADAMANT about Max not coming to the shower. Then she's all, "I'm fine with Max coming. I'm all about new beginnings, but if you want to hold on to stuff..." It's like she's trying to gaslight her own daughter. And I really didn't like her judging what Chloe got upset about. 

She's just super passive aggressive. She refuses to address anything. Bitches about it, then acts all fake. 

 

I really have no words for Shannon. She is relentless. Sends a bunch of guilt texts, then pops by to play victim and cry in your face. 

I get irritated by McKayla's refusal to speak up, but I almost kind of get it. Shannon is just SO narcissistic.

I liked how she tried to out her dad as an alcoholic. Oh, and notice Calen got Timmy out of there, but Shannon had no issue screaming in HER baby's ear. She's trash. 

[Mswldflwr]

Diego is the absolute worst.  His parents should hang their heads in shame for raising such a total and complete shithead.

[DVDFreaker]

No one talking about Lexus, she is such a big crybaby not getting her driver’s lincense, she should have been more prepared but she did not so I do not think she is prepared to take care of her daughter either

30 minutes ago, ghoulina said:

Emily's grandma needs to calm down. Running red lights and shit. Emily wasn't even in active labor yet.

Y'all, Diego ain't TRYING to be a guru, but damned if his profound wisdom about flies on poop didn't get to me. NOT. (Also, is he the poop???? And Bridget's the fly?)

 

I feel like Kelsey just keeps threatening a whole bunch of shit, but never follows through. That's why Lexus is the way she is. I'm over it. 

 

I'm also really starting to dislike Jessica. The more i watch her, the more sneaky and underhanded she comes off. She was ADAMANT about Max not coming to the shower. Then she's all, "I'm fine with Max coming. I'm all about new beginnings, but if you want to hold on to stuff..." It's like she's trying to gaslight her own daughter. And I really didn't like her judging what Chloe got upset about. 

She's just super passive aggressive. She refuses to address anything. Bitches about it, then acts all fake. 

 

I really have no words for Shannon. She is relentless. Sends a bunch of guilt texts, then pops by to play victim and cry in your face. 

I get irritated by McKayla's refusal to speak up, but I almost kind of get it. Shannon is just SO narcissistic.

I liked how she tried to out her dad as an alcoholic. Oh, and notice Calen got Timmy out of there, but Shannon had no issue screaming in HER baby's ear. She's trash. 

I hope Shannon goes away, she is a piece of shit

[FairyDusted]

43 minutes ago, ghoulina said:

Emily's grandma needs to calm down. Running red lights and shit. Emily wasn't even in active labor yet.

Y'all, Diego ain't TRYING to be a guru, but damned if his profound wisdom about flies on poop didn't get to me. NOT. (Also, is he the poop???? And Bridget's the fly?)

 

I feel like Kelsey just keeps threatening a whole bunch of shit, but never follows through. That's why Lexus is the way she is. I'm over it. 

 

I'm also really starting to dislike Jessica. The more i watch her, the more sneaky and underhanded she comes off. She was ADAMANT about Max not coming to the shower. Then she's all, "I'm fine with Max coming. I'm all about new beginnings, but if you want to hold on to stuff..." It's like she's trying to gaslight her own daughter. And I really didn't like her judging what Chloe got upset about. 

She's just super passive aggressive. She refuses to address anything. Bitches about it, then acts all fake. 

 

I really have no words for Shannon. She is relentless. Sends a bunch of guilt texts, then pops by to play victim and cry in your face. 

I get irritated by McKayla's refusal to speak up, but I almost kind of get it. Shannon is just SO narcissistic.

I liked how she tried to out her dad as an alcoholic. Oh, and notice Calen got Timmy out of there, but Shannon had no issue screaming in HER baby's ear. She's trash. 

ALL of THIS^^^^^^

I think I'm tapping out. It's hard to work up any sympathy for anyone in this crowd. That and Shannon being featured. @ghoulina is right.....NO WORDS!

[Soup333]

Maybe McKayla didn’t want to make Shannon even more upset. Or she realized there’s no reasoning with her. Shannon is such a manipulative person she might have turned everything McKayla was saying around on her anyway. 

Speaking of manipulative people...Jessica is coming in right after Shannon as worst mom/grandma (I’ll get to you Kelsey). That was an almost unbelievable display of gaslighting, fake tears, passive aggression  and straight up lying. She HATES Max and we’ve all seen her say it ad nauseum but to his face (in front of her parents) it’s all forgiven. She made her daughter cry and then turned it all around and said Chloe was disrespectful. Unless there was something said that wasn’t shown, I didn’t see it. Kid is between a rock and a hard place trying to please Max and her mother. 

Finally, Miss Kelsey. She has zero grounds for wanting custody of the child unless we’re not being shown something. Yes, Lexis should have known the reqs for getting her license but that’s no reason to try and get custody. 

As far as the medical coverage for the baby, somebody has been paying for well baby visits/shots and if they’ve gone almost a year without insurance and just paying cash that’s on Kelsey just as much as Lexis. After all, who’d be paying the bill? I’d bet Lexis doesn’t even know how to apply for assistance. If Kelsey didn’t need it, why would Lexis know anything about it? Somebody should have sat Lexis down and explained to her how it worked and how she could apply. Before Scarlett was damn near a year old. 

Again, Diego is trash. I’m sure we won’t go a week without having to say that. And I think that was grandma driving the car. It’s all fun and games until somebody gets killed. I can’t believe that old lady was that reckless. Emily didn’t even appear to have her seat belt on. 

[Babysnark23]

Car er.....I mean Lexus- does anyone feel the urge to take scissors to those god awful greasy bangs! I cannot focus on anything else! They would annoy the hell out of me every time I blinked. 

 

I really like Grandpa being in Stage 5 Clinger’s  corner though about his wanting to be involved! 

Edited September 10, 2018 by Babysnark23
Grammar is important.

[Ivylady]

1 hour ago, ghoulina said:

I really have no words for Shannon. She is relentless. Sends a bunch of guilt texts, then pops by to play victim and cry in your face. 

I get irritated by McKayla's refusal to speak up, but I almost kind of get it. Shannon is just SO narcissistic.

I liked how she tried to out her dad as an alcoholic. Oh, and notice Calen got Timmy out of there, but Shannon had no issue screaming in HER baby's ear. She's trash. 

Exactly. The more I watch Shannon, the more McKayla's behavior makes sense. There was no point in saying anything because all Shannon was going to do was cry and deflect and lay blame. She holds the entire family hostage to her emotions, and McKayla absolutely shut down. I know people like Shannon in real life. Once they get going, the best thing to do is shut up. It's unfortunate, but you don't want to give them anymore ammo to use against you. 

 

Jessica needs to sit Max and Chloe down and explain the issue. She doesn't like Max, doesn't like his clinging, and needs him to go home. That's not hard to say. She should be honest about it. Max needs to stop trying to force these people into roles they don't want. They aren't your family - they're Chloe's (and the baby's).

 

Emiley and Diego grate on my nerves. They belong together. 

[RedBagWithMakeup]

Chloe's mom is awful. She is constantly negative and complaining, and self involved. I get the sense that her family members all go along with what she wants to have a modicum of peace.

[KBrownie]

If Chloe and Max have such a problem with her mother, then they can always find them somewhere to live and take care of and provide for the child they decided to bring into the world.  Same with Lexus and Shayden when it comes to Kelsey.  And Diego.

Oh, wait.  They can't do that, can they?  Because they have absolutely no way of providing for the child they've selfishly decided to create and bring into the world.  None of them have any jobs, can't even provide the basic of needs for their own child, but have such problems with the people who are providing literally everything for their kid.  There is no sense of "maybe I should just be quiet and suck it up since this person is doing everything for me and my kid right now."  No, it's "I have rights!"  "It's my kid!"  Then step the f up and take of care of your own shit then, Chole/Max/Lexus/Shayden/Diego.  Then you wouldn't have to deal with anyone else when it came to your child.  But you can't, can you?  So STFU and be grateful that someone else is doing what you can't and providing, very well from the looks of some of these cribs, clothes, etc., for a child that they didn't ask for, yet are completely responsible for.

I don't care, Kelsey, Jessica, Bridget, etc. are allowed to feel however they want about these situations that their idiot children put them in.  If their kid and their idiot partners don't like it, then they can pack their shit and try it on their own.  They don't have to grin and bear it if they don't feel like it just to appease the unappreciative and entitled boyfriends and their own useless daughters who are doing nothing to help.  And for the most part, they have been grinning and bearing it.  They are surrounded by idiots playing house who have no clue about anything and for the most part they keep their mouths shut, otherwise, things would be a lot worse.