In the world of reality TV, it's unusual to watch a family evolve over a span of more than 12 years. But ever since Maci Bookout McKinney appeared on 16 and Pregnant in June , viewers have had a front-row seat to her life.
And while her year-old son, Bentley Edwards , has been along for the entire ride, it's only recently that the middle school student became an important voice in mental health awareness. For the past two seasons of Teen Mom OG , Bentley has been going to therapy to work through issues relating to his relationship with his father, Ryan. And while some were quick to criticize the family for opening up about a personal journey, Maci made it clear that the decision came after much thought and consideration.
News before marking World Mental Health Day. Pretty much from the get-go, he was down to do it. The producer and I made it very clear that anytime he doesn't want to talk about it, at any time, then he can just say the word. Maci continued, "We were constantly checking in on where he stood with his comfort level. While the show has never aired Bentley's therapy sessions before, cameras often roll when Maci and Taylor ask how his sessions. Although Maci admitted that Bentley doesn't always want to talk in the moment, he knows his story can help others.
She explained: "We talked about it before we started filming. We asked if it was something that he would even want to film and discuss on camera at all, and I even asked if he cares if Taylor and I discussed it on camera. The producer and I made it very clear that anytime he doesn't want to talk about it, at any time, then he can just say the word.
The young adolescent hopes that his story will inspire other children and encourage them to reach out for help. Maci said: "He made a couple of comments in the discussion about wanting kids to know that it's normal and it's very much okay to see a counselor or a therapist. I thought it was quite extraordinary for someone his age, but he's wise beyond his years.
Viewers watched as the seventh grader refused to see his father until he agreed to go to therapy with him to work on their strained relationship. She explained that Ryan has had "one or two" phone calls with the counselor adding: "So nothing progressed beyond that. Ryan has had a strained relationship with his son due to his on-going battle with drug addiction.
It's still kind of up in the air at this point, as far as his relationship with Ryan. She had Bentley in and says she doesn't even want to "think about" what could be coming in his teenage years.
I keep thinking about [how] 13 is three years away from the age I was when I got pregnant with him, driving, all that scary stuff. I still have no idea what I'm doing.
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