Teen Moms stars Bentley and Ashley discuss how they can better parent their son.

Ex Ryan Edwards and Maci Bookout haven't been able to see eye-to-eye for years in regards to their son Bentley's coparenting. However, the pair made a significant breakthrough on Tuesday's special "Teen Mom Family Reunion".

Ryan did not appear on the latest season of "Teen Mom OG", or "Family Reunion", but Bookout invited him and Jen to the latter to help them "work through some issues or at least to put something on the table and see what happens."

They didn't go along with the rest of crew to the therapy-filled retreat, Ryan stating that he couldn’t due to "a job I have to go to", but they did join Maci for a 2-part "Aftermath” special on Tuesday night.

Maci said that Ryan's relationship with her is "kinda nonexistent" and that it had been "a long time" since their last conversation. She said that things were much better for Jen than they were a few decades ago, but they still had a lot of stuff to sort through.

"I would just like to be allowed to, for Maci be okay with being in a position to see him. Ryan wept as he talked about their 14-year old son. "Hell, I just miss him. It was a lot of times that I was not there to watch him play ball.

Maci was moved to tears when Ryan stated that he would continue to show up in the future. However, he said that it wouldn't work if he had to "deal with all the other things that I've had in the past, and just everyone else along the way."

Maci replied, "I looked at him and could see his pain. I honestly felt like I was staring down at Bentley." It's obvious that it was bittersweet. However, I appreciate his vulnerability and ownership. It felt like a breath of fresh, little by little, all the things he was committing too. This would make Bentley's heart so full.

She said, "Ryan there's a part in Bentley that's hurting, he loves and cares so much for you, and there's only one person who can heal that hurt, and that's you." He wants to be in a relationship with your more than anything.

Ryan made a commitment to be a consistent presence in his son’s life. Maci also spoke out about how she could help them have a better coparenting relationship.

She said that one of her goals was to keep Ryan informed about everything Bentley is doing. Before acknowledging that they have had some difficulties communicating respectfully in the past, she added that Ryan and Ryan were in a lot of trouble in the past.

"I agree, I said certain things that were hurtful. Ryan admitted that he was sorry. Maci, however, said that Ryan had also said "many other things that were hurtful and disrespectful with blatant disregard for you feelings."

She also said, likely to be referring to her husband's substance abuse issues, "I also apologize for not making more effort to understand your struggles and battles." "I should have treated your like a human being. If I could go back and change it, I would. But I will do it differently moving forward, and I am sorry."

They agreed to focus on their coparenting relationship with just Maci and the other two of them, before adding more people. Maci said that her son would love more one-on-1 time with his dad in the future.

Maci and Ryan have had a difficult coparenting relationship, despite Ryan's history of substance abuse and arrests. Taylor and Maci felt that Edwards was not taking initiative to have a healthy relationship with their son in recent seasons. Ryan is alleged to have refused to go to therapy for Bentley.

Maci's relationship to his parents, Jen, and Larry, was always more cordial, at least until Season 9. Maci and Ryan argued with Bentley's grandparents during a first-half reunion. They accused them of guilt-tripping him into going out with his father. The four of them got into a heated argument and they didn't manage to get things under control by the end of the series.

In September, Maci spoke out to TooFab to say that their relationship with Jen was not the same as it was in the past, but that it wasn't. I wouldn't say it's any closer to the way we left the reunion.

She said that Ryan and she didn't speak or see each other at the time. This is a significant development.

-----------------------------------

Title: Maci Bookout and Ryan Edwards Have Emotional Coparenting Conversation About Son Bentley
Sourced From: toofab.com/2023/02/22/maci-bookout-ryan-edwards-coparenting-conversation-son-bentley-teen-mom/
Published Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2023 21:14:23 +0000

Read More