In December, Lauryn Shannon gave birth to her baby, becoming a mother at 17.
Now, a few months later, she’s 18, and opening up about her experience with new motherhood.
As it turns out, she really, really wishes that she’d waited before having a child.
It should comes as no surprise to fans of From Not to Hot or of Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon herself that members of this family can be outspoken … and sometimes blunt.
Well, speaking on Gonzo Podcasts (no relation to the muppet character or the porn style), Lauryn says that she wishes that she had waited before becoming a mother.
Speaking frankly, she reveals something that she would change about her life:
“I would probably change how young I was when I had kids.”
That … makes sense.
Lauryn continues, explaining that she had never intended to become a teenage mother.
“Because my original plan when I decided that I was gonna have kids, like, when I was younger.”
In her youth, the 18-year-old says, she already had an age in mind — an exact number.
“I was like, ‘Alright, I’m gonna wait until I’m 24.”
But she was just 17 when Ella Grace Efird was born. Lauryn now regrets that.
“And I wish maybe sometimes I wish I would’ve been able to do that.”
Alas, you can’t change history.
And, some would say, perhaps you shouldn’t admit that you wish that you could while speaking on a podcast when you’re famous and this can absolutely get back to your daughter when she is older.
Lauryn elaborates, speaking about the difficulties of being a parent.
“It has its struggles because Josh has a full-time job now, and with it just being me here and Alana some of the time and maybe my mom, it is super hard.”
At least she has family to help, but … that can only do so much.
She says that her baby-daddy, Josh, is able to shoulder some of the burden, even though June Shannon doesn’t hesitate to trash the father of her granddaughter.
“But when he gets home, it’s not as complicated because he helps out a lot.”
Ultimately, though, Lauryn doesn’t sound bitter about her current life.
“Honestly, I’m glad I get to grow with my child.”
Lauryn talks about other things on the podcast, too. She answers a question from a nervous fan who wants to know if she and her family still eat like they did on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
Obviously, Mama June has dramatically changed her diet as part of her famous makeover that gave her her current insane figure.
But Lauryn says that aside from buttered “sketti,” the over-boiled spaghetti noodles mixed with margarine and sometimes ketchup that the family would eat, their diets haven’t really remained the same.
So it doesn’t sound like Lauryn is going to be feeding her daughter any, um, roadkill or sugared cranberry sauce any time soon.
Honestly, most people had probably assumed as much. The reason for the bizarre foods eaten on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo wasn’t a personal preference, it was born of a desire to feed a family living in extreme poverty.
Some would slam Lauryn for speaking about this. What if Ella grows up and hears this one day?
Others would say that this is an important warning for Ella — as well as for other young women.
Having a child when you’re not even old enough to vote isn’t the same thing as holding a cute baby. There’s a lot more to motherhood than cute little photoshoots of a peacefully sleeping baby.
In a world where Kylie Jenner is showing off the sexy side of young motherhood, it’s important for people to get a dose of reality from their reality stars.
