Teen Mom Maci Bookout says son Bentley, 12, wants to ‘normalize’ therapy for kids amid struggles with dad Ryan Edwards
TEEN Mom Maci Bookout revealed her preteen son Bentley aims to “normalize” therapy for kids after reaching out for help in dealing with his relationship with his father Ryan Edwards.
The Teen Mom OG star boasted about the 12-year-old in an interview with E! News ahead of World Mental Health Day.
Maci – who has been documenting her life as a teen mother since appearing on MTV‘s 16 and Pregnant in 2009 – opened up about her son’s efforts to destigmatize therapy for children his age.
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.
“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.
“We were constantly checking in on where he stood with his comfort level.”
Bentley has openly aired his mental health struggles on the popular series while navigating the difficult relationship he has with his father, Ryan, 33.
The young adolescent hopes that his story will inspire other children and encourage them to reach out for help.
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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.
“He said that if you’re watching me on the show and you think I’m cool because I’m on TV, then I can maybe normalize this for you. I thought it was quite extraordinary for someone his age, but he’s wise beyond his years.”