Trent and Amber Johnston have made some big parenting mistakes on 7 Little Johnstons, which they haven’t been able to fully recover from. While the duo undoubtedly loves their five children, they haven’t always made the best choices on their parenthood journey. Whether they thought they were doing the right thing or not, it’s certainly impacted their relationship with their kids.
According to TLC, the family of seven on 7 Little Johnstons is the world’s largest known family of achondroplasia dwarfs, and the show centers on their lives as a family. Trent and Amber have two biological children, Jonah and Elizabeth (Liz) Johnston, and they later adopted Anna, Emma, and Alex Johnston. Like any good parents, Trent and Amber are proud of their children, and are invested in their lives. However, that hasn’t stopped them from making some major mistakes along the way. It’s time to look at ten parenting mistakes the 7 Little Johnstons couple have made with their five children.
10 Amber’s Reaction To Emma’s Homecoming Makeover
When Emma was preparing for her homecoming dance, her sisters Liz and Anna helped her to get ready for the big night. They assisted her with picking out a dress, and Liz did her makeup and hair. However, getting Emma ready for the dance wasn’t a simple process, as Amber was involved. Emma went through quite a few different makeup trials before her mother approved of a look that she didn’t deem the equivalent of a, “boulevard worker.” Amber’s strict and controlling expectations about Emma’s hair and makeup on 7 Little Johnstons didn’t cast her in the best light.
9 Amber’s Attitude When Taking Alex To The Airport
When it was time to drive Alex to the airport, so he could visit his girlfriend Allie in Ohio, it wasn’t a smooth trip on 7 Little Johnstons. Amber didn’t account for the traffic, and the amount of time it would take to find a parking space once they arrived. As concerned as she was about Alex missing his flight, she didn’t prepare him, in terms of time management or building his confidence.
He was already nervous about where to go and what to do once he got to the airport, since it was his first flight. Her attitude on their way there didn’t help. Neither did her frustration over not knowing where to park.
8 Amber & Trent’s Expectations Of Anna
Throughout the seasons of 7 Little Johnstons, Trent and Amber have seemingly held their daughter Anna to a different standard than her siblings. She’s considered the free spirit and rebellious one in her family, who often found herself being corrected by her parents. Anna grew up in a Russian orphanage for the first four years of her life, and struggled to form relationships once she was adopted by Amber and Trent. Now that Anna is an adult, she’s made immense progress. However, Amber admits that she dropped the ball in her early years, and feels she could have done more emotionally to help her transition.
7 Amber & Trent Coddling Alex
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Ever since the beginning of 7 Little Johnstons, Alex has been treated as the baby of the family. While it’s true that he’s the youngest, Trent and Amber still tend to coddle him, even though he is now a teenager. Throughout the seasons, his siblings have been annoyed with his complaining, and inability to mature and be independent. His parents’ attitude toward him is only hindering him in the long run, as he gets closer to adulthood.
6 Amber & Trent’s Involvement In Liz & Brice’s House
When Liz’s relationship with her boyfriend Brice started to become more serious on 7 Little Johnstons, it didn’t take long for her parents to get involved. Liz and Brice had plans to move in together, and started looking for a home they could call their own. Instead of letting them figure it out on their own, and truly take that step towards independence, Trent and Amber stepped in. They gave their opinion on the matter. Liz is now 21 years old, but her parents still aren’t allowing her to grow, and learn from her mistakes.
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5 Amber & Trent’s Disapproval Of Anna’s Career Choice
In the earlier seasons of 7 Little Johnstons, Anna expressed to Trent and Amber her interest in working at a hair salon. Her parents didn’t necessarily back up her plan. They felt that she needed to attend college to build a solid foundation for success. That could help her if her cosmetologist aspirations didn’t work out. However, they did get her an opportunity to job shadow at a hair salon. When she had a challenging day, they didn’t try to support or encourage her.
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4 Trent & Amber’s Judgment Toward Jonah’s Job
When Jonah came home and talked to his parents about becoming a car salesman, they doubted it was a job Jonah could make a career out of. They felt he needed to set his sights on something more stable, because relying on sales and a commission can mean fluctuating income. It can be hard to make it work. Despite their heart-to-heart, which was meant to be loving and eye-opening on 7 Little Johnstons, Jonah proved that it was a job he could succeed at. Trent now works at a car dealership as well.
3 Trent & Amber’s Involvement In Liz & Brice’s Relationship
Liz and Brice are high school sweethearts, and have continued their relationship well into adulthood on 7 Little Johnstons. Now that their relationship is getting more serious, and they’re getting older, Trent and Amber still set boundaries in their relationship. They have gotten involved in the personal details of their lives, and have made it clear they don’t want them to have an intimate relationship together.
2 Trent & Amber Going Through Jonah’s Phone
Trent and Amber overstepped their boundaries as parents when they admitted to reading Jonah’s text messages with his girlfriend, Ashley. Jonah is 23 years old, and had been dating his girlfriend, Ashley, for quite some time. Then, his parents invaded his privacy. They spoke out about the incident on 7 Little Johnstons on TLC.
However, they didn’t necessarily see anything wrong with their behavior. Jonah’s Delta 8 drug scare prompted them to look through his phone and read his text messages, so they could find out if anything else was going on. They then sat down with Jonah and Ashley, and gave them their opinion about their relationship.
1 Trent & Amber Were Involved In Jonah & Ashley’s Breakup
Jonah and Ashley’s intense conversation with Trent and Amber influenced them to take a step back, and reevaluate their relationship on 7 Little Johnstons. They listened to what they had to say, and understood that it would be best for both of them if they took time to process everything. Jonah’s drug scare, and issues with anxiety, started to take a toll on their relationship. Trent and Amber’s encouragement to not rush into anything played a role in them breaking up.
