On the same page! Whitney Bates, Carlin Bates and Erin Bates exclusively shared their parenting dos and don’ts with Us Weekly.
While documenting their kids’ lives on social media, the Bringing Up Bates stars are intentional about never stooping to mom-shamers’ levels.
“I never respond to anybody that genuinely doesn’t want an answer,” Erin, 29, recently told Us. “So if it’s just somebody saying, ‘Your kid looks ugly,’ I feel like there’s really not any reason to respond to people that have a negative light.”
The pianist added that while there are “a lot of mean people in the world,” she is “very blessed” to have more kind followers on Instagram that “encourage and uplift” her, her husband, Chad Paine, and their kids, Carson, 5, Brooklyn, 4, Everly, 3, and Holland, 16 months.
That being said, Erin will “clarify something” if haters have the wrong perspective — which Carlin, 22, does as well.
“Social media is such a hard thing because it’s just, like, these little squares of your life that people see,” the Crown College of the Bible student, who shares Layla, 14 months, with Evan Stewart, explained to Us. “So it’s not the full picture. It is easy for people to get an idea of something and have a completely wrong perspective about it. I try and give grace at the same time and clarify things. A lot of times it’s like, ‘OK, the end, sorry.’”
The sisters also feel the same way about having a glass of wine at the end of the night — a definite “Don’t.” Erin told Us, “I actually don’t drink. So if it’s something special, I would be drinking water or maybe Dr. Pepper once in a blue moon.”
Whitney, 27, who shares Bradley, 6, Kaci, 4, and Khloé, 16 months, with Zach Bates, chimed in, “I cannot drink either. My thing is at the end of the day, if it’s been a long day, Zach will do something with the kids while I take a bath. I’m like, ‘Can I just have a bath?'”
The TLC personalities are all big fans of PDA in front of their kids, noting that they felt “security and unity” when their parents did the same growing up.
“We love to show affection and it’s just something that’s natural,” Whitney explained. “We definitely don’t have a problem with that.”
As for Erin and Chad, 33, physical touch is both of their love languages, so “it’d be impossible not to.”
Watch the video above for more of the reality stars’ parenting tactics, from screen time to temper tantrums.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
