Earlier this year, Leah Messer published a memoir that contained numerous shocking revelations about her incredibly difficult life.
The book contained so many bombshell claims about her upbringing that it was difficult to keep them all straight, but on Tuesday's episode of Teen Mom 2, Leah reminded viewers of one of the most surprising developments of her youth.
Speaking with her friend Kylie about her concerns for the future, Leah pointed out that her twins are not all that much younger than she was when she became sexually active.
"I cannot believe my kids are 10. I was 13 the first time I had sex," Messer said.
"The girls are 10. Granted, I did not get pregnant until later. I’m saying it’s confusing. I didn’t know anything! I didn’t know anything," she added.
Leah went on to say that she doesn't want her kids to be kept in the dark the way she was:
"I want them to know everything and know what happens," she said.
"Not just, 'I don't want to be like you, ma.' Okay, but why?"
Kylie pointed out that Leah's daughters are being raised in a much more affluent and supportive environment than Leah was, which could make all the difference.
"But I think your atmosphere growing up was way different than their atmosphere," Leah's friend said.
"Yours was obviously not that great, so I don't think that that's something you have to worry about. But you’re right you have to let them know about things. Be honest with them."
"I'm so proud of the girls, even though they’re twins, they have their own identity," Leah chimed in.
Speaking with her girls about this sensitive subject as the twins celebrated their birthday, Leah started off strong, but her message quickly became a bit muddled:
"You guys get to learn from my mistakes, right?" she asked.
"You’ve made some big bad mistakes," Aliannah remarked.
It was at this point that Leah seemed to become mildly annoyed:
"What do you mean I’ve made some big bad mistakes? Getting pregnant at 17 wasn’t a mistake, it was a challenge," she said.
"I didn't know what the heck I was doing, but I made it work and look at us now," Leah added.
Now, cautioning your kids about following your same path through life and then getting defensive when they point out that you made some mistakes is bound to create some confusion.
Still, Leah deserves credit for the attempt, and hopefully, she'll continue to keep the lines of communication open as her girls get older snd face more difficult decisions.
Asked by her own mother if she's proud of her girls, Leah replied without missing a beat:
"I am 100 percent proud that they’re my daughters. Happy birthday to both of you guys," she said.
We're sure Leah would be the first to admit that her parenting hasn't always been perfect.
Messer's struggle with opioid addiction nearly plunged her kids into an environment as chaotic as the one she herself grew up in.
But when the time came to assess her situation and make difficult changes, that's what Leah did.
And with any luck, she'll be able to use her own painful childhood as a guide to what not to do.