Moms of hard-partying celebs under increasing scrutiny

Lynne Spears orchestrated the intervention which ultimately led daughter Britney Spears to a 30-day stay in a residential treatment facility, and as thanks for this, Britney reportedly cut her mom out of her life entirely.  In stark contrast, Kathy Hilton and Dina Lohan partied right alongside their more famous daughters, right up until the moment they themselves were escorted to rehab or — in the case of Paris Hilton, early this a.m. — jail.  In a new post by the blog Too Cool For School, the question is posed:  In the ‘Hollywood Smackdown’ between conservative parents and liberal parents, who — if anyone — wins?

Some of the explanations proposed by the author for these ‘girls gone wild’ include that it was Lynne’s repressive values which ultimately led her daughter astray, as almost all girls will rebel at some point in time and that rebellion is often directly related to the degree to which they felt stifled by their parents.  Perhaps if Lynne — who will appear as a guest on The View this Wednesday — had been "a little more understanding and tolerant, Britney might not have gone over the edge," the author suggests.

On the other hand, Kathy and Dina lose points for being enablers — with Dina insisting that Lindsay Lohan is simply "misunderstood" and Kathy seemingly taking issue with the mounting legal bills amassed by Paris, but not with the illegal behavior which necessitated the legal representation itself.  The author also leaves room for nature vs. nurture, noting that "certain individuals are going to self-destruct regardless of their support system."

I don’t discount the possibility that Lindsay would be out of control regardless of her dysfunctional support.

Source:  Too Cool For School

Thanks to CBB reader Laura.

What do you think?  Would you prefer Lynne, Kathy or Dina’s styles as a mom?  Are they at all to blame for the troubles that have befallen their daughters? 

Comments

sweetdiva on June 4th, 2007

I certainly don’t think it’s constructive to vilify these moms. I think they all think they are acting the best interests of their children at the time.
There has to be a balance between the parents as disciplinarians and friends. It seems like the parents mentioned are extreme.

Here’s a link on three identified styles of parenting: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive.
http://www.rollercoaster.ie/discipline/styles_of_parenting.asp

preesi on June 4th, 2007

None of the above!

Id rather have Goldie Hawn, Sharon Osbourne or Angelina Jolie as a mom

Sarah on June 4th, 2007

Lynne Spears is the only Mother listed who is actually behaving like a Mother and not their daughter’s “best-friend”. That is her job and what she is supposed to do.

cagey on June 4th, 2007

Britney is an adult. Period. Blaming her mother at this point would be even more childish.

Furthermore, why aren’t people questioning the fathers?

Callen on June 4th, 2007

I would rather have the mom that raised me!

You cant really judge their parenting skills, in this situation you have to judge who they are as people. They are all grown women!

“Do what you do”.

Stacey on June 4th, 2007

If you’ve ever had developmental psychology, you’d know that it all comes down to parenting styles. To put it simply, parents who are too strict (authoritarian) or too lax (permissive) are more likely to have kids that grow up to have behavior issues. The best style of parenting is authoritative, in which parents know when to be strict and when to relax their rules. Children of authoritarian parents often end up feeling stifled and want to rebel against rules they consider too strict. I don’t know about Lynne Spears, but it seems like they’re implying she was an overly controlling stage mom type. Children of permissive parents are kids that think they can do whatever they want because their parents have never set appropriate limits. Ahem, Dina Lohan. In parenting styles, it’s all about finding an appropriate balance between the two. If you’d like to read more, Diana Baumrind is the one who developed those parenting style terms, and a ton of research has been done on it. This article does a good job of explaining further in laymen’s terms. http://www.rollercoaster.ie/discipline/styles_of_parenting.asp

preesi on June 4th, 2007

Sarah?
Prove that Lynne is a GREAT mom!
Prove it! You know nothing about their private relationship.

Cagey?
If a child was raised by a narcissist YES the child CAN INDEED blame the Mom (or Dad) for LOTS of things! I really wish Oprah would do a story on Narcissists as Parents.

As it is, I think Britney is a Borderline Personality. IMHO

Franley on June 4th, 2007

Cagey, good question. Why aren’t you questioning the fathers? I know this site is run by women and I’m guessing the majority, like myself, who visit this site are women but can we stop excluding the fathers when it comes to questions like these. You sometimes act like their only function are as sperm donors.

Ultimately no matter how screwed up Lindsay, Paris and Britney’s childhoods may or may not have been, the 3 young ladies are now adults and are responsible for their own actions.

Sarah’s note: You can certainly discuss fathers as well — take the conversation in whichever way you want as long as it’s within the rules — but the blog post from Too Cool For School which Missy is referencing was focused specifically on these 3 women, which is why the question posed is regarding them only.

We apologize if fathers sometimes come off only as sperm donors on CBB; that’s certainly not the intent we have — we include as many photos and interviews with celebrity fathers as we find.

Megan on June 4th, 2007

Ok so this isn’t exactly a question that’s answerable as we don’t really KNOW these moms…HOWEVER…you asked us to choose and when it comes down to it, I am goin to pick the more structured mom every single day–the mom that kicks your butt to save yourself…the mom who is more concerned about making sure you’re OK than making sure she’s your buddy and is on the front page of Star magazine with you. And I say this as an Elementary teacher who has SEEN firsthand those kids who’s parents are afraid to say no and too concerned with being their best friend…I am not saying one extreme is necessarily “better”, but for me, that’s my choice…

The only way we are able to judge is by what we read–now I will admit that everything I’ve seen of Kathy and Dina, it’s all about defending their daughters and the things they do–when we blatantly see them doing ILLEGAL things–I remember Dina on a radio show saying she’s 19, what am I going to do, tell her not to go out…I sat and thought to myself YES that’s exactly what you say–whether she does it anyway or not is another situation but as a mom–with YOUNGER kids looking at this situation, if you see your child walking into a fire…I’d sure as hell tell them I don’t think it’s a good idea…you can’t protect them forever and always save them, but be a parent…and parents who act as though their kids can do no wrong…that’s not helping the child at all…it’s only pushing them to do more bad behavior…no parent is perfect but from what I’ve READ of these parents, as strange is it may sound, I am picking Lynne hands down…

Again this isn’t the best kind of question to answer because we don’t know them personally, but IMO, I’d rather hate my parents for being too strict then be high and strung out and in rehab at 20…JUST SAYING…parenting is the most difficult job and it seems to go in spirts as the decades go on–all extremes from corporal punishment to no punishment at all…somewhere in the middle is of course best…but if I must pick an extreme…I am going with the same one every single time…

melanie on June 4th, 2007

As a parent and teacher, I can assure you that if all my students had parents like these I would be very grateful. It is easy to sit outside and judge these people for going out too much with their kids or defending them when they make mistakes. They are trying and they love their children. THAT is what counts, not all this perfect parenting style stuff. Please, we should be so privledged to be nitpicking about parenting styles. You should see the “parents” a lot of my students are stuck with.
And another thing- Can we give women a break, please? What about young male celebrities that go out all the time? Where are their parents? It always the girls, women, mothers that get all the scrutiny and blame. It’s no wonder we never think we are good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, chaste enough. We have to perfect to be normal.

Christy on June 4th, 2007

This whole situation is incredibly sad.
While ones upbringing DOES play a part in their choices, at some point, these young women, WHO ARE ADULTS, must take responsiblity for their choices/actions.

I venture to say that most of us could play the violin about our own childhoods, but, most people, eventually, work through issues and become responsible members of society. Why? If we don’t abide by the law, make responsible choice, there are consequences. Famous or not.

I know for myself, I COULD blame bad choices on my childhood, but, why? To waller in self-pity? HELL NO!!!! I’ve had my moments of “drowning” my sorrows/troubles in a variety of additions; be it alcohol, food, exercise, sex, whatever.

It was my decision to change myself. It certainly would have been easier with a support system, but that wasn’t an option for me at the time. It’s all about choices. Blaming others, even parents, is just a lame excuse.

These young women need to strap on their balls and get it together. Enabling these young women is only hurting them. IMO they need to learn to deal with the bed they made for themselves. Maybe THEN, they’ll show a little maturity.

By the way, when does being your child’s “friend” constitute “good parenting”? It’s your job to set boundaries for your children. As parents, we all make mistakes. It takes a REAL parent to admit to their child when they’ve failed as a parent. THAT can help children heal. However, if you never hear those words from your parent, GET OVER IT AND HEAL YOURSELF!

J.M. on June 4th, 2007

I was reading an article in US weekly that Dina Lohan did and I was so disgusted by it. Maybe some of you read it but here are a few quotes by her:

US: Do u think Lindsay is at the clubs too much?
Dina: The premieres and parties is the fun part of the business. She’ll be 21 in a few months. Regardless, of course, as a parent, you set boundaries and scold them but there are these dark stories – she’s just misunderstood. When you’re 20 it’s normal to want to go to the hot spots. She can’t live in a bubble.

US asks about her other daughters career,

Dina: Ali is recording an album and we are working on a show but it’s kind of a reality show. We already have people who want it.

US: And you?

Dina: I’ve been in the entertainment business before I had kids – nobody knows that. I am working on a show about being a single mom and getting back in the field you were in. It’ll show the world it’s not all fun and games. It’s a job. I am a single mom of four and I have no child support. I have to work. I manage my daughter Lindsay and I’m proud that’s she’s hugely successful. I am certainly not going to crawl away bc I’m 43. I am going to get back to the workforce. Now it’s MY turn.

I don’t know to me it seems as though Dina Lohan is taking advantage of her daughters fame and she’s doing red carpet interivews (even at her own daughters premiere) when you can clearly see that Lindsay is crying out for help.

Now I can’t justify Lindsays’ behavior bc she isn’t a child. Trust me I wasn’t far off from 20 years old myself but I made a wise decision not to do anything illegal. I didn’t grow up w/ the best childhood myself. We can all use that we didn’t have the best in life to use as the excuse to get into trouble but it gets old. She is trying to be an adult then she needs to grow up and act like one and that also goes for her mother. Dina needs to stop being Lindsays friend and stop using her daughter to get recognized and be there for Lindsay.

As far as Lynn Spears she seems to be more quiet and doesn’t seem to be engaging to much in the “fame” of her daughter but then again who really knows.
I think Lynn Spears will be on the View either tomorrow or Wed. It should be interesting to here what she has to say.

All these parents need to recongize that their kids are going down wrong paths and instead of sitting back they need to help guide them. Of course they’re going to make mistakes (we all do) but sometimnes mistakes can be too late.

I just hate the way that these girls are living these days. They are setting really terrible examples for young children. And that’s why parents today need to def. be there for there kids. Even if your kids don’t have the downfalls of fame peer pressure and life situations exist all around.

I hope Britney for the sake of her children can get her act together. I hope Lindsay for the sake of being such a young girl can get her act together and I hope Paris (but I have my doubts) will use this situation as a lesson that just bc you have money and fame doesn’t mean your any better then anyone else. I wish them all the best.

Alabama on June 4th, 2007

The one I’m most concerned with is Lindsay. I fear she’s thisclose to dying and I fear she has no one to care for her.

madam pince on June 5th, 2007

Britney has been supporting her parents and siblings since her teens, so I tend to blame Lynne and Jamie more than I would the average parent of an adult. They put pressure on her that no child should endure, and I believe that has contributed to her present problems.

Lola on June 5th, 2007

We can’t blame mothers or fathers for their childs behavoir when their child becomes an adult. Lindsey, Britney and Paris are all adults now and they should blame themselves for drinking and/ or doing drugs and becoming such a mess in front of the world.

preesi on June 5th, 2007

….and keep Lindsay away from that Dina!

m on June 5th, 2007

All parents are human and therefore will make mistakes.

I question all parents though, who would allow their child to go into show business. It also seems that most parents of celebrity children spend some of their child’s earnings too, so I question their motives. Are they merely being a supportive parent or are they using their child as a meal ticket? (some would say “pimping their kid out”) I am not a fan of any of the women (or their husbands) listed. I would never use them as a model of good “motherly” behavior.

When I look at my son I know it is my job to make sure he is safe, happy and respectful of himself and others. I don’t think Hollywood provides a healthy environment for children to grow and develop.

TracyG on June 5th, 2007

While I agree that YES these young ladies are adults, I have to disagree that they can take care of themselves…

Let’s face it, in Hollywood,child actors are given way too much free reign. They are treated like mini adults from a very young age. Parties, openings, premieres etc. Look what happened with Drew Barrymore;it’s just history repeating itself with Lindsay Lohan.

In the “real world” clubs wouldn’t be letting KNOWN underage people in their establishments drinking. In the “real world” these girls’ parents would most likely have a tighter reign/leash on them because they’d have to have their parents’ money to support themselves. I think life with tons of money at their young ages is one of the problems. They have never had proper guidance. They are used to getting “what they want, no matter what” Money talks…..

I think Dina Lohan is contributing to Linday’s lifestyle and downfall. She ALLOWS her to go out to bars and drink, she DRINKS WITH HER!! That IMO, is totally wrong. The girl is underage…my mother didn’t go to bars with me at 19, did yours?

As far as Paris..the girl got what she deserved. She has needed a reality check for a LOOONG time now. Her mother said that she “tried” to stop her behaviours, but she wasn’t going to interfere with her adult daughter’s life. I believe on the View Barbra Walters read a statement that Kathy Hilton gave and that was the gist of it.

Whether you are a parent of a wealthy child or a poor child, you have a RESPONSIBILITY to protect and GUIDE that child to what’s right. Dina Lohan is NOT doing that obviously because if she was, she wouldn’t ENCOURAGE the behaviours…she could still go out with Lindsay to the parties, but why allow her to drink alcohol? Why not non alcoholic drinks?

Anyway, to answer the question, I wouldn’t want ANY of these women as a mother…they all seem to caught up in their daughter’s fame and wealth and not their well beings….I think I’d like a mom like Sharon Osbourne or Blythe Danner thank you very much!

m on June 5th, 2007

What about the parents of these child stars?:

Natalie Portman
Mandy Moore
Elijah Wood
Christina Aguilara (beyond the skanky marketing)
Anna Panquin

These are a few former child stars who seem to be better adjusted than Lohan and Spears (and I might add, more talented too.)

stephanie on June 5th, 2007

From her interviews, Dina seemed like one of those women who had children too early. Lynne seemed pretty old-fashioned to me, I’m actually shocked with the current situation, she and Britney had always been close. But Kathy. Oh boy. Sure, I don’t know her or anyone close to her but after reading the transcript of her behaviour in the court room during and after Paris was sentenced, suddenly so many things about her and Nicky make sense. Especially their behaviour in the leaked parisexposed videos.

Shell on June 5th, 2007

Quite frankly, I question the devotion and the motives of any parent who would allow their child to grow up in front of the Hollywood cameras, whether they’re being held by a director or a member of the paparazzi.

Both parents of these girls need to take some responsibility for their daughter’s misguided, illegal and life threatening decisions they’ve made beyond the age of 18. On some level, they’ve been raised to believe they are above the basic standards we as humans prefer to hold ourselves to. That belief system doesn’t come out of thin air once a person reaches the legal age of adulthood.

I hope all three can get a better handle on their lives and I hope all three can learn lessons from their parents’ mistakes when it comes to raising their own children one day. God help us all if they don’t….can we possibly bear another generation of vapid, obnoxiously self involved celebrity kids?

If my mom were still alive, I’d give her a great big hug and thank her for doing it right, even when it was so so hard.

Danielle on June 5th, 2007

Bottom line opinion: Hollywood is no place for a child. NO PLACE FOR A CHILD. This goes for acting, singing, the lot. We all clap and cheer kids on when they show great talent, but at the end of the day, the environment is too toxic to expect a kid to come out alright on the other end. Actors who appear to have ‘broken the curse’ (Portman, Barrymore, Foster, etc) are exceptions to the rule. So in this regard, I have to say the parents of Lindsay, Britney, etc, play a large part in their current dysfunction – because they played an active role in farming out those kids (babies, even) for a shot at fame. I’m sorry, I just don’t think I’d want the cards stacked that high against them going in. Not saying it’s impossible, but its a damn harder job. I’d rather sacrifice enjoying the next breakout child star’s rise to fame if it meant that she wouldn’t end up passed out in the bathroom at Hyde, or only capable of relating to adults 20 years their senior, a few years later.

Lauren on June 5th, 2007

I’m not so sure that Britney, Paris et. al are the norm in Hollywood when it comes to being young and in the spotlight. They get all the attention because of their spoiled actions, but for everyone Britney, there’s a Mandy Moore, who has been singing and acting since she was a teenager and has grown into a lovely, mature young woman. For every Paris and Nicole, there’s a Natalie Portman and a Julia Stiles, who made movies during summer breaks from Ivy League schools. I do agree that Hollywood can be a completely toxic environment for many who cave into the pressures of fame, but there are many who don’t because they are more responsible and choose not to be a part of the Hollywood scene. Unfortunately, they aren’t the ones the media cares about because there’s no dirt on them.
I don’t think any of the above mothers are exceptional parents by a long shot, but if I had to choose one parent’s style, Lynne wins hands-down. She and her ex-husband are the only parents of a celebrity that are actually admitting their child has problems and trying to get her help and do what’s best for her instead of enabling her behavior. Kathy is just a pathetic excuse for a parent (anyone who tries to justify their child driving drunk and possibly killing innocent people has no credibility in my eyes), and Dina disgusts me to no end. She is so obviously trying to live through Lindsay and steal her fame when it is obvious to everyone but her that Lindsay is dangerously close to dying. At this point, I’ll be stunned if she makes it to 30.

Kelly on June 5th, 2007

I don’t think Lynne is going to be on “The View” tomorrow anymore…….

J.M. on June 5th, 2007

hmm I think the difference btw some hollywood actresss such as Natalie Portman, Mandy Moore, The duff’s, Amanda Bynes etc is that their parents are not out for the fame as well. We barely hear about the parents. It seems as though they try to let their children do what their passionate about but try to maintain somewhat of a private life. I remember Hayden Panitierre on the View with her mom and they asked her about how she keeps Hayden under wraps w/ all that goes on in Hollywood and she basically said that I am there for my child and I am a parent first and foremost before anything else.
So yes there are children out there who do not fall down the “hollywood” path of destruction. But when you look at Paris she is famous for nothing but growing up in a famous family for their hotel chain (then of course the infamous sex tape scandel which perpetuated her fame) but who do we have to blame? The media and ourselves for buying into it all. And then you have Britney Spears whose mother has always been in the limelight w/ Britney. And of course we all know about Dina Lohan. Also with people like Lindsay her whole family life has been made public from her father and mothers divorce to her father going to jail. I can understand to an extent why she has gone wild when there seems to be no structure. Her sister is only 13 I would hate to see what path that child heads in herself.

The bottom line is that all these young women have choices and they have the right to make the right decisions in life but they choose not to. Whether it’s bc they never grew up with the sense of how to or they’re just out to get attention from anyone who will give it to them. But other celebrities have been able to maintain a great lifestyle. Stearing clear from the paparazzi and living a somewhat normal life. The girls who are always in the limelight tend to be the one’s that crave it – then when it becomes too much for them they blame everyone else for it but never once take responsibility for their actions.

I don’t see why any child can’t be famous if that’s what they always have had a passion to do. But with it they need the structure and guidance along the way. It can be done it just looks as if some parents aren’t there for thier children as much as others.

PinkRoses on June 6th, 2007

Children tend to look more at same-sex parents when learning about themselves, so I think that’s why we can focus more on the mothers in this case (all the teens/young adults mentioned here are girls); but, if a young girl has a positive role model in her own father, she will make better choices about the men in her life. So, there are two contributing factors at work here.

I, like preesi, would like to see more attention brought to Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which is one of the hardest mental illnesses a psychiatrist/psychologist/counselor will ever treat, because the true Narcissist will try to make the doctor think that she or he (the Narcissist) can help the doctor and has all the answers! They truly are a psychiatrist’s worst nightmare in terms of treatment and/or finding a way in which to cure them, for they do not believe there is anything wrong with them. Usually they only seek psychiatric counseling because they are there to help cure someone else (a friend, spouse, child, family member), other than themselves! There are many ugly facets to the Narcissist, one of which is when a person is so enamored with her/himself, that she/he does not see their own child(ren) as anything but an extension of themselves. They are not capable of having good relationships with anyone (spouse, parent, child, friend) unless they are the center of attention (but this is only a “good” relationship from the Narcissist’s point of view – everyone else has #e!! to pay if they try to go against what the Narcissist says.) Dina Lohan is a prime example of NPD. No, I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, but I darn well know what Dina (and Michael) have put out there for all the world to see, so you know their children are seeing it, too. Dina is living her life through her children, including making her living AND making a name for herself and hoping to become famous. She sees those kids as an extension of herself and can’t relate to them as individuals. Michael Lohan, who has been in jail/prison, has not offered a positive perspective to Lindsay or the other children on what a loving, caring, protective father is like, so there are no feelings of security and safety coming from him. It’s no wonder that Lindsay hops from guy to guy because she is looking for “love” in each and every one of these people – because she does not feel secure within herself because of the lack of security Michael and Dina have provided.

Lynne Spears is/was a lesser version (than Dina) of the proverbial “stage mother,” but she did not appear to be in it for the fame nearly as much as for the financial support (which is no less damaging to the child) and Jamie Spears disappeared from the family and, there again, is proof that girls need that loving, caring, safe feeling a father (or capable father figure) provides. Britney, in fact, has provided both Lynne and Jamie’s livings, having Lynne as a manager all those years and buying businesses for her father, Jamie, to run.

Kathy Hilton is used to being noticed with or without her daughters. I recently saw a picture of her (not an old one, but a recent one) in a lace see-through top with her nipples exposed! Paris sees nothing wrong with flaunting her body or her sexuality because her mother does the same. I’m sure Paris has been modeling herself after this same-sex parent most of her life. I have no idea what kind of father Rick Hilton is, for you don’t hear that much of him in terms of fatherhood, but rather as the businessman, so maybe he is the financially successful, hardworking (albeit absent) father that Paris did not see that much, except on family holidays. Again, that would explain her need to hop from guy to guy looking for “love.”

You asked for our opinions, so I would not choose any of these woman as examples of “good mothers.” They each have/had their own not-so-hidden agendas. A good mother sees her daughter(s) or son(s) as individuals who she would love, care for, protect and be proud of regardless of their talents (or lack thereof), accomplishments (or lack thereof) and abilities (or lack thereof), many times putting the child(ren) before her own needs or selfish desires. No, I’m not saying that a mother can’t be successful or has to stay at home or has to be anyone’s (including a child’s) doormat. I think, in my humble opinion, that a good mother (or father, for that matter) loves, supports, encourages and protects a child or children regardless of what they hope to get in return. And, as far as the mothers and fathers of the other successful child/adult actors/actresses who have chosen to remain behind the scenes, rather than cash in on the fame and fortune of their famous kids, they are most likely the ones who really did do their best to love, support and protect those successful children and were content to take pride in seeing their CHILD succeed without having their own names and faces splashed across the mags, rags and TVs across the globe.

jeeba on July 3rd, 2007

I am with the other person who speculated that Britney might have borderline personality disorder, she seems to have some traits or otherwise she is dealing with a narcisistic or borderline parent and is acting out her suffering. Borderline mothers can often produce borderline daughters by the daughter role modeling.

Having some experience with this though I think it is more likely that Lynne is the borderline and Britney is trying to escape her control. Borderlines are MASTERFUL at turning around a situation and making it look like it is your fault and they are helping you. They will knock you down while NOBODY is around and then when EVERYONE is watching will work very hard to comfort you and pick you back up again. They tend to target one person in particular at a time, usually the person they appear closest to. When the person tries to break away is when they really turn on, when they are high functioning all in private. That way YOU look like the crazy one when you complain, loose it, get depressed etc, and they are there to rescue you. They are so wonderful and compassionate and doing the right thing for you!

I think most people know of a bordeline man or woman who has done this number on a wife or husband and gotten away with it for years, convincing everyone he/she is crazy and they are so helpful. The person does get crazy and depressed after a while, they are being controlled to the nth degree. It is not uncommon for THIS person to turn to drugs/alcohol to escape the pain and so this confirms for everyone that they (the bordeline’s target) is the NUT!

People seem to be catching on that this happens in marital/dating relationships but what most do not seem to get yet is it also happens between parent and child. And there is especially difficult. Who do you turn to if mom is verbally and emotionally abusive and no one in your family believes how bad it is because it is always done in private? Your relatives have not seen this side so they tell you ” she is just trying to help you” ” she loves you so much” “why are you so mean to her” etc etc and becaue you grew up as the target controlled person you tend to believe it when everyone tells you you are the crazy one.

If what I suspect is right good for Britney for breaking away. She is going to have a long road though though because her family will likely never want to let her out of her “role” and will urge her to reconcile and continue being controlled.

As for the others they obviously had very lenient parents , way too lenient making escuses for them. And I agree with someone else who thinks Dina Lohan may be somewhat narcisistic. I disagree with most of you though on a major point. These “kids” are ADULTS. Once a person is an adult they make there own decisions. If there where mistakes made in parenting these people should it admit to there children and try to help them work through it not continue to CONTROL ADULTS who are now GROWN which will just turn them into large children.

But I strongly suspect there is too much selfishness on the parts of these parents to ever admit they did anything wrong. I suspect these girls upbringing is their problem. Unfortunately like all of us ADULTS we may not have created the problems we have but for most of us WE are the only ones who have the abilty to solve them. Unforuntaly these girls will probably spend a good part of there lives trying to overcome their upbringing but that is no different then MANY of us as I would guess at least half of us did not recieve the “optimal” type of parenting described and from seeing many children, including some I raised, it makes and ENOURMOUS difference.