On a recent episode of Lala Kent’s podcast, Give Them Lala, the Vanderpump Rules star made some harsh comments about her mom. However, even if Lala wasn’t fully serious, it still wasn’t a great look. Lala was joined by her brother, Easton Burningham, who spoke about their mother having a difficult time watching Lala’s daughter, Ocean Kent Emmett.
Easton said their mother, Lisa Burningham, struggled while looking after Ocean while Lala was away for a week for business. “I’m just raising this kid,” Lisa allegedly told Easton. Lisa’s complaints seemingly pissed Lala off, who argued, “I’m a working parent,” and snapped that “[Lisa] doesn’t complain when I waltz into [Louis Vuitton] and buy her a new bag.”
Her brother tried to plead their mom’s case, but Lala didn’t seem receptive. She eventually agreed not to “rip her head off when I get home,” but the damage had already been done. While Lala has made a lot of positive changes in her life, she remains a controversial VPR cast member.
As far as fans are aware, Lala has a pretty good relationship with the rest of her family, and her comments on the podcast may have been mostly in jest. However, with every joke, there’s a kernel of truth, and the truth Lala hints at is problematic.
Lala Isn’t Entitled To Free Childcare
It’s perfectly understandable that Lala has other obligations in addition to being a parent—most parents do. So it’s not unreasonable that Lala occasionally needs someone to watch Ocean while she is working. However, that doesn’t mean she’s entitled to free childcare from her relatives. There’s nothing wrong with Lala seeking help, after all, it takes a village, as they say. But receiving help from family members is a bonus, and not something you’re entitled to.
Though it’s normal for grandparents to watch over their grandkids from time to time, a week or more at a time is a little excessive. It’s unclear whether Ocean’s weeklong visit with grandma is a regular occurrence or just this once. However, If Lala is regularly depending on her mother for childcare, that could be a problem.
When claiming that her mom doesn’t complain about being gifted designer bags, Lala is seemingly implying that it’s her mom who’s taking advantage of her wealth and fame. But Lala’s sizable income actually makes her look worse in this situation.
Many parents turn to relatives because they can’t afford childcare costs. But Lala could easily hire a nanny to watch Ocean. If Lala were a low-income single parent juggling two minimum wage jobs, I’d have more sympathy for her leaning on her mom for support. But she’s not struggling with an unlivable wage, she’s a famous reality TV star who makes lots of money and gets tons of opportunities.
Though she might prefer her daughter to spend that time with her grandma rather than a nanny, it’s still a big imposition on Lala’s mom.
Was Lala Joking?
It’s true that Lala’s conversation with her brother tended to come across as more lighthearted than bitter. However, it’s possible that Lala was being semi-serious.
Part of the reason Lala seemed annoyed by her mom’s complaints about watching Ocean, was that Lala said she was “f*cking exhausted” from her own work as well. It seemed very easy for Lala to downplay her mother Lisa’s exhaustion, but Lisa has far more reason to be exhausted. After all, Lisa is much older than Lala and has less energy. She probably gets worn out by looking after Ocean a lot faster than Lala does.
Though Lala may be lightheartedly ribbing her mother, Lisa might be feeling genuinely overwhelmed. Lisa put in her time raising multiple kids, and she’s presumably earned some relaxation in her golden years. Lala dropping Ocean off with Lisa is an imposition, whether Lala wants to admit it or not, which makes her dismissal of Lisa’s struggles even worse. While Lala was quick to joke about feeling tired herself, she’s still invalidating her mother’s exhaustion.
Lala’s Timing Isn’t Great
As fans have seen in the Vanderpump Rules Season 11 trailer, Lala is eager to have another baby, through pretty much any means necessary. There’s nothing wrong with that, and it’s actually sweet that Lala is so passionate about her daughter having a sibling.
But in light of her struggles with caring for Ocean, this baby quest seems ill-timed. If Lala has another baby, will she still expect her mother to watch her kids, free of charge? Lala’s mom surely enjoys spending time with Ocean and wants to be a part of her life. It’s perfectly fine for Lala to have her mom watch Ocean on occasion. But if it’s going to be for extended periods of time, Lala should figure out her childcare situation—especially if there’s going to be another baby on the way soon(ish?).
On her podcast, Lala didn’t seem entirely serious in her comments about her mother. However, she didn’t seem to be entirely joking either. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. Lala’s mom is likely mostly happy to watch Ocean but partially overwhelmed. Just like Lala is likely mostly joking about shrugging off her mom’s complaints, but partially annoyed. Whatever the situation, Lala may want to watch what she says on her podcast.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK LALA KENT TRASHING HER MOM WAS OUT OF LINE? OR WAS IT ALL IN GOOD FUN?
