In this episode of Grownish, the parents are forced to come to terms with the fact that their children are adults and will make their own decisions. Whether they agree with these decisions or not, they are going to have to accept them. Here are a few lessons parents can take away from this emotion-filled episode:
Lesson #1 It’s important to give your adult children room to make mistakes without feeling judged.
The episode starts with Dre popping up on campus, livid that Zoey has eloped. “You got married in Mexico, I don’t love you no more,” is the first few words out of Dre’s mouth. Dre is the type of father that always dreamed of walking his “little girl” down the aisle. So when he notices a credit card charge made at an over-the-border chapel, he feels cheated and robbed of this long-awaited opportunity. Dre throws all of Zoey’s past mistakes in her face, such as cheating on her midterm and dropping out of college. Dre’s anger makes him lash out at Zoey. While trying to defend herself, Zoey spills the beans about getting arrested in Mexico for supposedly stealing from a store. When he tells Zoey that she’s not just a disappointment but an embarrassment, the humiliation brings her to tears.
There’s nothing wrong with Dre feeling a bit disappointed; however, he went about things the wrong way. He humiliated his daughter by saying hurtful things that can be hard to come back from. Not every decision a young adult makes will be the right one, but it’s their life, and they have the right to make decisions that they believe are in their best interests.
Lesson #2 Kids do stupid things
Yes, I said it! Zoey and Aaron discover that the marriage isn’t legal because they failed to purchase the wedding license or take a blood test. They actually believe that they were married for a while, that is, until Dre bursts their bubble. This silly mistake actually worked out in their favor because they weren’t ready for such a major commitment.
Lesson #3 Apologize when you’re wrong
After sitting down and drinking a smoothie with Vivek, Dre can calm down. He realizes that he was wrong for how harshly he spoke to Zoey. Dre sees that he must let Zoey fly without his loving embrace and give her room to grow as an adult. So he apologized, which set a good example for all parents.
Lesson #4 Disowning your kid because of a mistake is cruel
Vivek has his own problems. After getting kicked out of school for selling drugs, he has to figure out what he will tell his parents. Initially, he toys with the idea of telling his parents a lie because he can’t bear to disappoint them. However, when they arrive, he ends up telling them the truth. Vivek’s parents commend him for telling the truth, but only his mom actually forgives him. Unfortunately, his father disowns him and isn’t even interested in allowing him to show that he’s changed. Although Vivek expected the worse, nothing prepared him for that moment. It’s clear that Vivek’s expulsion “scared him straight,” and he’s truly turned over a new leaf.
Lesson #5 It’s helpful to acknowledge the unique pressures kids are under
Being the son of Indian immigrants wasn’t easy for Vivek. In fact, he had to deal with unique pressures that his parents were most likely blind to. His parents sacrificed a lot for him so that he could have a good education. He wanted to help cover his college expenses, so he turned to sell drugs in the first place. Sometimes parents don’t take the time to really think about the pressures their children have to endure in the real world, especially when they get to college. Trying to understand these challenges can help keep the lines of communication open between parents and their young adult children.
The episode concluded with Zoey and her dad back on good terms. However, Vivek’s relationship with his father is unsure.
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