Emily Maynard - Season 8 Bachelorette

[mesachick]

I'm another member of the minority who doesn't give a rat's rear end about Emily's money and lifestyle. She was lucky enough to be born into a rich family. Naturally, she would find a BF from among her circle. When that BF died tragically, his family reached out to embrace her and their unborn grandchild. If they had thought she was some sort of golddigger, then they would probably have cut her off and fought for custody of the child. They didn't do either, which says everything to me. Clearly they think she's a capable mother to their grandchild, and they are more than willing to subsidize the life that they think Little Ricki should have. So Emily will never be on welfare, Medicaid, or in any other way know poverty. Whoop dee dee. That doesn't mean she doesn't love her daughter or that she's a lousy mother.

In fact, I admire her even more for being involved in her daughter's life. Have you ever read a biography of somebody really rich like Prince Charles of England or JFK? Their rich mothers handed them over to an army of servants, and had very little involvement in their lives, and so both men ended up with screwed up personalities. In fact, I read an article about Princess Diana once where the author said if she had been a decent mother she would have been home with her boys, not gadding about the Europe with some good-for-nothing playboy when she died. It would have been very easy for Emily to have taken the Princess Di route, dumping Little Ricki with the Hendricks and then living off her wealth and acting like she never had a child. I say kudos to her for fighting against that expectation and actually caring enough to want to raise her child herself.

And in fact, I saw a perfectly normal single mother/daughter relationship. LR looked adorable and acted like every 6-year-old I've ever known. And if Emily talks about her and plans things like dates around her, well I'd say that's pretty normal, too. Like it or not, when you're a single parent, your life does revolve around your kids. Everything you do has to be planned with them in mind. My grandfather died when my father was just a little boy, and my grandmother never remarried. I remember her telling me stories about how she took Dad everywhere with her because she had to. When she went back to college to get her teacher's degree, she even took Dad to her classes with her! So again, I actually applaud Emily for thinking about LR and how any relationship that she has might affect her. That's not being selfish, that's being real.

And if Emily chooses Jeff the CEO, well, that's not going to bother me, either. In fact, I would consider him to be the logical choice. Emily was born wealthy, she lives with wealth now, so of course she would want to hook up with somebody who's wealthy and so would understand her lifestyle. I won't begrudge her and her life anymore than I do celebrities or any other wealthy person I see mentioned in the news.

In this day and age a parent can't be too involved in their child's life. Love your post Babbred!

[Shoepie]

I think that Chris said that many of the crews brought their families with them and Ricki enjoyed playing with the children. Also, I'm sure that some of the crew members were actually local and so were in their own hometown and didn't have to uproot their families.

They take their own crew with them wherever they go and yes many bring their families. They were only in NC for 10 days anyway.

Emily said she was willing to relocate. She was with Brad, too, but it fizzled before they got to that point.

I have never been an Emily fan but I am waming to her. That said, I am already tired of her talking about her daughter, her heart, the most important thing, blah blah blah. I have kids too and I get the deal. Ricki will be fine if you are; stop talking about her. They all get it.

[Rattus]

In this day and age a parent can't be too involved in their child's life.

Not true at all. I've seen the results of parental overinvolvement far too often, and it isn't good. However, this isn't the place to discuss that.

[nennie]

Not true at all. I've seen the results of parental overinvolvement far too often, and it isn't good. However, this isn't the place to discuss that.

I agree with bolded. I do believe Emily has made Ricki her life for so long that it makes me wonder if she will be able to have room for a partner in it. Sometime you get comfortable with the way it is. I do have to say that from what I have seen and read Emily has been careful who she has allowed in her life and around Ricki and I understand fully why. Her daughter if from a high profile family and all you have to do is read the news and to the craziness of people and what they will do for money, so sheltering her is a smart idea. This bachette stint has me puzzled. I do not believe she is going to find a life partner on this show.......may get fooled.

[Fanny Mare]

I agree with bolded. I do believe Emily has made Ricki her life for so long that it makes me wonder if she will be able to have room for a partner in it. Sometime you get comfortable with the way it is. I do have to say that from what I have seen and read Emily has been careful who she has allowed in her life and around Ricki and I understand fully why. Her daughter if from a high profile family and all you have to do is read the news and to the craziness of people and what they will do for money, so sheltering her is a smart idea. This bachette stint has me puzzled.

It puzzles me.

She has sheltered her so far, I am wondering why she would then place her on national TV.Including showing her own home, that's something I would never consider. jmho

[bachelorwatcher]

I'm another member of the minority who doesn't give a rat's rear end about Emily's money and lifestyle. She was lucky enough to be born into a rich family. Naturally, she would find a BF from among her circle. When that BF died tragically, his family reached out to embrace her and their unborn grandchild. If they had thought she was some sort of golddigger, then they would probably have cut her off and fought for custody of the child. They didn't do either, which says everything to me. Clearly they think she's a capable mother to their grandchild, and they are more than willing to subsidize the life that they think Little Ricki should have. So Emily will never be on welfare, Medicaid, or in any other way know poverty. Whoop dee dee. That doesn't mean she doesn't love her daughter or that she's a lousy mother. In fact, I admire her even more for being involved in her daughter's life. Have you ever read a biography of somebody really rich like Prince Charles of England or JFK? Their rich mothers handed them over to an army of servants, and had very little involvement in their lives, and so both men ended up with screwed up personalities. In fact, I read an article about Princess Diana once where the author said if she had been a decent mother she would have been home with her boys, not gadding about the Europe with some good-for-nothing playboy when she died. It would have been very easy for Emily to have taken the Princess Di route, dumping Little Ricki with the Hendricks and then living off her wealth and acting like she never had a child. I say kudos to her for fighting against that expectation and actually caring enough to want to raise her child herself. And in fact, I saw a perfectly normal single mother/daughter relationship. LR looked adorable and acted like every 6-year-old I've ever known. And if Emily talks about her and plans things like dates around her, well I'd say that's pretty normal, too. Like it or not, when you're a single parent, your life does revolve around your kids. Everything you do has to be planned with them in mind. My grandfather died when my father was just a little boy, and my grandmother never remarried. I remember her telling me stories about how she took Dad everywhere with her because she had to. When she went back to college to get her teacher's degree, she even took Dad to her classes with her! So again, I actually applaud Emily for thinking about LR and how any relationship that she has might affect her. That's not being selfish, that's being real. And if Emily chooses Jeff the CEO, well, that's not going to bother me, either. In fact, I would consider him to be the logical choice. Emily was born wealthy, she lives with wealth now, so of course she would want to hook up with somebody who's wealthy and so would understand her lifestyle. I won't begrudge her and her life anymore than I do celebrities or any other wealthy person I see mentioned in the news.

Since Princess Diana's sons were in boarding school and older, I don't think it would have made a difference if she was traveling around anyway since she probably only saw them on certain holidays. And, Emily did a lot of traveling during Brad's season when Ricki was very young! Also, about considering Emily admirable because she happened to choose to raise Ricki herself... she likely has access to nannies... and, it doesn't change the fact that both she and Ricki will never lose their house, or spend years, or even seconds, worrying whether or not they will lose their house. The people who really are admirable are those who struggle for years to provide a house and everything else for their children... not those who are given a house and everything else they and their children might need.

[jucamer]

From what we have seen of Emily's house it is very nice - but it is far from lavish..............And from what we have seen she seems to be a great Mom and truly loves and enjoys her daughter's company. Not sure of the reason why some have all of this negativity towards her &/or her daughter?

[AlwaysVeg]

Maybe it depends what sort of house the various people have who are commenting on Emily's. It's not a mansion, but it's certainly upscale and very large for one person and a child. My house is nicer than most others in my neighborhood (also in NC), but it's nowhere as elegant as Emily's, and I'm fine with that. I have no issues with Ricki, either. However, I don't care for the way Emily -- a young healthy woman -- is so content to completely live off other people, and apparently has no plans to do otherwise, ever. I don't think her parents or Ricki's grandparents (and yes, I do think it's appropriate for them to help out because it was their son who impregnated her) are doing her any favors by not encouraging her to become more independent and self-sufficient as a human being, especially now that Ricki is in school. Hopefully Emily will instill a more useful and admirable attitude in her own daughter so she is better prepared to live in the real world.

[bachelorwatcher]

Maybe it depends what sort of house the various people have who are commenting on Emily's. It's not a mansion, but it's certainly upscale and very large for one person and a child. My house is nicer than most others in my neighborhood (also in NC), but it's nowhere as elegant as Emily's, and I'm fine with that. I have no issues with Ricki, either. However, I don't care for the way Emily -- a young healthy woman -- is so content to completely live off other people, and apparently has no plans to do otherwise, ever. I don't think her parents or Ricki's grandparents (and yes, I do think it's appropriate for them to help out because it was their son who impregnated her) are doing her any favors by not encouraging her to become more independent and self-sufficient as a human being, especially now that Ricki is in school. Hopefully Emily will instill a more useful and admirable attitude in her own daughter so she is better prepared to live in the real world.

During Brad's season, they showed the balcony on the second floor inside Emily's house. The house looks big and roomy from the inside. From the outside, the house doesn't look that big, but the street is tree-lined and it's a very nice-looking neighborhood. I think the only way Emily and Ricki will learn about being self-sufficient is if the support from her parents and Ricki's grandparents is cut off. If they continue to be provided for, they will never learn what the real world is like.

[mesachick]

Not true at all. I've seen the results of parental overinvolvement far too often, and it isn't good. However, this isn't the place to discuss that.

We'll just have to agree to disagree. I've seen too many kids who suffer from having parents that just don't care. Obviously anything taken in the extreme (even parenting) can be bad, but that is far more the exception than the rule. I don't see Emily as being extreme along those lines. My point was not to be taken so literally, it is more of an observation of how many children are ignored and not given the time by their parents that every child deserves. That is far more detrimental and occurs far more often than the other end of the spectrum. I stick by what I said.