'7 Little Johnstons': Inside Amber and Trent's parenting style and why they encourage their kids to 'be whoever' they want to be
FORSYTH, GEORGIA: As with most reality TV families, fans have had a lot to say when it comes to the Johnstons. Having their lives play out on screen has not been easy for the family, especially since Amber and Trent, the parents, were raising teens at the start of the show. While Alex and Emma, the youngest Johnstons have now gotten older, Amber and Trent prove in the latest season that they are still pretty hands-on parents.
Looking to binge through other TLC shows? You might want to consider -- 'Welcome To Plathville', '90 Day Fiance' and 'sMothered'.
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How did Trent and Amber Johnston meet?
Amber and Trent have been married for 24 years. They met through an organisation known as Little People. In a conversation with Mirror, Trent stated that at the organisation meet, he "saw a gorgeous blonde-haired, blue-eyed, 16-year-old girl," while Amber noted she say a "very attractive young man with a funny personality," adds Amber. The two were quick to enter a relationship and were eager to start their lives together. "Trent was my first relationship, we soon became best friends and we knew we’d get married," Amber added in the same conversation. She was 16 at the time the pair met and they tied the knot two years later in 1998. And while they both wanted to be parents, they were well aware of the risk involved. After having Jonah and Elizabeth, the pair went on to adopt Anna from Siberia, Alex from South Korea and Emma from China.
A look at their parenting style
As with most reality TV shows, fans have had a lot to say about their parenting techniques and style. Amber and Trent have quite a strict set of rules when it comes to their kids' dating and the independence they are given as teens. But, the pair has been honest that they don't have the answers for everything. "We won’t make the right decisions all the time, or the kids aren’t always on their best behavior," said Amber, while talking to Good Housekeeping. "We’re first time parents like everybody else. Just because we’re little people and happen to have little people children doesn’t automatically make us folks that know everything about our kids." she added.
But, rules and regulations aside, they've been particular to raise their kids with the belief that they are like everyone else and can do what they want to, without their health issues holding them back.
“We tell our kids, ‘You’re just like everyone else,’" Amber said while talking to PEOPLE. "You can do things, you can go places and you can be whoever you want to be, ” she added. Trent too, was on the same page as his wife. “I grew up in an all-little-people family,” noted Trent. “we didn’t have a ‘Woe is me’ attitude. My parents raised us just like every other parent would raise their child," he added.
The new season of '7 Little Johnstons' airs on August 16, 2022 at 9pm ET on TLC. Looking to catch up on all the drama before the new season airs? You can watch the previous 11 seasons of '7 Little Johnstons' on Discovery+