Pat!
10 Parenting Lessons From The Other Two
Pat Dubek’s plate is pretty full, but she still finds time to be one of the best moms on TV.
Pat Dubek (Molly Shannon) isn’t a regular mom. She’s, like, a cool mom. Her willingness to support her son Chase, aka ChaseDreams, in his meteoric rise to stardom is one-of-a-kind, really. Plus, as fans of HBO’s The Other Two know, Pat has kinda-sorta become the show’s sneaky center. While Cary (Drew Tarver) and Brooke (Heléne Yorke) are technically “the other two,” much of the action that unfolds in this hilarious, somewhat ruthless comedy about fame and the culture that surrounds it is centered around Pat. Or maybe we should call her Pat!, the name of her eponymous smash hit daytime talk show?
Anyway, Pat may struggle a bit with her own fame and sudden fortune, but no one would ever question whether or not she’s a good mom. Pat is warm, loving, kind and wholesome. Her small-town Ohio roots seem to have kept her pretty grounded, despite her family’s successes. If she has a flaw — and we’re not saying she does — it’s that she gives a little too much of her self sometimes, and possibly has accidentally raised kids with values that could use some, ahem, aligment. But they’re all works in progress, and what matters — as Pat would surely say — is that the Dubek family navigates it all together, and always has each others’ backs.
Read on for a few more parenting lessons we’ve learned from The Other Two since it premiered.
1Let your child have a YouTube account.
This is probably actually bad advice, but hey — it worked out pretty well in the show. Or actually... did it? Is fame all it’s cracked up to be?
2Your kids are never too old to need their mom.
Be there for them when the going gets tough, always. But it’s still OK tell your adult child that that smell is not the nachos.
3Don’t forget to take care of yourself.
You can’t take care of your kids — or your adoring fans — if you don’t take care of your own needs, too. Pat, a natural giver, learned that the hard way.
4Be open to going wherever life takes you.
And if that means sudden fame for you and your kids, great!
5Support your kids in a hands-off but loving way.
If you’re stuck on a private jet with Simu Lui that basically never lands, answering your cell phone when the kids call is a great way to maintain a close bond.
6If you get too famous to meet your kids at a restaurant for brunch, consider prosthetics.
Sure, it’s a little weird. But when you’re as famous as Pat Dubek, prosthetics mean freedom and your kids should understand that.
7Stay young by trying new things.
Like, for example, hosting your own TV show and becoming Oprah-level famous. It’s easier to keep up with your kids if you’re open to trying whatever they and their peers are into. Pat is always game, and surely her kids (and, of course, her fans) appreciate that about her.
8When you decide to part ways with your partner / son’s manager, make sure the kids know it’s not about them.
Sure, they’re fully grown adults with lives of their own. But it’s still a good idea to let them know that Dad will still do every other weekend, and that your split with your partner / manager is not their fault.
9Stay friends with your kids’ exes.
Actually, this might be bad advice. But seriously — who can resist Josh Segarra?! You’re not going to stop being friends with this guy just because he and your daughter ended a multi-year relationship, right?
10Keep your kids grounded if and when they (or you) become incredibly famous.
Do simple things together to stay grounded and connected, like taking family vacations to extremely exclusive resorts.
OK, maybe she’s not perfect. She’s even better than perfect — she’s Pat!
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