Ronnie From 'Jersey Shore' Had A Very Valid & Admirable Reason For Missing The 2018 VMAs

Parenthood is pretty much all about choices. Every day, it feels like every choice you make as a mom or a dad is going to have some echo into the future of your kids and your relationship with them. These choices don't always have to make sense to other people, but at the end of the day they should sit well with the parent behind them. And so it is with Ronnie Ortiz-Magro. On Monday night, fans were wondering why Ronnie from Jersey Shore missed the VMAs this year, and his explanation was all about putting his daughter first in a very real way.

Ronnie and his ex-girlfriend Jen Harley welcomed baby girl Ariana Sky on April 3, and while the road might have been a little bumpy for the couple in recent months, according to E! News, Ronnie has made it clear he loves his daughter. Just two weeks after Ariana was born, Ronnie shared an emotional Instagram post in which he referred to his first child as being his best example of "true love." As he explained in the post, "So excited to be a #Father. Words can’t describe the feeling. You live your life not ever really knowing the meaning of true love until you have a child."

And now it seems as though Ronnie is making some very real decisions about what he wants his relationship with his daughter to be like.

Ronnie missed attending this year's MTV's Video Music Awards, which fans of Jersey Shore know is rather unusual behavior for the former solidly confirmed bachelor and party animal. There have been plenty of years in the past when he's been more than happy enough to hang out in the audience with all the celebrities, reality and otherwise, soaking up loads of attention. Especially considering the rest of the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation cast was on hand for the VMAs this year, Ronnie's absence was noticeable.

While some fans might have suspected that Ronnie's absence might have been due to his recent (and very public) break up with Jen Harley or that he might have quit the show, the reality star took to Instagram on Tuesday to set the record straight.

As Ronnie explained in the post, he's trying to make sure that he's there for his little girl. He wrote:

Everyone keeps asking where I’ve been, Why wasn’t I at the #VMA’s or other #JSFV events with my lovely cast mates. I’ve chosen to take some time off to be a father to my beautiful daughter. I’ve got to experience everything in my life thankfully because of #JS & #MyFans. There’s nothing that can replace the feeling of being a father. Thank you for all the love & support and no I have not quit #JS. I am just choosing to take time so I can watch my daughter grow and be apart of a life not just in her life and be an amazing father.

Ronnie continued by explaining that he doesn't want to watch his daughter grow up from a distance, which is incredibly mature and thoughtful. Considering Ronnie's Jersey Shore persona, it seems like his daughter really has affected some positive change in him.

Every parent has to find a balance that works for them. Between work, friends, self, love, and kids. So genuinely kudos to Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is he is working on finding the best balance for both him and his daughter. Let's face it; saying no to the VMAs, especially when you would get to go with a bunch of your friends, might not be easy. But I'm sure his little girl is more than compensation enough.