Mama June Talks Working On Relationship With Daughters And How Sobriety Helped

Mama June Shanon opened up about her rollercoaster relationship with her daughters Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon and Alana "Honey Boo Boo."

Mama June co-parents Alana with her ex Mike Thompson. She shares Jessica and Lauryn with her former partner Michael Anthony Ford and Anna with ex David Dunn.

The matriarch opened up about moving forward with her relationship with her daughters and how sobriety has been the most vital tool. 

While promoting the new season of "Mama June: Road to Redemption" on WeTv, Mama June spoke to US Magazine about how her relationship with Lauryn and Alana is a work in progress.

The TV personality said that her daughters know she has been sober for almost three years, and she took herself on the journey to mend her relationship with them. 

Mama June spoke on getting clean and the need to move on from issues of the past, saying:

"It's beating, like, a dead horse. For people to be able to move on, you've got to stop… If you keep on living in the past, all you're gonna do is keep looking back, and you're not gonna see what's in the front windshield."

Despite being sober for 29 months, the Georgia indigene notes that her rocky road to sobriety resulted in some strains with her girls, who may still hold some reservations against her.

The new season of "Mama June: Road to Redemption" will feature a custody battle between the matriarch and Lauryn over custody of Alana. She said of the two girls:

"I still understand where they're at. … I was pissed off as hell, but now that I've been in recovery, you know, I can [see] why they did the things that they did. We see each other. We talk. They know when they need me, I'm here."

Mama June said Alana is a typical teenager, and their dynamic is rocky. She explained saying, "She can be a brat [and] a diva all in one. And so those stages that Alana gets quiet and there [are] stages that she talks … she's all over the place."

The "Mama June: From Not to Hot" star also spoke on Lauryn's relationship with husband Joshua Efird, noting that things were "going good."

The Blast disclosed that the matriarch showed support for 16-year-old Alana and her relationship with 20-year-old Dralin Carswell.

During a Tuesday, May 10 interview with TooFab, Mama June explained that she had met Carswell already. She said:

"I've met Dralin. They've been together for over a year. People need to realize that she's going to be 17 in August and that [Alana's older sister] Pumpkin and Josh were the same age as they were."

The mama bear explained that those against her young daughter's relationship might be feeling that way because of racial differences. She defended Alana, saying:

"She is getting a lot of hate because she's in an interracial relationship. He is older. But at the end of the day, Alana's not that 6-, 7-year-old child y'all fell in love with 11 years ago. Alana has grown up. She's graduating high school next year, guys!"

The "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" star's efforts toward living a sober life to bond with her children did not go unnoticed by them, as seen in a sweet tribute from Lauryn.

The Blast shared that ahead of Mother's Day celebrations, the proud daughter dropped a very sweet message to her on Instagram.

Lauryn praised her mother and her journey to sobriety which was documented in her series, "Mama June: Road to Redemption." She wrote in her caption, "Happy mother day to the one who gave me life." 

The happy daughter attached a recent heartwarming photo of the family at Disney World. She continued:

"Life has definitely threw us curve balls but in the end, you're still my mom. I'm so glad to see how far you've come in your sobriety."

Lauryn appreciated her matriarch a step further by tributing her for being a great grandmother to her baby girl Ella. She concluded the sweet tribute by writing:

"I can never thank you enough for being the awesome gigi you are to my beautiful babies [red heart emoji]; love you, mama."