MovieChat Forums > Reba (2001) Discussion > Barbra Jean overstepping the parental bo...

Barbra Jean overstepping the parental boundaries

posted 9 years ago by mikkijohnson13
20 replies | jump to latest

Before i start this post i want to say that i do like Barbra Jean and she makes me laugh and obviously she cares for her family. But there are times where i feel she was crossing the lines when it comes to Reba being the mother and most women would not be ok with someone interfering in how they parent their child.

My first example is Jake's birthday party and Barbra Jean acted like she had more right in planning the party then the woman who brought Jake into the world. I'm sorry but if i had a child i wouldn't let someone else take over.

The second example was when Kyra started dating and Barbra Jean acted like Reba should have consulted her and Brock. I'm not saying that Barbra Jean shouldn't be a part of the co-parenting stuff because obviously Kyra lived with them however i do feel she should respected reba more.

Third example Barbra Jean taking over Cheyenne's vow renewal. Sorry but that was not ok because Reba obviously wanted to do something nice for the wedding and Barbra Jean made it to tacky.

I believe that step-parents have the right to be a part of co-parenting stuff especially if the child lives with them but i also believe they should respect the parents and not undermine them. Obviously every situation is different sometimes step-parents are better then the actual parents so they are not included in this post. It just bothers me how Barbara Jean acts when it comes to the kids and thinking she has a bigger say in things then Reba.

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 9 years ago

I totally agree with everything you said and that's one of the reasons I found BJ more annoying than funny. She had a lot of funny moments, but more often than not was annoying rather than funny.

Very good. But brick not hit back!

[–] mikkijohnson13 9 years ago

Why thank you. I never understood why Brock didn't stand with Reba when it came to all the parenting decisions, i get he wanted his new wife to be treated with respect but he never understood how hard it was for reba. I wonder how funny it would have been if Reba got married to someone during the series and her new husband wanted to upstage Brock as the parent. Bet he would not have liked that.

[–] boxerrebellion 9 years ago

Brock was too caught up in himself to have really noticed that he was supposed to partner with Reba in parenting; in fact, when Brock left and Van moved in, Reba just traded one child for another. The idea of buying the house next door and moving in with the woman he cheated with and their baby.... the man was clueless!

[–] magdalene_1024 8 years ago

Or he wanted to be close to his other three children, whom it was shown he loved dearly, even if he wasn't with their mother anymore.

[–] RaimeyD 9 years ago

Wow.

I agree it was a great synopsis OP.

Great job.

Thanks.

BJ was just nuts.

[–] mikkijohnson13 9 years ago

"I agree it was a great synopsis OP. "

Why thank-you😊

[–] Livana_Faolan 9 years ago

Another example is when she went around behind Reba's and Brock's backs and gave Jake fast food, because she was too tired to cook and because she wanted to win Jake over. She knew, perfectly well, that Brock and Reba did not want Jake to eat fast food because it upset his stomach.

[–] acornbtd-488-468227 9 years ago

I agree 100 percent, and there were times I actually could not stand the character Barbara Jean. Although I think the show was entertaining, I also had issues with how Reba was as a mother. Her only concern appeared to be Cheyenne and Elizabeth, and she all but neglected Jake and Kyra. When Kyra had an opportunity to go to England to study, and Reba decided that she had to give the money to Cheyenne for all the classes she skipped, I didn't blame Kyra one bit for moving away. Reba was so clueless and I don't know how she didn't realize that her constant devotion and attention to her oldest daughter had a negative effect on her two other children.

[–] ghettosgirl 9 years ago

Well, Kyra tried to say it WAS because of that.

[–] acornbtd-488-468227 9 years ago

Not sure what you mean, but I think Kyra moved out so for once, she would not take a back seat to everyone in the family.

[–] mikkijohnson13 9 years ago

"but I think Kyra moved out so for once, she would not take a back seat to everyone in the family."

That is a good point even Brock pointed all of that out to Reba saying at his house Kyra could be a kid. That is a fair point Kyra shouldn't come second to Van and Cheyenne , reba should have let Van and Cheyenne figure things out for themselves not bail them out all the time. Sadly Kyra knew that they would always come first at Reba's.

[–] acornbtd-488-468227 9 years ago

Yes, that is how I felt and it was true as you pointed out that Brock felt the same way. I feel this show, although funny at times, gave a very unrealistic picture of teen pregnancy as I am sure it is much more difficult than it was portrayed on Reba. The final straw for Kyra I think, was the trip to Europe that never happened because Cheyenne was given the money because of too many dropped classes. Personally, I think her irresponsibility should not have been rewarded - and if no daycare would be available then that would be Cheyenne's problem.

But looking back, Kyra was always on the back burner. The day that Reba wanted to go roller skating and cancelled it because of the problem Van and Cheyenne had with their apartment - once again, they came first. When someone is constantly expected to "understand" and never considered first, there comes a point when you have to leave that situation. Kyra was mature enough to recognize that things would never change, and she gravitated toward the parent who would give her the attention she needed and deserved. And as her father said, Kyra would finally be able to be a kid instead of the adult.

[–] mikkijohnson13 9 years ago

"Kyra would finally be able to be a kid instead of the adult."

I also think Kyra loved her niece and wanted to do the right thing which turned out moving out and living with the parent who was finally able to put her first. I'm sure it was good for Brock to reconnect with his kid i really think Kyra was the one who struggled most with the divorce, cheyenne had her own issues going on and Jake was so young at the time.

[–] kristen1165 8 years ago

Funny though that in the end she had to be more of an "adult" living with Brock and BJ than living at Reba's, with being Brock's DD and being BJ's shoulder to cry on, probably b/c she WAS the only adult living there !

[–] shopgirl1293 8 years ago

I haven't watched the show it a long while but I totally agree. I too liked BJ, she was so funny and such a ditz but sometimes when it came to her crossing those boundries when it came to Reba's children. I never believed a step parent had the right to demand things from their step children when they aren't even their children.

[–] mikkijohnson13 8 years ago

"I never believed a step parent had the right to demand things from their step children when they aren't even their children."

I Have to give my two conflicting thoughts on this subject. When a child goes to stay with their parent and step-parent then yes the step-parent has a right to lay out rules and expect things from the child since it is their house, but I also feel that when it comes to the big decisions then I believe the mom and dad are the only ones to do that. When it comes to the show I feel that brock and reba were not great at communicating and Barbra Jean didn't help matters by being pushy and wanting the final say in things. Barba Jean has a good heart and loves all of her step-children I just feel she should have respected the fact that Reba was the mom and not take over big events like birthday parties and Weddings and all that other stuff.

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] mbcullen 8 years ago

This is who Barbara Jean was. Yes, she overstepped many, many times, but that is who she was. Underneath it all she's insecure and just trying to make her mark. I think we all have relatives with this tendency.

As far as Kyra was concerned, sometimes when you have a problem child and a "good" child, you expand more energy on the problem child thinking the "good" child will be ok. I also think this is a common problem in a lot of families.

Reba, being the main character, you would think would be the perfect one with all the perfect traits that the other characters bounce off of. But she is a flawed character who sometimes acts selfish. But usually at the end of the show she sees the light and tries to do right by everyone. Even Barbara Jean.

[–] 8 years ago

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