Ginny & Georgia Season 2: 10 parenting lessons that we can all learn from Georgia

There is a lot that is unpacked in Ginny & Georgia Season 2. The new season that released earlier this month takes a deeper look into the issues plaguing all its lead characters, especially the mother and daughter duo. There are several flashbacks to a teenage Georgia raising a young Ginny, in which one gets to see a fiercely protective and loving woman who, against all odds, managed to keep her daughter safe from all the harsh difficulties of their poverty-stricken lives. Any parent will tell you that it is commendable that even as a teenager – a child herself – Georgia was able to protect her child and convince Ginny that all was well and that they were living their best life, even in the most grim situations. Ginny herself tells her therapist that she never felt like her life was hard when she was young.

There are plenty of flaws that one can find in Georgia’s unconventional parenting methods. She doesn’t discipline her kids, even when Ginny throws a rager when left alone at home. Ginny and Austin seem to have no set routine, and Georgia turns a blind eye to their mental issues (even when Austin’s teacher points out that he might be suffering from anxiety). And her kids can literally get away with murder! Also, being a teen mom, an ex-felon and married twice before turning 30 doesn’t really set Georgia up for any Mother of the Year awards. 

Georgia has a dark past, but she genuinely does everything in her power to show her kids bright sunshine and give them everything that she wished she had. She is protective to a fault, which is why she thinks nothing of using underhanded methods to remove obstacles (even people) from her children’s lives, if and when she finds the need – which she often does. 

So, it’s easy to critique Georgia, but it’s not hard to see that she genuinely loves her children – even blinded by her love for Ginny and Austin – and will do absolutely anything for them. She doesn’t think twice when it comes to sacrificing her own happiness and safety for the sake of her kids. Georgia isn't a bad mother; she’s just a human being trying hard to battle her own demons. Even the creators of the show have said that they never intended to paint Georgia in any one colour. As co-writer and executive producer Sarah Lampert told Today.com in an interview, “Ginny & Georgia does not intend to judge any of the characters, but rather show the decisions people feel they have to make based on the challenges life has dealt them.”

Once you are able to wipe off the clouds of judgement, and leave her criminal tendencies aside, you’ll see that there are some valuable lessons in parenting that you can learn from Georgia. Here are 10 of them:

Protect your children, no matter what
Georgia will do absolutely anything to keep her kids safe. Of course, there is no need to go to the lengths (many times dangerous) that Georgia does, but an important takeaway is how she is constantly doing things to make sure that Ginny and Austin are protected.

Believe your children over anyone else
Despite what anyone tells Georgia about her kids, even if it is their teacher, Georgia will believe no one else but her kids. And this is perhaps her most endearing quality as a mother.

Deep-fry everything once in a while
Let loose and have fun with your kids. It’s okay if they want to stay home from school and watch movies on the couch with you, eating junk food sometimes. Or have a special Fry-yay when you deep-fry everything. It’s okay to not be a parent all the time; you can bring out the sillies and become a child with them.

Work effortlessly to build a better life for your kids
Sure, we all do this. But Georgia’s grit and determination to do whatever it takes to build a better life for her kids is commendable. She will let no one or nothing stop her from building a world that she could never have.

Never let your own limitations come in the way of your kids’ progress
Georgia didn’t have any money, a home or even money to pay for electricity when Ginny was young, but she winged it and made it work. She was never one to feel sorry for herself or blame her situation. Instead, she made the most of each opportunity and used every misery as a stepping stone to get to a better place.

No one is more important than your kids
Not your partner, not your parents, not the society…no one. “It’s me and you against the world,” Georgia often tells Ginny. And although it weighs heavily on Ginny, one cannot question Georgia’s intentions.

Safety first
Even if it sometimes means making them wear tracking devices. Nothing is more important to Georgia than keeping her children out of harm’s way and she will go to any extent to ensure that this happens. 

Admit when you’re wrong
Even though Georgia is a strong-willed woman, she doesn’t hesitate when it comes to apologising to her kids. Not just that, she also makes a sincere effort to make amends. 

Have a sense of humour
Georgia truly enjoys her time with her kids and always takes the time to have fun with them. Even when the going gets tough, which it constantly does for Georgia, she never loses her sense of humour and her ability to have a good laugh with her kids.

Make your kids feel unquestionably loved
Ginny sums this up best in the last episode of season 2, when during her speech at Georgia’s wedding, she says that she and Austin are lucky that they have felt unconditional love from their mother. Even though they may not always approve of her methods, Ginny and Austin undoubtedly love their mother, and it’s a reciprocation of how much she loves them.