Jenelle Evans is already sharing such a positive update on her new family arrangement!
It’s been just under two weeks since the Teen Mom star officially regained custody of her eldest son Jace, 13, whom she shares with ex Andrew Lewis. For the last decade, the teenager was raised by his grandmother Barbara Evans, but in a shocking turn of events, Barbara agreed to give her daughter back custody so Jace could grow up with his half-siblings Kaiser, 8, and Ensley, 6.
Related: Bam Margera Shows Off Tattoo Tribute To Son Amid Child Support War
It sounds like the decision was the best one for the young boy, at least according to Jenelle. She happily revealed in a statement to E! News on Thursday:
“My relationship with Jace is closer than ever and doing much better. I feel like being with his family makes him much happier. Our family wasn’t complete without him.”
Aw! So lovely to hear!
The change has also helped the reality star and her mother rebuild their relationship, though they still have work to do, the 31-year-old reflected:
“My relationship with my mother has got a little better, but truthfully she is still a little controlling. I think it’s going to take time for her to get use to this change.”
Hey, Barbara was Jace’s guardian for most of his life. It’s not going to be an easy or quick transition, but at least they are all moving in the right direction amicably.
Related: Jason Sudeikis Calls BS On Olivia Wilde’s Claim He’s Putting Her In Debt
Speaking of, the MTV personality also revealed she has been working towards getting custody back for two years now. She was even prepared to take the matter to court if she needed to:
“I fought for a while and was waiting for my day in court to talk, but I’m glad we can compromise instead of throwing each other’s names under the bus through court trials. Court trials are very scary and I don’t suggest it. Definitely try co-parenting and mediation before fighting in court.”
Ultimately, the pair were able to come to an agreement before a nasty legal battle because Jace “needed a change.” The OnlyFans content creator explained:
“We also didn’t like the crowds he was hanging out with, so now he’s in the country. He loves riding his dirt bike and working on it recently. He wants to sign up for dirt bike races in the future.”
Very cool! When he’s not riding his bike, Jace loves to hang out with his siblings and play video games with Kaiser, who Jenelle shares with ex Nathan Griffith. He is also bonding with his step-dad — Ensley’s father, David Eason:
“David teaches him how to hunt, fish, fix dirt bikes or giving Jace dating advice. Jace needed a father figure and I can tell how happy Jace is having one around.”
Sounds like this was a great decision for everyone involved. As long as David isn’t being problematic anymore, we guess… It’s just nice they were able to begin this new chapter of their lives without too much drama. Wishing them nothing but the best as they continue to get used to this change!
[Image via Jenelle Evans/Instagram]