Catelyn Lowell and her husband Tyler Baltierra have been in the spotlight for close to a decade. They were first introduced to the world on 16 and Pregnant in 2009. They went on to be featured on the hit show, Teen Mom, which has since transformed into Teen Mom OG and is the longest running show of the franchise, currently on season seven.

Being in the spotlight has not come without its challenges for the couple, though. Viewers have seen the good and the bad of their relationship, and they’ve also seen them both overcome great challenges they’ve been dealt in life. From placing their firstborn daughter into an open adoption to welcoming their second daughter Novalee Reign, years later, and a whole lot in between, the couple has always been very open and honest with their audience. 

Today, the couple has just finished a 30-day separation as they await the arrival of their third daughter, due in March. It seems the separation made a world of difference for Cate and Ty as they are happier, stronger and more resilient than ever. And though it’s taken them both awhile, they both seem to have hit a groove when it comes to parenting their daughters together.

Below is a list of ten ways that Catelynn Lowell is raising her kids, and a list of ten ways that Tyler is raising them in his own way. Though they undoubtedly make a great team together. Keep reading for the scoop ob their differences. 

20 Catelynn Caters To The Needs Of Her Children

Catelynn lovingly caters to the needs of her children. She also makes sure her daughter Carly knows she is being thought of even if they don’t get to see her very often. Cate is consistently in contact with Carly’s parents and sends Carly gifts. Additionally, she makes sure her daughter Nova is always cared for.

Where Tyler can sometimes be the enforcer (more on that later) Cate tends to have a more gentle heart and caters to the needs of her daughter. In one episode of Teen Mom OG, viewers see Tyler trying to give Nova a bath but Nova keeps insisting she wants her mom to be the one to wash her hair. Tyler tries to stand his ground but Cate gives in and washes Nova’s hair for her.

19 Catelynn Deals With Things Through Humour

As fans of the show will notice, Cate has a tendency to deal with things with a sense of humor. Ironically, this can be a stress-coping mechanism. Having a good sense of humor is a great asset to have, so it’s definitely a good trait to teach her children. If you follow her on Instagram or Snapchat, you will often catch glimpses of her being goofy.

“Lowell shared a collage of pictures from Baltierra’s Snapchat via Instagram on Monday, which show him pulling faces and altering his appearance in the most hilarious ways. She captioned the picture of her husband with, “Ohhh snapchat thank you for this laugh! @tylerbaltierramtv,” shares SheKnows.com on an Instagram post that Cate made.

18 She Ensures Nova Has A Great Relationship With Her Grandparents

Cate and Tyler have both had very rocky relationships with their parents. They both grew up in not so happy homes, and this factor played a  huge part in why they placed their first born child into adoption.

Regardless, Cate has tried to look past that and spent a lot of time in therapy dealing with it, and she does everything she can to make sure that Nova, and soon Tezlee, will have a great relationship with all of their grandparents. In season five and six of Teen Mom OG, viewers saw Nova spend a lot of time with Cate’s mom as Cate dealt with her postpartum depression, which eventually landed her in a rehabilitation facility.

17 She Always Includes Nova In Carly's Birthday Celebrations

As mentioned above, Cate does an amazing job of making sure her daughters know that they are very loved and celebrated. Even when things have been rocky with Carly’s parents, Cate and Tyler have always celebrated Carly’s birthday. Throughout the years, Teen Mom OG has aired segments of Cate and Tyler sending gifts to Carly for her birthday and usually including Nova in a celebration that includes cake.

It can’t be an easy day for Catelynn, so the fact that she makes the effort to include Nova in celebrating the day is extremely heartwarming. I don't’ see this family tradition fading anytime soon.

16  She Is Raising Her Girls To Love Animals

Let us not forget the pig that Catelynn ‘surprised’ Tyler with back in 2014. Though she admitted after the fact the pig may have been a bit impulsive, the girl has definitely got a big heart for animals. The couple has a bit of a hobby farm going on at their current home and Catelynn has long dreamt of having her horse Calli reside on their own land. “Why growing up with pets can be good for your child.

Studies find dogs and cats can help improve a child's mental and physical health. Pets can help children socialize better, teach them responsibilities, reduce stress, and teach empathy and kindness,” shares BusinessInsider.com on the benefits of kids growing up around animals.

15  Catelynn Does Most Of The Dirty Work

Tyler never seemed to be up for changing the dirty diapers, but Cate was never hesitant to roll up her sleeves. After all, it’s something that comes along with parenthood territory. Cate and Ty aren’t really different than the rest of the world in this regard though. There have actually been studies done that suggest women still do most of the harder work of parenting.

“Meier says that if dads picked up more of the 'work' of parenting, and left some of the fun to moms, then their female partners would be happier, less stressed, and less tired. But I'm not totally buying it. Raising kids is hard work, no matter how much you work as a team to divvy up the responsibilities,” shares Parents.com.

14 She Leads By Example On The Importance Of Friendship

We’ve seen some friends come and go out of Cate’s life during the duration of her time on the show. But what we have seen remain strong and steady is her friendship with castmates Maci Bookout and Amber Portwood. “Having close friends is important for your health and happiness, but it takes a lot of time and effort to maintain a close relationship. Because of the effort and time that it takes, your circle of intimate friends will be small. That’s ok, just be sure to spend quality time with that small circle of friends,” suggests TheAlternativeDaily.com.

And keeping a small circle is exactly what Catelynn has done. She has her circle of people who she can and does, lean on, and it’s a beautiful example to set for her children.

13  And How Important Self-Care Is

Another great example Cate is setting for her children? That you should always take care of yourself before you try and take care of others. “Well, they say third times a charm… I’m going back to treatment people for 6 weeks to work on my trauma and getting on different meds. THANK YOU @TylerBaltierra I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!! You are my light!! And nova you are my sunshine #KeepTalkingMH,” wrote Catelynn on Twitter back in January when she returned to rehab for the third time.

Cate has received a lot of hate for her decision but the fact that she is smart enough to take care of herself first is honestly a great model to show her daughters.

12 She Shows Her Kids It’s Okay To Talk About How They Feel

And part of that treatment is being able to communicate your feelings which is a very critical role in a child’s life. “From the moment kids are born, they start learning the emotional skills they need to identify, express and manage their feelings. They learn how to do this through their social interactions and relationships with important people in their lives such as parents, grandparents, and carers. Being a parent means you’ve got a really important role to play in helping kids understand their feelings and behaviors. Kids need to be shown how to manage their feelings in positive and constructive ways,” shares KidsHelpline.com.au.

11 She Makes Sure Her Kids Know How Much They Are Loved

Most importantly, Cate makes sure her children know how much they are loved and isn’t that the most important part of parenthood? Viewers often get to see sweet moments between Cate and her daughter’s. From visits with Carly to family outings, fun around their hobby farm and visits to friends (like castmate Amber Portwood) Cate knows how to make her children feel appreciated and loved!

And how did Nova react to finding out she will be a big sister? “I will rock it and feed it bubbles,” the proud “big sister,” tells her mom. “I love him!” Nova tells her mom,” shares RadarOnline.com. Of course, we know now that the little baby is actually a girl to be named Tezlee.

10  Tyler Tries To Be Very Present

Tyler has always been extremely present for his kids. When Cate has gone to rehab, and thank goodness she has, Tyler has been left to take care of Nova by himself. And though it definitely wasn’t easy on him, he stepped up and did what needed to be done for his family, which is always the case with Tyler.

Tyler is known for being present for those who need him most. From visiting Cate in rehab to showing up for things like Nova’s first day of daycare and a heck of a lot more, Tyler is notorious for being a guy who steps up and shows up.

9  Tyler Tends To Be The Enforcer

As mentioned above, Tyler tends to the enforcer, and the one more likely to put his foot down about things. Cate and Tyler are great parents together, but fans of the show will witness Tyler being the one to put his foot down more when Nova is acting out.

“The total bad cop — whether he wants to be or not — this dad wants his kiddos to play by the rules and will enforce them no matter what. Eating vegetables, finishing homework, and turning off the TV after the first time he asks his kids are just a few of the non-negotiable items on his list,” writes PopSugar.com on the stereotypical enforcer Dad. Hey, it’s a job somebody has to do!

8 And The One Who Remains Logical

As the planner of the family, Tyler is also the one to remain logical. He always seems to be thinking of the logistics of how things will work. A recent example of this is how Tyler moved into the family’s new house while he and Cate had a 30-day separation. “In addition, he made it clear that he never left Catelynn and their daughter, NovaLee, in their old house, while he took the newly remodeled one for himself.

According to Tyler, he "spent the first week of the "separation" in the new house on an air mattress in the middle of construction" while they waited to move in. Once the construction was completed, his wife and daughter moved in and he went back to their home down the road. He insisted, "I wasn't going to let my girls live in chaos,” shares EOnline.com

7 He Places His Family's Needs Over His Own

In the past year, Tyler has said goodbye to his wife, father, and sister as they all made trips to rehab. He placed his first born child into adoption because he and Cate deemed it was best for their child.

Tyler has always placed his family’s needs over his own, over and over again. But this hasn’t been without a struggle for Tyler. Tyler has only recently started discussing his own mental struggles, which is what led to a recent 30-day separation between him and Cate. The separation is now over and the couple seems to be in a great place.

6 He Doesn’t Like For His Kids To See Him Upset

“Sometimes, you just don’t even know what to say to your children. I don’t ever cry in front of Nova [my daughter] or anything. I don’t want her to feel any of that. You have good days, and then you have bad days. And today is just a bad day. But I know I’m not the only one feeling like this, so if you’re in that same boat as me, hang in there and you’re not alone and talk to somebody,” shared Tyler in a raw and candid Instagram story earlier this year.

Tyler has openly discussed that he wants his kids to be able to express their emotions freely, but he has trouble expressing his emotions in front of his kids, which is a struggle a lot of parents feel.

5 But He’s Not Afraid To Shower His Kids In Love

He might not let his kids see him upset but he sure does let them see him gush over them! “This child of mine is just the coolest! We have so much fun together & she really makes these days easier to get through…yet she just has no idea how profound she is to my life,” Baltierra, 25, captioned a video of their daughter playing.

“She just thinks of it as simply ‘playing horsies’ with daddy #DaddysGirl,” shared Tyler on Instagram in 2017. This is just one small example of his public display of affections for his family. If you want to cry, go look for his wedding vows on Google.

4 He Is A Planner Through And Through

Cate and Tyler also seem to differ in the fact that Tyler is a planner through and through. He seems to be always thinking about things one step ahead at all times. More than once on the show we see Tyler ask Cate how she plans to let Nova know she is leaving and Cate appears as if she hasn’t quite figured it out yet.

The couple usually finds a solution together, but Tyler always seems to be the one to bring such scenarios to light in the first place. Tyler has also been known to surprise Cate with planned vacations for the couple.

3 Tyler Is Teaching His Kids Entrepreneurship

Tyler isn’t afraid to try his hand at various business endeavors, and it’s something his kids will witness firsthand. “We’re launching a kids clothing line,” Tyler said. “Strictly just for kids,” Cate chimed in. “And a majority of our products are handmade in Michigan. We cut it, we help with everything. [They’re] good quality items and cute items for kids,” shared WetPaint.com on the news Tyler revealed on a Teen Mom aftershow.

Aside from their clothing business, Tyler and Cate have both pursued entrepreneurship and have even talked about a renovation business together. Who knows what the future has in store for these entrepreneurs but their kids will definitely benefit from seeing these projects first hand.

2 And Encourages His Kids To Express Their Creativity

If you have been following Tyler on social media these days you will see that he is very passionately sharing his love of poetry. From the book, he and Cate wrote together, to the TV show they produced to the couple’s most recent clothing line; Tyler definitely has a creative flair and he encourages Nova to express her creative side as well.

From taking the time to sit down and play with her to letting her run around and explore outside, he definitely sees the benefit of a creative childhood. I’m sure Nova and Tezlee, and anymore future Baltierra babies, will be grateful for this someday!

1 He Is Unabashedly Patient

And finally, Tyler is unabashedly patient with people in his life. Not just with his wife and children, but with his extended family as well. Tyler’s father, Butch, was in prison for most of Tyler’s childhood and he’s been in and out of jail and rehab for much of Tyler’s adult life as well.

And yet, Tyler was waiting for his father with open arms to meet Nova for the first time once he was released from jail. This patience translates over well to Tyler as a father, as anyone with young kids knows that parenting requires plenty of patience.

References: www.mtv.com, www.sheknows.com, www.businessinsider.com, www.thealternativedaily.com, www.twitter.com, www.kidshelpline.com.au