Here’s How The Young the and Restless August 15 Nailed Parenting Cranky Teens

Parenting isn’t often where The Young and the Restless shines. Chelsea and Adam have made every mistake in the world regarding Connor. Victoria is currently ignoring her three younger children in favor of the eldest daughter she just met, and both Victor and Jack have seriously screwed up their grown kids. On the other hand, on August 15, Daniel and Heather had a terrific conversation about Lucy and how to raise a teen who screwed up…without either ignoring or overreacting to her mistakes.

Background Noise

Lucy (Lily Brooks O’Briant) is new to Genoa City, and with school out of session, she hasn’t had a chance to make any friends her own age. So she globbed onto Faith (Reylynn Caster), who is older and more sophisticated.

READ THIS: Are they all headed for disaster?

Faith was just being polite when she agreed to hang out and go to a concert with Lucy. But instead of being grateful, Lucy tried to impress Faith by getting drunk. Faith wasn’t impressed. She took the teen straight home. Lucy eventually ‘fessed up to Daniel (Michael Graziadei), who grounded her. (Considering his past with Cassie [Camryn Grimes], he took the news as well as could be expected.)

You’re the Worst

Now, Lucy is locked in her room, listening to depressing music and declaring a hunger strike. (Except for cookies. She totally did Heather [Vail Bloom] a favor and ate her mom’s cookies. Because Lucy is a giver.)

Suppose this were Connor (Judah Mackey). In that case, you just know Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) and Adam (Mark Grossman) would have stationed themselves outside his door, begging their little darling to tell them what they could do to get him to forgive them for being such monstrous ogres.

But, to their credit, Heather and Daniel are…letting Lucy sulk. And having a serious discussion — outside of her earshot — of how they’re going to handle their daughter’s lying and drinking as a team. (Chelsea and Adam would have already splintered at this point, each trying to prove to Connor that they’re the better parent and he should love them more.)

It isn’t often that Y&R gets parenting right. But when they do, they deserve three cheers and a pat on the back. More of this, please!