A half-legal sister’s guardian, a 23-year-old woman, has revealed that she is now the parent of a 17-year-old girl. Currently living in Kentucky, Hunter Nelson’s goal in sharing details of her unconventional family dynamic on the video-sharing platform TikTok is to support anyone going through something similar.
Through a series of tweets, she reveals that she didn’t have a kid at age six but adopted an adolescent named Gracie in 2021. The two of them shared a father who passed away in 2015.
Gracie’s mother passed away in May of 2021, prompting Hunter to consider guardianship proceedings to ensure Gracie would always be safe and happy and have all her needs and wishes addressed’ rather than being placed in foster care.
Hunter claims that having children has improved her life, even though many people warned her that she was wasting her time. The elementary teaching major at university describes how her life changed once her roommate moved in. Indulging in the freedoms of adolescence is something I take great pleasure in seeing for her.
After Gracie’s father’s passing, social services considered placing her with an aunt or in foster care. However, the placement with the aunt did not work out. Hunter said, “things were happening that simply weren’t safe for Gracie.”
She also said that her father shared a drinking problem with his companions. Hunter, wanting to assist her sister in North Carolina, reportedly spent roughly $120 on a formal guardianship filing.
She required a signature from a family member, but her “resentful” aunt refused to provide one. The case ended up in court, and Hunter was awarded guardianship of her half-sister after a lengthy court fight. She added that Gracie only had a bag full of clothing and a little puppy pregnant with puppies when she moved in with her.
Hunter said she made Gracie’s room “very nice” and bought her some new outfits to help her feel more comfortable. In one video, she discusses her concerns about becoming a mother at a young age (15). The captions read, “No other parents or staff members at her high school are going to [sic] take me seriously,” as if these were her views.
When I attend her activities, I know I’ll be asked what grade I’m in. I’m not good at driving, so how should I teach her? While Hunter admits that being a parent has been challenging, she has had a lot of support from family, friends, and even her partner.
“He is supportive, happy of me, he lets me know that I am doing a fantastic job,” she adds of her fiance, “and his mom is such a lifesaver.” Hunter’s inbox has been flooded with messages from curious onlookers since she shared her tale online. When she became a mother at such a young age, many people were perplexed, so Hunter took the time to explain everything that had happened.
When asked whether she has rules at home, Hunter has always responded, “absolutely.” In addition to not letting Gracie spend the night at a friend’s house, she also forbids her from using tobacco products, consuming alcoholic beverages, and vaping.
Hunter answers, “I do monitor her to sort of like control who’s engaging with her” when asked whether Gracie is permitted on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Given their age difference, many readers have wondered how Hunter and Gracie get along. A user jokingly asked, “Do y’all have more of a mother-daughter connection or a sister-bond relationship?”
Hunter said they are “a little of both,” but her primary position is “parent.” She said, “She does realize that it is my role to keep her safe – I am her guardian. As a friend, I feel responsible for ensuring that she isn’t going to hurt herself or the people she cares about.
We enjoy one other’s company, love each other, and share many of the same interests as sisters do, yet, being the only parent in her life adds a unique dynamic to our relationship.
To paraphrase, “She needs to follow the rules and do the tasks. What I do is exactly what her mother would do. Despite Gracie’s obvious deference to Hunter, she doesn’t refer to her as “mom.” Hunter claims that she and Gracie “were never really that close” because they grew up five hours apart.
Hunter found a picture of her seeing her newborn half-sister for the first time, and another photo shows her happily holding her infant at home. They also have a half-sister from their father’s third relationship. People have been curious about Hunter’s money management skills.
The prospective educator claims to have saved a little money, worked part-time, and inherited some cash from their late father, which she and her sister Gracie would share.
Hunter expresses it best in one of her videos when asked to describe motherhood: “It varies. Occasionally, I feel like pulling my hair out because the going is so tough. There are days when everything clicks, and we have a terrific relationship. Admitting my helplessness and accepting assistance has been my most challenging aspect.”
Plans for Hunter include finishing college and preparing Gracie for her driver’s license exam. She reflects, “I believe we’re both quite happy today, and I think it worked out for us.”