Many have criticized the "Honey Boo Boo Child" TV show family for their relaxed standards of health, hygiene, and public over-exposure, but at least Mama June is proving she's got more wisdom than just Sketti and diabetic-coma-inducing lemonade. Unlike many reality "stars," the family matriarch is determined to not let her brood's newfound stardom go their heads and has set up trust funds for each of her daughters, Yahoo News reported.
Since premiering last year, the Honey Boo Boo clan received a pay bump and now takes in between $15,000 - $20,000 per episode, which is divided equally into accounts for seven-year-old Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson; 12-year-old Lauryn ("Pumpkin"); 15-year-old Jessica ("Chubbs"); 18-year-old Anna, and her baby Kaitlyn, the reality TV mom told TMZ.
The funds won't be available for the girls to access for anything other than schooling and medical emergencies until they turn 21-years-old, Mama June said.
"I want my kids to look back and say, 'Mama played it smart. Not like those other reality TV people,'" she told TMZ, adding that she never actually receives money from the network. "TLC puts the money into the girls' trust accounts for me and then I get an e-mail telling me how much everyone gets."
According to June, Honey Boo Boo's father, Sugarbear provides for the family just fine with his work as a contractor. She says that no matter how much the family takes in from its reality TV fame they've vowed to not waste the money on material possessions.
"You're never gonna see me drive a Range Rover or a Mercedes," she said. "I'll drive one if someone else pays for it. Never gonna live above my means."
For all the criticism lobbed at the family, this isn't the first surprisingly logical thing we've heard come out of Mama June's mouth.
The mother of four has said in the past that despite what many claim, she's never tried to exploit her daughter through beauty pageants or the show, and that the show and pageant life will continue only "as long as Alana's having fun."
"It's all about having fun and making memories with your kids and with your family," she said.
June also reportedly avoided signing with an agent because she was afraid it would require her to spend time away from the Boo Boo clan.
The network also reportedly offered to find the family a new home (perhaps one that isn't a drifter's sprint from a passing train?), but Mama June turned the network down because of her love of decorating the house for the holidays, and her connection the community in McIntyre, Georgia.
Since premiering in early August, the reality series, which portrays the everyday life of Honey Boo Boo Child, real name Alana, and her crazy "redneck" family, has become a runaway success averaging 2.3 million viewers per episode. The show even topped all individual cable and network broadcasts of the Republican National Convention on Aug. 19 with a 1.3 rating with adults 18-49.
"HOLLA-day" episodes documenting Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas with the family are currently airing on TLC. Season two of the series will also begin filming in Jan. 2013.
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