‘Bringing Up Bates’ Star Carlin Bates Opens Up About Her Inspiring Younger Sister
Q&A
Carlin Bates, one of the sweet stars of UPtv’s reality hit Bringing Up Bates, is offering up a preview of the March 21 episode.
In the episode “A Newlywed Nest & Trace Put to the Test,” newlywed Josie (Bates kid #10) decorates her apartment in her signature boho-chic style, and Trace (Bates kid #8) has his eye on joining eldest brother Zach in law enforcement, joining him on a ride-along.
But the heart of the episode is on sweet Addallee (Bates #15) as she visits the audiologist and shares her triumph over hearing loss. Below, her big sister Carlin opens up.
How has Addee’s experience with hearing loss inspired you?
Carlin Bates: Addallee is such a sweet-spirited person and she’s so helpful — she wants to do anything for anyone. But growing up she really had a struggle. We didn’t realize it till later, but at birth, she’d lost some of her hearing. So when I was working with her on piano — because she takes piano and then schooling on the side — she wasn’t understanding certain things. But Mom and Dad had been taking her to speech therapy and to hearing classes, and after working so hard in them, she has just become so confident!
It’s so easy to look at yourself and your imperfections and feel self-conscious, but Addee reminds me that you can turn your flaws into your strengths and overcome challenges. When you have confidence in who you are and who you are in Christ, that inspires me in so many ways. And being an inspiration is what Addallee has been throughout her whole journey.
Addee Bates works with a hearing specialist to test her hearing aids.
I’m still Addee’s piano teacher and teaching her piano is just such a joy. I love the smile that she has when she can hear the tones and the notes and know that hearing loss won’t stop her from loving music. She also has an amazing gift of being able to play by ear.
Also in this episode, Zach shows Trace what a career in law enforcement would be like. Why is passing on knowledge so important in your family?
We were always taught, “If you know something and you don’t share it, then what good is your skill if you don’t pass that knowledge down?” All of us have really tried, when you succeed at something or have knowledge in an area, to pass that on. Whether it’s to younger siblings, or to the younger married couples, or to the grandkids, everyone wants to pitch in.
With Trace, having older siblings is nice because they’ve been through a lot more. I think it was nice for Trace to go alongside Zach and really get a taste of what Zach’s career is like without committing to it yet. I think that Zack and Erin and so many of my siblings have that great quality about them that they’re willing to share their skills with us. I think we get a lot of it from our parents, really.
How do you think Trace would do as a police officer?
Anything that Trace wants to do, he will be amazing at. He has great determination and if he wants to do something, he puts his whole heart into it. Trace is a man of justice and law, and I think he’d totally pursue this as a career because it’s his personality. He comes across in a gentle way—but still firm—and I think he would be a great addition to our area’s law enforcement.
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Your sister Josie is busy decorating her apartment for her and her husband, Kelton. How does your style differ from hers?
Oh my goodness! I feel like I’m still trying to figure out my style. [laughs] The style in Josie’s apartment and her baby’s room [Josie and Kelton are expecting their first child in July], it’s more of that Boho look, that you saw in her wedding. But my style? I feel like I don’t know. I don’t know a word to describe it, I really don’t. Maybe you should ask my fiancé that.
Carlin and her fiancé Evan Stewart are getting married on May 25, 2019 and Carlin has shared lots of juicy details of her upcoming details, including a one that I’ve sworn to secrecy! But Carlin will be back soon to share more about upcoming episodes of Bringing Up Bates — including the race to witness the birth of baby Kade, and I’ll reveal more of that conversation in a few weeks.
Bringing Up Bates, Thursdays, 9/8c, UPtv
