Maci Bookout and Ryan Edwards' co-parenting relationship appears to be headed in the right direction. During a September 24 interview with Us Weekly magazine, the longtime "Teen Mom OG" star and mother of three opened up about where she and her son, nine-year-old Bentley Edwards, stand with his father.

“Bentley has gotten older and is kind of understanding a little bit more about what’s going on," Maci explained to the magazine ahead of next week's season eight premiere.

While Ryan and Bentley aren't exactly closer than they were before his slew of drug-related arrests, Maci said their relationship is healthier now.

"I think it relieves some of the pressure from each of them," she stated of Bentley being kept in the loop with what's happening with his father.

As she explained, when Ryan was first facing drug and legal problems, Bentley was young and didn't understand what was actually happening -- or why. Now, Maci hopes that after Ryan hopefully takes the "right steps," his relationship with his son will improve.

Bentley is being raised in an 'open and honest' home

Maci Bookout and her husband, Taylor McKinney, are currently brining up Bentley with their two younger children, three-year-old Jayde Carter and two-year-old Maverick Reed, and have been “open and honest” when speaking to Bentley about Ryan.

While it may not always be an ideal situation to go into detail about Ryan's past behavior, which includes heroin use and many arrests, Maci told Us Weekly magazine that she wants to have an open relationship with Bentley so that he always feels he can come to her with any questions or feelings he may be going through.

“It’s really just a matter of keeping the line of communication open and also making sure that we aren’t telling too much or giving too much of our feelings or opinions," Maci said, adding that she is simply giving information to Bentley about Ryan, rather than speaking about him.

Ryan Edwards' wife claims he's doing great

According to Maci Bookout, she doesn't want to just talk about Ryan because he's Bentley father and she doesn't want to paint a picture of tension.

Instead, she hopes to allow a future reconciliation between the two as Ryan continues to stay sober. While there have been rumors of a drug relapse in recent months, Ryan's wife, Mackenzie Standifer, continues to tell her Instagram fans that things are great between them.

To see more of Maci Bookout, Taylor McKinney, and their family, don't miss new episodes of "Teen Mom OG" season eight, which begin airing on MTV next Monday night, October 1, at 9 p.m.
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