‘The Busch Family Brewed’: Christi Dishes on the Drama That “Comes With The Territory” of Raising Seven Children (Exclusive)

Raising seven kids is no easy task, just ask Christi Busch. In MTV‘s newest reality show, The Busch Family Brewed, Christi, along with her husband Billy Busch, star as the parents of seven children — four daughters and three sons — as the family sets their sights on building the first brewery under the Busch name in 150 years.

They’re overseeing all of this while managing quite the assortment of relationship drama among their children. Speaking with PopCulture.com, Christi opened up about what it’s like raising all of these kids and the drama that viewers have seen unfold between her oldest daughter, Haley and her boyfriend Clark, and with her two sons, Billy Jr. and Gussie, who is seen on Thursday secretly dating one of Maddie’s friends.

Ironically enough, Christi shared that she never expected to become a mother of seven when she was younger.

“I always said I would not get married and I would not have kids,” she said with a laugh. “I fell in love with my husband and he came from a big family and then we just had a lot of children. After you have one you’re like ‘Oh my god I love this’ then you have two and after you have two, and after two it doesn’t matter it’s all the same.”

As a result, the two find themselves having to sit back and watch as their children deal with their own relationships. She confessed that going through this show has really allowed for everyone to openly communicate about their issues and that “they really have to face our issues.”

“I love working with my family, I think it’s been great for all of us,” she explained. “We get to hash out a lot and fight about it but we talk about it afterward instead of rushing to our room and being pissed off. We really have to face our issues.”

On Thursday’s episodes, Haley, who received guidance from Gussie in the first two episodes, got tired of waiting around for Clark and called for a break in their relationship. Christi said that “was a very tough conversation to have” as Haley wants to move out to California to continue with her acting career but Clark remains hesitant in moving away from the comfort of St. Louis.

“It does make me proud,” she shared, noting that Clark became “complacent” in his ways. “She’s very mature for her age.”

Thursday also saw the oldest son, Billy Jr., welcome his long distance girlfriend, Marissa, into the picture. Throughout the episode, Christi voices her concern about her intentions and how the two encountered.

She tells PopCulture.com that she is “always very cautious about who comes into my kids life.” After all, she said it’s very easy for someone to say the last name and be in it for the wrong reasons.

“I try not to get too involved,” she explained. “I’m very cautious about walking that line because if I push too much, I’ll push him right into her arms… and to be very careful not to push him away from me. If you are an overbearing mom, too much so, you don’t want them to become defiant. Always be open.”

Overall, Christi said she wouldn’t trade this big family of theirs for the world, even if she never anticipated being in this situation. She credits their family’s closeness to how her and Billy have created an environment of togetherness among all of the kids, even if at times it comes off as overbearing.

“I think the biggest thing is just being with our kids a lot and spending a lot of time with them,” she revealed. “Everything we do is together and having that bond really brings a family together… we’re always doing fun things and they don’t want to miss out on anything.”

The Busch Family Brewed airs on Thursdays on MTV at 9 p.m. ET.