HGTV's Mina Starsiak Hawk Didn't Have The Most Ideal Childhood

Family ties were a large part of the "Good Bones" brand, with Mina Starsiak Hawk headlining the HGTV show with her mother, Karen E. Laine, while their family members assisted with renovation projects. However, as the show ended after 8 seasons, Starsiak Hawk opened up about how the "Good Bones" cast really got along behind the scenes.

While we've long known that the "Good Bones" family tree is complicated, it turns out that the family dynamics themselves have been strained over the years. However, when it comes to the drama between Starsiak Hawk and Laine, this tension has likely existed for a long time, with the Indiana native revealing some details about her less-than-ideal childhood.

"I came from a very dysfunctional, very dysfunctional upbringing of parents and step-parents," Mina revealed on an episode of her podcast "Mina AF with Mina Starsiak Hawk." "Looking back on it as a parent, like, what I refer to it now it, it was like Wonderland by with, like, knives and broken glass."

Mina Starsiak Hawk has opened up about her strained relationship with her mother in the past, explaining that their professional connection eventually magnified their issues. "I think family business is hard enough on its own," she told People in 2023. "But my mom and I have had a very rocky relationship since I have memories." While she hasn't delved into the details of these issues, she did reveal some tidbits about her "dysfunctional" childhood on a podcast episode co-hosted by her husband, Steve Hawk.

Mainly, the real estate expert reflected on the unsafe conditions that she and her siblings experienced, remembering what she initially viewed as childhood adventures. "We would play hide and seek in the backyard, and there was this outhouse with, like, a broken down boat and, you know, shattered windows," Starsiak Hawk shared. "And we would have trash can fires in the metal trash can. Like, I have a small scar on my wrist because I put my wrist down on the metal trash can when I was, I don't know, like seven or something."

The "Rock the Block" star also recalled that she and her brothers would take their eight dogs to explore under a bridge, where they'd unknowingly collect the belongings of homeless people as if they were treasures. Steve added that the area where Mina grew up used to be a rough, unsafe neighborhood. As an adult and parent of two, Mina's view on her childhood experiences has been totally transformed.

Though Mina Starsiak Hawk had a "dysfunctional" childhood, she's revealed that there are still elements of her younger days that she'd like to pass on to her children. "I have a lot of sh***y memories, but I have, like, some fun memories," she explained. "What I do love is, like, the sense of adventure that it felt like we got to have and so, how can I do that [for my kids] but in a way that's, like, way more safe and reasonable."

Starsiak Hawk shares two children with her husband Steve Hawk: a son named Jack, born in August 2018, and a daughter named Charlotte, born in September 2020. The TV personality often shares glimpses into her family life on her Instagram, posting photos with her husband and growing little ones. "Whenever I think I'm messing this who[le] life thing up, I look at these two and remember that they couldn't be so amazing if I was doing it all wrong," Mina wrote about her children.

While it's disheartening to learn about Mina Starsiak Hawk's less-than-ideal upbringing, we're glad to hear that the HGTV star is using her darker experiences to provide perspective to her dedicated parenting.