Is this the ultimate "F-You, mum" from a teen?

Raising a teenager? This one goes out to you

If your teenager has ever talked back or publicly embarrassed you, take comfort from the fact it didn’t happen on live television. With an audience of thousands.

With eight kids in her house and a reality TV show to her name, Kate Gosselin’s life isn’t exactly that of your everyday mum. But a recent TV appearance proved even the most famous mothers aren’t exempt from the emotional ups and downs of raising teenagers. That noise you hear right now? Parents everywhere high-fiving one another.

The eldest Gosselin kids, 13-year-old twins Mady and Cara, joined their mum on the set of the US Today show to discuss their lives after the show “Jon & Kate Plus 8”, which ended with their parents’ divorce. What resulted was several minutes of excruciatingly awkward television.

Host Savannah Guthrie opens the interview by asking Mady a question about her family. When she clams up, an exasperated Kate attempts to prompt her daughter into speaking: "Mady, your words. It's your chance. Spit it out."

Probably not the best approach, and you can guess what comes next: The Stare. If looks could kill, Mady's expression would have reduced her mother to a pile of rubble on the spot.

Kate then cops the silent treatment from Cara, who refuses to answer the questions directed to her. If there had been a bedroom door on set for the girls to slam behind them, the tableau would have been complete.

As it is, the twins deliver the ultimate "F- you", and according to reports Kate was mortified. Watch it all unfold here:

However, the girls' silence may not have purely been an act of rebellion. Kate claims they were afflicted with stage fright, tweeting after the show: "Thanks to @TODAYshow for having Cara, Mady and me on the show today! 1st live interview can render even the gabbiest girls speechless :)"

A number of commenters also pointed out the girls looked terrified to give the wrong answer in their mum's presence, while their father Jon said he was "upset" to see them being manipulated by his former wife.

It seems Kate could be right to an extent, as Cara and Mady perked up during an appearance on The View the following week.

However, there's no mistaking there was a flash of textbook teen defiance on show in the original video - and we enjoyed every minute of it, didn't we?

What do you do when you cop attitude from your kids?