Jon and Kate plus 8
Posted
October 29, 2007 at
1:13 pm by
Jessica
If you haven’t caught an episode of TLC/Discovery Health’s “Jon and Kate plus 8“, it just may give you a little solace in the hardships of ones own parenting challenges. Jon (an IT Analysist) and Kate (a former nurse) Gosselin used in-vitro fertilization to help spawn 8 kids. One set are twins and the other six are from a subsequent litter.
Last season, I really liked the spunk coupled with the unconventional and imperfect parenting techniques used by Kate. Although she tended to run a tight ship, she was also human and threw political correctness to the wind when it came to the realities of having 6 toddlers and young twins only 4 years older than the sextuplets.
This season, I have to say, the reality parenting TV show has lost some of its charm with me. Although I enjoy, in a voyeuristic sort of way, watching parenting pained by temper tantrums and legal slavery by way of 6 more demanding children than I am left to deal with, I also have found Kate to be as bratty on occasion as her preschool broad.
In some ways Jon and Kate are very lucky. They have a cozy network of incredibly supportive family and friends who take and/or watch their children frequently. In the first couple of weeks of this season, I watched as Kate went to spa treatments, out to dinner with just her and her husband and plan a vacation by themselves in the Florida Keys. Personally, I know of very few 1.3 children families that are afforded so much free time as they are.
Another less than flattering observation I’ve made — Kate is not very nice to her husband Jon. While Jon is easy going and incredibly accommodating to his wifes idiosyncrasies, she is always snapping at him and making condescending remarks. Is it not enough that he spends all of his time at home helping with the children and goes to work on a daily basis to provide for his classroom of children and thus allowing Kate to be an “at-home mom”. Of course, I can’t imagine that 8 kids in childcare would be worth the effort of working outside of the home, but she always acts as if he is clueless and her life is so incredibly hard. Often times, she resorts to treating him like one of their toddlers.
One episode, Kate decided to hire a cleaning person. Through her exhaustive search, she finally settled on the one person who actually agreed to take the job on — so her prospects were limited. After the brave cleaning lady left, Kate then went around her house with imaginary white gloves, pointing out the hidden dust left behind. “Thanks for trying,” Kate said out loud, along with other rumbles of disappointment. The implication was that the cleaning woman was fired, not up to Kate’s high standards. Of course, you should get what you pay for, but cleaning after 6 toddlers and their bigger sisters, something is bound to get forgotten. Perhaps she should have cut the cleaning lady as much slack as she expects in return?
While Kate seems like a lot of fun and incredibly organized, it’s the little things — weird things — that seem to get her in a tizzy, like what shoes the older girls are going to wear to a carnival or if any of her family or friends puts her out by being one minute late. Sometimes you get the feeling that Kate is nothing more than a control freak, loving every challenge that comes her way, but at the same time, expecting others to reward her and recognize her for having it so tough, when in actuality, she really doesn’t. Sure, having 8 small children would drive the sanest person batty, it has also given them a much desired family and tv show. All in all, they have a pretty fortunate lifestyle.
As much as I like this show, I wish Kate would be less focused on herself and the indulgences of her children and complain less. Most families, even with less children, have their own unique challenges and have many other issues to deal with on top of it. Count your blessings Kate. You are not the first “over-worked” mother and you won’t be the last.
———————————-
Discuss on the blog comments or visit our Jon and Kate forums here:
http://www.imperfectparent.com/community/viewforum.php?f=205
Tags: Discovery-Health, Jon-and-Kate-plus-8, Jon-Gosselin, Kate-Gosselin, Parenting, sextuplets, The-Gosselins, TLC, twins |
18,433 Responses to “Jon and Kate plus 8”
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12871. Lillyann said:
July 16, 2008 @ 10:13 am
Good morning, everyone
Welcome to the blog, Serefina. Do jump in and post and get your feet wet. Once in a while you need shoes made from asbestos but most times, not! Besides, we have Stacey S to help us with our Chi and harmony, LOL!
Sarah R…what message aren’t you sure how to post?
Did someone say a page or two back that the new upcoming epi is going to be about J&K’s mistakes and embarrassing moments?
12872. Prescott said:
July 16, 2008 @ 10:29 am
“Did someone say a page or two back that the new upcoming epi is going to be about J&K’s mistakes and embarrassing moments?”
How would that be different from any other episode?
12873. Sarah R said:
July 16, 2008 @ 10:35 am
Lillyann…Grandma sent me a message over in the other forum, but don’t know how to send one to her.
12874. Sarah R said:
July 16, 2008 @ 11:16 am
[quote comment="179574"]“Did someone say a page or two back that the new upcoming epi is going to be about J&K’s mistakes and embarrassing moments?”
How would that be different from any other episode?[/quote]
Thats a good one, Prescott!!! LOL!!
12875. Lillyann said:
July 16, 2008 @ 11:39 am
Prescott
LOL!
12876. Lillyann said:
July 16, 2008 @ 11:48 am
Sarah R,
I posted to you about how to pm but my post must have flown out to cyber space.
Maybe post on the forum and we can walk you through the process? Basically, just log on to the community and then click on check your messages and a new window pops up. If you want to reply to Grandma, just click on her message and say what you want to and then click on send message. Is that clear as mud? LOL! You know me, wordy as heck! Anyway, hope that helps and if not I know someone can explain it better
12877. dot said:
July 16, 2008 @ 1:17 pm
I don’t much like the Kate I see on tv, but can’t say I “hate” her because I don’t know her InRealLife. I don’t know if anyone else has picked up on this, but I get the vibe that Jon is not really as nice IRL as we would like to think. I have this bad feeling that he might not be “laid back” all the time. Anyone else?
12878. Stacey S_MOD said:
July 16, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
[quote comment="179546"]Hi!
I am a newbie first time on the site. Great commments on a very controversial subject. I hope to read and learn and maybe post a few words when I get my feet wet…:)[/quote]
Welcome Serafina!
12879. respectneeded said:
July 16, 2008 @ 1:31 pm
I can’t see where I am suppose to find it’s Okay for Kate to belittle her spouse for being fat, such as the remarks about shoving food in his face for the last 5-6 years constantly, the chin chucking, the so called love taps (and how the women would howl if it was going on the other way around) the mocking about the hair loss so that he feels compelled to take up the freebie hair plug offer regardless of the pain.
That’s no Christian wife in my reading of the behavior of a woman that loves and respects the father of her children. I would never in my wildest dreams treat my wife like Kate treats Jon and hope my sons never choose a woman like her that would drive off the family with her behavior.
I find it pretty sad anyone claims this woman espouse Christain behaviors.
12880. mommyplus3 said:
July 16, 2008 @ 1:33 pm
i agree dot…when i watched the korean food epi, i notced how he spoke to her when se put the ice cream stuff in the frig and not the freezer. imo, he was nasty….saying yes, i know what you’ve had…etc. i personally don’t like his tone a lot of the time….and i’ve noticed tahtthere are many epis where she goes up to hug him or show some affection, and he seems very unresponsive.
now…that being said….i don’t think he his the devil or anything. she probably knew that - just like he knew who she was - before they got married.
12881. Stacey S_MOD said:
July 16, 2008 @ 1:43 pm
[quote comment="179465"]Stacey-you really have to read every post?? Do you have to do this on other boards? I credit you for keeping up :)[/quote]
LOL Nope…I don’t HAVE to, but I do read them every day so for the most part there is not too much catching up to do. My goal is to maintain integrity & decorum on this blog. I want EVERYONE to have the opportunity to voice their opinion weather it’s popular or not…I can only hope it’s done respectfully & that they are not burned at the stake for doing so…that goes for both pro & con J&K+8 bloggers!
I know there will be the occasional poster who jumps on here and spews terrible things trying to engage people in battle…but my hope is that we can try our best to ignore those bloggers & move on! However, that is not to be confused with people who are just not fans of The Gosselin’s (mostly Kate) They have just as much right to their opinion here as anyone. Like I said last night…it made my day to see 2 strong opposing POV on here but everyone was nice to each other…that’s what I’m talking about!!!!!
12882. Stacey S_MOD said:
July 16, 2008 @ 1:47 pm
[quote comment="179574"]“Did someone say a page or two back that the new upcoming epi is going to be about J&K’s mistakes and embarrassing moments?”
How would that be different from any other episode?[/quote]
They will be able to make excuses for the bad behavior AS we watch it! DUH.
12883. mommyplus3 said:
July 16, 2008 @ 1:51 pm
i won’t disagree with you, respectneeded. it does look bad, but i think it’s a 2-way street. he can dish it out, too.
12884. mommyplus3 said:
July 16, 2008 @ 1:52 pm
LMAO stacey!!
12885. Patty said:
July 16, 2008 @ 3:22 pm
Tried to post this on “Color Me…,” but it wouldn’t go through.
[quote comment="179614"]patty-
dang woman, you have the LONGEST posts known to man, i can barely read it all!!!
anywho-do you disagree with the gosselins receiving freebies?[/quote]
Sorry…I just have lots to say on the subject. This post is no exception. Sorry.
I am a child advocate. Although they are clean, well cared for, have a good home, organic food, nice clothing, there is definitely emotional abuse (the mean, hurtful things Kate says about Mady earrings, telling her they’ll leave her home next time they take a family vacation, going bonkers over gum on a pair of socks, making Aaden sleep on the laundry room floor because she didn’t want him to barf on the bedspread). I HATE THAT! Don’t say that stuff to you kids unless you REALLY REALLY MEAN IT! The most important thing they are lacking is empathetic parents.
Do I disagree with the freebies? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I think it’s great that they get assistance from sponsors who are willing to provide them with everything.
What I DO object to (as I said earlier today) is the fact they they receive but don’t give back. They should be (and maybe they are, but I don’t see it) appreciative of the help/assistance they get from sponsors, resorts, spas, home builders, etc. Yes, they always say they feel blessed and that they are so lucky, yet, it seems that they take it for granted and they seem to think they are “entitled” to all of it. Look at how Kate treats the people of Elizabethtown when she’s out shopping or just out in public.
The freebies I do object to are the unecessary frivolous things like teeth whitening, hair plugs, and spa treatments. The tummy tuck was a necessity. That’s not healthy for her to lug that around. I had a friend who was only 4′ 11″ tall and gave birth to 14 pounds of twins. She HAD to have a tummy tuck, too. It’s the unecessary, frivolous stuff that I object to.
Like I said in a couple other posts, when she was ragging about having so many toys around, I actually wrote to TLC and suggested an episode where the kids go through all their stuff, decide what they want to keep within reason, and pack up all the other stuff. I think it would be a nice idea to have an episode like that where they take the toys to the Peds unit of the Hershey Medical Center (since that’s where they were born) and give those kids their toys. Now, that’s a Christian, selfless act!!!
How precious would it be to see Aaden or Collin or Leah or any of the kids walk up to a sick kid in a hospital bed and give them a toy? We’ve all seen how they comfort each other when they’re sick or on a time out, right? Can’t you just imagine how precious they would be with those sick children? THAT’S how you give back for what you have been blessed with!
And like I also said in that post, I’m not saying dump all their toys. So that the kids understand it, make a game out of it. Explain to the kids that they can keep a few things, but that they really need to get rid of the stuff they played with when they were babies. Tell them what they are going to do with the toys they pack up (take them to the hospital blah blah blah). THEN tell them they will get a new toy for themselves. I don’t see anything wrong with getting them some new stuff if they willingly part with the other stuff.
12886. ambull said:
July 16, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
patty-
gotcha…i agree about the toys, great idea! i certainly understand what you’re saying about the “frivolous” stuff, but it’s been offered and they accepted, i would too. i don’t see anything really wrong with it… JMO
i’m glad you love those kids so much
didn’t you send them something one time?
12887. Lillyann said:
July 16, 2008 @ 4:04 pm
Dot,
To me, Jon sometimes comes across as passive/aggressive.
Marriage, parenting is a two way street, IMO and they both have areas that need work (my opinion) but what I don’t see is either one of them *lending a helping hand* with one anothers issues. Who better than your spouse to bounce things off of, whether it be for their opinion or their advice/help…whatever.
I’ve said this before, but an example is the entire bakery outing. Jon knows how Kate is about messes, the kids getting dirty, etc…why in the heck didn’t he speak to her PRIOR to the filming and help ease her anxiety. Maybe he did, I have no way of knowing for sure, but I doubt it. Why not be proactive? Instead all he did was gripe, snipe and he seemed to be egging her on? That did not IMO, help the situation at all. Bottom line for me is that both of them were at fault.
Just my thoughts
12888. Mary Beth Kennedy said:
July 16, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
Well, I just finished watching the episode about the girls day out at the pottery painting store. Kate was moaning and groaning about how she was dreading it, thought it would be too messy and how she hates messes. She was saying all of this in the kitchen while the kids were eating lunch. You know they heard this! Then she gripes at Jon because he is not doing anything while the kids are eating. She is so strange. She is going to turn those kids into freaks. When the girls got paint on their hands, they couldn’t stand it. She is stifling their creative behavior by being such a clean freak. She should have known that with kids comes messes. Jon and the boys had a blast because he is more laid back. He didnt start screaming and yelling when the boys got a bit of smoothie on their faces and car seats. He just cleaned it up and got over it. I about cried the day that Kate was threatening to throw one of the boys bear away because it had gum on it. She said it would get on all the other clothes in the dryer. Then don’t put it in the dryer. Throw it on top of the dryer or outside on a table and let it air dry. How can a woman with 8 kids still be this uptight? Why doesn’t someone donate some free therapy to this family? Free marriage counseling too? They (she) need this more than any spa treatment, tummy tuck or hair plugs!!
12889. KK said:
July 16, 2008 @ 5:45 pm
organic? I’m sick of her using that term. She was making a cake for Mad and Cara’s 7 year birthday, and I saw a plastic cake bag - as in Dunkin Hines????
12890. ambull said:
July 16, 2008 @ 5:47 pm
oh, i didn’t see where the kids didn’t like getting their hands painted at all…i thought they loved it! i didn’t see any of the tups “uneasy” about getting messy.
i watched the “Twins Turn 7″ epi…guess i hadn’t seen that one before…guess what…kate actually said “there may be perfect parents out there, but we’re not them”. just a comment for those that think kate thinks she’s perfect. i think she’s pretty good at “calling herself out” on the way she acts. of course she does this during the interview, but i “act out” and later reflect and wish i hadn’t been that way…
12891. mommyplus3 said:
July 16, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
[quote comment="179710"]organic? I’m sick of her using that term. She was making a cake for Mad and Cara’s 7 year birthday, and I saw a plastic cake bag - as in Dunkin Hines????[/quote]
not arguing….because i am a big organic proponent as well as a vegetarian with 3 veggie kids, but…there are organic and natural cake mixes (even vegan ones) that come like that in a bag. don’t know if that’s what she was using or not, but they are out there ;o)
12892. Mary Beth Kennedy said:
July 16, 2008 @ 6:28 pm
In the pottery painting episode, one of the little girls and one of the twin girls were caught by the camera looking at their hands saying something like, “Oh no” and “Mommy!” or something like that. You could tell that they don’t usually get to be creative in a messy way.
And the organic thing….remember when Kate made edible clay for the kids? She made it organic. She focused more on the organic than she did on the great idea of playing with edible clay. She must think organic is a brand new concept that we don’t know about as viewers because she is constantly talking about it and why she does it. Maybe she gets free organic food if she pushes it on tv. What a deal!
12893. mommyplus3 said:
July 16, 2008 @ 6:37 pm
i can see why the organic thing irritates some viewers. but from another perspective, like i said, we are a vegetarian family (aside from hubby), and i am obviously a freak about it. if someone tries to give my children food, the first thing i will ask is if it’s veg. it is also a topic that i am passionate about, and will talk about, inform, share, whatever. i guess that’s why i am not annoyed by her organic thing…anyways, just wanted to give another viewpoint ;o)
12894. Mary Beth said:
July 16, 2008 @ 6:50 pm
I know I am going to be in so much trouble for posting this but…..what is the deal with Kate’s hair? She has this area in the back of her head that it appears she gels straight up? I even heard her mention this one time when she was getting her hair done so she does this intentionally.
Also, have you noticed when they are on the couch doing interviews, her face is very splotchy and red? Does she put too much blush on or what?
I can tell you that after running after a house full of kids all day, I would insist that the makeup crew make me look great!
12895. Mary Beth said:
July 16, 2008 @ 6:57 pm
Mommy of 3, it is so much easier to be organic now that it used to be. I think it is wonderful that so many families choose that route. My kids are 14, 18 and 22 now so they eat pretty much whatever I fix or whatever they want to buy when they are out and about. It gets harder to control once they are older and in college, etc.
12896. Prescott said:
July 16, 2008 @ 7:03 pm
She has this area in the back of her head that it appears she gels straight up? I even heard her mention this one time when she was getting her hair done so she does this intentionally.
Hey, she’s being very fashion forward…
12897. Patty said:
July 16, 2008 @ 7:07 pm
[quote comment="179734"]I know I am going to be in so much trouble for posting this but…..what is the deal with Kate’s hair? She has this area in the back of her head that it appears she gels straight up? I even heard her mention this one time when she was getting her hair done so she does this intentionally.
Also, have you noticed when they are on the couch doing interviews, her face is very splotchy and red? Does she put too much blush on or what?
I can tell you that after running after a house full of kids all day, I would insist that the makeup crew make me look great![/quote]
FASHION FORWARD? That spike thing in the back of her hair makes her look like Dennis the Menace! As for the blush…she puts too much on. It looks like she just squirted it on with a pastry bag.
12898. Mary Beth said:
July 16, 2008 @ 7:11 pm
Okay, so I am not the only one who is confused about that fashion forward style.
Does anyone know why her parents are not in the picture? These children are adorable, smart and funny and I would think any grandparent would love to hang out with them.
12899. Patty said:
July 16, 2008 @ 7:23 pm
[quote comment="179689"]patty-
gotcha…i agree about the toys, great idea! i certainly understand what you’re saying about the “frivolous” stuff, but it’s been offered and they accepted, i would too. i don’t see anything really wrong with it… JMO
i’m glad you love those kids so much
didn’t you send them something one time?[/quote]
Well, we don’t agree on the frivolous stuff, but that’s OK.
I really hope TLC does an episode with taking the used toys to the hospital. I think that would be a super fantastic episode.
If I had eight children and was whining about not being able to afford this or that, I sure wouldn’t want to be filmed sitting in a dental chair getting my teeth bleached because I didn’t want my husband’s teeth to look better than mine, as Kate herself stated.
And I can’t remember where I posted it, but I wanted to add something to what I posted earlier about their “entitlement” attitude. I read someplace that Oprah GAVE them all Build-A-Bear stuff after they’d been on her show. I guess Kate was rather rude to the staff who wanted to know where to send it. She said something to the effect of “I don’t want that junk. It’s too messy. You can just keep it.” How’s that for a Christian attitude accepting a gift from another? She didn’t have any trouble accepting the bikes from Ellen Degeneres or the ski trip or the tummy tuck, etc. But, just because something was messy, she pretty much told them where they could stick it. She IS rude. Sorry, Kate lovers!
I sent them an e-mail a while back because I wanted to send the kids something for Christmas or their birthdays. When I wrote and asked what they liked (sizes, colors, toys, games), Kate wrote back and said, “I’D rather have a gift card from WalMart or Target so I CAN GET them what I WANT when I WANT IT. So, if that’s how they accept the kindness of strangers, pi** on it! I didn’t send them anything. I did send the “six pack” all individual cards with a handwritten note mentioning something special about a particular thing they did in a certain episode. I also sent Mady & Cara individual cards with handwritten notes, telling them that I think they are really nice big sisters to have. I also wished them a good end of the year in school and a happy summer. They need to feel important, too! I didn’t want them to feel left out. I will probably send them birthday cards when they turn eight in October, too.
12900. Patty said:
July 16, 2008 @ 7:29 pm
[quote comment="179744"]Okay, so I am not the only one who is confused about that fashion forward style.
Does anyone know why her parents are not in the picture? These children are adorable, smart and funny and I would think any grandparent would love to hang out with them.[/quote]
THere’s been a lot of discussion here about the absent grandparents. Kate’s father is a minister. I guess they own/live in a trailer park. I think Kate is embarassed by this. Kate is also estranged from most of her siblings, with the exception of Kevin and his wife Jodi, who happen to live right around the corner from Jon & Kate. I think that is why Kate has them play out in the driveay. Her parents have to drive past her house in order to get to Kevin & Jodi’s. I think she has the kids out there, so that when her parents do drive by, they can at least get a glimpse of the children. Please don’t quote me on this, and please people, pull in the claws and don’t pounce on me, OK? By all means, if I have stated someting that isn’t accurate, please do let me know. Thanks!