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.
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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 |
14,365 Responses to “Jon and Kate plus 8”
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12961. ambull said:
July 17, 2008 @ 12:28 pm
the only uncivilized discussion i’ve had is when someone was talking to me or about me. i say if it gets “fussy” and has nothing to do with you…ignore it and bring up a topic you would like to discuss.
someone is bound to jump in and have a friendly conversation with ya!
HAPPY POSTING!!!!
12962. Bree said:
July 17, 2008 @ 12:34 pm
Is Prescott the one you all sometimes refer to as OZ and the husband of Jessica that started the blog?
12963. ambull said:
July 17, 2008 @ 12:41 pm
yes, bree, he’s the one!
12964. Mary Beth said:
July 17, 2008 @ 12:49 pm
Prescott is a man? Now that’s funny!!!!
12965. Mary Beth said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:00 pm
[quote comment="180004"]the only uncivilized discussion i’ve had is when someone was talking to me or about me. i say if it gets “fussy” and has nothing to do with you…ignore it and bring up a topic you would like to discuss.
someone is bound to jump in and have a friendly conversation with ya!
HAPPY POSTING!!!![/quote]
Okay, so here is a topic I would like to discuss. I have never seen Kate or Jon sit down and read to these kids. Not at naptime, playtime or bedtime. Now before you all start telling me she has 8 kids, I want to say that reading to kids is usually a way to get them all quiet. I have three kids of my own and have taught school and if I can get a room of 25 kids to be quiet while I read to them, they can get 8 to cooperate. Maybe they have and I have just never seen it so let me know….open for discussion!
12966. Grandma frm Ks. said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
Ambull, baby you are on here, good greif I have a hard time catching you,
And yes Mart Beth, Prescott be da man, He and Jessica also carry the big stick LOL
12967. Grandma frm Ks. said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
[quote comment="180016"][quote comment="180004"]the only uncivilized discussion i’ve had is when someone was talking to me or about me. i say if it gets “fussy” and has nothing to do with you…ignore it and bring up a topic you would like to discuss.
someone is bound to jump in and have a friendly conversation with ya!
HAPPY POSTING!!!![/quote]
Okay, so here is a topic I would like to discuss. I have never seen Kate or Jon sit down and read to these kids. Not at naptime, playtime or bedtime. Now before you all start telling me she has 8 kids, I want to say that reading to kids is usually a way to get them all quiet. I have three kids of my own and have taught school and if I can get a room of 25 kids to be quiet while I read to them, they can get 8 to cooperate. Maybe they have and I have just never seen it so let me know….open for discussion![/quote]
Yes I did one time, when the tups were younger, Not sure how oFten they do this tho, but I believe they were in the family room, the twins were taking turns with mom and dad reading. I’m sure they could some how maybe do it more oFten.
12968. Lillyann said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:11 pm
Hi Mary Beth
I can only remember Kate reading to *one* of the tups, one time and I think they were in the garage. Agree, it’s a great *quiet time* activity and it provides so many opportunities for their little imaginations to run wild, LOL.
Besides it’s fun for the person reading…you get to *speak* in all kinds of voices
Maybe someone else will think of other times.
12969. Lillyann said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:15 pm
Hi Grandma
I must have missed that! Glad it wasn’t only once 
How are you?
12970. Mary Beth said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
Thank you! Now here is another topic. I was reading some of the earlier posts on this blog and someone said that Kate had been incarcerated when she was younger? Is that true?
12971. Grandma frm Ks. said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:21 pm
[quote comment="180024"]Hi Grandma
I must have missed that! Glad it wasn’t only once 
How are you?[/quote]
I am great Ms. Lillyann, thank you for asking, I do remember the one in the garage also, he was sitting on her lap, one of the girls was wanting up there also and she told to wait (Hannah I think( any way thats two for Kate, that we know of, But in her defence we see them going up stairs to bed, we don’t know for sure if Jon reads to them or not, so I can only guess it may happen more than what we see. (or not)
12972. Lillyann said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:25 pm
Hey, is it my computer or did this page change colors, LOL. There’s writing in blue and little red x’s. Whew, it’s like the twilight zone in here!
Anyway Mary Beth, I have never read anything about Kate being incarcerated. My guess, it’s a rumor but I have no way of knowing.
12973. Grandma frm Ks. said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
[quote comment="180025"]Thank you! Now here is another topic. I was reading some of the earlier posts on this blog and someone said that Kate had been incarcerated when she was younger? Is that true?[/quote]
Oh my lordy be, Mary Beth, where did you read that? I have never heard that one ROFLMAO!!!
any way as some of us had said before, some one will put a thought or a previously read post out there and a few threads down, some one else will say as the gospel truth, So if you don’t see it on the show, I would not repeat it, b/c 99% of the time it is no more than wish ful, hateful thinking of some one who really don’t like her, (I did not say hate) just to clarify for those who say they don’t hate her, Being in jail, I doubt it. IMO of course
12974. Lillyann said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
You’re right, Grandma…lots we don’t see
and my guess is that they are read to a lot!
12975. Grandma frm Ks. said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
[quote comment="180029"]Hey, is it my computer or did this page change colors, LOL. There’s writing in blue and little red x’s. Whew, it’s like the twilight zone in here!
Anyway Mary Beth, I have never read anything about Kate being incarcerated. My guess, it’s a rumor but I have no way of knowing.[/quote]
Ms. Lil’ what did you drink for lunch today? are you out riding around with Stacey in the Vaspar some where in cyber space? You better not be leaving the rest of us out, Not Fair, Not Fair!!
12976. Mary Beth said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:44 pm
I doubt they would talk about mommy’s incarceration on the show! haha! I have no idea where it came from but read it on this blog in an earlier post. Since I have not been on this blog I thought maybe it was common knowledge. Hopefully not.
Another thing….WHY must Jon and Kate repeat themselves three times during the sit down couch interviews? Even after a commercial break, there is no need to waste time doing that. Could they just narrate some of the scenes? I would rather see those darling 8 children playing and talking than see J and K exhausted on the couch, making snide comments about one another and making faces and repeating themselves over and over.
12977. Lillyann said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:45 pm
LOL, not drinkin’ anything! Not sure what the heck happened. Maybe *Oz* was behind the curtain doing something with the site and I clicked in just at the right moment, LOL.
Anyway, it’s back to normal..whatever normal is!
12978. Lillyann said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:50 pm
Sometimes it almost looks as if the couch interviews are taped after the actual day. Can’t really be specific, but one time Kate was saying something and it was like she was trying to actually recall what had taken place. It was like *oh yeah, that day we cleaned out the garage* Not sure but just something I thought at the time
Yep, give me more of the kids any day! Love watching their antics.
12979. Grandma frm Ks. said:
July 17, 2008 @ 1:56 pm
Yeah Lil’ at my age what is normal not a BM, LOL
so yeah lets blame The Oz. I’m sure he is used to it, Bless his Heart.
Mary Beth I really doubt that her being in jail was on this site, wouldn’t swear to it, but I think that would have been at least a couple pages of commenting, unless, it was a stranger no one commented back to them, and that does happen, you can tell when the blog is going peaceful and some stranger jumps in all of a sudden with a comment way off the wall, and it is just ignored.
Keeps down a lot of trouble that way, and now that we have a Moderator, that is a big plus.
Jon and Kate sitting on the couch, I think they are being led into questions by Jen, don’t you think she is the one who kinda controls that conversation?
12980. Grandma frm Ks. said:
July 17, 2008 @ 2:01 pm
[quote comment="180038"]Sometimes it almost looks as if the couch interviews are taped after the actual day. Can’t really be specific, but one time Kate was saying something and it was like she was trying to actually recall what had taken place. It was like *oh yeah, that day we cleaned out the garage* Not sure but just something I thought at the time
Yep, give me more of the kids any day! Love watching their antics.[/quote]
Lil’ remember the diaper throwing epi? Kate threw the diaper at Jen, sure enough that was later dis-cussed on the couch, I remember jen reminding Kate of it, Kate said in a shocked way “I did?” I thought it was hiliarious! Any way i love seeing them their to , as they both have said that is the most they get to talk together with out kids.
12981. Grandma frm Ks. said:
July 17, 2008 @ 2:06 pm
Oh lordy be, I just realized it is 2:00 and I have got to run, be back later tho, have a great rest of the day. Hopefully we’ll be back on together tonite with the other girls, lillyann stay out of cyber space, The Oz may not be so kind to take the blame again, LOL
Have a great Day Mr Oz, where ever you are, tell your Queen hello for us, You two are great!!!!
12982. Mary Beth said:
July 17, 2008 @ 2:09 pm
Jen, the producer….if you are reading this please eliminate the redundant recap of all activities during the interview. Explaining it one time will be sufficient. Maybe I could find a way to get in touch with the producer and really tell her this. It takes up a lot of time that we could otherwise be watching those little angels play and talk. Their vocab is awesome now. They are so smart!
My favorite thing is when they try to comfort one another. So sweet!
12983. ambull said:
July 17, 2008 @ 2:14 pm
Oh my goodness…i went to lunch for an hour and can barely keep up with what yall posted
HI grandma!!! i know, we never get to be on at the same time
HI lillyann!!!
12984. ambull said:
July 17, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
mary beth-
i understand what you’re saying about the redundancy (is that a word?) of the interviews…but i think it somewhat enlightens the audience a little on some things they can reflect on….
12985. Lillyann said:
July 17, 2008 @ 2:18 pm
OMG, it’s absoultely my favorite thing too, Mary Beth
it’s such a heart tug when they are comforting one another. So much love :)and tenderness.
I also love the epi when Kate came home from her tummy tuck and went up to the tup’s room and greeted them. I tear up every darn time I see that episode.
12986. Bree said:
July 17, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
Lillyann -
When I tried to open the blog this morning, it took a while.
I kept getting a message that something or other had crashed. (I am not very computer savvy, so it was greek to me.)
Anyway - after logging off and on a couple times, everything was fine.
12987. hillary said:
July 17, 2008 @ 2:26 pm
honestly?
sure kates a little bit of a nut..
but would you be with 8 kids…i mean..having twins would be hard, two of everything…two DIFFERENT personalities?
but i mean really…SIX of every thing…SIX different personalities.. SIX dirty diapers…SIX picky eaters,
now lets add all of that together…8. thats a big number…i give kudos to kate and jon …you can defiantly see that kate loves jon.. maybe their not the nicest to each other, but havent you ever argued with your spouse? i mean really…
if you want to ridicule her thats fine, but please remember she DOES have 8 children which is more than most of you….
12988. Mary Beth said:
July 17, 2008 @ 2:28 pm
I just read something on wikipedia that explains a lot to me:
“onathan Gosselin is the middle child of three boys. His brothers are Thomas and Mark. His father, Thomas Gosselin, was a pediatric dentist who died in 2005.”
Jon is the middle child also known as a peace keeper…they don’t like adversity so this is why he is so quiet while Kate fusses. He only looses it when pushed for quite a while.
Also, someone said they felt sad for him because he had to get his teeth done at the pediatric dentist. I don’t understand that because the service was probably free and the pediatric dentist is probably more gentle than others but anyway….his dad was a pediatric dentist so he had probably had his teeth checked like this all his life.
Grandma…don’t you love it when one of the nups is in time out crying and the others come around to cheer him or her up? Bringing a toy or blankie ? Just precious!
12989. Mary Beth said:
July 17, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
Lillyann, I thought it was Grandma who had said the nups comforting one another was her favorite, too.
I am sorry…just got everyone all mixed up.
I love to hear those little ones talk. Makes me sad to see Mady be mean to them. They comfort one another when hurt or when in time out; I think Mady is very jealous of the attention they get.
12990. nichole said:
July 17, 2008 @ 2:39 pm
if i had 8 kids,i would go insane. it’s hard with two, working part time at night, and dealing with four hours of sleep to get kids ready for school plus look for full time day job to quit night job. i would so love my husbad to chip in and do what jon does for kate. i would love to have a cleaning lady. her remarks are rude. she should try low budget, work at night with no help and she does it on her own.