Anyone watching the new J&K+8 tonight?

[trillionaire]

Date: 5/27/2009 7:33:44 AM
Author: fisherofmengirly
I used to *love* to watch this show. It seemed like both parents were so happy with their children, and the kids were thriving as a result. My husband has always made comments about how Kate talks to Jon, but I really kind of blew it off, because well it''s not scripted (that I know of) and well, I''m sure if a camera were following us around, people would think I sometimes snap at my husband, too. Anyway, a couple of seasons back, things seemed to shift from the mommy/daddy role to the diva role for Kate, and that''s sad and was hard for me to watch. Everything stopped being about day trips and ice cream and crafts and more about where Mommy had to be for her facial and blah blah blah. And Kate got a lot meaner, and Jon started to kind of tune out to her. Completely (at least when the cameras were around, anyway).

I don''t think anyone deserves to have their family''s demise (or near demise) filmed and plastered on magazines. It''s got to be rough on the kids, because we all know that kids know these things between their parents, and worse, so do their friends (especially for the older girls, Maddie and Cara). I think the show has gone from their intentions to make some money for the family and have a way to ''document'' the kids'' growing up to something that''s bigger than they can handle, and I think the core of what the family was composed of to begin with was lost along the way. It''s awful.

I hope they can work it out, and I hope TLC is cutting and pasting commentaries to make it look like they''re worse off than they are, but I kind of don''t think that''s the case.

The opening scenes tell a lot... from ''we started out just the two of us, then we had our beautiful twins, Cara and Maddie... then we decided to try for just one more, blah blah...'' to ''this is is our crazy life, but it''s our life.'' Sad!!

I bet they''d both give up all the money, free things, nannies, and everything to go back to what they had to begin with... a happy, connected family.

I think this is what is confusing! Jon has made it clear that he thinks the show is too much and taking it''s toll, while Kate seems to be vying for more and more airtime. While crying victim. Of course, with the new expensive house, they might have a lot of new debt to take care of. Regardless of how Kate tries to paint herself, and regardless of the realities of how the marriage fell apart, when the kids see the old show, they are going to see a mother who attacked and badgered their father, and it is not going to sit well with them. I HATE when my father criticizes and berates my mother, and she is very passive like Jon. It doesn''t happen all the time, but it does occasionally, and I definitely blame my DAD, not my mom. And I would die 1000 deaths if it was on national television for everyone to see!

 

[Sha]

I believe the Kate affair rumour was just a rumour - there didn''t seem to be anything backing it up against the fact that the two of them (Kate and her bodyguard) were close. Whereas Jon was caught out late at night, with the schoolteacher, WITHOUT his wedding ring, had over suntanning half-naked on the lawn when Kate was travelling, and was also photographed leaving her home at 7:30 in the morning? Hmmmm....... That''s very believable to me.

I really hope they get counselling to work out their issues, and not just resign themselves to separation/divorce. They just had a Vow Renewal in Hawaii, which they thought was important to do so their children could see ''they''d be together forever''. Those were their exact words. How are they going to explain breaking up now to the kids?

 

[House Cat]

John really upset me. He said that at 22 he was married, at 27 he was a father of sextuplets, and he hasn''t had a chance to reflect upon it all yet. My feeling on that is ohh waahhh, reflect upon things when the kids are grown. He was there making all of the decisions to get married, have his wife implanted with six embryos, etc...time to reap the consequences and GREAT BENEFITS of those decisions. He is blessed and he doesn''t even know it.

I know parenting isn''t all hearts and flowers. I have four kids and I haven''t had a chance to "reflect" either. So what? Isn''t that what retirement is for? You stick around for your kids. You make your relationship work for your kids. You go to counseling for your kids. You do everything you have to do.

I know marriages fall apart all of the time, but there is a big part of me that feels that these two need to work all the harder because of the sheer number of children they have. Maybe that is a warped perspective, because any divorce is traumatic for any child. But there are just too many children in this family to be single parented.

 

[princesss]

Date: 5/27/2009 5:47:33 PM
Author: House Cat
John really upset me. He said that at 22 he was married, at 27 he was a father of sextuplets, and he hasn''t had a chance to reflect upon it all yet. My feeling on that is ohh waahhh, reflect upon things when the kids are grown. He was there making all of the decisions to get married, have his wife implanted with six embryos, etc...time to reap the consequences and GREAT BENEFITS of those decisions. He is blessed and he doesn''t even know it.


I know parenting isn''t all hearts and flowers. I have four kids and I haven''t had a chance to ''reflect'' either. So what? Isn''t that what retirement is for? You stick around for your kids. You make your relationship work for your kids. You go to counseling for your kids. You do everything you have to do.


I know marriages fall apart all of the time, but there is a big part of me that feels that these two need to work all the harder because of the sheer number of children they have. Maybe that is a warped perspective, because any divorce is traumatic for any child. But there are just too many children in this family to be single parented.

I''m right there with you.

 

[february2003bride]

Date: 5/27/2009 5:47:33 PM
Author: House Cat
John really upset me. He said that at 22 he was married, at 27 he was a father of sextuplets, and he hasn''t had a chance to reflect upon it all yet. My feeling on that is ohh waahhh, reflect upon things when the kids are grown. He was there making all of the decisions to get married, have his wife implanted with six embryos, etc...time to reap the consequences and GREAT BENEFITS of those decisions. He is blessed and he doesn''t even know it.

I know parenting isn''t all hearts and flowers. I have four kids and I haven''t had a chance to ''reflect'' either. So what? Isn''t that what retirement is for? You stick around for your kids. You make your relationship work for your kids. You go to counseling for your kids. You do everything you have to do.

I know marriages fall apart all of the time, but there is a big part of me that feels that these two need to work all the harder because of the sheer number of children they have. Maybe that is a warped perspective, because any divorce is traumatic for any child. But there are just too many children in this family to be single parented.

Word.

I rewatched the "turning 5" epi last night, and between Jon talking about how young he was getting married, having kids, the new 2 seater car, the condo he bought in Utah to go skiing, the 20-something girlfriend, he is clearly going through an early mid-life and identity crisis.

 

[Sha]

Date: 5/27/2009 5:47:33 PM
Author: House Cat
John really upset me. He said that at 22 he was married, at 27 he was a father of sextuplets, and he hasn't had a chance to reflect upon it all yet. My feeling on that is ohh waahhh, reflect upon things when the kids are grown. He was there making all of the decisions to get married, have his wife implanted with six embryos, etc...time to reap the consequences and GREAT BENEFITS of those decisions. He is blessed and he doesn't even know it.

I know parenting isn't all hearts and flowers. I have four kids and I haven't had a chance to 'reflect' either. So what? Isn't that what retirement is for? You stick around for your kids. You make your relationship work for your kids. You go to counseling for your kids. You do everything you have to do.

I know marriages fall apart all of the time, but there is a big part of me that feels that these two need to work all the harder because of the sheer number of children they have. Maybe that is a warped perspective, because any divorce is traumatic for any child. But there are just too many children in this family to be single parented.

See, but it seems as though Kate pushed for a lot of that... When they got married Jon wanted them to take some time and enjoy their lives as a married couple, while Kate wanted to try very soon, because she was concerned about a fertility issue (PCOS) that might have prevented her from getting pregnant. They did IUI and got the twins. Jon was happy with just having the twins - it was Kate who really wanted them to 'try for one more'. Kate admitted that she eventually persuaded Jon to try within a certain timelime, and that she even tried to 'jump' that timelime by TTC (I don't remember what she did exactly, it's on their website) before they said they would officially start the process (IUI) again. And Jon didn't stand around and watch her be implanted with six embryos - they were only trying for one, as far as I understand, and didn't realized there were actually six/seven embryos until they went for their first appt. They were very shocked but were also opposed to selective reduction, so decided to carry all the embryos to term.

The pattern of Kate being the controlling one and Jon being the 'laid-back' one shows itself from the beginning of their relationship, IMO, with Kate pretty much making all the TTC decisions and Jon eventually going along. I mean, 22 is pretty young to get married and think of starting a family. Most guys at that age are thinking about having fun and working on their careers. I'm sure Jon wanted to do the same. I think Kate was over-eager to be a mom and 'bullied' Jon to start trying before he really wanted to. Of course it's his fault too for allowing himself to be persuaded, but I don't think he's ever been the type to really stand up to Kate. I can see why he would be somewhat resentful now of all the responsibility he had to have before he was really ready, much as he allowed himself to be convinced, and much as he loves his children now.

 

[softly softly]

I have tried to reserve judgement on Kate Gosselin. I find the show largely boring - the drama surrounding them at the moment is much more interesting, but having watched the following video, I have to say she is definitely ''focused'' on promoting her show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjohryb6xAU

 

[killerqueen17]

I haven't read this whole thread, but I'm jumping in because I used to LOVE this show. Seriously, I could just sit and watch back-to-back episodes and love every minute... The kids are simply fantastic.

BUT I have decided to boycott it until they get their lives straightened out. They are going through a rough patch, and it seems divorce is a high risk for them right now... and I'm sure the public eye just magnifies the situation.

However, as long as we continue to support the show, we're only feeding the media frenzy... and knowing this, I just can't bring myself to watch it, no matter how cute the kids are.

I hope they are able to work things out. Even though the show may not be entirely "reality" in order to make things more interesting, when it comes down to it they are real people and a real family, and they will have to live with the repercussions of participating in the show for the rest of their lives.

 

[niccia]

Has anyone seen the new video of Kate on YouTube (Kate denying Mady water)? Really not impressed. I used to quite like her, even identify with her to some extent, but that''s just mean.