S11.E07: Why Not One Home?

[Joan of Argh]

9 minutes ago, magemaud said:

So Robyn was so sad because her Vegas house closing was that day? Bull 💩!  I think she was secretly gloating because no one else’s houses had sold! 

THIS!  I think she used her facade of "sadness" to rub it in their faces with no consequences 

She's a stealth bitch

[suomi]

Kody refuses to admit that his expectations and so-called solutions are unrealistic. He keeps banging the same gong and not getting the result he wants and can't figure out why that is.

He kinda/sorta realizes that his wives are different personality types but something inside tells him that if he could juuuust figure out the correct word salad they would all jump on board without objecting or talking back. He is mentally and emotionally lazy.

And now, after weaving this tapestry of frustration and dysfunction, he wants his own space where he can run away and hide from everyone. Barf. 

[RoxiP]

I really don't get this whole thing.  I thought the whole point of polygamy was for them to live and function together as a family.  Don't most families live in one house?  Doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose of they all have their own little houses (or big houses)?  That just means Kody gets to screw around with other women who are not his wives and they are all supposed to grin and bear it?

TBH I have always thought Christine was a jealous twit - she chose to marry into this family and when she was the youngest and the favorite she was fine - but now that she has been replaced by Robyn she has become jealous and demanding.  

I like Janelle better than I used to, and I am liking Meri a lot more.  I really don't watch regularly but sometimes I am just too lazy to change the channel!

[LAMMA]

Im thinking whomever mentioned that Christine is stuck with everyone else kid la being her reason to say know is correct. She much like rest of them, doesn't want to share kody during her time with him, not unreasonable. But also she has more of a back bone now so I don't think that should be a problem. KODY on the other hand, would probably be the issue. Hed be the one to push her to just let them come in. "Come on its just for a second" type bs. 

Robyns always been a problem. He loves her most. Christine used to be in that position so she likely misses it. And knows what it looks and feels like.

In regards to sobyn he allows her to be lazy. That ish ain't fair. She came in with 3 kids a mountain of debt and bad credit. A bad dill all around. 

[Adeejay]

I've always felt that Christine and her children were treated as the least of the Apostles.  Meri was the first wife and Head Bitch in Charge, Janelle had the sons and Robyn was the youngest and "cutest". Every time I think about her trip to Galveston with Kody and the Therapist, it makes me sad.  He told her in no uncertain terms that either she get with Robyn and the program or get lost.  After that, she became Robyn's best friend and biggest cheerleader.  Although, they don't seem as close, anymore.  Clearly, somewhere along the way, Christine has developed some confidence and found her voice.  Good for her, I say.  

[SunnyBeBe]

25 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

I really don't get this whole thing.  I thought the whole point of polygamy was for them to live and function together as a family.  Don't most families live in one house?  Doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose of they all have their own little houses (or big houses)?  That just means Kody gets to screw around with other women who are not his wives and they are all supposed to grin and bear it?

TBH I have always thought Christine was a jealous twit - she chose to marry into this family and when she was the youngest and the favorite she was fine - but now that she has been replaced by Robyn she has become jealous and demanding.  

I like Janelle better than I used to, and I am liking Meri a lot more.  I really don't watch regularly but sometimes I am just too lazy to change the channel!

I fluctuate in my FILLINGS for the various wives, but, I can't say that Meri has done much for me since the catfish scenario.    

This is my issue though, in response to your comment above about about whether the wives are supposed to grin and bear it.  Based on my understanding of the fundamental Mormon teachings, the husband is the head of the household. While he is instructed to love and respect his wives, he is the leader of the family and is supposed to be the one that God speaks to about how the family will live. SO......why isn't Kody being more assertive about this one house issue?  Actually, he could say, well, my family will live in one house (mcMansion or otherwise) and if you don't want to, you don't have to.  But, the bedrooms may be filled with new wives.  Women vetoing the MAN of the family isn't according to their doctrine, imo.  Maybe, he's just a PROGRESSIVE fundamental Mormon. lol Maybe, he doesn't REALLY want one house, so, he doesn't make it a requirement. 

Edited February 17, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[notnowimbusy]

So they touched on the biggest reason not to build one house- the resale, inheritance issues, etc.  All sound financial reason not to do it.  End of discussion.  OH NO, don't let reasonable financial management interfere with Kody and his lame idea.  Instead, while everyone agreed that a single house poses enormous risks down the road, Kody wants the wives to start fighting and cause infighting. 

Janelle seemed a little hypocritical with her push for a single house - but two breaths away she's already planning on what she will be doing the second her last kid leaves.   And since when has she been interested in big family dinners, parties. . . she always just seemed disinterested and only showed up when she had to.  

Robyn was sure she'd marry into this group, have babies, and the other wives (who weren't working at the time) would automatically provide endless child care.   Surprise - that was never going to happen.   Don't get your knickers in a bunch because Meri doesn't want to endlessly babysit,  Christine has her own kids, and has already provided that service for years and Janelle could barely handle her own kids.   

Also I think the reason Robyn's house sold first is because it was newly listed.  The kiss of death for a property is to sit on the market.  The other two should have been pulled from the market after the first month, let them be off market during holidays, and into Feb. 

[Fostersmom]

I'm asking this in all seriousness, do most polygamist families all live in one house? I'm not talking the ones we've seen on TLC where it seems the "sister wife" is just a reason for the husband to have a side piece and there's not actually kids with the other woman involved. I'm talking 3 or 4 wives and 8 kids per wife. Christine is poly royalty, but when she was describing her family's Christmas, she made it sound like it was dad and each wife/child unit by themselves. If they were all one family in one house, why separate celebrations? And wouldn't she have known what it was like? What about Meri or Janelle? Were they not raised polygamist too? You would think we would at least hear mention of how it was growing up for them with various moms and siblings all in one house?

[Adeejay]

3 minutes ago, Fostersmom said:

What about Meri or Janelle? Were they not raised polygamist too? 

Janelle was raised a regular Mormon.  She is the only wife who wasn't raised in polygamy.

[Kyanight]

6 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

    This is my issue though, in response to your comment above about about whether the wives are supposed to grin and bear it.  Based on my understanding of the fundamental Mormon teachings, the husband is the head of the household. While he is instructed to love and respect his wives, he is the leader of the family and is supposed to be the one that God speaks to about how the family will live. SO......why isn't Kody being more assertive about this one house issue?  Actually, he could say, well, my family will live in one house (mcMansion or otherwise) and if you don't want to, you don't have to.  But, the bedrooms may be filled with new wives.  Women vetoing the MAN of the family isn't according to their doctrine, imo.  Maybe, he's just a PROGRESSIVE fundamental Mormon. lol Maybe, he doesn't REALLY want one house, so, he doesn't make it a requirement. 

THIS!!  I know this is NOT popular on this board and people here HATE it when you point it out - but the husband is supposed to rule his house and the wives are supposed to obey.  It is at the basis of polygamy!!  I've NEVER seen a family like this, where the husband meekly says what he wants and puts it up to a vote and the wives say "yeah" "nay" "Maybe".  What in the world??  I pointed this out once and people replied that Kody has made all the decisions... but it sure doesn't look that way.  Some of the decisions were made for TLC (fleeing Utah - snort!) to keep the cash flow coming in - I don't believe KODY said they had to move - the balloon payments on the houses came due and they didn't have the finances ... I don't believe Kody chose Flagstaff.  I'm sorry, but you CANNOT have a successful blended plural family if you aren't going to wear the pants and be a leader.  It will never work!  Also - Kody plays favorites (as people have pointed out).  That TOTALLY leads to failure.  I should know.

[xwordfanatik]

1 hour ago, Roslyn said:

Oh yes, that happens a lot. I think that is why the two major child/housework minders, Logan and Aspyn are not having, or putting off children of their own. I was the youngest of two, but I was the household Cinderella.  I was cooking and cleaning by the age of 7/8, helping my Grandmother with everything and my older brother pushed a lawn mower around the yard a few times a year.  Yet when I hit university I had a long list of life skills and he was clueless about how to even sort clothes to put into a dresser drawer...

I have two of my own and they are both adults on their own.  They both understood the sacrifices that both my husband and I made to make the family as a whole work.  They both have decided to not have children, but my daughter might at some point.  She recently seemed to have softened on the idea, but she is firmly in her career field now, so who knows.  I have made it known with the kids that I would prefer Grand-Puppies or Grand-Kittens over babies.....

My only child is in her mid-30's and isn't going to have kids.  I have a Grand-Dog and two Grand-Cats.  While I sort of miss the idea of being Grandma, it's not my decision to make.  Daughter is a career woman, her husband works, they like their life as is.

Robyn is a lazy piece, and now that niece isn't there to dill with Areola's shitty diapers and all that, she wants her dear sister wives to do her work for her.  Time for you to do your own child-rearing, with the kids you had with That Man you have made them with.  Tough titty for you, Robo!

[Kyanight]

22 minutes ago, Fostersmom said:

I'm asking this in all seriousness, do most polygamist families all live in one house? I'm not talking the ones we've seen on TLC where it seems the "sister wife" is just a reason for the husband to have a side piece and there's not actually kids with the other woman involved. I'm talking 3 or 4 wives and 8 kids per wife. Christine is poly royalty, but when she was describing her family's Christmas, she made it sound like it was dad and each wife/child unit by themselves. If they were all one family in one house, why separate celebrations? And wouldn't she have known what it was like? What about Meri or Janelle? Were they not raised polygamist too? You would think we would at least hear mention of how it was growing up for them with various moms and siblings all in one house?

Some do, some don't.  I know some where both or three wives will live in one house, some where two wives are in one house and two wives live next door in another house.   In my experience it is not common for wives to live across town from each other.  Maybe very temporarily.  The ONLY other family I have ever heard of doing this is the Winders - and they were working on finding a house where there would be not only room for his two existing wives - but room for a third wife.  This is one reason why I feel like the Browns have lost their faith and the basis for living this life in the first place, and they are like a man and his girlfriends.  

Edited February 17, 2020 by Kyanight
Grammar be ours friend. I needs to fixed that.

[Fostersmom]

7 minutes ago, Adeejay said:

Janelle was raised a regular Mormon.  She is the only wife who wasn't raised in polygamy.

This makes even less sense then. If they were all raised in polygamy except Janelle, and if the one big old house is the standard, I'm not seeing why they seem to have so many issues. Makes me think it's not exactly standard, at least not in this day and age and in non Warren Jeffs kind of way. 100 years ago, sure, even 20 years ago, was it still? 

[LAMMA]

Watching from season 1. YIKES!

The weight gain

The hair styles. 

The naivete.

The awkward talking heads.  

The discussion about nights with the weirdo.CRINGE WORTHY.

There is so much going wrong. Robyn missed all the signs. 

[Kyanight]

1 minute ago, Fostersmom said:

This makes even less sense then. If they were all raised in polygamy except Janelle, and if the one big old house is the standard, I'm not seeing why they seem to have so many issues. Makes me think it's not exactly standard, at least not in this day and age and in non Warren Jeffs kind of way. 100 years ago, sure, even 20 years ago, was it still? 

There were ALWAYS issues.  It's always something.. but the wives are either supposed to work it out between each other or if they can't - they take it to the husband and they all pray about the issue together and it had BETTER be worked out without causing the husband any more stress about it.  I left more than 30 years ago, and that's how it was then.  Kody lost control and doesn't seem able to be head of the family.

[Kohola3]

24 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

While he is instructed to love and respect his wives, he is the leader of the family and is supposed to be the one that God speaks to about how the family will live. SO......why isn't Kody being more assertive about this one house issue? 

Because the only church they attend now is the Church of the Almighty TLC Dollar.  Any pretense of polygamy for the sake of religion disappeared long ago and even then I think it was Kootie's excuse to collect women to prove he wasn't gay.  I call BS on the whole set up.

[Fostersmom]

1 minute ago, Kyanight said:

There were ALWAYS issues.  It's always something.. but the wives are either supposed to work it out between each other or if they can't - they take it to the husband and they all pray about the issue together and it had BETTER be worked out without causing the husband any more stress about it.  I left more than 30 years ago, and that's how it was then.  Kody lost control and doesn't seem able to be head of the family.

Kody doesn't seem to be able to be the head of a goldfish, let alone a family. He looks to be failing big time. 

[Absolom]

1 hour ago, Adeejay said:

In all fairness, Janelle used an inheritance and withdrew money from her 401K to buy the Lehi house. That is why she had one half for her and her children.  

The Lehi house was divided into roughly thirds.  Meri and Christine's side was about 2/3 of the width of the house.  They each had one floor.  The remaining 1/3 of the width was Janelle's and she had both floors.  I'm pretty sure she had the largest kitchen though.  

[SunnyBeBe]

23 minutes ago, Fostersmom said:

This makes even less sense then. If they were all raised in polygamy except Janelle, and if the one big old house is the standard, I'm not seeing why they seem to have so many issues. Makes me think it's not exactly standard, at least not in this day and age and in non Warren Jeffs kind of way. 100 years ago, sure, even 20 years ago, was it still? 

I suspect that being a tv star, getting a lot of perks, being able to live in high class as Robyn says, causes the wives to fill like they should have it all.  I mean they deserve the very BEST, right? Janell had even forgotten about the mobile home they lived in. Last night, it was mentioned and she was reminded about it.  I wonder if they think that sharing a home might not be as glamorous.  I even suspect that they might be embarrassed by it. 

Edited February 17, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[NotinKansasanymore]

Would anyone here actually look at this Brown family and think they are living a successful polygamy lifestyle?

Meri and Kody basically live separate lives and Meri prefers to be with her own friends then sister wives.

Christine just wants to live a monogamous lifestyle and get together as a family at the holidays. Admits she was unhappy until she got to live alone with her own children.

Janelle plans on visiting her own children and grandchildren without Kody or her sister wives.

Robyn admitted she is raising her own children with no help from her sister wives.

just because you say you are still “physically” together, which means you live in the same city, doesn’t mean any of them have a successful marriage or sister wife relationship.

i think this show just shows that they are struggle and have to force it cause at the end of the day it doesn’t really work for them.

 

[notnowimbusy]

Grab a clue Kody.  Your wives would even consider living together in a rental - instead they each had to have a house that was way too big, cost way too much in rent, and the idea of sharing never entered the discussion.  So each wife (family) is completely spread out, but all of a sudden one big house is a good idea. 

[b2H]

10 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Some tweets from last night: (Christine did not participate)

This is truly eye-opening.  Yes, we know Kody projects his own feelings on the women, but Robyn saying it wasn't emotionally safe to ask all the hard questions?  How the hell long has she been in this family that she wouldn't know ANYthing about the family history?  We all know about - go back and watch the initial seasons before Robyn showed up and you can see all the dysfunction, while drinking a (few) bottles of wine.

It isn't just Kody that's checked out - they're all out the door.  No question.

[SunnyBeBe]

From what I have read and seen on tv, plural families can come in different packages. Was it Christine who talked about different wives and siblings that she barely ever saw? I can't recall if it was from this show or not. But, I have seen some plural family wives talk about when they grew up, they got to see their father occasionally, knew that other wives (mothers) and children existed, but, were not allowed to talk about it at school or to ask questions. The man might even have families in different towns.  Perhaps, this was to throw off the authorities.  

[b2H]

4 hours ago, Joan of Argh said:

if that's what the problem is she needs to say it not sit there talking in riddles and half truths... That's their biggest problem... No one is honest about the real problems.

And I think that goes back to Robyn's emotional safety thing in her tweet.  I don't think all is quite so nice among the five of them that they haven't the emotional security to be honest with each other.  The emotional and safety walls between and among them are thicker than the walls of their houses.

[Dmarie019]

1 hour ago, Fostersmom said:

I'm asking this in all seriousness, do most polygamist families all live in one house? I'm not talking the ones we've seen on TLC where it seems the "sister wife" is just a reason for the husband to have a side piece and there's not actually kids with the other woman involved. I'm talking 3 or 4 wives and 8 kids per wife. Christine is poly royalty, but when she was describing her family's Christmas, she made it sound like it was dad and each wife/child unit by themselves. If they were all one family in one house, why separate celebrations? And wouldn't she have known what it was like? What about Meri or Janelle? Were they not raised polygamist too? You would think we would at least hear mention of how it was growing up for them with various moms and siblings all in one house?

I know you said not TLC ones but there were a couple forms we did see on TLC where while they didn't live in one house persay, they lived in housing that was connected.  The one family had what looked sort of like a duplex situation.. and then the polygs that live in the caves or whatever... they seem to build housing connected to each other but with separate entrances as well.  I feel like the ones that 'lived in the caves' some of the housing was on top of each other like apartments. 

[b2H]

3 hours ago, trimthatfat said:

Christine likes her new life. She has a house just for her and her children. When they had one home, she was taking care of her kids and Janelle’s kids. She’s had enough and loves the independence she now has. She loves being able to see Kody in her own space. The one home won’t happen as long as she has a say.

It is honestly as if she just wants to live in a world where she’s in a monogamous relationship. Isn’t that something...

But here's the thing I may be mis-remembering:

In the plyg family, there is one wife that takes care of all the children so the others can go and earn money to sustain the family.  Isn't that Christine's role?  Isn't that what she's been doing since she joined the family?

Now to be fair, she's probably enjoyed as much of that role as she can stand, and it's also possible that with her own kids being grown and mostly gone, she doesn't want that role anymore.  It should be Robyn's since she has the younger kids.

Heck, I see this with our goats at the farm about three - four months after kidding.  Even the most devoted moms are like, see ya later, when the kids go home to their new families.  I have one momma goat now who would just as soon relinquish the babies to the general population, but they're only a month old (and so very mischievous!!!!!).

[Meowwww]

What bestselling book did Robyn write??  Sam’s “Almost Meri’d?”  😜

Or the book they published what, 10 years ago?  I didn’t know Robyn wrote that all on her own....

[Adeejay]

24 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

From what I have read and seen on tv, plural families can come in different packages. Was it Christine who talked about different wives and siblings that she barely ever saw? I can't recall if it was from this show or not. But, I have seen some plural family wives talk about when they grew up, they got to see their father occasionally, knew that other wives (mothers) and children existed, but, were not allowed to talk about it at school or to ask questions. The man might even have families in different towns.  Perhaps, this was to throw off the authorities.  

I recall Robyn saying she had brothers and sisters that she wasn't allowed to recognize as such at school.  She never said how many children her mother has, or which number wife; only that that they didn't see their father on major holidays and that he didn't acknowledge them in public.  

[magemaud]

8 hours ago, Mahamid Frauded Me said:

I feel like I was catfished.....yet again we see what looks to be a lovely ranch house ( no stairs which I am sure makes for less dorito spillage for Janelle) to a home stuck in the 80s. Ceiling height seems super low and it looks like the house puked up all that brown. Can Janelle even fit down that hallway ?  

Maybe Mike Brady was the architect? 

[Kyanight]

12 minutes ago, b2H said:

In the plyg family, there is one wife that takes care of all the children so the others can go and earn money to sustain the family.  Isn't that Christine's role?  Isn't that what she's been doing since she joined the family?

Now to be fair, she's probably enjoyed as much of that role as she can stand, and it's also possible that with her own kids being grown and mostly gone, she doesn't want that role anymore.  It should be Robyn's since she has the younger kids.

So... basically... Robyn needs to take care of her OWN two children... like EVERY single other stay-at-home mother in this world.  The next youngest child is Truely, who doesn't need anyone to hover over her, as she is turning 12 years old.  Robyn just doesn't want to have to take care of her own kids.  

[trimthatfat]

1 hour ago, notnowimbusy said:

Janelle seemed a little hypocritical with her push for a single house - but two breaths away she's already planning on what she will be doing the second her last kid leaves.   And since when has she been interested in big family dinners, parties. . . she always just seemed disinterested and only showed up when she had to.  

I don’t get it either. When she does show up for family events, she seems awfully bored. I think she enjoys that everyone else does the work, her kids get a distraction, and that’s that. I am doubtful that she’s the one decorating, cooking, etc. I have read stories about Christine’s older girls spending time at Meri and Robin’s homes at times overnight. I’ve never heard that they have stayed at Janelle’s. Not to say the haven’t, but she doesn’t seem to have extended a welcoming hand to the other children in the way the lifestyle dictates. She just barely handles her own children with patience if her behavior when they announced the move to FS is any indication.

I get that she contributed to the first home financially, but Christine nearly raising a dozen children with no help in a small home is no joke. I still remember the footage of the first season of Christine trying to help the children with school work with a cut to Janelle enjoying a meal alone during her lunch hour. Lol. Ridiculous.

Edited February 17, 2020 by trimthatfat

[monagatuna]

1 hour ago, Fostersmom said:

I'm asking this in all seriousness, do most polygamist families all live in one house? I'm not talking the ones we've seen on TLC where it seems the "sister wife" is just a reason for the husband to have a side piece and there's not actually kids with the other woman involved. I'm talking 3 or 4 wives and 8 kids per wife. Christine is poly royalty, but when she was describing her family's Christmas, she made it sound like it was dad and each wife/child unit by themselves. If they were all one family in one house, why separate celebrations? And wouldn't she have known what it was like? What about Meri or Janelle? Were they not raised polygamist too? You would think we would at least hear mention of how it was growing up for them with various moms and siblings all in one house?

I'm reading Under the Banner of Heaven, and there are a couple other factual or fictionalized books I've read about fundamentalist Mormonism and find it fascinating. It seems to me, being only a little educated on the subject, that the more wives a man has, the more houses he has, usually on the same or adjacent property. This is probably borne of practicality, but it seems that when a man decides to engage in polygamy, his family may all live in the same house, but at some point they outgrow it and have separate houses or a large compound. Depending on the number of wives, there are favorites and those that are basically housekeepers and babysitters, and everything in between. The favorites get--you guessed it--more leisure time, bigger housing quarters (whether dorm or individual houses), more provisions, and more time with the studly man-beast. (I say this with mirth because I can't imagine liking a man so much as to put up with polygamy, let alone being treated like a notch somewhere on a hierarchy I didn't choose.)

With respect to Christine, I wonder if she had much of a choice to enter a plural marriage? Does going monogamous from plural royalty harm your relationship with your parents/siblings/community? (I'm guessing probably.) Did she even have a say in the matter? She herself may have entered this marriage by choice, but I'm sure she was heavily influenced by her "royal" polygamous family. She was indoctrinated into this lifestyle and maybe it didn't occur to her that at some point she would no longer be the new, pretty, young wife, and she'd have to dill with this conundrum at some point in her 50s.

Edited February 17, 2020 by monagatuna

[suev33 3]

Ugh!  I cant stand Christine....oh no, .it upsets her to see Kody with his other wives, poor baby..wahh waaah wah......then why in the fuk did you get into a plural family, Christine??  OMG!.  Go have a traditional 2 person marriage then!   "I wanna be queen of my domain"!     Jesis, dont be a polygamist then for cripes sake!!  Janelle is the real polyg, the mature one who wants her family to be under the same roof, LIKE A PLURAL FAMILY SHOULD!!!    😠 Drives me nuts!!

[suev33 3]

2 hours ago, RoxiP said:

I really don't get this whole thing.  I thought the whole point of polygamy was for them to live and function together as a family.  Don't most families live in one house?  Doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose of they all have their own little houses (or big houses)?  That just means Kody gets to screw around with other women who are not his wives and they are all supposed to grin and bear it?

TBH I have always thought Christine was a jealous twit - she chose to marry into this family and when she was the youngest and the favorite she was fine - but now that she has been replaced by Robyn she has become jealous and demanding.  

I like Janelle better than I used to, and I am liking Meri a lot more.  I really don't watch regularly but sometimes I am just too lazy to change the channel!

👏👏👏👏👏 THANK YOU!! I APPLAUD YOUR COMMENT! I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.....like hello!!!! Isn't the definition of plural family to be TOGETHER? 🙄. And I like Janelle the best too.  The only mature one.

[Galloway Cave]

2 hours ago, Fostersmom said:

I'm asking this in all seriousness, do most polygamist families all live in one house?

In the plyg town I lived in, most had separate houses. The main family had a U-shaped compound, with the wives living in apartments in the arms of the U (there were up to 20). The  patriarch had his apartment at the bottom of the U, along with the large meeting room and HUGE laundry room. After the patriarch passed away, several  wives stayed in the apartments but others bought their own homes.

When they were all starting out and were dirt poor, the families lived in one or two trailers next to each other. Then they went to the arrangements above. Each wife raised her own kids, but occasionally a wife would take all the kids to do something special. The kids did not call the other wives Mom or even consider them a mom. They were their dad's other wives.

[trimthatfat]

1 hour ago, b2H said:

But here's the thing I may be mis-remembering:

In the plyg family, there is one wife that takes care of all the children so the others can go and earn money to sustain the family.  Isn't that Christine's role?  Isn't that what she's been doing since she joined the family?

Now to be fair, she's probably enjoyed as much of that role as she can stand, and it's also possible that with her own kids being grown and mostly gone, she doesn't want that role anymore.  It should be Robyn's since she has the younger kids.

Heck, I see this with our goats at the farm about three - four months after kidding.  Even the most devoted moms are like, see ya later, when the kids go home to their new families.  I have one momma goat now who would just as soon relinquish the babies to the general population, but they're only a month old (and so very mischievous!!!!!).

Christine seemed to have no issue then, but like most, she’s seen a different side of the lifestyle. I try to remember that Christine grew up in a plural family so her views were shaped by that. Now, she’s been exposed to having her own home and having to raise her own children. She admits her identity as a mother changed when she had her own home and was responsible for her own children. I also think that seeing the impact of the family dynamics on her children has also played a part in how she feels.

[suev33 3]

Grow a set,  Kody,  and be a man in your family!! Its very unnattractive, him being so wishy washy.   Id respect him more if he nicely said, here's what's gonna happen......  But thats just my opinion, I like a strong manly man 😁

[Kohola3]

31 minutes ago, suev33 3 said:

Go have a traditional 2 person marriage then! 

I have no patience with any of them but I do believe that Christine's brainwashing upbringing was such that she believes that she will not have the promised afterlife unless she's engaged in polygamy. 

Personally the thought of spending eternity with Kootie would have me heading for the hills.  They are all so freaking miserable why they think the whole celestial planet shtick is desirable is a mystery to me.

[Kyanight]

21 minutes ago, Galloway Cave said:

The kids did not call the other wives Mom or even consider them a mom. They were their dad's other wives.

True that!!!!!  

[LibertarianSlut]

This show makes no sense!

i am completely agreeing with the concept that it seems like everyone is putting forth—there is a real problem here, amongst these polygamists, and no one is willing to talk about it, and it’s really frustrating.

Going back to the beginning, what were their plans when they purchased Coyote Pass?  They never say that.  Wouldn’t the discussion/decision about one or several houses have been then?

And, not like I think I’m reinventing the wheel by saying this, I think Robyn is the main source of the Big Problem No One Will Talk About, or at least a symptom of the problem.  Who thought it was a good idea to bring in a younger, thinner woman who buys so many push-up bras, garters, and thongs that she can’t pay for them, who is bringing three new adolescent children into the mix?  I mean this literally—who, besides Kody—endorsed this?  Because if they didn’t know they were making a huge mistake, then that is their problem that they have to live with.

Of course there should have been discussion about the legal status of Robyn’s children, and if Kody wanted to adopt them (in case Robyn dies, y’all!) that should have happened well before bringing her and her kids in.  If Meri knew all this—knew that it was even a possibility that she’d lose First Wife status as a result of Robyn joining the family, did she even raise hell?  If not, I don’t feel sorry for her. 

Also, someone needs to point me to the doctrine they are professing to follow.  It’s either real or it isn’t.  If it’s real, it sounds right what other posters are saying, that Kody is the leader, and everyone just has to follow his orders and keep sweet.  If they are following the Doctrine of Reality TV, then what is stopping some of the wives from taking on other husbands?  It’s “polygamy.”  Why can’t there be one or several more husbands?  There is nothing about the word “polygamy” that dictates a man has several wives and the women just all sit there and take what is doled out to them.  I would adore it if Meri met a younger man and said she was turning him into a “spiritual” or even legal husband.  And it would get the show a few more seasons, because right now it’s on its last legs.

I only watch to see if they’re ever finally going to get real and Christine is going to list chapter and verse what she doesn’t like about Robyn, and I also watch for the older kids.  I probably shouldn’t be watching, because this is all such bullshit.  

Like I said, there was no reason to let Robyn in the family.  Kody had three wives, which meant he was getting his own planet.  They sort of got along and they were sort of equal in looks.  I’m sure there were squabbles, but everyone was sort of on the same page.  Now they don’t want to live together—or at least Christine doesn’t want to live together—and, as others have pointed out up thread, it’s obviously due to Robyn and her spawn.  

Whichever wives agreed to bring Robyn in, maybe to solidify the deal with TLC, or to appease Kody, but whoever thought this was a good idea, should be willing to pay for their decision.  That’s what adults do.  If you don’t want to live with your sister wives, either pony up some good reasons, not vague ones, or shut the hell up about it and keep collecting the TLC paycheck.  Money is the root of all evil after all, right?  So if you brought in Robyn to be on TV, then you deserve Robyn, who is going to last a lot longer than the television show.

I am getting so sick of their accents.  Robyn is getting hard to look at.  I don’t think they’re happy, including Janelle.  I just think Janelle is resigned to her fate, unlike Meri, who appears to still be in the bargaining stage.  Did anyone notice that Kody wasn’t even on the episode until like the halfway point?  And when he came on, his voice was so soft and he was hemming and hawing and I really wanted to smack him into reality.  

What I really don’t understand is why these people are continuing to live high on the hog—Meri’s house is a freaking mansion—when they have serious money problems.  You want to be together so badly, but you’re at a Coyote Impasse?  Move into four adjoining duplexes until it’s figured out.  Next! 

[crimson23]

4 hours ago, trimthatfat said:

Christine likes her new life. She has a house just for her and her children. When they had one home, she was taking care of her kids and Janelle’s kids. She’s had enough and loves the independence she now has. She loves being able to see Kody in her own space. The one home won’t happen as long as she has a say.

It is honestly as if she just wants to live in a world where she’s in a monogamous relationship. Isn’t that something...

Right on all counts and good comments on the Christine/Robyn dynamic.  However, I think there is yet another layer.  Christine made the comment that the space in the Lehi house was not divided equally.  Janelle had more room, maybe since she had more kids at the time, but I think the main issue was Christine relegated to living Below Meri....she was basically  in the basement apartment with more space being given to Meri again...and then had to have to listen to everything going on above here. Must not have been easy having to listen to Meri clomping around and sounding like  a cat in heat. 

[b2H]

10 minutes ago, LibertarianSlut said:

This show makes no sense!

i am completely agreeing with the concept that it seems like everyone is putting forth—there is a real problem here, amongst these polygamists, and no one is willing to talk about it, and it’s really frustrating.

Going back to the beginning, what were their plans when they purchased Coyote Pass?  They never say that.  Wouldn’t the discussion/decision about one or several houses have been then?

And, not like I think I’m reinventing the wheel by saying this, I think Robyn is the main source of the Big Problem No One Will Talk About, or at least a symptom of the problem.  Who thought it was a good idea to bring in a younger, thinner woman who buys so many push-up bras, garters, and thongs that she can’t pay for them, who is bringing three new adolescent children into the mix?  I mean this literally—who, besides Kody—endorsed this?  Because if they didn’t know they were making a huge mistake, then that is their problem that they have to live with.

Of course there should have been discussion about the legal status of Robyn’s children, and if Kody wanted to adopt them (in case Robyn dies, y’all!) that should have happened well before bringing her and her kids in.  If Meri knew all this—knew that it was even a possibility that she’d lose First Wife status as a result of Robyn joining the family, did she even raise hell?  If not, I don’t feel sorry for her. 

Also, someone needs to point me to the doctrine they are professing to follow.  It’s either real or it isn’t.  If it’s real, it sounds right what other posters are saying, that Kody is the leader, and everyone just has to follow his orders and keep sweet.  If they are following the Doctrine of Reality TV, then what is stopping some of the wives from taking on other husbands?  It’s “polygamy.”  Why can’t there be one or several more husbands?  There is nothing about the word “polygamy” that dictates a man has several wives and the women just all sit there and take what is doled out to them.  I would adore it if Meri met a younger man and said she was turning him into a “spiritual” or even legal husband.  And it would get the show a few more seasons, because right now it’s on its last legs.

I only watch to see if they’re ever finally going to get real and Christine is going to list chapter and verse what she doesn’t like about Robyn, and I also watch for the older kids.  I probably shouldn’t be watching, because this is all such bullshit.  

Like I said, there was no reason to let Robyn in the family.  Kody had three wives, which meant he was getting his own planet.  They sort of got along and they were sort of equal in looks.  I’m sure there were squabbles, but everyone was sort of on the same page.  Now they don’t want to live together—or at least Christine doesn’t want to live together—and, as others have pointed out up thread, it’s obviously due to Robyn and her spawn.  

Whichever wives agreed to bring Robyn in, maybe to solidify the deal with TLC, or to appease Kody, but whoever thought this was a good idea, should be willing to pay for their decision.  That’s what adults do.  If you don’t want to live with your sister wives, either pony up some good reasons, not vague ones, or shut the hell up about it and keep collecting the TLC paycheck.  Money is the root of all evil after all, right?  So if you brought in Robyn to be on TV, then you deserve Robyn, who is going to last a lot longer than the television show.

I am getting so sick of their accents.  Robyn is getting hard to look at.  I don’t think they’re happy, including Janelle.  I just think Janelle is resigned to her fate, unlike Meri, who appears to still be in the bargaining stage.  Did anyone notice that Kody wasn’t even on the episode until like the halfway point?  And when he came on, his voice was so soft and he was hemming and hawing and I really wanted to smack him into reality.  

What I really don’t understand is why these people are continuing to live high on the hog—Meri’s house is a freaking mansion—when they have serious money problems.  You want to be together so badly, but you’re at a Coyote Impasse?  Move into four adjoining duplexes until it’s figured out.  Next! 

Co-sign all that you write here, but I would suggest you watch the earlier seasons, if you have not already, where Robyn joins the family.  Kody was adamant that this had to happen, demanded it happen.  None of this wish-washy stuff we saw in this episode.  Meri had to suffer through a divorce in order for Kody to legally adopt Robyn’s kids and for Robyn to be his legal wife.  

As I recall, we were all screaming about this when it went down.  It was bad then and it’s worse now.

Edited February 18, 2020 by b2H

[aimlessbird]

Kody would not have been signed for the show except for the fact that he was going to show the courtship and marriage of a new wife.  TLC was considering other polygamist families.  The 4th wife made the difference.

I think that Meri is throwing Kody some cash occasionally and that is why he is trying to be at least civil to her on camera.  Kody will never ever forgive Meri for publicly humiliating him and manhood during the Samuel Cooper fiasco.  Meri keeps Mariah in line with money and I believe she does the same with Kody.  When you control purse strings you have power and the legal Mrs Brown has very expensive expectations. 

Even Christine is trying to earn money selling those cheap clothes.  She knows she needs to entice Kody with cash as everything else she has tried has not made him love her.

Greed is an awful motivator.

Look at how concerned Robyn was last night that people consider her more than "second class."

Greed is ruling this family at this point.  BTW Love is also a currency.

 

[Meowwww]

4 hours ago, suomi said:

Kody refuses to admit that his expectations and so-called solutions are unrealistic. He keeps banging the same gong and not getting the result he wants and can't figure out why that is.

 

Haha pun not intended??? 🤣🤣
Banging the same gong....

Edited February 18, 2020 by Meowwww

[Kyanight]

4 minutes ago, Meowwww said:

4 hours ago, suomi said:

Kody refuses to admit that his expectations and so-called solutions are unrealistic. He keeps banging the same gong and not getting the result he wants and can't figure out why that is.

 

Haha pun not intended??? 🤣🤣
Banging the same gong....

That would have to be Robyn.......

[notnowimbusy]

I don't think Kody can, financially, lay down the law and just say "we are building one house".  and that would be the end of it.   Each wife is paid by TCL, each house in Vegas was individually owned.  Kody only is attached to Robyn's money because she became the "legal" wife.    It would be great if Christine, Meri & Janelle, had plans drawn up for three individual homes on the Coyote Pass property.    I've love to see the mortgage for the property - who's names are on it - or a fake corporation.

[Kohola3]

46 minutes ago, LibertarianSlut said:

I mean this literally—who, besides Kody—endorsed this?

Meri was the one who started the process.  She hated Janelle and Christine and Janelle got along so Meri needed an ally against them.

48 minutes ago, LibertarianSlut said:

If they are following the Doctrine of Reality TV, then what is stopping some of the wives from taking on other husbands?  It’s “polygamy.”  Why can’t there be one or several more husbands?

When that came up at one couch session, Kootie declare it "disgusting". The horndog wants all of those vaginas to himself.

[crimson23]

at least they finally addressed the inheritance issue. If one passes, what does that mom have to give her kids, an empty space that is not able to resell.  What they now need to address is the idea in a few yrs, they don't need all that space.  No one will have kids left to house except Robyn and one left for Christine.  It would make more sense to do what they are doing now, downsizing the size of the house. (well except for Meri)  Or maybe have a compound focusing  on more activity rooms for when the hordes do come to visit or have Guest areas.  Kody's space really was not big enough.  The only thing they could do with that monstrosity is to run a bed n breakfast  lol

[Twopper]

3 hours ago, Meowwww said:

What bestselling book did Robyn write??  Sam’s “Almost Meri’d?”  😜

Or the book they published what, 10 years ago?  I didn’t know Robyn wrote that all on her own....

I was coming here to ask that question myself   Well,  I am not as clever with you for the first title.

I   guess she means the one they published, but I have no idea on what list it was a best seller. 

She was sure full of herself about how successful she was at reaching her goals. 

[RubySoho]

8 hours ago, Onceafan said:

Having worked as a counselor for many years, I have strong opinions on what I heard from the Brown family on last night's episode. My two cents on what I heard.

Christine's main problem with the one house is with Robyn and her children.

Christine is being semi-truthful in her explanations on the why nots. What I hear and see is that Christine was not happy in the Lehi house. She watched all of Janelle's children as well as her own. She told us last night it was too much. and because of the children always being there with her, they could walk in at anytime, so she and Kody could only be affectionate in the bedroom. 

Back in Lehi Kody worked outside of the home, and so he had to use the evening time to spend with all of the children, cause that was important to him to see them all and tell them all good night.

When Christine kept saying in the one house there would be no privacy, and one of the wives or anyone could walk in, while she is with Kody, she really is referring to Robyn's children. They are the youngest and actively seek out their father.

Christine is worried that on "her" day in the one house, she will have to share Kody with Robyn's children. That they will go where their father goes, and he will welcome them, because Kody identifies as a father, and one can see he is building a stronger more present presence with Robyn's younger children, which is not uncommon with the last of the children.

She wants Kody to herself in the evenings cuddling with her on the couch, without one of Robyn's children in his lap.

As for jealousy and seeing Kody with another wife, it is well established that he and Meri have no romantic relationship for the last five years. Janelle never shows PDA and her relationship with Kody is more business. The only other wife that leaves is Robyn. Christine does not want to see Robyn and Kody together. It's all about Robyn.

Make no mistake it was a very aggressive move from Christine last night, when Kody was crossing off her mom mojo on the board, and she piped up, if he want to push her  buttons, I can go up there, and cross off never moving again, knowing that was Robyn's "button." to cause tension between Robyn and Kody. She has some real resentment and jealousy there with Robyn and Kody.

 

 

 

100% nailed it.