Extreme Guide To Parenting - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Discuss Extreme Guide To Parenting here!

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:

Shira has an all-natural approach to raising her kids; adoptive parents Scout and Bill are overprotective of their daughter.

[LuckyBitch]

I saw the commercial. It's the Guncles!

[Mrs Huffnagle]

I am so looking forward to this show.  The ads for it are hilarious. The mom who thinks she is hypnotizing everyone is a hoot.

[Tara Ariano]

OH MY GOD THIS SHOW IS AMAZING.

[Primetimer]

Shira has some crazy ideas about parenting. Thank God Bravo found her and put her on our TVs.

Read the story

[Blueeyedgirl]

So glad you wrote this, Tara...

This show...we need to get more people to this forum because I NEED TO DISCUSS IT!

ECO-KOSHER SHAMANISTIC GLUTEN FREE INDIGO KID!

ALL-KID ALL THE TIME FAMILY!

Sorry for the yelling. I had to get that out of my system. Maybe people will hear me and come here...

What are these parents doing to these kids?

I feel terrible for the daughter Emma in the Crystal-meditating family. And even when confronting her mom, her mom doesn't hear her. So sad. I'm glad they found a school for Yonah.

I would describe myself as a skeptical believer of things -- and I've heard about indigo kids It's probably BS, but okay, maybe not, but its not like there is a 'test' for being an indigo kid, and we saw no evidence of his specialness -- either telepathy or extreme empathy or high intuition or high intelligence. But even if he is special in that way -- what about your eldest daughter? That poor, sad, middle school age girl. It's the first time I thought a bratty adolescent was justified in her brattiness. I want to take her home and make her the center of attention.

And the two daddies? Jeez. What kind of example is it to a child that they are always the center of everyone in their world's attention? Don't get me started. I feel like we missed something, though -- because she seemed like a kid who knew what a friend is (as she refered to one of the try out nannies), so maybe they put her in play groups? Still, she was a cute cute kid, and didn't seem like a spoiled brat at this point, but a cute kid.

Please, come and discuss this show!

[EtheltoTillie]

I will be watching. Glad this forum was added. So far the two sets of parents were overdoing it but i somehow thought these two sets were caring and not hateful. I wondervif that will continue.

[Mountainair]

Yonah! Oh man, I feel sorry for the kid because he is obviously spouting the party line "no medication, I am meant to be this way" (or whatever he said on the front stoop at the end) Now, I'm not known for being a pill popper myself. Headache, I'll deal with it. Cramps, I'll deal with it. Hate going to the dr. My kids go, when they are sick and for annual check ups. The incense and indigo bullshit isn't working lady. Maybe stop being so damned kooky and deal with the issue at hand. Play ball with your kid, read with your kid. If you are so against medication actively work with your child. Not passively through some magic healing powers!

Gay couple. The daughter was cute, sweet. But geesh! Helicopter parent much? I had a harder time believing their scenario simply because they pretty easily agreed to a sleep over. Any hardcore couple I know like that is never going to sleep without their kid at home. I thought Nana was sweet and well meaning and they pretty much relegated her to"the help" both personally and professionally and thats pretty messed up. How old was the kid? 3 ? Stop giving so many choices. I'll sometimes ask my four year old if he'd prefer a PB&J or ham and cheese for lunch and that's if I'm feeling generous. Most days he and my 2 year old get what I serve and they don't get a choice. These dudes were just ridiculous and I'm sure after the interviews for new nannies were over most of them prayed they would not get a call back!

[Bossysaucy]

That Shira woman is almost too awful for words! She's a creepy soul-sucker of a mother. What is the deal with that electra complex she has with her son? I also noticed that she said in one of her THs that her daughter and mother were mismedicated; she said her mother suffered from kidney failure as a side effect from taking Lithium. Lithium can cause organ failure and you have to be rigorously monitored while taking it. Psychiatrists don't like to prescribe it because of its serious side effects. She didn't say how her daughter was mismedicated but my money's on she started with obsessing about the daughter first and then she birthed her precious Yonah and lost all interest. On top of it all this bitch has to annoy me by using a Y instead of a J spelling her asshole kid's name.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Bossysaucy

[ghoulina]

So far I LOVE this show. Best new thing Bravo has come up with in awhile. 

 

I just couldn't stop laughing at the Indigo Mom. She was batshit crazy, choking everyone on her stupid aromatherpy mists. Does she have one for respect? Because her son sure needs one. I was glad to see her sticking to her guns about medication, though, and placing him in an alternative school instead. He very well may have some legitimate neurological issues and if a different environment helps him, that's great. But I honestly believe he just needs some serious discipline as well. And this is coming from a mother who has a daughter on the spectrum, albeit on the high end. 

 

I felt so bad for the daughter, though! Wow. Talk about neglect. That little girl felt so emotionally abandoned. Everything is about Yona all the time. That's the thing about having one child with special needs, you cannot let them take over the entire family even though they need more work. You have to make sure the other child is having their needs met as well. Shit, even when mom took the daughter out for the day she couldn't stop talking about her precious Yona. I cheered when the girl made the retort, "yea, it's called an absent mother". BOOYA! I hope they make some real changes in that household after watching how hurt she was. 

 

 

 

And then we were treated to The Gunkles!!! With no Tori! Thanks be to God. 

 

My gosh they were overbearing. I really don't know how they get any actual work done when they're watching Nana watch Simone. They need to dial it back a bit. I did think it was kind of shitty of Nana to stop nannying because they wouldn't let her have Simone for overnights. I could see saying, "Hey, you guys are up my ass too much and I really can't watch her if you can't trust me and give me some breathing room" - but she should have let them work their way up to overnights on their own terms. Oh well, in the end it worked out. 

 

The other thing that bugged was their fixation on the physical, especially clothing. They kept going on and on about how they were going to raise this strong, confident woman - but then they had to make such a stink about the matching "cheetah" jammies. What was the harm? She was having fun with her Grandma and I thought it was cute. Then there's the name dropping going on while picking out her clothes. "Do you want your Chloe dress? Or what about this Marc Jacobs shirt?" Oh please, she's three. No one cares. It just worries me that Simone might develop her own non-designer type of style and they'll criticize it or try and steer towards what they want. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it just rubbed me the wrong way. 

[The Mighty Peanut]

I hope the Guncles PLAY with Simone sometimes and not just worry she'll stab herself with a crayon. She seems very sweet and articulate so they're doing something right, but....dang. Who cares if she wants to pretend she's a cheetah at nana's house.

The indigo mom's daughter, "I got an A+ on a test and you didn't act like this." OMG. Heart = broke.

[joanne3482]

Having read @Tara Ariano's description of the show I'm now going to have to watch. Since it is Bravo I'm sure it will be rerun 1,001 times between now and next week. 

[Katmai]

I hope Andy is smart enough to not become #5. He needs to hit the road and not look back because no one will ever be #1 to Shira except her heathen, Yonah. Poor Emma. There will be big issues with her in the not-too-distant future, but Shira will never see them coming.

 

The Guncles (no clue about them as I've never watched any of Tori's shows) are quickly creating a little monster. My take on their only 3 years old (!) daughter is she is quickly becoming a super brat. At 3, she's already mouthing off about her Daddy picking her clothes, her other Daddy is a bull because he has a big tummy, she doesn't need a purse (!!!), she already hugged Nana so she's not doing it again. I can't imagine what she'll be like at 7, much less 17. I'd be ashamed if my 3 year old spoke like that to and about others, although she did have a good grasp on vocabulary. Got to second the comment about giving her way too many choices. How she wants her damn apple cut???? She'll eat it no matter what shape it is, Dad. All the designer clothes...well, it was obvious that the Dads don't wear designers unless those were designer sweat pants & tshirt on BullDaddy. Good on Nana for forcing their hand to let Simone do an overnight with her. She was right on point with all she tried to discuss with the Guncles. And Simone will learn something playing tic, tic, toe, too...like taking turns, sometimes you lose, sometimes you win, sometimes no one wins when you tie, much less using her brain to plan moves ahead for herself and Nana, too. Games aren't a waste of time with young children. 

 

Will we get any kind of update or followups on these CrazyPants people? I'd really like to know how they're doing in year or so.

[applecrisp]

Just too hard to watch...  They are all crazy.   How stressful for the children.

[ghoulina]

I hope Andy is smart enough to not become #5. He needs to hit the road and not look back because no one will ever be #1 to Shira except her heathen, Yonah.

 

No kidding. Has she ever stopped to consider all that instability might be part of Yonah's problem? Good Lord. Is there an aromatherapy spray for women who can't commit long-term? 

[trimthatfat]

Yonah! Oh man, I feel sorry for the kid because he is obviously spouting the party line "no medication, I am meant to be this way" (or whatever he said on the front stoop at the end) Now, I'm not known for being a pill popper myself. Headache, I'll deal with it. Cramps, I'll deal with it. Hate going to the dr. My kids go, when they are sick and for annual check ups. The incense and indigo bullshit isn't working lady. Maybe stop being so damned kooky and deal with the issue at hand. Play ball with your kid, read with your kid. If you are so against medication actively work with your child. Not passively through some magic healing powers!

Gay couple. The daughter was cute, sweet. But geesh! Helicopter parent much? I had a harder time believing their scenario simply because they pretty easily agreed to a sleep over. Any hardcore couple I know like that is never going to sleep without their kid at home. I thought Nana was sweet and well meaning and they pretty much relegated her to"the help" both personally and professionally and thats pretty messed up.

 

The gay couple was very irritating (I refuse to call them 'guncles' - the nickname Tori Spelling gave them as they are her bffs). I found their treatment of grandma inappropriate. I understand they pay her, but she is still the child's grandmother. To have her sit in the corner with a book during breakfast was just odd. I know they wanted alone time with their daughter, but there's a tactful way to request it. My mother would have laughed in my face if I told her she couldn't sit at my dinner table. The gay couple don't realize how blessed they are to have a nurturing grandmother to care for their child who loves her just as much as they do.

 

I thought it was super sweet when their little girl asked grandma if she was okay during the sleepover discussion. She looked nervous that Nana was in trouble.

Edited August 8, 2014 by trimthatfat

[PityFree]

So glad there is a forum for this show! 

 

Could not roll my eyes enough while the two dads named dropped designers while getting clothes ready for the kid. "What about this CLOE dress??? How about the Marc Jacobs!!!" What??? How insufferable and pretentious. They treated Nana like crap, too. Kids need to learn a little independence and their paranoia and smothering are not doing that kid any good. 

 

Aura Mom is raising a future criminal. He is sooooooo spoiled. I agree with the posters here who have mentioned that her millions of husbands and now her live-in boyfriend (and who knows how many other live-in boyfriends have come and gone) are part of the problem. Aura Mom is a crazy person. 

[Blueeyedgirl]

Does anyone know which of Shira's husbands is the kids parents?  It wasn't clear to me that the kids have seen all 4, although they have at least seen the last 2.  And do both kids have the same dad?

 

I hope Bravo has a finale show, where they revisit the families after they see themselves. I can't imagine that, at a minimum, Shira wouldn't at least realize how Emma has been neglected after watching this...

[Fostersmom]

I only caught a tiny bit of this early this morning, but was so exhausted, I went to bed. The little bit was enough to make me set the DVR to record it tomorrow. All I needed to see was the Guncles crapping on their mom and hear "indigo child" and know this show would be a winner. I can't wait to see it tomorrow! LOL! This show has all the potential to live up to Bravo's Showbiz Moms and Dads, one of their masterpieces. 

 

Oh, and Guncles, I haven't even seen the full hour, but two things. First, way to go, you're managing to raise a kid who could be more messed up than Tori's kids and second, what, you namedrop a ton of designer names (didn't see this part yet), but not Little Maven (Tori's kids line). Dudes, she brought you what little fame you have. Bad form. 

 

I'll totally be back to snark more after I watch. I'm off to see if it's on demand so I don't have to wait until tomorrow!

Edited August 8, 2014 by Fostersmom

[Lizzing]

I finally got caught up on this crazy show.  So glad there's a forum here! :)

 

The gay couple, well, I don't know them from Tori & Dean, so I'm giving them a bit of a pass on being over protective.  In lots of places (like where I live) gay parents are given the extreme side eye, so I could get whey they'd want to be protective, so as not to garner any "gay people shouldn't have children" (which I totally disagree with, by the by).  However, not protective from grandma, unless she was a proven idiot (which she didn't seem to be at all).  Let the little gal have a sleep over!

 

But all that absolutely pales in comparison to the Shira woman.  She out of hand dismisses her daughter to focus on her son.  I can't tell if he's ADHD or spectrum, but I can see he lives with no rules, on the footage at least.  Not doing homework and tossing it across the floor?   Indigo or just blue, do your f'ing homework!  After all, you can't change the world if you don't know basic math.  ;)  But my biggest problem was the bullet.  He eventually copped to the bullet being in his backpack.  Where did he get it?  What did he do with it?  What did the school do about it?  Even if the kid does have legit mental problems (other than his mother being a nut), he can't conjure a bullet from nothing.

[truebluesmoky]

I know reality TV is always mostly fake, but I couldn't take the Guncles' storyline even a little bit seriously. Here's how I bet it went down:

Bravo: Casting Call! Looking for parents with extreme parenting styles for a new reality show!

Guncles: We were smart enough to stay off of Tori Spelling's last train wreck TV show about her failing marriage, but at the end of the day we're fame whores who miss being on TV, so sign us up!

Bravo: Oooo, gay parents with a tiny bit of name recognition! You're hired! What is your extreme parenting style?

Guncles: Ummmmm... Well, it took us a long time to have the opportunity to adopt, so now that we have our daughter, we are pretty overprotective and have trouble leaving her, even when it's just with her nana. We probably go a little too far trying to still control her life when we are supposed to be working.

Bravo: Okay, sounds good. Here's the basic script for how we tell an extreme version of that in what will turn out to be 20 minutes of footage. Are you up for being portrayed as overbearing dicks? How about Nana? Is she up for a day of being treated like crap?

I think Bill and Scout probably are overprotective and probably do some interfering when Nana watches Simone, but the entire segment was obviously totally staged and even somewhat scripted.

Edited August 9, 2014 by truebluesmoky

[ghoulina]

I agree. I do think a lot of their segment was probably overdramatized for the sake of the show. But I believe the name-dropping while dressing the kid was 100% real. =)

[fliptopbox]

I loved the gay dads from last night. Sure they're obnoxiously overprotective but I have a feeling as Simone gets older they will naturally begin to let go. Especially if they keep Nana around as the voice of reason.

[fliptopbox]

That Shira woman is almost too awful for words! She's a creepy soul-sucker of a mother. What is the deal with that electra complex she has with her son? I also noticed that she said in one of her THs that her daughter and mother were mismedicated; she said her mother suffered from kidney failure as a side effect from taking Lithium (HELLO PSYCHOSIS). Lithium can cause organ failure and you have to be rigorously monitored while taking it. Psychiatrists don't prescribe it unless you're seriously fucked up. Lunatic fucked up. She didn't say how her daughter was mismedicated but my money's on she started with obsessing about the daughter first and then she birthed her precious Yonah and lost all interest. On top of it all this bitch has to annoy me by using a Y instead of a J spelling her asshole kid's name.

I take Lithium and I'm not what you would consider seriously fucked up. I just can't take other types of psychiatric meds for various reasons, and believe me I have tried a lot of them. Doesn't mean I'm on my way to becoming a serial killer.

 

I'm not sure I believe in indigo children. Hell, I'm not even sure I could tell you what one actually is, although I do suspect there's no actual indigo involved. Anyway, whether that kid needs meds or not at least they finally found a decent school for him where he seems to be doing well. Cos that aromatherapy incense shit surely wasn't going to help matters. I also felt really bad for the daughter. Chances are she's in for a boatload of therapy in her teens and twenties.

[RubyWoo72]

The Masterson-Horns are very annoying, but I do like that Simone is pretty articulate, without the r-as-w or lisp that some kids may be encouraged to do, so as to seem more endearing.

But if Nana "literally" lives a mile away, why the hell would they rent a hotel room? Extra - extra hovery. Quit it.

And dammit if Nana isn't channeling Sandy Duncan...

[Fostersmom]

Watched the whole thing, while NOT falling asleep, and holy shit, it was better than I imagined it would be. 

 

First, Scout and notScout, you two managed to out douche Tori and Dean. Bravo! That takes some work. Second, unless your daughter got ahold of some scissors and did that to her hair herself, cut your daughter's hair! And brush it! Why does she look like you stuck a mixing bowl on her head and cut around it? Overall, these two struck me phony as all hell and I have a hard time believing it wasn't all set up for TV. Seriously, the second these two asked to start taping interviews so they could watch them back later, I can't imagine anyone would have been okay with that and wouldn't have ran in fear. Oh, and Nana is NOT an indentured servant. 

 

As for Shira, lady, you are bat shit crazy. Your kid needs a lot of help, but no where near as much as you do. She had munchausen by proxy written all over her. I have a feeling poor Yonah spends all his time repeating the crazy shit mommy tells him and could and would function "normally" if mommy didn't spend her whole day pouring over crystals and telling him how special and different he is. Where the hell is the other parent(s) to her kids? Daughter needs to escape if at all possible, and honestly, so does Yonah. Those two kids are going to be seriously fucked up the older they get. The boyfriend needs to head for the hills before he becomes husband number 17. I can't even believe he takes his son into that insanity. 

[Fostersmom]

Oh look, of course Shira has a brand new website. Is she trying to be an actress? Performer? Famewhore? All of the above, works for me!

 

http://shiraadler.com

[RubyWoo72]

Shira and Andy can STFU with their coddling of Yonah and dismissal of Emma. That girl's gonna have some serious issues if they don't knock that shit off. And playing two siblings against one another is never, ever a good idea.

[LuckyBitch]

Good find, @Fostersmom . She's hawking her silly sprays for $24.95 for a 2 oz bottle and $38.95 for 4 oz.

 

ETA:  Her blog (which is linked on her website):

 

http://diva-mama.com/

Edited August 9, 2014 by LuckyBitch

[Katmai]

Good Lord, Andy & Shira actually think they're doing an outstanding job raising kids. I have no words after reading their blog. It is quite obvious that Shira's trying to cash in on her tv exposure to sell her junk and get more performance jobs. This show is painfully misnamed, it could be called, "This is What Extreme Parenting does to the Children."

[Julia]

Just, wow. I'd never even heard of this show when I saw the recap, but I had to watch it.

 

I don't think the two fathers are going to screw up the kid as badly as it looks like just now. It became very clear when they had to actually deal with the fractious toddler whose attention span they've destroyed by swooping down and grabbing her away from grandma at random intervals that they have no interest in the nuts and bolts of parenting.

 

I thought it was hilarious, as the surviving veteran of a toddler, that one of the fathers was all defiant about how his helicopter urges will only stop with death. Uh, yeah. That or the kid having a meltdown in the car. I'd say the kid has a better than even chance of being foisted on the nanny whenever there aren't cameras present in a relatively short amount of time.

 

I'm sure that Shira's daughter is hurting too much to appreciate what she's being spared by escaping the full force of her mother's insanity, but of the two of them I'm going to guess she has the best chance to escape her mother more or less undamaged. I genuinely wonder how much of Yonah's impulse control issues are actually neurological (sorry, related to his place on the spectrum of visible light) and how much is extreme lack of stability in his home life and a mother who's using him to prove to the world that the whole entire universe says nobody's the boss of her. I feel kind of bad for the little bastard, because by the time she's done with him he's going to be stuck with her for life, what with the being unable to compromise his clever, clever destructive behavior for, say, a social life or a job.

[lisalionheart]

I'm not sure I believe in indigo children. Hell, I'm not even sure I could tell you what one actually is, although I do suspect there's no actual indigo involved.

 

I think "indigo children" is a concept made up by someone looking for a reason to a) make sure everyone knew how "special" their child is and b) excuse away bad behavior. The only thing that surprised me about the show was that anyone is actually still pushing the idea. The idea was briefly trendy in the '00s but seemed to have died out. (Jenny McCarthy claimed her son was an indigo child before he was diagnosed--possibly incorrectly, as it turned out--as autistic.) I find the whole premise that these "challenging," poorly behaved children are on earth to "teach us something" equal parts laughable and sad. What really alarmed me was that Yonna knew that as an indigo child, he was "supposed" to be difficult. That will make it much, much harder for him to learn good habits and take constructive criticism as he ages.

[ghoulina]

The Masterson-Horns are very annoying, but I do like that Simone is pretty articulate, without the r-as-w or lisp that some kids may be encouraged to do, so as to seem more endearing.

 

Do people really do that? As a mother of three, I find speech issues to be pretty common and kids usually grow out of them. One of my kids has a lisp, but it certainly isn't encouraged. I've also had issues with "y" instead of "l" and "t" instead of the hard "c" and "k" sounds. Some of these issues resolve on their own as the kids get older, other times we actively work to make the correct sounds. Are there seriously parents out there who try and MAKE their kids speak incorrectly?

[RubyWoo72]

Do people really do that? As a mother of three, I find speech issues to be pretty common and kids usually grow out of them. One of my kids has a lisp, but it certainly isn't encouraged. I've also had issues with "y" instead of "l" and "t" instead of the hard "c" and "k" sounds. Some of these issues resolve on their own as the kids get older, other times we actively work to make the correct sounds. Are there seriously parents out there who try and MAKE their kids speak incorrectly?

I know it sounds crazy, but that's probably because you're a normal parent :) I meant production people, who might coach kids to do so, for a more cutesy effect. Come to think of it, though, there may be a few parents who continue to "baby talk" to their young offspring, which would also encourage that same diction from kids. But that's the exception, I would hope. Normal parents just try to model correct speech, or seek the advice of a speech therapist, or let the issues resolve themselves, like you said.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

So happy there's a forum for this show! 

 

Guncles must have been fakey - and I keep thinking "if Nana is so bad then hire a damn nanny". Oh wait, you gotta pay a nanny. IMHO Nana looked like she was a lot more fun than hanging with the Guncles. 

 

Ugh Indigo Boy's mother was a nutcase. Hey, lady, even if your child has "issues", nobody gives a crap because he acts like a little turd (Yes. . . I said it. . . handicapped/"special"/indigo/ ADHD/fill in the blank kids can learn bad "behavior" as well as struggling with their issues. And that kid seems to have knowledge that he's pulling his mama's chain. (perhaps once he enters the juvenile criminal system in a few years the he won't be seen as so "special" perhaps because it smells like gang members and butt instead of chakras spray or whatever the hell she was spraying around the room)

 

Okay just went on Diva Mama's (ugh again) blog and noticed the daughter is a budding actress (and her mother talks about the girl's low self esteem - hello wake up and smell the herbal tea, layyyddeeee). Maybe that's why she was so mopey. 

Edited August 11, 2014 by ItsHelloPattiagain

[Miss February]

The last scene with aura mom was just pathetic.  The daughter was sad and lonely, and the mom's boyfriend admonished her that it was time to focus on her brother, yet again, and then the mom sprayed aromatherapy around her head, yet again.  Poor kid.

 

The two dads came across as really unkind people.  Never once did either of them show warmth or a kind attitude toward the grandmother.  They both seem really full of themselves.

[ZaldamoWilder]

The gay couple was very irritating (I refuse to call them 'guncles' - the nickname Tori Spelling gave them as they are her bffs). I found their treatment of grandma inappropriate. I understand they pay her, but she is still the child's grandmother. To have her sit in the corner with a book during breakfast was just odd. I know they wanted alone time with their daughter, but there's a tactful way to request it. My mother would have laughed in my face if I told her she couldn't sit at my dinner table. The gay couple don't realize how blessed they are to have a nurturing grandmother to care for their child who loves her just as much as they do.

 

I thought it was super sweet when their little girl asked grandma if she was okay during the sleepover discussion. She looked nervous that Nana was in trouble.

 

is what I searched for this forum to come in here and say.  She's not young, so the fact that she's even willing to exert the physical energy and love, to say nothing of patience to keep up with a 3 year old is something they should be thanking their lucky stars and kissing her ass about.    They didn't strike me as fake or scripted, which would be truly and deeply disturbing.  Baby girl's transitional stages are gonna be hard on daddies.

 

Who said munchausen-y?   Nailed it.  If Yonah is on the spectrum, I applaud her sensitivity but her methods are made of fucking wackadoo.    If he's not, that child needs a spanking and a nap.    The number of husbands and boyfriends this woman has had makes me stabby at how many totally nice normal stable women stay home on saturday nights. 

[ghoulina]

Who said munchausen-y?   Nailed it.  If Yonah is on the spectrum, I applaud her sensitivity but her methods are made of fucking wackadoo.

 

Her sprays may be making him whackadoo as well. I wonder when she started doing that? From birth? "Baby's crying! Better mist his little infant face with my calming aroma spray". 

[DogMama]

I didn't watch the show, but that lady's website has a link for her past lives. Is there no sort of protective services that can save her children from her crazy? Gah.

[Tara Ariano]

A family live as nomads, but some in the family long for a place to call home.

[MollyZee]

OMG. I hate Wendy and Tyler and I want to drive to Oregon and kidnap those children and try to reintegrate them into mainstream society while they are still young enough to potentially shed the trauma of their abusive childhoods.

Tyler, on his own childhood: "I didn't realize it at the time, but I didn't fit in extremely well..."

I mean.... DUH?

Those poor kids. Having to sell their childhood belongings and live like vagrants, subsisting on canned beans and peanut butter for 3 years, all because dad is a man-child whose greatest fear is "BEING NORMAL," and mom is too spineless to tell him the jig is up?

What utter, tragic nonsense. People like this should not be permitted to procreate.

[Primetimer]

The Whitacres are self-described nomads who wonder if living out of a car and being allowed one toy each is going to turn their kids into hoarders later in life. Hmmm, MAYBE?! But let's let them speak for themselves.

Read the story

[Scottish Girl]

Okay. What. Did. I. Just. Watch???

I'm okay with different parenting styles, truly. And, I think it would be pretty cool to follow the summer and travel the world. I really do! But, when you have to do it EXACTLY right.

Their food situation was unacceptable. Their laundry was unacceptable. Getting a flat tire AND having a flat spare is unacceptable!

Bottom line, Tyler is a freaky jackhole. Wendy is a doormat. And those kiddos are having a really interesting, different, childhood. But, when they grow up they'll never speak to their parents again. Lol

[Maharincess]

Where did they get the money for that truck and fifth wheel? That shit ain't cheap.

[Misanthrope]

I have no words, so I'm going to let a wise woman speak for me.

http://youtu.be/nrqxmQr-uto?t=1m51s

[DrSparkles]

Dear god., I hate these people. Especially him, Mr I am so free-spirited. Her voice is ridiculous. Has the son ever seen a dentist!!! It doesn't help that I fucking hate camping. What idiots!!!!

These kids will either be tight for the rest of their lives or once they're adults, they'll never speak again.

Edited August 15, 2014 by DrSparkles

[sleekandchic]

Somebody needs to get a copy of this episode to Will Ferrell STAT. Tyler was a bad parody of Will, and I'd love it if Ferrell could memorialize the idiocy that is Mr Whitacre in a a no-holds barred film satire.

My guess is Tyler grew up in a home that had all the material comforts that money could buy. But, for whatever reasons, he feels his childhood was devoid of love, attention and support. Poor little rich boy syndrome, maybe? Fine. Go to a shrink for your issues, and leave your innocent kids out of your wallowing self-pity/self-help. Moron.

Wife Wendy is just as bad, if not worse, than her husband. She knows better! Yet she's willing to sacrifice her children to her husband's lunacy.

I had to wonder about Tyler's whiny pining for the physical closeness of the kids 24/7. Were the couple having sex in their tent, right next to the kids?

The little boy was obsessed with material objects and consumerism. Obsessed! Can't the parents see that? Isn't that the polar opposite of what they say they want? And, as an aside, the new puppy was gorgeous. I suppose he could have been a rescue, but somehow I don't think so.

Both children are bright and articulate. But I'm not sure their psyches are wholly salvageable at this point.

[swimmyfish]

I just read the "In their own words" on the site, and it was really depressing. I feel so bad for the kids! What terrible, self-absorbed shitbarns they have for parents.

[ghoulina]

I really liked the Whitacres. I find the minimalist life very inspiring, and their kids are getting some amazing life experiences. Both children seemed very polite and intelligent, I don't really worry about them being damaged at all. I'm a homeschooler myself and I love seeing people live unconventional lives, marching to the beat of their own drummer. We're not all cut out to be the same. 

 

I did think Dad came across as kind of a selfish, condescending asshole at times - like when he said the mom not having room for her feet was a "personal problem" and that his son could put up "fake decorations in your fake trailer". But I couldn't tell if he was just trying to be funny and it came off badly, or if he's really a prick. 

 

But in the end they got their trailer, so obviously he is capable of compromise. I think that was a wise move. I have no problems with their travelling lifestyle and keeping materialism at bay is awesome. But the kids were begging for some space of their own, a little privacy. And mom wanted it too. Now they can still travel around for their photography business, but also be able to cook real meals and use the restroom comfortably, sleep in their own space, etc. 

 

P.S. Did the dad remind anyone else of Casanova from Project Runway???