Extreme Guide To Parenting - General Discussion

[BitchOnWheelz]

Please, come and discuss this show!

Just watched the nomadic family last night...  I can barely wait to snark.

[Julia]

WADR, I think "minimalist" is a very, very kind word for "isolating the family and forcing them to beg for showers from strangers because they live in a car without legroom." I think "abusive" is more like it.

[fliptopbox]

I thought their lifestyle was pretty cool. It would be awesome to run around the world following the summer weather. The kids seemed intelligent and well adjusted, I don't think Tyler and Wendy are doing irreparable psychological damage just because they aren't buying their kids tons of toys and focusing on material stuff. Plus they seem to be able to support this lifestyle, and getting the trailer by the end of it was probably a good idea. It was a nice compromise. Those kids did need better food than what they were getting, and beds. Overall, I don't think they were as creepy as last week's families.

[Julia]

I thought their lifestyle was pretty cool. It would be awesome to run around the world following the summer weather. The kids seemed intelligent and well adjusted, I don't think Tyler and Wendy are doing irreparable psychological damage just because they aren't buying their kids tons of toys and focusing on material stuff. Plus they seem to be able to support this lifestyle, and getting the trailer by the end of it was probably a good idea. It was a nice compromise. Those kids did need better food than what they were getting, and beds. Overall, I don't think they were as creepy as last week's families.

 

I don't think that not having hot and cold running consumer good causes irreparable psychological damage. That's why my comment dealt with having no friends, having to beg strangers for showers, and living in a car without legroom.  

[MollyZee]

I would not say these children are "well adjusted." They practically foam at the mouth when faced with the prospect of socializing with other kids, and they fantasize about having their most basic needs met, like sleeping in actual beds, and indoor plumbing. Let's not even mention the laundry situation, or the impact that Daddy Douchelord's passive aggressive digs ("peanut butter is a 'certain kind of sandwich' and that's what you'll eat!" "How about some fake decorations for your fake trailer!") will have on their self esteem and psychological development. 

 

These buffoons would be free to wipe their asses with tree bark til they both bled if they didn't have the responsibility of raising kids. But they DO have that responsibility, and they are falling woefully short in their quest to please themselves. 

[fliptopbox]

I don't think that not having hot and cold running consumer good causes irreparable psychological damage. That's why my comment dealt with having no friends, having to beg strangers for showers, and living in a car without legroom.  

My post had nothing to do with yours. We obviously have differing opinions.

[fliptopbox]

Also, by the end they did buy a trailer. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a family living in that. People live in tour buses for long periods, and I don't view this as any different. The camping wasn't exactly conventional, but it certainly isn't awful. Almost all campgrounds have bathroom and shower facilities. You wear flip flops and it's really not that bad.

[Blueeyedgirl]

This family did not make me angry the way the previous week's families did.

 

I would not want to live like that.  I would definitely not want to be married to the dad, who definitely seemed to want to be a Peter Pan, not really growing up and having responsibilities but wedded to the idea of "being different".  The wife knew she could manipulate him, and enlisted the kids in it ("Yes, I think we'll get a trailer" she says to the son.)  I feel for the kids, especially the older one who doesn't seem as socially adjusted, and wants his privacy.  The kids will definitely react to their childhood as they get into the adolescent/teenage/adult years, but if they lived in a house, they would react to something else... 

 

My prediction:  I also don't see them doing this that much longer, a year or two at the most.  The son is going to be an adolescent and need more, as is the daughter.  And the wife seems to be tiring of it, too.  THat trailer bought them another year or two of travel, but after that, either they'll settle somewhere, or the mom will take the two kids and settle somewhere...

 

IMHO, and only In my Humble Opinion, the Indigo family and the All-Kid-All-The-Time family were doing more long term psychological damage than this family.  Who were just weird.

[ZaldamoWilder]

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. 

 

You took the words right outta my mouth.    "If you're our friend, you might have to be forced to let us do our laundry or sleep in a bed or feed us."   Hey here's an idea, how about you stop placing the inconvenient burden of responsibility for day to day things you don't think are necessities upon your friends and take care of that yourselves. 

 

Did you see the look he gave Isaac for bringing up trailer decorations at their hosts dinner table?  {{shudder}}

 

I would not say these children are "well adjusted." They practically foam at the mouth when faced with the prospect of socializing with other kids, and they fantasize about having their most basic needs met, like sleeping in actual beds, and indoor plumbing. Let's not even mention the laundry situation, or the impact that Daddy Douchelord's passive aggressive digs ("peanut butter is a 'certain kind of sandwich' and that's what you'll eat!" "How about some fake decorations for your fake trailer!") will have on their self esteem and psychological development. 

 

These buffoons would be free to wipe their asses with tree bark til they both bled if they didn't have the responsibility of raising kids. But they DO have that responsibility, and they are falling woefully short in their quest to please themselves. 

 

And you.   I don't think there's anything wrong with the living how you want to either until or unless it involves your children.  Their desires are overly mature for their age.  Privacy? my own bed?  Damn dude, this was an exercise in how selfish can we be before this starts to border on abuse of some sort.   I disagree that either Isaac or his sister were obsessed with material things, I think he was enthralled by the idea of being allowed to maintain more than one possession.    He's an asshole and she's the woman willing to stay married to an asshole.  It made me sad to see his insistence upon getting his way at the cost of his family's alternating disappointment and misery.    I actually feel angrier at her for not advocating on her kids' behalf about this bullshit.

[ghoulina]

My prediction:  I also don't see them doing this that much longer, a year or two at the most.  The son is going to be an adolescent and need more, as is the daughter.  And the wife seems to be tiring of it, too.  THat trailer bought them another year or two of travel, but after that, either they'll settle somewhere, or the mom will take the two kids and settle somewhere...

 

 

I don't think it will either. I personally didn't really have a problem with their lifestyle, but as the kids age it's just not going to be as feasible. I think travelling around the country for work makes a lot more sense in a trailer than in a sedan. Dad did come across as a selfish prick, but in the end he listened to the desires of his family and compromised with them. At the end of the day, don't we ALL raise our kids on what we believe is best, and not what society or our children want us to do? As long as he continues to keep an open dialogue and doesn't force everyone against their will to keep it up, then I'm okay with it. 

[Kat]

I would be in prison for murdering Mr. Whitacre if I were married to him. Full stop.

[sleekandchic]

I thought that Tyler Whitacre was actually jealous and resentful of his children's enjoying playtime with their peers. As the kids begged for a little more time to be with the new friends -- and Dad quickly refused to budge -- my overall impression of him was cemented. Whatever his reasons or motivations, Tyler wants to be his kids' everything -- the center of their universe. He seems wounded when they ask for life outside of TylerLand. To me, that's an unhealthy and unfair burden to put on your children.

In general, I believe that people who raise children should put the kids' overall body/mind/spirit-welfare first and foremost. Maybe Tyler thinks that he's doing that? But all I heard last night was the implicit me, me, me. Their family life was all about what makes Tyler happy.

And Wendy is being subversive in enlisting her kids to get Tyler to compromise. It's Wendy's job to advocate for her kids, not the kids' job to learn manipulation and plotting for her purposes.

To be fair though, and based on what I saw of the two families profiled last week, this series' aim is to highlight questionable, WTF parenting decisions. To me, "extreme" anything is a potential disaster.

Oh, and I'm probably 100 percent wrong, but I can't help thinking that Tyler's surname is actually Whittaker, and the change to Whitacre is to illustrate his special snowflake status -- while also sticking it to his own parents.

[Julia]

As long as he continues to keep an open dialogue and doesn't force everyone against their will to keep it up, then I'm okay with it. 

 

I'm not clear how what he's demanding of his children is in any way consensual. They're kids. They have no options if they want to stay out of the hands of social services.

[fliptopbox]

Last time I checked children don't have to consent to their parents' lifestyle. If a parent wants to move the kids can't prevent it. This is basically the same idea. That's the difference between children and parents. You may not like the parents or agree with them, but they are not actively endangering their kids or neglecting them. They're fed. They're clothed. They didn't seem poorer than dirt. They have a (mobile) shelter. This show is to show off alternative parenting. If they were like every other family in America they wouldn't be part of the show.

Edited August 16, 2014 by fliptopbox

[fliptopbox]

I am curious to see those parents who won't stop talking to their toddler about sex. It must get pretty graphic cos at one point in a preview you overhear the dad start to freak out about "showing our child porn". I bet those two are a hoot at parties, especially if they break out the vagina puppet....which sounds like a GWAR prop.

[Tara Ariano]

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

 

 

They said at the beginning that they still owned their house and were renting it out; assuming they didn't have a mortgage (which is possible), between that income and what they make as apparently pretty in-demand photographers, they could be doing pretty well.

 

This was a big letdown for me after the huge freaks of the series premiere, in that Tyler and Wendy seemed to be having an adventure that was kind of a pain in the kids' ass sometimes but that wasn't wrecking them. I think the producers deliberately followed them during a camping phase to make their lives seem especially rustic, and only for a couple of days (they cut up the photo shoot for two different out-of-sequence acts of the episode, which you could tell by what everyone was wearing and the fact that they didn't show the clients in the first bits of footage at all); sometimes they stay in hotels, and presumably eat in restaurants where fresh produce is available.

 

I agree with everyone who said the Whitacres won't be able to keep this up full-time much longer: it was probably no big deal when the kids were little, but I feel like Wendy, at least, will not get too precious about it and will realize that the kids need to go to real school if they're going to get a decent start for college, not to mention that Isaac will need to have access to regular visits with the same orthodontist. (Even in this episode she said she envisioned a future where they were only on the road half the year, so given the way she talked Tyler into the trailer, I bet her six months on/six months off plan will come to fruition before too much more time has passed.) They've clearly figured out how to handle the logistics (setting up a business model that works; dealing with all their banking and bill-paying and whatever), so spending summer vacations traveling while living in a permanent home the rest of the year would be a perfectly fine compromise -- just not one that would get them on a show like this! 

[StayingAfterSunday]

OH MY GOD THIS SHOW IS AMAZING.

I wholeheartedly share your enthusiasm!  I realize maybe it's not supposed to be "comedy," in the classic sense, but I was doubled over at the episode with Scout and Bill and Shira with her Indigo child, brother to the invisible daughter. 

What made it so damned hilarious was seeing Shira's somber expression every time she spoke about her magical son; I can still see her spraying the aura with that can of aromatic whatevers.  I liked Shira, though, and her beau AND her kids.  Shira, your son will be fine -- without the meds; out of the mouth of babes comes wisdom, and that's one heck of an intelligent kid.  I think I would have deferred to his opinion as well.  By now I think we all know just how much stock you can put in the opinion of "experts."

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.

 

About Scout and Bill.  My God, were those two hysterical or what?  I agree with your observation about the segment being staged.  As for scriped, yes, that, too:  Most reality shows follow some sort of script, though, as is obvious on the Housewives of NY/BH/OC/NJ, etc. etc.  I mean, I can count on three fingers the number of times I've had any sort of verbal altercation or otherwise with acquaintances, family or real friends, yet the "housewives" seem to have some sort of verbal pow-wow on every episode. Scripted? No doubt. The sad part is that after a while the cast of these reality shows just seem to fall right into the script guidelines without hesitation; it becomes second nature.

 

The Scout/Bill was one hell of an entertaining script, though, don't you agree?  Bill and Scout obviously had no problem whatsoever stepping into their roles of doting, ridiculously irrational parents.  Scout was priceless as the spoiled grown son of Nana, and Bill, with his droll and acerbic comments, was  just toooo funny!   Not to mention the expressions those two would exchange, particularly during the Nanny interviews.  I absolutely love this show; can you  tell??

 

Okay,  I do have a more snarky-type question I cannot ignore:  What was with that teeny little girl's BIGGG hair?  At first glance I thought she was wearing a wig, but no.  I have never seen a child that young with such a generous heap of hair.  Have you?

Edited August 16, 2014 by StayingAfterSunday

[fliptopbox]

Did they ever mention how Simone came to be a part of their family? Like, is she one of their biological child, was she adopted, foster child....I am curious.

[fliptopbox]

I found this article about each family that'll be on the show.

 

http://jezebel.com/meet-the-assholes-of-bravos-extreme-guide-to-parenting-1617138643

[truebluesmoky]

They adopted Simone as a newborn. I know waaaaay too much about anything even tangentially related to Tori Spelling.

Edited August 16, 2014 by truebluesmoky

[StayingAfterSunday]

Seeing how beautiful those two children are, i couldn't reconcile them with these two parents.  I will give the parents this much, however -- Isaac and his sister are not only nice-looking kids, but they are well mannered, smart and reasonably comfortable in  social situations.  That little Isaac is just so sweet; I am so glad he got his wish about the trailer.  

 

How ironic is it, do you think, that the family up until the point where Dad relented and got the trailer, was forced to adapt to a  non-traditional and restrictive lifestyle (ironic, isn't it, since this is precisely what Tyler wishes to avoid: conformity, rigidity, strict schedules, etc.). By "restrictive" I mean all of the limitations imposed on the family by virtue of their not having a real house, refrigerator, variety of foods, running water and other utilities, etc. Most of all, the physical space certainly represented something other than "freedom." 

 

Tyler looks too young to be so eccentric. Aren't older people usually the ones described as such?  Even if he was raised in a  family with a conventional lifestyle - as Wendy says she was - I wonder if he's got some "Traveler" in his bloodline.  I am referring to the term originally associated with people in the UK that practice the nomadic way of life.  Of course, there are many traveler families in the United States, too.  (think, "Gypsy Sisters," for one; and "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, for another.)   Then again, it could be that Tyler is simply smitten with the whole idea of being free as a bird, period, and once he got his chance to live "off the grid" and fly, he went for it, no holes barred.

 

Re:  That photography business.  I have no doubts they do photography,  but I am wondering if it is more of a free-lance thing, with no clientele, per se, or advance bookings/appointments. Perhaps the Whitacres came into a little money (an inheritance, a lawsuit, the lottery?) that enabled them - as of three years and a few months ago -  to play gypsy, if you will, and has sustained them to a point where they can travel around the globe for fun -- sorry, I mean for the purpose of educating their children -- while picking up some extra cash photographing tourists whom they encounter.

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

 

 

No, it sure isn't.  I had to laugh when Tyler said that the trailer gave the kids a little more space than they'd had when living in the SUV/car.    A little more space?  That trailer looks huge; it's certainly bigger than the house I grew up in.  It's longer, more spacious and has nicer, newer amenities than what you find in the average 2-bedroom apartment. Keyword: Average.

 

I don't dislike Tyler nor do I dislike his wife based on what has been shown of them.  But I wish he would have opted for honesty during his Anti-Trailer manifesto. He reacted like a cornered rat when faced with Wendy's Pro-Trailer Pitch.  I noticed his excuses started out reasonably plausible, then quickly devolved to a panicked sort of nonsense, i.e. the argument about the kids sleeping at one end of the trailer, while he and Wendy's bedroom would be "all the way" at the other end.   
I kind of wish Tyler had just come out and say he didn't want to part with that kind of money. 

Here's what I am thinking might have occurred to make Tyler a travel-by-trailer convert.  I'm willing to bet producers went half on the cost of that trailer.  Think about it.  The boring Trailer topic finally got resolution AND the Whitacre's story ends happily, at least for now.  

Edited August 16, 2014 by StayingAfterSunday

[fliptopbox]

I hate Tori Spelling so there's no way I would know. What is the whole Guncles thing and how do they relate to her?

[truebluesmoky]

They are close friends of hers. They were introduced pre-Simone on one of the iterations of the Tori & Dean reality show as Tori's kids' "guncles" or "gay uncles". It was on Tori's shows that it was announced they were engaged, then got married, then were trying to adopt, then were chosen by a birth mother, etc. Simone was featured on one of the regular Tori & Dean shows but none of them were on the freak show about Dean's cheating. I think they are hoping to get their own show, though. They run their own "The Guncles" Facebook fan page.

[PityFree]

It is only a matter of time (read: months) until the boy realizes girls are interesting and/or starts entering puberty. The kids need their own bedrooms and some privacy.

On a superficial note, the mom sounded like a little girl with her elf-voice.

Also, why was the dad's hair always such a mess? Sir, you are an adult. Water and a comb is all you need. Showers would be even more useful to you.

[woodscommaelle]

Bill and Scout came off very unlikable.  They seem like they're a fucking bore, too.  

[EtheltoTillie]

Can someone please explain how this photography business worked?  I somehow missed it while watching with half an eye.  Throughout the episode, I really did not realize they were working.  I figured they had to have money from somewhere, like an inheritance or savings.  They must have been paid for being on the show, but maybe not that much.

[methadonna]

They are close friends of hers. They were introduced pre-Simone on one of the iterations of the Tori & Dean reality show as Tori's kids' "guncles" or "gay uncles". .

Since I'm still kind of laughing at myself and the result of one of the few gaps in my otherwise-vast reality TV literacy, I wanted to give everyone else the opportunity to laugh at me too:

It wasn't until I read that article linked upthread that it occurred to me that the term "Guncles" actually was being used because this couple was already a known famewhore entity and that name had been given to them, specifically; I thought it was a snarky nickname of some sort that was just going above my head, like, maybe there was a cartoon with characters called The Guncles, and, duh, because EVERYONE who had ever seen it could see the obvious likeness (I mean, they ARE pretty cartoonish. Daddy Bull? At the least, if there is a cartoon about a leather bar, there is totally a character named that, who looks just like him, no?) and all just were using the name, without need for explanation, just as one might refer to the blue-haired Lynne on Game of Crownes as The Hideous Smurf Troll without need to specify that such a comparison comes about because Smurfs are blue-skinned and she is blue-hair[ed]/-[extensioned]. I thought that "Guncles" was just an allusion to something of which I was currently and tragically ignorant!

Or maybe it was one of those terms that was just rising in RTV prominence, which I just hadnt been blessed to encounter yet, that was on that line between "I'm sooperdooper comfy and down w Teh Gayz" and "My relegation of My Gay Friend to token and/or pocket accessory status goes right past the stop for true acceptance and back around toward prejudice and othering," like the use of/"collect them all" friendship of "Gay Husband" by Real Housewives whose monetary wealth, once examined critically, becomes dubious as well. A term that seemed to be used by more and more of them, the faking of these true, deep friendships with men who were, natch, "their"--possessive, of course,--hair dressers or decorators or stylists, or creative-field-only-Jacks (Jackies? Ha ha ha, insert totes-fake laughter here, cos perpetuating only stereotypical imagery is always a hoot) of all trades following almost the same trajectories as faking their wealth. Never did these women have a "gay husband" (or, like normal people, a friend who was gay and) who was an athlete or a doctor, or--even though many of them really need them more than the stylists, et al--a lawyer. Or, a [former] TV executive.

So, with Guncles, I wasn't sure what to think about what context clues were telling me was a term steeped in such conflicting meaning, but, I figured, even at its ickiest, "Gay Husband" was used with--at worst--a lack of critical thought but also only positive intentions, and, clearly, love and [fsvo] humor, and rolled with it. And so, as I read that article, and came across the background of The Guncles and Tori Spelling, and discovered that,no, that was just a name specific to These Two Guys -- that Using Context Clues (as I so often tell my students) only works if you don't pull the context out of your ass (um, ok, I don't actually say it quite like that... ). Well, not gonna lie, I'm still laughing at myself and how much thought I'd actually given to somethIng that didnt exist! (well, mostly... they/Tori/Tor's kids still are using Guncles and sharing it with the world, or the 46 people who watch her shows, at least, with all of the same good and bad baggage that comes that comes along with that. Unless they also have Suncles and Buncles? But, then, the Guncles were also keen on calling the male nanny a manny but certainly did not advocate referring to the female nannies as fannies, so, they don't seem to have concerns with maintaining and supporting paradigms, sexist or other. Whatevs, dudes.

[Whimsy]

I just got to watch this. I haven't watched the first episode yet so I can't compare the parenting yet, but this was all sorts of messed up, IMO. The nomadic lifestyle doesn't appeal to me, but I think it's much better with the trailer. Before that, they were in a situation that was entirely unfair to the kids.

As far as the photography, they said they have a blog and post where they're going to be and people sign up for sessions. They said sometimes they have 20 sessions a day (or weekend? Can't remember). I call BS. I did photography for awhile. I don't think they could establish that good of a client base while moving around so much. Also, they was she interacted with her clients really grated on my nerves. "1,2,3 hold hands!" Ugh.

[Katmai]

methadonna, you aren't alone in not watching any of Tori's shows or knowing about the Guncles. I had no idea who they were either and only saw them referred to that here, so we both learned something new.

[fliptopbox]

http://www.bluelilyphotography.com/

 

That's their photography website and blog. Their cheapest photo session is just under $500.

One of their older blog entries claimed they got their trailer about 10 months ago, which puts filming at last summer. I wonder if they filmed each family simultaneously or one by one.

[EtheltoTillie]

I just got to watch this. I haven't watched the first episode yet so I can't compare the parenting yet, but this was all sorts of messed up, IMO. The nomadic lifestyle doesn't appeal to me, but I think it's much better with the trailer. Before that, they were in a situation that was entirely unfair to the kids.

As far as the photography, they said they have a blog and post where they're going to be and people sign up for sessions. They said sometimes they have 20 sessions a day (or weekend? Can't remember). I call BS. I did photography for awhile. I don't think they could establish that good of a client base while moving around so much. Also, they was she interacted with her clients really grated on my nerves. "1,2,3 hold hands!" Ugh.

Yes, being mobile portrait photographers makes little sense nowadays.

 

But I have to say, I learned recently that there used to be itinerant portrait painters!  I saw some of their work at the Winterthur museum.  They would travel to small towns and rural areas.

 

But that business model makes little sense in a world where anyone can take good pictures with their iPhones!!!  Ah, well. 

Edited August 17, 2014 by GussieK

[SnarkKitty]

I surprised myself by liking this family! I didn't think I would, initially, but by the end, I was convinced they weren't irreparably harming their kids, and they were living a pretty cool, adventurous lifestyle. The pictures of them traveling all over the world were pretty awesome.
 

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.

 
No doubt that their kids were really sweet and smart and well-mannered went a long way towards my liking this one. Rarely do I see kids on TV that make me think "I'd love to babysit them." Usually I think "I'd like to pop that brat in the mouth."
 

On a superficial note, the mom sounded like a little girl with her elf-voice.

 
Ugh! That definitely bugged me all night. She sounds exactly like that comedian chick that I can't stand, from the Daily Show and 30 Rock, Kristen Schaal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvTqBkX7K90

[SnarkKitty]

Is there no shit this chick cannot spin into shinola?

 

 

Within a few months, she had a manager, was signed to an agency and almost booked a TV show. She landed a web promo, commercial and a lead in an upcoming horror film all within two weeks of each other. It seems rather uncanny that what began as a vehicle for healing had become her salvation.

 

Except the promo and commercial she "landed" were things she got directly via her mother. I mean, come on, Shira is doing the voice over, her whole FAMILY is in it ("landed?" More like "Lived here.") and it's filmed in their HOUSE for gawd's sake! Seriously lady, have some shame.

[nenya]

The thing that bothers me about this extreme parenting is that they talk about alternative lifestyle and having freedom, but by repressing the personality and freedom of the children. I'm not saying kids should have full and free run, but they need to be allowed to use what they learn to develop into who they are. I worry that these kids might not be able to go to school, form lasting relationships, and discover their true passions. I'm not saying a suburban life or "normal" upbringing (regular schools to college etc) is necessary to do that. But I just worry that the father seems very stubborn about the life he wants. Although, I guess he did relent to the trailer, so maybe he is just living an idealized view until he is confronted with the need for change.

[StayingAfterSunday]

No doubt that their kids were really sweet and smart and well-mannered went a long way towards my liking this one. Rarely do I see kids on TV that make me think "I'd love to babysit them." Usually I think "I'd like to pop that brat in the mouth."

Yes to that!  They were not only pretty kids, they were pretty much perfect.  I kept thinking, "Where is casting? Those two kids are shoe-ins for the next "Faerie Tale Theatre" presentation of Hansel and Gretel.

 

http://www.bluelilyphotography.com/

 

That's their photography website and blog. Their cheapest photo session is just under $500.

 

As Popeye would say, "Well blow me down!"  That's unbelievable: $500. for the cheapest session?  Oh, I get it:  People are willing to pay through the nose for the privilege of being photographed by the esteemed American duo of Tyler and Wendy Whitacre.  I suppose the The Queen of England will be commissioning  them to photograph Her Highness.  

(I so agree with the comment by GussieK re: questioning the need for this sort of business since the advent of iPhone and its photography capabilities.)

 

Also, why was the dad's hair always such a mess? Sir, you are an adult. Water and a comb is all you need. Showers would be even more useful to you.

OMG, I was waiting for someone to comment on the Dad's hair.  For the first half of the show I had trouble concentrating on what was being said due to that unhygienic mess on his head.  The kids looked immaculate and Wendy appeared neat and tidy, but I guess Tyler was too busy formulating excuses for "Why we Can't Get a Trailer" to remember to wash his hair.

Edited August 18, 2014 by StayingAfterSunday

[nenya]

You all are right about the kids. They were pretty terrific. Maybe that is why this parenting affected me more (granted, I don't have children, so my viewpoint is purely theoretical). But I feel like these are smart, compromising, friendly, happy children, and they should be given more opportunities than just this singular view point. And be allowed to sleep in a real bed as well. 

[StayingAfterSunday]

You all are right about the kids. They were pretty terrific. Maybe that is why this parenting affected me more (granted, I don't have children, so my viewpoint is purely theoretical). But I feel like these are smart, compromising, friendly, happy children, and they should be given more opportunities than just this singular view point. And be allowed to sleep in a real bed as well. 

 

I agree with you.  Also, you are very insightful about the parenting issue which is commendable considering you do not have kids. Before I had children I remember how full of (usually unfair) opinions I was with respect to how unruly my friends kids were, or how much tv my nephews watched (Ha! what nerve I had), etc. etc.  It took only one kid of my own to realize my lack of understanding about parenting and how it is so much harder than it appears. 

[Tara Ariano]

that business model makes little sense in a world where anyone can take good pictures with their iPhones!

 

Passable high-res photography is not necessarily the same as "good"! Anyone can take a snapshot to capture a fleeting moment, but if you're looking for family photos to frame, you might want to have a professional photo session. Whatever I might think about Tyler and Wendy as parents, what they showed of their work in the episode was pretty strong. Shooting families is hard!

[For Cereals]

Sometimes you just can't help your voice...I think that I sound authoritative and direct, but I hear myself on a recording and I still sound 12, not nearly 40. I would love to sound like Debra Winger, all scotch and chocolates, but it just ain't gonna happen. Instead, I sound like Mindy Kaling.

Anywho, I wanted to punch Tyler. I thought he was very selfish. I guess it's not all that different than the Irish Travelers I've seen on other shows. I just don't get the lifestyle especially when you have a choice. I don't see why they can't live in a home during the school year and then travel in the summers. I will be surprised if their 'parenting' doesn't make the kids hoarders or spenders later in life. Eventually those kids will need their space and they should want to start to separate from their parents. That's what happens during the teenage years.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Forcereals

[sunrisepink]

The thing that bothers me about this extreme parenting is that they talk about alternative lifestyle and having freedom, but by repressing the personality and freedom of the children.

 

 

Yes, the parents seemed to define "freedom" as financial freedom - not having to pay bills or maintain a household. But children are never responsible for those things so they only have something to lose in their restricted access to material goods. The lack of stability would also affect a child in a much different way than it would an adult, I would think.

 

As others have noted, I was extremely impressed by how pleasant the children were.

[ghoulina]

I will be surprised if their 'parenting' doesn't make the kids hoarders or spenders later in life.

 

Didn't the mom even express that concern to her husband? 

 

I do admire their desire to shun materialism. It's something I fight with my kids all the time. Like this family, when we get new stuff, we get rid of other stuff. When a birthday is approaching we go through the toys and make donations to our local thrift store. Same thing at Christmas, only on a bigger scale. I think the issue here wasn't so much making sure the kids don't consume, consume, consume - but the kids didn't really have a place to call their own. I think the camper was a great idea, because the kids wouldn't feel SO restricted in there. Every person, really, needs something they can carve our just for them. You could tell that meant a lot to the kids. 

[Tara Ariano]

An overachieving mother pushes her only child to the limit.

 

I got a screener for this one and it is the most quotable one yet. Here's the mom.

[Julia]

Does Dr. Marisa wear outerwear in her private life? Because I don't think I've ever seen a doctor use a lingerie shot for a professional photo.

[Tara Ariano]

I mean...chiropractor. That's a fake doctor. And she's also a personal trainer with her own gym!

[PityFree]

I mean...chiropractor. That's a fake doctor. And she's also a personal trainer with her own gym!

The only part of her body in that pic is her chest. Which did not get that big at her gym. 

[fliptopbox]

She looks like the last person I'd take medical advice from.

[fliptopbox]

This episode is on again now, and the only thing I really heard the parents tell the kids about having toys is "one comes in, one goes out." That doesn't necessarily mean they are only allowed to have one toy at a time. I think it just means if they want something new they have to give up something old. Not too terrible of a philosophy.

[fliptopbox]

I hate parents like that mom. She's just setting her child up to be a disappointment if she honestly believes he needs to be the best at everything he ever does. No kids are good at everything. No adults are either. She should be encouraging him to do his best, but realize that he's not always going to be top dog....and that's ok. I mean crap, the kid isn't even in kindergarten yet, cut him some slack!

[binkbinkbink]

The lack of friends was disturbing to me. Some kid that you randomly meet at a playground and play with for 45 minutes is not a friend. This bullshit about meeting a new friend at the next playground made me want to shove something large and sharp down that asshole's throat.

Dirty clothes, subpar nutrition, no solid foundation....it is such bad parenting. Shameful.

[Katmai]

These parents were just stupid and flakey to me. It's not like they really don't have a place to live, like a house, because they have one they rented out. The children had such a sadness about them when talking about friends, a bed, a bathroom, etc., like basic things in most children's lives. My sons LOVED their Legos at that age, so my heart died a little every time Issac had a dilemma with his. 

 

Bottom line, I'm not buying what these two parents are trying to shell out as their "life." Daddy GotRocks wants to appear to live off the grid, yet can cough up big bucks for a new 5th Wheel and a big, honking truck to drag it. Nope, not buying any of this tale but hey, it got them on teevee to promote their photog biz.