Kate Plus 8 - General Discussion

[camom]

My grandson is over 16 and isn't interested in getting his driver's license (We live in California).  There are several reasons.  (1) There are restrictions on when you can drive and who can be in the car with you.  When I was a teenager, driving around with your friends was fun.  (2) He doesn't have a car and would have very limited use of his parents' cars. In Kate's case, would you have 8 kids sharing 1 car?  (3) Insurance is expensive!  I can only imaging what it would cost for Kate to insure her brood.

 

One of these days Kate is going to roll her eyes so hard that they roll completely out of her head.

[SoSueMe]

I don't know about an affair, but I sure wonder how she has managed to pay him during those times when she was so strapped for funds (I'm thinking of a Today show appearance when she pulled out a stack of bills she couldn't pay due to Jon not ponying up - she said). Or maybe TLC foots the bill? Can't believe they hire bodyguards for all their reality personalities.

Edited January 21, 2015 by OnceSane
fixed double post

[OnceSane]

I sincerely doubt TLC foots the bills for any bodyguards.

[ginger90]

She doesn't live in Bucks, I think she lives in Berks . I grew up in Bucks, and got my license at 16. I don't know the deal in Berks.

She does live in Berks. I don't think the law is  different between counties. A few things have changed in PA: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/teenDriversCenter/newTeenDriversLaw.shtml

[ChicksDigScars]

I feel bad for Mady & Cara's acne prone skin.  It's hard enough to be on TV AND be Kate's daughter, but to have your teenager pimples broadcast must be really difficult.

 

TLC should provide Proactiv for the kids on their shows. Ever notice the poor Duggar kids skin? Or the Roloff's? 

 

I think that the Duggars have grown up with a trashy diet of canned foods and tater tot casserole. Since the TLC money train pulled in, you can add coffee drinks to that and a soda dispenser in the damned house. Amy Roloff never struck me as a healthy cook. I actually cringed at the thought of Amy writing a cook book. At least Kate is a stickler for a balanced diet for those kids with lots of veggies, fresh eggs and of course, her often mentioned obsession with organics.  

 

I think Cara and Mady are just in that awkward stage. I can still hold up my son's 7th grade school picture and laugh. Pudgy face, glasses, short stature. He looked like a little boy. Then, the eighth grade photo. In one summer he had grown four inches, lost 15 pounds and got his first pair of contact lenses. The 8th grade picture is a teenager. One who started getting notes passed to him in class (this was in the early 2000's. Before texting), phone calls and girls riding their bikes by the house. 

Edited January 21, 2015 by ChicksDigScars

[farmgal4]

I was actually really surprised that she hasn't changed. Not the most horrid child I've seen, but her attitude is something else. One day, she's going to give that attitude to the wrong person.

Mady's personality/attitude is Kate made over. Unbelievable but unsurprising.

[Phoenix]

Taking into consideration the manner in which Kate has raised these 8 children to date, it is glaringly obvious her extreme militant parenting style was very ineffective.  The boys are the exception to this observation...they are good kids and will hopefully stay this way.  Because Alexis has been the cast out in the girls group (for years now) she seems to have taken on the boys personality traits, which is a good thing.  Alexis has been shunned by Hannah and Leah in a sad, mean way, but that now appears to be in her favor as far as her future goes...in terms of good character traits which will take her far in life.

 

Leah's comments to her mother were astoundingly abrasive and hateful.  On last nights show she said this to Kate, "We all like each other, We just don't like you".  Then it showed her, the twins and their friend huddled together bad mouthing Kate.  My God, what a chaotic household that must be dealing with these nasty girls day in and day out.  Kate, you should have taken parenting classes, but that may not have helped...considering personalities cannot be changed and your girls have all become reflections of you, their mother.

[SmallTownMom]

Kate lives in Berks Co., near Wernersville.  PA driving rules have gotten stricter in the last few years.  When our daughter started driving a few years back, they needed to have so many hours (forget actual number) of driving time with a licensed driver.  It must be documented in their booklet.  We didn't fudge it, either.  If she drove 15 minutes, that's what she got credit for.  Also, schools provide classroom training only nowadays, but we had the option of paying a driver training school to take her out during school hours.  After you get your jr. license, you can't drive after 11 p.m. and I think you can only have one passenger with you, which I think is a good idea.  Cuts down on the distractions.  I allowed my daughter to drive just one friend home from cheerleading practice and then ONLY if it was pre-approved by that kid's parents.  That said, I was happy when my daughter got her license, not so that I wouldn't have to chauffer her places, but because I knew she had learned to be a responsible driver and I felt better knowing that SHE was the one doing the driving, and not another kid.

 

I agree that Kate doesn't seem to enjoy her kids.  Everything just seems so painful for her.  The kids learned to be smart-mouthed from her, and that needs to be nipped in the bud.  Kids learn from example.  If you don't enjoy them, don't expect them to enjoy your company or to be around after they are grown and on their own.  You will be very lonely someday.

 

I do love those little boys.  They just go along with everything without complaining.  I think that's how boys are wired.  Everything seems to be high drama with girls.

[Chai]

Taking into consideration the manner in which Kate has raised these 8 children to date, it is glaringly obvious her extreme militant parenting style was very ineffective.  The boys are the exception to this observation...they are good kids and will hopefully stay this way.  Because Alexis has been the cast out in the girls group (for years now) she seems to have taken on the boys personality traits, which is a good thing.  Alexis has been shunned by Hannah and Leah in a sad, mean way, but that now appears to be in her favor as far as her future goes...in terms of good character traits which will take her far in life.

 

Leah's comments to her mother were astoundingly abrasive and hateful.  On last nights show she said this to Kate, "We all like each other, We just don't like you".  Then it showed her, the twins and their friend huddled together bad mouthing Kate.  My God, what a chaotic household that must be dealing with these nasty girls day in and day out.  Kate, you should have taken parenting classes, but that may not have helped...considering personalities cannot be changed and your girls have all become reflections of you, their mother.

How sad is that for Poor Alexis? I remember Alexis coming up from the basement when they pretended she slept down there,  (in the old house)when it was Jon? I think? anyway, they were separating Alexis because she used to wake up the other two. I noticed when they went into the Maine beach house Kate pointed to a separate bed that Alexis could sleep in away from the other two. That started world war 3 with them. She has no one but herself to thank.

[Darknight]

Finally people see John is just as bad as Kate. He gave up on his kids and now is trying to play poor me. There are many regular people jobs out there. Heck even go to tech school or go to a CC and get a degree but nope just like Kate he grew a custom to the tlc lifestyle

[Darknight]

Yay, another hour of Beleaguered Kate, The Single Mom! Those eye-rolls, those knowing glances, those sighs! With all her troubles, it's a wonder she can get out of bed in the morning.

Seriously. She does know her kids can see this shit, right? Forget the fact that she asks them be quiet so she can pretend to be alone or threatens to put them "free to a good home" on the side of the road - but what about all the looks she gives behind their backs to the cameras, or complaining she does in her THs? Way to make your kids feel loved and wanted. I know, I know, she's not serious about half of that stuff. What parent hasn't joked a time or two about selling their kids to gypsies when they misbehave? But take it all together - it's constant, this feeling of Kate being the martyr with this difficult life she didn't sign up for.

I do agree that she's less uptight than in the past. But it's almost like she's giving off this resigned, "Fuck it, you're all pains in my ass, just do whatever you want" vibe.

And Maddie....that is one little brat right there. I get that she's a teenager, and teens are often snotty and annoying and say really stupid shit. But she goes beyond that. It's one thing to disrespect your mother, but she is disrespectful to other adults as well. The way she was speaking to the paddle board instructor....I just cringed. These girls should not be on TV. I know when I was their age I thought I sounded so smart and cool. Thank God the only thing to remind me how idiotic I truly sounded was some old VHS home videos stashed in the back of my mom's entertainment center. These girls are going to look back on reruns of their show and just be mortified.

Oh, and what is up with not being able to drive until they're 18? Is the only reason behind that because KATE couldn't? Because that's an insanely stupid reason. With that many teenagers in the house, do you really want the responsibility of having to drive each and every one to all of their activities, jobs, friends' houses, etc?

Well my dad told me the same thing. I even had to save up for my own car. I got a license after I graduated from high school.

[Phoenix]

How sad is that for Poor Alexis? I remember Alexis coming up from the basement when they pretended she slept down there,  (in the old house)when it was Jon? I think? anyway, they were separating Alexis because she used to wake up the other two. I noticed when they went into the Maine beach house Kate pointed to a separate bed that Alexis could sleep in away from the other two. That started world war 3 with them. She has no one but herself to thank.

It was sad to watch Alexis go through that with her sisters, but she is better for it now, despite their shunning treatment of her. I noticed Hannah is also demeaning to poor Joel as well.  During their rare shopping event on last nights show, Hannah was taking over for Joel as he paid for the cute mustaches he chose to buy.  Kate did tell Hannah to let Joel do it himself and Hannah said, NO, he gets confused.  This has gone on for years between Hannah and Joel and it will surely cause him to develop low self esteem, which he seems to already exhibit.  None of the girls except for Alexis listen to their mother.  It was alarming to see how bad it has become.

[Chai]

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/kenya-moore-kate-gosselin-bodyguard-hotel-room-20141711

Apparently they share a hotel room so I think it's more than a professional relationship:

"“That bodyguard was very interesting because they actually shared a room — I don’t know if I’m supposed to say that — so he was around a lot,” Moore, 43, revealed.

Thank you for posting that link, I hadn't read that before.  I thought so. I still can't figure why his wife puts up with them acting like that.

[babyhouseman]

I sincerely doubt TLC foots the bills for any bodyguards.

TLC probably foots the bill if it's for their show. Steve has been a bodyguard to the Little Couple too.

[Absolom]

Ratings for Tuesday, Jan 20: 1.321 M viewers and a .5 rating. Kate has already dropped below Abby Lee Miller.

[Joe Jitsu913]

Cara and Maddy remind me of a show I watched the other day called 'Killer Kids'. It was a true story of twin girls who grew up hating their mother and stabbed her to death when they were both 16.

I think Khate imposed the age 18 driving rule because she's a control freak.

[Joe Jitsu913]

There was a dj on my local radio station who was staying at the same hotel as Kate and she said she saw Kate and Steve holding hands. This was about 3-4 years ago.

[iwasish]

Lower than Abby Lee Miller... Ratings wise and even worse personality wise.

[Absolom]

It's a few hundred thousand above the prime time average.  Three to four hundred thousand less than Sister Wives this week and about four hundred thousand higher than the highest show this Monday, 

[MarysWetBar]

It was sad to watch Alexis go through that with her sisters, but she is better for it now, despite their shunning treatment of her. I noticed Hannah is also demeaning to poor Joel as well. During their rare shopping event on last nights show, Hannah was taking over for Joel as he paid for the cute mustaches he chose to buy. Kate did tell Hannah to let Joel do it himself and Hannah said, NO, he gets confused. This has gone on for years between Hannah and Joel and it will surely cause him to develop low self esteem, which he seems to already exhibit. None of the girls except for Alexis listen to their mother. It was alarming to see how bad it has become.

I am so glad someone else has noticed the way Alexis has always been segregated.Khate started that and allowed Hannah and Leah to exclude her from things with her blessing. Anyone who had ever had kids knows that three kids never works well...when they are young. Someone is always left out if you aren't watching and trying to help them learn to include. I'm in agreement with whoever said the boys are sweet but those girls are all bitchy little Khates. I worry about the boys as they age. She is already saying they have to do things that "scare her". They like protecting Mommy.One of the boys was quite worried about her in the boat while she was hamming it up for the cameras about being scared and anxious. Get the eff out of the Damn boat and let the experts take your kids for a fun paddle so you don't ruin the experience and the memory with your immature phony theatrics. I wish that bitch would have fallen out of the boat. Would have loved to have seen those extensions all wet and scraggly. She would have looked like a kitchen mop. Edited January 23, 2015 by MarysWetBar

[MarysWetBar]

IIRC she was represented by Williams and Connelly. You hire those people when you want to burn bridges. I can't stand Kate but the idea of that guy going through her trash and following her and the kids around really creeps me out.

I kind of want her to bring back the myspace mom hair.

My son calls that hairstyle the "can i speak to the manager". Lol

This woman is so phony---from her hair, nails, eyelashes and pretending to be such a good mom. She is horrible. I cannot stand the faces she makes at the camera. I do not believe for one minute that Kate does all this homemade cooking and other chores she complains about.

Mady is the most horrible child.....turning out just like her mom.

I can't believe any child's parents would allow them to vacation with this nazi.

And the weird thing? As horrid as she is, those kids are out of control and have no manners.

Did you know she's a single mom????? Ugh!!!

What had always struck me about her appearance is her shark eyes. She has modified everything but still has those cold dead shark eyes.

[ghoulina]

LOL, MarysWetBar, love your name and your post. Kate was really being OTT with her fear of being in a stupid, freaking paddle boat. I think it's important to let children you see you overcoming a fear, if applicable. It can be inspiring. Kids should not think their parents are robots who are never scared, never sad, etc. However, you need to use some self-control. If you're acting like you're completely petrified, you're just going to end up scaring your kids away from doing the same things....or, like you said, ruin their fun. She just has to make it all about her. Always. It's exhausting. 

[QuinnM]

I think it is fine to exclude Alexis from the bedroom.  She wakes people up.  She needs to change the behavior.  I come from a family of 8 and that's how it works.  We teamed for dinner dishes.  When one of the team members stopped working they had to do it by themselves.  No one would team with them.  Took about a year before they begged back on a team and suddenly they carried their share.  The kids wanted to leave Alexis and Collin on the island and definitely Mady.  That's because they all thrive on negative attention.  That's life and personalities.  They are old enough now to get that if they are mean other people don't want to be around them.  

 

It's got to be hard on them with only one parent actually caring about them.  Kids know that.  So some of this could be acting out there but I think the majority is just personality.

[OnceSane]

Episode 3:

"The Room Project"

A plan for room renovations finds Mady and Cara getting their own spaces.

Airs January 27, 2015.

[ginger90]

Episode 3:

Airs January 27, 2015.

I guess this is the renovation that led to loss of storage, which then led to the yard sale. This is what I have been curious to see, LOL!

Edited January 23, 2015 by ginger90

[Taylorh2]

What could two little kids do that was so bad to get them expelled from school for a yr ?

[ginger90]

What could two little kids do that was so bad to get them expelled from school for a yr ?

Kate denied this.

[ghoulina]

Hey, y'all, I saw it mentioned in the season 3 thread that two of the kids were expelled from school. I didn't want to go off topic in there, but can anyone shed some light on this matter? It seems crazy to me that kids so young would already be having serious issues at school. IMO, it might be prudent to quit filming your children once and for all and get them into some intensive behavioral therapy. 

[ginger90]

Hey, y'all, I saw it mentioned in the season 3 thread that two of the kids were expelled from school. I didn't want to go off topic in there, but can anyone shed some light on this matter? It seems crazy to me that kids so young would already be having serious issues at school. IMO, it might be prudent to quit filming your children once and for all and get them into some intensive behavioral therapy. 

This was supposed to have happened when the sextuplets were 6.

[QuinnM]

 

Kate denied this.

She said that the school did not and would not use the word expelled.  Expelled was Radar's way of hyping up the ratings.  They absolutely were removed and were not admitted back until they had completed a set of requirements.  That's how private schools do it.  Not that uncommon for kids in the middle of a divorce to start showing behavior changes.

[QuinnM]

 

This was supposed to have happened when the sextuplets were 6.

That's my memory too so I googled it.  They were expelled at the beginning of the school year 2010 and then were reinstated Spring of 2011.  So that's four years ago. Really old news and it actually happened after filming had stopped.  So it was the divorce behavior.  The other thing to keep in mind is that in a private school they don't have to take you.  If you're trouble you can just leave and go to a public school.

[ghoulina]

Oh okay, I just saw it mentioned, had no idea how long ago it was. I hope they're doing better now. 

[Darknight]

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/12/exclusive-kate-lied-gosselin-kids-were-expelled-school-after-hurting-adult/

"One of the expelled Gosselin kids physically harmed an adult at the school TWO TIMES, creating a situation that caused school administrators to believe they had no choice but to remove that child from school...The nature and extent of the adult’s injuries are not known, but the situation was severe enough that it contributed heavily to the school’s decision to expel the children. RadarOnline.com has also learned that both of Gosselin children were abusive to other children in the school, creating an untenable situation."

Kate's spin: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20446198,00.html

"The Kate Plus Eight star says Collin and Alexis are seeing a therapist and "doing much, much better." They are suffering from post-divorce anger, she says, and were acting out in school in response."

They went to a private school, and usually in a case like this the school's admin would do a lot try to fix these things...I'm guessing it was bad.

At least they're getting real help. Make Kate could use some therapy.

[MarysWetBar]

I think it is fine to exclude Alexis from the bedroom. She wakes people up. She needs to change the behavior. I come from a family of 8 and that's how it works. We teamed for dinner dishes. When one of the team members stopped working they had to do it by themselves. No one would team with them. Took about a year before they begged back on a team and suddenly they carried their share. The kids wanted to leave Alexis and Collin on the island and definitely Mady. That's because they all thrive on negative attention. That's life and personalities. They are old enough now to get that if they are mean other people don't want to be around them.

It's got to be hard on them with only one parent actually caring about them. Kids know that. So some of this could be acting out there but I think the majority is just personality.

I have never been a fan of ganging up to make someone change behaviors but that could just be the way my mother raised us. We were not allowed to exclude or bully. Children learn what they see. ..and according to something i read here, they don't see their fall down father. So who is teaching them to be mean? Who is the main influence in those kids lives?

[OnceSane]

This thread is for discussing the season 3 episodes, not school expulsions which occurred several years ago. Move on.

[dorcastrilling]

The only kids Kate ever really seemed to like at all are Hannah, Leah, Aidan and to a lesser extent, Cara. Alexis waking the other girls up came from her mouth...doubt the veracity. She has created the divide in that family.

 

She has bitched about Collin, Alexis and Mady from the get go, and constantly belittled Joel unmercifully.

 

I totally get Mady's rage. I was Mady. People who did not know me as a kid are amazed to find out I ever had a temper. My mother treated me like Kate treats those kids she does not find up to par. My crime was being born only 11 months after my brother,and I paid for it every day of my life.

 

I feel so badly for p0oor Joel who still wants her approval, and for Collin and Alexis who just don't understand why she is the way she is with them while doting on Hannah and Aidan. Mady has her figured out. She will walk away some  day and never look back.

[mbutterfly]

It's a few hundred thousand above the prime time average.  Three to four hundred thousand less than Sister Wives this week and about four hundred thousand higher than the highest show this Monday, 

Absolom, you've given us a bit of an idea, but could you tell us more about the TLC ratings. I would love to know which shows this season are, let's say the top 5 TLC series. TIA

[OnceSane]

Absolom, you've given us a bit of an idea, but could you tell us more about the TLC ratings. I would love to know which shows this season are, let's say the top 5 TLC series. TIA

Comparing ratings of various TLC shows does not belong in this thread. Take it to the Small Talk thread.

[Chai]

Oh okay, I just saw it mentioned, had no idea how long ago it was. I hope they're doing better now. 

 

If I remember correctly two of the tups were expelled for physically hitting and hurting not only other children, but an adult as well. I wasn't surprised with the amount of punching each other I saw during the older episodes. 

 

Kate denied the whole thing, as usual. Said they were being home schooled.

Hey, y'all, I saw it mentioned in the season 3 thread that two of the kids were expelled from school. I didn't want to go off topic in there, but can anyone shed some light on this matter? It seems crazy to me that kids so young would already be having serious issues at school. IMO, it might be prudent to quit filming your children once and for all and get them into some intensive behavioral therapy. 

That would require the thoughts and energy of a good parent. Good parents don't exploit their children on tv for money. 

[technorebel]

My opinion about kids being on reality shows is all about the money.  If every single person working on that show is getting paid, I want each child to receive a check in their own name just like any other working actor.

 

Every single adult who appears on a reality show and puts her kids on it can be accused of exploiting their children.  That would include all of the Housewives, that little couple and their two adopted children, even that young couple on Alaska the Last Frontier show their baby.  There are literally dozens (at least) of reality shows in which children appear.  Aren't their parents all exploiting them...or just Kate?

[ChicksDigScars]

Cara was always Jon's favorite, because she was the one who seemed to show potential in the jock department, and most likely because she was the child who mirrored his personality most. Mady has the personality and athletic skills of her mother...in other words, none. LOL. I always got the impression that Joel was a favorite of Kate's, as far as the male 'tups are concerned. 

 

Interesting that she is giving the twins their own space, now that they're getting older. I'd say that they deserve it, being that their life was disrupted with the arrival of 6 younger sibs. True, Mady has done little to deserve this reward (as far as we can see), but in the grand scheme of things, it's good.

[Chai]

My opinion about kids being on reality shows is all about the money.  If every single person working on that show is getting paid, I want each child to receive a check in their own name just like any other working actor.

 

Every single adult who appears on a reality show and puts her kids on it can be accused of exploiting their children.  That would include all of the Housewives, that little couple and their two adopted children, even that young couple on Alaska the Last Frontier show their baby.  There are literally dozens (at least) of reality shows in which children appear.  Aren't their parents all exploiting them...or just Kate?

Yes, they are all in the same boat. Every parent that has their children on reality tv shows puts their childrens privacy on the line. Years later they will be able to come on forums just like this one and read everyone's opinion of their lives. Their own parents put them in that position, and got money for it.

[QuinnM]

 

Yes, they are all in the same boat. Every parent that has their children on reality tv shows puts their childrens privacy on the line. Years later they will be able to come on forums just like this one and read everyone's opinion of their lives. Their own parents put them in that position, and got money for it.

Absolutely.  Each of them will see the bullying and nasty things that were said.  They will also each come to their own opinion of whether the life they led as a result of that money was worth the vicious behavior their parents put up with.  A lot of these kids have already been able to do that.  The Roloffs and the Duggars are old enough to see it and I bet the Gosselin twins see it as well.  So it's just a matter of time before we hear how they feel.

[Maharincess]

I'm just now watching last weeks episode. Every week I hate her more and more.

Animals don't have souls? My dog has more soul and more love inside her than Kate ever will.

I'm tempted to sign up for Twitter just so I can tweet this twat and tell her what a twit she is.

I would love to see these free trips and opportunities go to people who would appreciate them. None of them appreciate anything they're given.

Poor Alexis. Kate can't deal with her own child, she has to send her to a different boat? Great mom she is.

Wasn't the "Alexis wakes the other girls up" from when they were 3 or even younger? I don't recall that being mentioned in recent years. Its not just in the beds that she's excluded. I've noticed it at other times too.

Alexis and Aiden have always been my favorites. I hope that family doesn't break Alexis' spirit.

Edited January 27, 2015 by Maharincess

[nccueagle84]

Wasn't the "Alexis wakes the other girls up" from when they were 3 or even younger? I don't recall that being mentioned in recent years. Its not just in the beds that she's excluded. I've noticed it at other times too.

Alexis and Aiden have always been my favorites. I hope that family doesn't break Alexis' spirit.

It was mentioned on this episode too straight out of the mouth of Alexis. She said something like I promise I won't wake them up or I won't wake them up in the middle of the night. I don't remember word for word but she did say it.

[Maharincess]

Thanks. I wasn't paying close attention.

[Joe Jitsu913]

I'm just now watching last weeks episode. Every week I hate her more and more.

Animals don't have souls? My dog has more soul and more love inside her than Kate ever will.

My furbaby has shown me more love and understanding than most humans. She really is a vile piece of work

[QuinnM]

 

My furbaby has shown me more love and understanding than most humans. She really is a vile piece of work

 Of course as an avowed carnivore I don't believe that animals have souls.  Vegans do have a different view there.  However I also know that most of my Christian friends also believe that souls are unique to humans.  So I'm sure that is how she was taught and what she would teach her children.  I didn't get the feeling that she thought animals were bad or something.  It's just something that vegans and bible believers don't agree on.

[Joe Jitsu913]

Of course as an avowed carnivore I don't believe that animals have souls. Vegans do have a different view there. However I also know that most of my Christian friends also believe that souls are unique to humans. So I'm sure that is how she was taught and what she would teach her children. I didn't get the feeling that she thought animals were bad or something. It's just something that vegans and bible believers don't agree on.

I'm not a vegan. Just an animal lover who believes that animals are individuals with the ability to love and feel pain. In order to do that, one must have a soul.

[Absolom]

Bible believers do not all agree about the animals and souls.  It's usually impossible to make blanket statements like that about Christians.  Kate was brought up in a fundamentalist leaning church where that was likely taught though.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Absolom