7 Little Johnstons - General Discussion

[Hero]

32 minutes ago, druzy said:

In episode 8 Love in Lederhosen, did Elizabeth really save someone's life or was that "swimmer #3"? 

It looked really fake to me. 

[Libby]

25 minutes ago, Hero said:

It looked really fake to me. 

If it was fake, what is this thing about making Elizabeth the star of the world? There are 4 other children in the family. Is it TLC or the parents? If that was a staged scene, it's actually a little creepy to me.

What's with the Elizabeth obsession? Why not have Jonah do the scene? He's the oldest.

It seems to me that either the network or the parents are really pushing this Elizabeth is wonderful and the other kids are a mess thing.

Edited December 19, 2018 by Libby

[Honey]

21 minutes ago, Libby said:

If it was fake, what is this thing about making Elizabeth the star of the world? There are 4 other children in the family. Is it TLC or the parents? If that was a staged scene, it's actually a little creepy to me.

What's with the Elizabeth obsession? Why not have Jonah do the scene? He's the oldest.

It seems to me that either the network or the parents are really pushing this Elizabeth is wonderful and the other kids are a mess thing.

Wait til tonight's episode and I don't think you'll feel that way anymore.

[Libby]

7 minutes ago, Honey said:

Wait til tonight's episode and I don't think you'll feel that way anymore.

Oh no... What happened?

[Honey]

Just now, Libby said:

Oh no... What happened?

5 more minutes then I'll tell you.  Lol  No spoilers.

[Honey]

I've watched every episode of this show, and this is the first time that I've felt that Trent was unfair to one of the kids.  I thought he was an asshole to Elizabeth.  It was her very first time behind the wheel, and to make her cry?  He was nothing but a bully.  I get that he wants to teach her the right way to do things, but he was awful.

I am very glad that he came to her and apologized.  Parents can teach their kids so much by admitting their wrong and apologizing.

Now, for episode #2.

[Whyyouneedaname]

So much for the "no cameras at the LPA conference because we want some privacy" then broadcast to the whole world how Anna screwed up. I really detest these two as parents, no wonder she has problems. She has the upper hand by not showing emotion & it pisses Amber off, my take is that's exactly why she does it. 

[ThinkerBell]

Trent was being an absolute jerk, but I felt he redeemed himself in the end. His apology to Elizabeth seemed sincere. Honestly, I don't think he has the patience to teach any of the kids to drive.

[Honey]

I wonder if they caught Anna smoking some weed in someone's hotel room.  It's funny that's what popped into my long-ago stoner mind.

At least they didn't give details.  They had to say that she got into some kind of trouble, because Anna was supposed to start driving herself to school, and we would have wondered what happened to that.

[Whyyouneedaname]

3 minutes ago, ThinkerBell said:

Trent was being an absolute jerk, but I felt he redeemed himself in the end. His apology to Elizabeth seemed sincere. Honestly, I don't think he has the patience to teach any of the kids to drive.

When he was teaching Anna before all she did was forget her permit you'd a thought she had caused a 10 car pile up. Wonder how Alex will handle that side of dad....

[Honey]

5 minutes ago, Whyyouneedaname said:

When he was teaching Anna before all she did was forget her permit you'd a thought she had caused a 10 car pile up. Wonder how Alex will handle that side of dad....

That wasn't on the way to take her road test? (I could be wrong).  She needed her permit, and she forgot it.  In fact she wasn't quite sure where it even was.  With Alex, I'll look forward to seeing Trent beat up on him a little bit.  Can't stand that kid.

[TRUSAG]

i cant believe this show is still on, its so OBVIOUS the PARENTS SCRIPT things & how FAKE everything really is with the kids, they want 2 look like perfect parents who have gr8 kids but its ONLY when in front of cameras and its becoming more & more OBVIOUS as kids r getting older & starting 2 TALK in front of camera when parents arent around. The Elizabeth the BROWN noser of family is a boy chaser, who cusses, has ZERO respect 4 parents & is a master manipulator, of poor me, boo hoo im a victim. that poor BOY she dissed on TV saying he broke up with her, that boy had JUST LOST his lil brother in a horrible accident while on an outing together with charles, I can NOT believe how HEARTLESS they can be! she reuires everything to REVOLVE around her, & ANA its not ok how DISGUSTING to burp fart & think its funny at her age, its scary how immature those kids are. emma is the ONLY good, Normal, pretty kind hearted of them all. Jonah is not far behind her, hes a gr8 kid with 2 much he has 2 do for the other kids

[sATL]

Its not Johah's responsibility to get Anna to/from school . He can help, should help, b/c he's household member, but the final responsibility really lies with Trent , Amber and Anna. 

Jonah is right - Anna screwed up at the convention , and now he is included in her punishment.

I'm not sure what Trent and Amber was thinking putting Anna in a separate school that was not either serviced by the yellow school bus (even if that means taking her to the stop in that school-zone), some other transport means or that they could take her to and from. Trent could drop her off on his way into work. There are a million of school options in GA - but if the transport does not work with mom/dad/another adult carpool, then that school does not work. Period.  Its a struggle that every parent deals with. Anna is in her last year - so just deal for 180 days.

Middle school starts last, in the morning, in most systems. Still can't figure out why the other 3 can be on the bus. The real time conflict is Anna and Elizabeth. Anna gets transported by mom or dad, Elizabeth will be on the stop about the same time and Jonah might be around to make sure the middle schoolers are stirring around to get ready. Amber should be back home before the middle school bus comes. And Amber - you are taking on the role of being an human alarm clock. If that is what you want to do, then don't complain.

 Jonah really shouldn't have to sign up for classes at a time so he can run carpool.  I bet he is thinking why didn't he go away to college now and how many 8 am and 2pm classes he can take.

Edited December 19, 2018 by sATL

[sATL]

Amber accompanied Jonah around the college to write checks?

Tuition is paid online at most colleges...If Jonah had a B or better average in college-prep courses, his tuition is free ( GA Hope Scholarship Pgm) so all she paid was fees. $1900 seems alot for Middle GA, but I will let that go. 

 Not sure why Amber didn't take the bookstore person's advice and let Jonah go to class first to see if he truly needs the book. Jonah should have found a summer pickup job to earn $200 book money.

I thought Trent worked at Clayton State University (which now sounds like he wants to make a career move ??) - is a good university. Not sure why Jonah didn't go there .  a perk many of the universities give their employees - kiddos get little financial breaks.

Kara - is pretty. :) Go Jonah !

Trent - I'm sorry. Stay where you're at - sounds like you're too close in earning your full pension not to mention healthcare benefits. I think you have more to lose than gain.. Develop your business on the side and learn to love being in meetings all day. Find joy in teaching your underlings everything you know about landscaping.

Edited December 19, 2018 by sATL

[CaliCannoli]

A few things stayed with me after watching tonight: Trent's anger while attempting to teach Elizabeth to drive was scary. She became the adult while he was raging. When he slammed the gearshift when she wasn't moving fast enough I felt repelled by him. He was abusive, cursing and intimidating her. He was a different person than the caring, kind Dad I've watched in previous episodes. Made me think twice about continuing to watch this show. 

I continue to believe Anna has developmental issues due to being in a Russian orphanage from birth to 4 yrs old and being unable to speak until she was adopted. I truly wish her the best.

And lastly, sitting your children down and telling them they might lose their home because you want to start a business? Who does that? You want to open a store selling refurbished furniture? First you dip your toes in the retail market by refurbishing a few items and selling locally or online. Test the waters, see if you have what it takes to create and sustain a business. Instead of creating a business plan Trent & Amber start at the top, shopping for a store, telling their kids they could lose their home & cars. 

For me, this episode was difficult to watch. I really enjoy this show but seeing Trent rage at his daughter then call her downstairs afterwards and continue to berate her was beyond unpleasant. I was relieved to see that Elizabeth, even when crying, was able to process that it was her father's anger and impatience that was the problem and not her reactions. 

[readheaded]

I was really proud of how Amber handled Elizabeth's driving lesson.  Amber's often criticized for being cold and unfeeling, but she really rose to the occasion there.  

[CaliCannoli]

I agree. They were laughing and smiling & it was awesome to see. I think Amber knew Trent behaved horribly and stepped up to correct the situation which was great.

[bichonblitz]

4 hours ago, CaliCannoli said:

And lastly, sitting your children down and telling them they might lose their home because you want to start a business? Who does that? You want to open a store selling refurbished furniture? First you dip your toes in the retail market by refurbishing a few items and selling locally or online. Test the waters, see if you have what it takes to create and sustain a business. Instead of creating a business plan Trent & Amber start at the top, shopping for a store, telling their kids they could lose their home & cars. 

They know they have TLC money to fall back on. Unless TLC cancels the show at some point, then they are screwed. But yeah, you don't worry your kids by telling them that. 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Trent was an AHole to Elizabeth and she sure is one mature beautiful lady!  She is a lovely girl!  

Agree Anna is delayed, her parents are correct to keep close tabs on her or she will end up in a bad way...she has a woman’s body in a child’s mind and her going to someone’s hotel room makes me wonder if she didn’t already sleep with someone that night.  Burping/farting are things the younger Johnston’s aren’t even guilty of!  

Amber rose to the occasion with Elizabeth.  I don’t find her to be as badly behaved as some do but do agree their new business venture should be back burnered til Trent can help support the family with his pension. That is a retirement project.  Announcing the potential change to the kids was thoughtless especially when they know Alex will have another meltdown!  But wasn’t Alex cute thinking of his education!

[winsomeone]

I always did think Trent and Amber were crude people. I also said they were abusive towards the kids, and got jumped on for saying that. I was told they were just wonderful parents. They know that Anna has trouble controlling herself, and yet they apparently just turned her loose on her own at the LP Convention? I would have kept that girl within sight at all times. She will get pregnant before all is said and done I bet.

[Whyyouneedaname]

50 minutes ago, winsomeone said:

I always did think Trent and Amber were crude people. I also said they were abusive towards the kids, and got jumped on for saying that. I was told they were just wonderful parents. They know that Anna has trouble controlling herself, and yet they apparently just turned her loose on her own at the LP Convention? I would have kept that girl within sight at all times. She will get pregnant before all is said and done I bet.

I'm with you, they are crude & abusive. Anybody can see Anna needs some counseling, she admits to holding in her emotions because of how her dad reacts. All Amber & Trent think they needed to do was adopt them & bring them home, a star in their crown, that's all they are concerned about. Amber just provokes Anna, last night she's telling Anna you can have your phone, don't do like you've done, blah blah blah, what a way to ruin the first day of school. Surely there's a psychologist watching this show that sees what's going on, please give your take on this. This show causes me to lose sleep, I really need to quit watching this. 

[CaliCannoli]

3 hours ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

Trent was an AHole to Elizabeth and she sure is one mature beautiful lady!  She is a lovely girl!  

Agree Anna is delayed, her parents are correct to keep close tabs on her or she will end up in a bad way...she has a woman’s body in a child’s mind and her going to someone’s hotel room makes me wonder if she didn’t already sleep with someone that night.  Burping/farting are things the younger Johnston’s aren’t even guilty of!  

Amber rose to the occasion with Elizabeth.  I don’t find her to be as badly behaved as some do but do agree their new business venture should be back burnered til Trent can help support the family with his pension. That is a retirement project.  Announcing the potential change to the kids was thoughtless especially when they know Alex will have another meltdown!  But wasn’t Alex cute thinking of his education!

You're right, waiting for his pension is the smartest advice. 

Edited December 19, 2018 by CaliCannoli

[TipseyGirl]

On an extremely shallow note - Jonah needs to size up on his shorts.

Edited December 20, 2018 by TipseyGirl

[Kid]

I have finally watched the two episodes of the finale and there were a few things that were disturbing.

As some of you have already pointed out, Trent was really hard on Elizabeth during that driving lesson.  In fact, I would say his behavior was abusive.   I also found it interesting that he had a problem with her tearing up when Alex blubbers at the drop of a hat and no one seems to have a problem with that.

The other thing that REALLY disturbed me was the look on Amber’s face when she was giving Anna her phone. It can be best described as contempt and disgust.  I did not see a loving parent that was disciplining a child. I saw a parent who does not like that child very much. I have watched all of the episodes of the show, and I don’t remember Amber ever praising Anna. Remember the episode when Anna did Amber’s make up? Even if Amber thought it was applied too heavily, she had the opportunity to praise the child for the things that she did do well in that make up session and show appreciation for her effort.  It is really very sad. I doubt they know all of the details of what happened to Anna while she was in the orphanage and it appears that they have done nothing with a professional to try to deal with her issues and immaturity. I always thought Anna was younger than Elizabeth.  I just realize this season that Elizabeth is the younger one. I think Anna is very pretty and I think she’s very creative and I think a little praise from her parents would go a long way with addressing her behavior. After all, why try if you can’t do anything correctly anyway, right?

I also found it interesting that the children’s reaction to the whole going into business storyline showed more common sense than the parents. You have five children, all with known health issues that have to be addressed, and you quit your job to restore and sell furniture.  Who does that? Sometimes in life, you have to do what you have to do whether you like it or not. And then they are on on Anna’s case for not making good decisions.

And what happened to the little dog??  

Edited December 19, 2018 by Kid

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

Glad this episode was "alex light" - Not sure if it is a good idea for Trent to quit the job, granted, we all have dreams of something we would rather be doing, however you have 5 kids to support all with various medical needs potentially. Medical insurance on your own aint cheap, what is going on with Amber's real estate career ? 

[sATL]

I do wonder know if Trent feels as if he is going get laidoff, or forced out early. Granted, budget cuts to state universities happen all of the time. 

He is still listed on the website ( link )

That would kinda explain his "cussing outburst" - he is under stress. I am not excusing what he did, though - that was all-kinds wrong. It made me think - if he can cuss out his child who was behind the wheel the 1st time, what will do when an 18-21 yr does something (like cut across) to his precious landscaping at the college?

I guess it would be a conflict of interest if he opened his own landscape business. I would buy into that more than that old raggy building they looked and and that sorry chair they hoped to bring to life.

[Honey]

9 hours ago, Whyyouneedaname said:

I'm with you, they are crude & abusive. Anybody can see Anna needs some counseling, she admits to holding in her emotions because of how her dad reacts. All Amber & Trent think they needed to do was adopt them & bring them home, a star in their crown, that's all they are concerned about. Amber just provokes Anna, last night she's telling Anna you can have your phone, don't do like you've done, blah blah blah, what a way to ruin the first day of school. Surely there's a psychologist watching this show that sees what's going on, please give your take on this. This show causes me to lose sleep, I really need to quit watching this. 

The face that Amber made, and the way she rolled her eyes when she handed Annaback the phone really pissed me off.

[Whyyouneedaname]

46 minutes ago, Honey said:

The face that Amber made, and the way she rolled her eyes when she handed Annaback the phone really pissed me off.

Look back on a lot of episodes, she does that every time she's referencing something about Anna to someone. This episode has got my blood boiling, the way she was explaining in the TH with Liz about not saying anything to Trent because it only makes things worse, I truly feel there's been abuse & not just emotional. Anna is screaming for help, & all that excuse for a mom can do is roll her eyes 😡 I pray Anna gets the help she needs when she's out of school, she really needs to get out of that house.

[TwirlyGirly]

20 hours ago, sATL said:

<snip>

 Not sure why Amber didn't take the bookstore person's advice and let Jonah go to class first to see if he truly needs the book. Jonah should have found a summer pickup job to earn $200 book money.

<snip>

My daughter is in her senior year at Allegheny College, double majoring in Psychology & Public Health. Bought new, the average cost per year for her books would have been about $800.00, but she's gotten all of her books for less than half of that each year.

She used two different resources; Abebooks and Chegg.

Abebooks is an online marketplace for books, where independent book sellers around the world list their inventories for sale. I'd been buying books from Abebooks for well over a decade before my daughter entered college; so I was pretty excited when I learned they also sell textbooks. Never had a problem with any books purchased through Abebooks (my experience has been booksellers tend to be very cautious when describing the condition of their books; the books we've purchased have always been in far better condition than the description would lead us to believe).

If Abebooks didn't carry a textbook my daughter needed, she rented it from Chegg. In her own words: "Great customer service. Good prices. Easy to return. Always include a lot of freebies in the box, like laundry detergent samples, sometimes a beverage, I've gotten a $20 Shutterfly giftcard everytime.

 And the rental period is long so you don't usually have to worry about extending. If you rent in January it's not due till June or July. "

Amazon also rents textbooks, but my daughter says not to rent from them. She stated she knows far too many people who have had problems with textbook rentals through them.

The point is, there is rarely a need to buy any textbooks from the college bookstore either new, or used. The prices are ridiculous. 

Amber - or actually Jonah! -should have done a bit of research before dropping any money at the college bookstore.

Edited December 20, 2018 by TwirlyGirly

[CaliCannoli]

8 hours ago, Kid said:

I have finally watched the two episodes of the finale and there were a few things that were disturbing.

As some of you have already pointed out, Trent was really hard on Elizabeth during that driving lesson.  In fact, I would say his behavior was abusive.   I also found it interesting that he had a problem with her tearing up when Alex blubbers at the drop of a hat and no one seems to have a problem with that.

The other thing that REALLY disturbed me was the look on Amber’s face when she was giving Anna her phone. It can be best described as contempt and disgust.  I did not see a loving parent that was disciplining a child. I saw a parent who does not like that child very much. I have watched all of the episodes of the show, and I don’t remember Amber ever praising Anna. Remember the episode when Anna did Amber’s make up? Even if Amber thought it was applied too heavily, she had the opportunity to praise the child for the things that she did do well in that make up session and show appreciation for her effort.  It is really very sad. I doubt they know all of the details of what happened to Anna while she was in the orphanage and it appears that they have done nothing with a professional to try to deal with her issues and immaturity. I always thought Anna was younger than Elizabeth.  I just realize this season that Elizabeth is the younger one. I think Anna is very pretty and I think she’s very creative and I think a little praise from her parents would go a long way with addressing her behavior. After all, why try if you can’t do anything correctly anyway, right?

I also found it interesting that the children’s reaction to the whole going into business storyline showed more common sense than the parents. You have five children, all with known health issues that have to be addressed, and you quit your job to restore and sell furniture.  Who does that? Sometimes in life, you have to do what you have to do whether you like it or not. And then they are on on Anna’s case for not making good decisions.

And what happened to the little dog??  

Omg, that look of disgust on Amber's face after lecturing Anna was stunning. So glad you pointed it out. It's as though she's shaming and rejecting Anna's whole being instead of her behavior and decisions. Amber revealed much more about herself in that moment than about Anna and it wasn't pleasant to see. Amber seems accepting and comfortable dealing with the physical needs of the children (doctor visits, hospital stays, operations) but oblivious to Anna's psychological needs after being raised in a traumatic environment for her first and most formative years. 

[readheaded]

8 hours ago, TwirlyGirly said:

My daughter is in her senior year at Allegheny College, double majoring in Psychology & Public Health. Bought new, the average cost per year for her books would have been about $800.00, but she's gotten all of her books for less than half of that each year.

She used two different resources; Abebooks and Chegg.

Abebooks is an online marketplace for books, where independent book sellers around the world list their inventories for sale. I'd been buying books from Abebooks for well over a decade before my daughter entered college; so I was pretty excited when I learned they also sell textbooks. Never had a problem with any books purchased through Abebooks (my experience has been booksellers tend to be very cautious when describing the condition of their books; the books we've purchased have always been in far better condition than the description would lead us to believe).

If Abebooks didn't carry a textbook my daughter needed, she rented it from Chegg. In her own words: "Great customer service. Good prices. Easy to return. Always include a lot of freebies in the box, like laundry detergent samples, sometimes a beverage, I've gotten a $20 Shutterfly giftcard everytime.

 And the rental period is long so you don't usually have to worry about extending. If you rent in January it's not due till June or July. "

Amazon also rents textbooks, but my daughter says not to rent from them. She stated she knows far too many people who have had problems with textbook rentals through them.

The point is, there is rarely a need to buy any textbooks from the college bookstore either new, or used. The prices are ridiculous. 

Amber - or actually Jonah! -should have done a bit of research before dropping any money at the college bookstore.

I hear you and agree in theory, but it can sometimes depend on the college and the books needed.  We've had vastly different experiences with my 2 sons and their 2 colleges.

13 hours ago, Mahamid Frauded Me said:

Glad this episode was "alex light" - Not sure if it is a good idea for Trent to quit the job, granted, we all have dreams of something we would rather be doing, however you have 5 kids to support all with various medical needs potentially. Medical insurance on your own aint cheap, what is going on with Amber's real estate career ? 

The fear of insurance potentially not covering pre-existing conditions, alone, would keep me in the job until at least my kids were grown.  

[readheaded]

I'm just now seeing the last quarter of the show and was thinking that Anna should probably have to do something to compensate Jonah for his time to drive her.  While as a member of the family, he should be expected to drive siblings occasionally, I don't think given the reason she can't drive, he should be expected to drive her regularly without her having to take on some of his chores, do extra chores for money to give him for his time, etc.  I wouldn't approach it in a mean or shaming way, but just as a matter of fact.  She can't drive, so she needs to make up for regularly inconveniencing someone else.  It would probably help to keep Jonah from being resentful, too.

Also, I love that Emma has her cheering!  She seems to be blossoming and it's delightful to see.

Edited December 20, 2018 by readheaded

[janey99]

I find Amber and Trent to be oppressive and menacing parents.  The fact that their kids cope with them by maintaining a flat affect and "saying yessir and moving on with their days . . ."  is terribly sad.  I'm angry at myself for still watching this show.

[VioletNevermind]

On 12/12/2018 at 6:16 AM, Chalby said:

I know a lot of viewers complain about Trent's constant allusions to his and Amber love life, but after some thought I have decided it is good for the kids to see their parents flirting re: sexual intimacy (and especially how much Trent is still excited by Amber.). I remember my father used to joke with my mother very similar to  this, and each time all us kids would groan and tell them how gross they were. (Although, deep down it was comforting to see how much they enjoyed each other's company.) 

Meanwhile, years later when my friends would disclose to me how their parents had affairs, or divorced, or fought constantly, all I could remember is my father thinking that my mom was "all that and a bag of chips." My parents showed us, that after 35 years of marriage, they still were attracted to each other and I knew their union was an example of a healthy marriage's physical bond. I also was shown that physical intimacy may not remain a top priority as they aged because they'd tease each other and joke about having "cobwebs", yet still be affectionate. This taught me that it was okay if my desire slows down during my marriage, so long as I keep communicating to my husband while maintaining our bond through low-key affection and cerebral intimacy.

So far, hubby and I are shadowing my parents' timeline/lessons re: intimacy. I appreciate Amber and Trent for making me review my parents flirtatious behaviour during my childhood.

What a fantastic post!  My parents just closed in on 50 years of marriage and I remember thinking when I was a kid that it was "gross" that they kissed ALL the time.  They had a kiss first thing in the morning, last thing at night, before leaving for work, before leaving for the grocery store, when one of them returned home, and on and on.  I've grown to realize as an adult that they were modeling what a healthy relationship looked like.  Now, at 72, their physical issues are obviously creating some limits for them in more ways than one, so their relationship has naturally evolved into a deep mutual affection born of 50 years of teamwork, inside jokes, parenting, a crapload of hard work and, most of all, love.  Trent and Amber may irritate me at times, but I see nothing wrong with showing a bit of (appropriate) physical affection in front of your kids.  It may be gross now, but when the kids get older, they'll realize how lucky they were to have spent their entire childhood with two parents who were attracted to each other over the long haul.  It's a gift I wish I could have given to my own daughter, but . . . asshole ex-husbands, amirite?

*sigh*  Now I'm going to go call my mom and dad!

[Anlogle]

On ‎11‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 7:06 PM, RedheadZombie said:

The most effective form of discipline excludes corporal punishment.  

I agree. They need to have the same talk with him that the had with Anna about acting her age.  He needs to stop with all the babyish behavior.  They need to stop babying him and start treating him like a 13 year old and have higher expectations of him.  Once he knows they won't tolerate his baby act he will stop.  

[Anlogle]

On ‎12‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 7:30 AM, readheaded said:

I happened to see a TLC post on FB this morning about the Johnstons dealing with River's loss and several people have asked about Louie.  I haven't seen any answers, though.

They gave Louie away to someone who lives on a farm because he was not adjusting to the move well and was becoming agressivema. Amber posted on their fan page explaining it.

[readheaded]

6 minutes ago, Anlogle said:

They gave Louie away to someone who lives on a farm because he was not adjusting to the move well and was becoming agressivema. Amber posted on their fan page explaining it.

Awesome; I'm glad he's somewhere he'll be comfortable.  :) 

[Anlogle]

Does anyone remember a preview that was at the end of one of the shows this season where trent walks into the house and says something to Amber and she exclaims "your were fired?" and then they cut to a discussion they were having with kids and one of the kids asked the same thing. I remember this but no one else at another site seems to remember this and it is driving me crazy.  It didn't get addressed in the episode it was a preview for.  Then at the end of the season they start talking about quitting their jobs to open up a refurbished furniture store and the talk they had with their kids almost seems like the same one in the preview. I am wondering now if Trent really got fired and they are trying to cover it up or something. Interestingly enough he did respond to my post and said that they preview and approve all promos and there was no such one and he is still working.  

[Anlogle]

On ‎7‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 9:11 PM, Latenites said:

I find this a little shocking because she doesn't strike me as the body conscious type. 

That so doesn't sound like Amber. She is very frugal and it just doesn't seem like something she would choose to spend a lot of money on. I really wonder if folks are mixing her up from another little person reality show.  

On ‎3‎/‎25‎/‎2015 at 1:02 PM, silverspoons said:

 

My guess about how they afford it would be a combination of possible help from their church or from the husband's employer. I have worked for 2 companies that offered money towards adoptions. I read an article awhile that said the first learned about adoption at church when Amber didn't want to risk her health to have more kids. It said have worked with religious organizations to help place over 100 dwarf children.

They do seem to have a decent standard of living for a family of 7 and having only one parent works , no college degrees and getting married young. I kind of get this feeling it is TLC mixing up all their favorite elements, deeply religious family, little people, adoption, and remodeling a mega home.

While I find them likable , I think I'm over the little people shows. My feeling is Jen and Bill do not want to film 24/7 but TLC knows Jen and Bill are the show that not only gets high ratings but rarely has anything negative said about it. I think with Our Little Family and 7 Little Johnstons are filler till TLC can get more Little couple shows made.

I just read recently that their church payed the entire cost for one of them and they used grants of some kind too.

[Anlogle]

On ‎12‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 11:58 AM, Hero said:

theyI think a big part of why he is so scared of everything is that he is spoiled. Anything he doesn't like or doesn't want to do, his parents give him a break. I noticed that he rarely helps out when they have projects.  He only helps if there is food as a reward. 

The other kids are so done with his shit. He's 13, but they treat him like he is 5. They handle him with baby gloves. 

Whenever his siblings joke around with him,  he pouts and starts to cry. But, he can make jokes about his siblings. He and Amber are very similar. They both have terrible tempers, attitudes and they are just not pleasant. No one likes to be around them. Everyone seems so relaxed when neither of them are present. 

I totally agree. They baby Alex far to much.  They make excuses for him when he won't help. For example in episode where they were preparing the stones to bury the cat and Alex was supposed to help and he walked away saying the didn't wan to get paint on his good shoes and his good clothes. Amber, to my shock, agreed with him and excused him from helping. Why in the world did she allow him to wear his good clothes out there in the first place.  Clearly he came out there with a built in excuse not to help. Amber did assign him another task to do instead but when he balked at that she told him he couldn't have any icecream later if he didn't. We didn't get to see if he did that task or if Amber followed through though.  

On ‎12‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 7:27 PM, Sammydoodle said:

Alex has really gained a lot of weight. I am watching the new shows and I can't get over how much weight he has put on. Liz has also packed on a few pounds but not as much as Alex.  Alex seems a bit insecure and I am wondering if he finds comfort in food.

Alex loves to eat and he is not an active child. He doesn't run and play like most kids his age. He is a bit lazy as well. Likes to sit and watch TV.  I think this is why he is putting on so much weight.

[sATL]

1 hour ago, Anlogle said:

They gave Louie away to someone who lives on a farm because he was not adjusting to the move well and was becoming agressivema. Amber posted on their fan page explaining it.

 

1 hour ago, readheaded said:

Awesome; I'm glad he's somewhere he'll be comfortable.  :) 

not adjusting to the move ? Is(was) Louie a dog or a cat ?

I know adjusting takes time...but still...the love, people, food , favorite chew toy, and other immediate surroundings (ie bed, sofa, etc) are still there...

Edited December 20, 2018 by sATL

[readheaded]

Someone on the Season 5 thread said he's still listed on the website of the college he works at, for whatever that's worth.

[gunderda]

On 12/18/2018 at 8:08 PM, Whyyouneedaname said:

So much for the "no cameras at the LPA conference because we want some privacy" then broadcast to the whole world how Anna screwed up. I really detest these two as parents, no wonder she has problems. She has the upper hand by not showing emotion & it pisses Amber off, my take is that's exactly why she does it. 

Their point was that they didn't want the cameras following the kids around so they could have fun without that added pressure. Plus it probably would have been really freaking hard to get waivers to film there I bet.  It didn't mean that they couldn't talk about it.  Those conventions are usually a big deal for LP's so it would be weird for them to not talk about their experience. 

On 12/19/2018 at 1:08 AM, sATL said:

 

I thought Trent worked at Clayton State University (which now sounds like he wants to make a career move ??) - is a good university. Not sure why Jonah didn't go there .  a perk many of the universities give their employees - kiddos get little financial breaks.

In Iowa, at some of the private schools (not sure about the public major universities) if someone is an employee their family members get free tuition and some schools are even linked so the family member can attend a school the person doesn't work at. 

On 12/19/2018 at 2:44 PM, TipseyGirl said:

On an extremely shallow note - Jonah needs to size up on his shorts.

yeaaaaaa that was kinda bad.  Aren't long shorts the style for guys?  Those short shorts were a bit shocking. 

But Jonah's girlfriend is a cutie! 

[Libby]

I wouldn't call Trent and Amber abusive, but they are a little over the top.

Their insistence of immediate respect (Sir, Mam, look at us, show respectful reaction) seems to me to indicate their own insecurities. It appears to me that they are more into feeling like big shots than guiding their children in the right direction.

They act like their house is the military. There is a normal, happy medium where discipline is concerned.

[camom]

Quote

In Iowa, at some of the private schools (not sure about the public major universities) if someone is an employee their family members get free tuition and some schools are even linked so the family member can attend a school the person doesn't work at. 

I used to work at a private university that offered free tuition to the children of employees.  BUT -- the children had to qualify for acceptance.  I'm guessing maybe Jonah's grades weren't good enough for him to get into the place where Trent works.

It was interesting when Trent and Amber visited the shop similar to what they want to do.  That place was chock full of furniture.  Does Trent plan to do all of that himself?  Also, the two women owners left their banking careers to start the business.  I'd be willing to bet that they had spouses who were working and had health insurance and other benefits.

[readheaded]

8 hours ago, camom said:

I used to work at a private university that offered free tuition to the children of employees.  BUT -- the children had to qualify for acceptance.  I'm guessing maybe Jonah's grades weren't good enough for him to get into the place where Trent works.

It was interesting when Trent and Amber visited the shop similar to what they want to do.  That place was chock full of furniture.  Does Trent plan to do all of that himself?  Also, the two women owners left their banking careers to start the business.  I'd be willing to bet that they had spouses who were working and had health insurance and other benefits.

I had the same thought about the two women who owned the shop Trent and Amber looked at.  I know Trent is really handy and will probably be able to refinish furniture, but it does take some time to find and refinish enough furniture to fill a store.  I'd also be concerned that maybe that style of furniture is going to go out of style.  Not that no one will want refinished furniture, but that country, shabby chic, distressed, chalk-paint finishes might stay as popular as they've been recently.  

[Hero]

If Anna shows emotion she gets in trouble. If she doesn't show emotion she gets in trouble. She's in a lose-lose situation and I feel badly for her. It seems as if nothing she ever does is good enough for her parents. Whenever speaking about her, Trent and Amber preface it by listing all of her flaws. 

Anna, Jonah and Elizabeth all look very unhappy. Moving away from Trent and Amber would probably be a very good thing for them. 

[kitkat68]

I thought it was great that Jonah had so much confidence when talking about golf. It was the most confident I've seen him.

[CaliCannoli]

4 hours ago, kitkat68 said:

I thought it was great that Jonah had so much confidence when talking about golf. It was the most confident I've seen him.

I thought so too! When he was talking with Cara, the gal he met at the LP Convention, he said he doesn't put on airs because eventually she's going to have to like him for himself. Very mature attitude. And his golf swing is awesome. I was also impressed when he spoke of having the clubs fitted to his size. He really knows his stuff.

Edited December 24, 2018 by CaliCannoli

[CaliCannoli]

On 12/18/2018 at 5:09 PM, Hero said:

It looked really fake to me. 

I agree. I don't think the Johnston's planned it, I think that guy saw an opportunity to get on tv. (I sound so cynical.) Elizabeth's reaction to his distress seemed genuine.