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7 Little Johnstons - General Discussion


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So, just because they sold some stuff at a street festival, Amber thinks that means they are ready to start their own business and be successful at it? I thought she was smarter than that? So far Trent is resisting her, but how long can he hold out I am wondering? How she can even compare the two very different things is beyond me.

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5 minutes ago, winsomeone said:

So, just because they sold some stuff at a street festival, Amber thinks that means they are ready to start their own business and be successful at it? I thought she was smarter than that? So far Trent is resisting her, but how long can he hold out I am wondering? How she can even compare the two very different things is beyond me.

Yeah, for what she is describing, what about a business plan, with a budget, projected overhead, etc.  Have they done that?  I didn't see all of last season.  And, are they going to have an unlimited amount of art work from Elizabeth to sell? What about when she goes to college? 

And, do they have a market for bird houses?  Does he know his birds? My dad knows a man who really knows his blue birds and he and his group make  A LOT of blue bird houses.  It's his passion, but, he knows a lot about it and his organization is a nonprofit. 

http://www.easternbluebirdrescue.org/frank.htm

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(edited)

I am sorry, but Trent is the only one who seems to be thinking responsibly.   They’ve got five kids all of which could have serious health issues that have to be addressed. You need health insurance for that. They have five kids that need to be educated. Quitting his job to start his own business without all of those things that you guys mentioned, like a business plan, would be downright irresponsible. Even with a business plan,  I don't  think you take that kind of risk with five kids. Especially, with five kids that could have the physical issues that these kids might have.

Amber was a real estate agent which is, basically, her own business. You work when you want to work and  as hard as you want to work.  What happened to that?  Obviously, she wasn’t very successful at it or she would still be doing it.  

Edited by Kid
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It's not easy owning your own business.  You can't always pay yourself, if the funds are slow coming in.   If the economy goes down, you can suffer.  Starting part-time makes more sense. That way, you can keep your main job and the security it brings.   I see restaurants open and close all the time.  I sometimes wonder if the owners checked to see just how difficult it is to make it successful for a couple of years.  AND, have you ever seen those little specialty shops with handmade crafts for sale? I have and most of those that I have visited are low key, not very crowded and I wonder how they stay in business.  Then, a year later, they aren't in business.  I hope they check around to see those that closed and why.  

I get that they may consider their main job TLC reality tv and I get that. It likely pays them pretty well, but, it doesn't provide health insurance and it's not a sure thing. 

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(edited)
4 hours ago, Kid said:

I am sorry, but Trent is the only one who seems to be thinking responsibly.   They’ve got five kids all of which could have serious health issues that have to be addressed. You need health insurance for that. They have five kids that need to be educated. Quitting his job to start his own business without all of those things that you guys mentioned, like a business plan, would be downright irresponsible. Even with a business plan,  I don't  think you take that kind of risk with five kids. Especially, with five kids that could have the physical issues that these kids might have.

Amber was a real estate agent which is, basically, her own business. Don’t work when you want to work and  as hard as you to work.  What happened to that?  Obviously, she wasn’t very successful at it or she would still be doing it.  

Right, why can Amber not open the business & run it until he's off work. That way he still has his job with all the benefits plus an income. I think his "anxiety" is her pressuring him to quit his job, I can't imagine telling my husband to quit a steady job to start his own business with no plan at all. Well it seems the plan is birdhouses 🙄

Edited by Whyyouneedaname
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(edited)

Elizabeth losing some weight is great, but now she seems very obnoxious to me rather than confident.  I think Trent is smart putting the kids before Amber's dream. Didn't she dream of being a real estate agent and look what happened there. I am led to believe that Amber stays home and gets the kids to school, so she could clearly work on her refab business for some hours during the day, take it to flea markets and see how it does-   

Edited by Mahamid Frauded Me
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I could be wrong, but I thought this refurb business was Trent's idea?  And I get the feeling that Trent is frustrated/unhappy at work, so my guess is he comes home either complaining about work, or threatening/promising to leave the job and start something new.  And Amber's probably tired of hearing him talk about it, and wants him to do something about.

I think it's a s*** or get off the pot situation.  If he doesn't think it's a good idea to leave his career, then his needs to find his joy at work and stop complaining.  If that's even what's going on.  LOL.  That's my fan-fiction version of their life.

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I'm so used to seeing Anna laughing and getting into mischief that I was surprised to see her so morose in this episode. And Trent sure seemed happy when he and Amber went treasure hunting at the outdoor markets. I respect that they've decided to break the business plan down into increments, selling furniture here and there, rather than going in head first and losing the security that Trent's job brings. I think this is the first episode I've watched that didn't show Alex for the majority of time and I was fine with that. I think Anna's bracelets and bath bombs are overpriced. $25 for a plastic beaded bracelet? Far too expensive. $6 for a single bath bomb? And while I admire Liz' devotion to her art I think her work sells because she's a tv celebrity. There was one woman in this episode who deliberately overpaid saying "You should charge more!" I think being filmed for tv went to that lady's head. On another note, it can't be easy for parents to have 5 teenagers in the house at one time. 

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On 5/15/2019 at 8:02 AM, winsomeone said:

So, just because they sold some stuff at a street festival, Amber thinks that means they are ready to start their own business and be successful at it? I thought she was smarter than that? So far Trent is resisting her, but how long can he hold out I am wondering? How she can even compare the two very different things is beyond me.

I think it's because she sees how happy he is interacting with people when selling stuff, or even when they were at the flea market type of thing.  However that lifestyle is very hard. Lots of work, lots of traveling, lots of hauling stuff around.  I do craft shows and have small items and I feel like setup takes me forever and I can't imagine all the time these people put into shows when they have mainly furniture and other not easily packable items. 

14 hours ago, Mahamid Frauded Me said:

Elizabeth losing some weight is great, but now she seems very obnoxious to me rather than confident. 

I agree... there's just something about her that is rubbing me the wrong way every time she speaks.... like it's great she's obviously confident... but it feels like she's trying to over compensate for something.  And you can see it in her siblings faces too when she starts talking. Especially Anna, she's always like WTF are you talking about... lol 

14 hours ago, CouchTater said:

I could be wrong, but I thought this refurb business was Trent's idea?  And I get the feeling that Trent is frustrated/unhappy at work, so my guess is he comes home either complaining about work, or threatening/promising to leave the job and start something new.  And Amber's probably tired of hearing him talk about it, and wants him to do something about.

I think it's a s*** or get off the pot situation.  If he doesn't think it's a good idea to leave his career, then his needs to find his joy at work and stop complaining.  If that's even what's going on.  LOL.  That's my fan-fiction version of their life.

Bingo!  I think you're exactly correct.  I think Amber sees him grumpy from his regular job and then she he's buying, creating and selling she sees a much happier side of him while he's interacting with sellers and customers.  She probably thinks with the TLC money it's feasible for them to give it a shot. But I also understand Trent's weariness of getting rid of a dependable job with benefits. 

If I were them I would have been SOOOOOOO mad if i were told, after i showed up to set up, that I had to wait for another hour because my spot was the entrance/exit for all other vendor's vehicles. Their set up was pretty simple but I can easily take 2-3 hours and hate feeling rushed. 

Jewelry and bath bombs are such an oversaturated market right now... especially if Anna was selling a bracelet for $25/each, OUCH!  They should have been like $10-$12 tops, unless she was selling them in pairs then maaaaaaybe she could get $25 but that still feels a little steep to me. I sold jewelry years ago before i had to get out because it became saturated at shows. And her bath bomb scents weren't very unique.  But I did have to laugh when they said she wasn't selling anything because she was standing there with her arms folded and grouchy face and then she's shown doing that exact thing.  I have no idea why she was standing in front of her table... people won't look at her stuff if it's being guarded, especially with TWO people!  She should have been behind her table like Elizabeth. 

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I would think that with some pretty good looking jewelry AND reasonable prices, you could sell a lot at that type of venue.  By comparison, Elizabeth's art work was quite cheap.  

I know some people who work at their job only for the health care benefit.  It's too expensive for them to get otherwise. 

As Trent and Amber age, they need to be aware of how much lifting, pushing, pulling, etc. they would have to do with their own business.  Amber has previous back issues, too.  If you get down in your back.....who steps in for you to keep the money coming in?  

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Both girls looked beautiful in their prom dresses. 

I agree with Trent, wait 3 more years to receive his full pension and then start the business of his dreams. 3 yrs is nothing and will fly by. 

Trent organizing the suprise birthday for Amber was really sweet. A house on the beach in Hilton Head with the family is my kind of celebration. Why does Amber always act so underwhelmed about everything? Most moms would be so touched by their kids listing all the thing they love about their mom, but Amber didn't show much appreciation for it. I think that must just be her personality to not get too excited about anything but damn in her TH she said she appreciated having a husband and 5 kids, nothing about how much she loves her husband and her 5 kids. She a strange bird. 

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3 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

Both girls looked beautiful in their prom dresses. 

I agree with Trent, wait 3 more years to receive his full pension and then start the business of his dreams. 3 yrs is nothing and will fly by. 

Trent organizing the suprise birthday for Amber was really sweet. A house on the beach in Hilton Head with the family is my kind of celebration. Why does Amber always act so underwhelmed about everything? Most moms would be so touched by their kids listing all the thing they love about their mom, but Amber didn't show much appreciation for it. I think that must just be her personality to not get too excited about anything but damn in her TH she said she appreciated having a husband and 5 kids, nothing about how much she loves her husband and her 5 kids. She a strange bird. 

I agree, I am not making light of the situation, but when Trent said something about her brain surgery, maybe they removed the "compassion & loving side" by accident. 

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(edited)

I hate to nit pick,. but, why does Amber make some comments like when she was describing how Anna didn't like to wear skirts, she said something like, That chick hasn't worn a skirt in years.  Well, why call your daughter that chick? Odd to me. And, the way she insisted on messing with Elizabeth's hair when it was being styled by the hairstylist.  Just way too pushy.  I don't get it. 

Edited by SunnyBeBe
  • Love 8
3 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I hate to nit pick,. but, why does Amber make some comments like when she was describing how Anna didn't like to wear skirts, she said something like, That chick hasn't worn a skirt in years.  Well, why call your daughter that chick? Odd to me. And, the way she insisted on messing with Elizabeth's hair when it was being styled by the hairstylist.  Just way too pushy.  I don't get it. 

I think Amber is a major control freak 🤤

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On 4/3/2019 at 11:05 PM, Hero said:

I don't like Amber too much. I feel like every scene she is in very uncomfortable to watch. It's always like she is on the edge of exploding. 

I find watching the daughter Elizabeth is so uncomfortable, she is ALWAYS putting her siblings down, tooting her OWN horn & she PLAYS the role she thinks her parents will believe she’s so mature, well behaved,the Chosen child, or something. I’ve been told she is the complete opposite of what she shows on tv. She’s bossy, a control freak, boy crazy 2 the point of CHASING AFTER the boys or having her friends talk to whatever kid she likes to push him to like her, also falls IN LOVE with whatever boy is just friendly towards her. She is NOT AS INNOCENT OR THE GOOD GIRL she pretends 2 b in front of her parents. She is definitely 1 of those ppl who put others down 2 make herself look better 2 others & I’ve heard she likes to tell STORIES, that aren’t truth since she struggles with TRUTH FROM REALITY. 

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Well, she is 17.  I wasn't a wild child at that age, but, did make some no so wise decisions when I was 18=21, so, I'll just not hold that against her.  I do hope that she doesn't have a problem with truth though.  People who have chronic honesty issues really suffer in life.  It causes them a lot of relationship and professional problems for the rest of their life.  I know some people who are that way and it's so unfortunate.  It's a true disability, though, they don't know it. 

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Well, she is 17.  I wasn't a wild child at that age, but, did make some no so wise decisions when I was 18=21, so, I'll just not hold that against her.  I do hope that she doesn't have a problem with truth though.  People who have chronic honesty issues really suffer in life.  It causes them a lot of relationship and professional problems for the rest of their life.  I know some people who are that way and it's so unfortunate.  It's a true disability, though, they don't know it. 

& they are quick to point out how dishonest Anna is, they couldn't even let the prom be something enjoyable with out bringing it up. 

  • Love 5

I adore Anna. She has a funny sense of humor, and she seemed like she was having a great time at Prom....probably because she was away from Amber.

She made me giggle when they were playing the ‘guess the word’ game, and she answered in the form of a question as if she was on Jeopardy.

Both she and Elizabeth looked absolutely beautiful. That green dress was stunning! I also loved the first one Anna tried on...the black fluffy bottom.

Who knew there was such a thing as a ‘two piece dress?’ //I’m old//

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Anna must go to a REALLY small school? I went to a small school but that the smallest high school dance I have ever seen.  She was super cute dancing with her guy 'friends' though.  The one who got on his knees was super cute! I wonder why she didn't go with one of them - maybe they both had dates. 

And I didn't see any 'making out like crazy in the car...."  I saw some cuddling and kissing on top of the head.  Prom usually goes really late (we had post prom and that went until the weeee hours of the morning) so to me they looked exhausted. 

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14 hours ago, woodscommaelle said:

I don’t think anyone’s therapy sessions should be filmed and put on air. So strange. 

I also don’t ever want to see couples yoga with these two again. 

Thank you.  I wanted to shout at the screen, "Maybe this show is why you're having marital problems!"  If they even ARE having issues and they're not just made up for the show.

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On 5/23/2019 at 5:01 AM, winsomeone said:

I lost  respect for Elizabeth when she was making out like crazy with that boy in the car, and she knew the cameras were filming her. I just hope she isn't over sexed like her father seems to be?

What did I miss? I only saw her cuddling with her date, him putting his head on her shoulder, and Liz kissing his head. I thought it was sweet. He seems like a nice, sweet boy.

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I hope they found and treated whatever was ailing Trent. I feel bad for him with the ER visits and anxiety issues. I like Alex but seeing less of him in the last couple of episodes was rather nice. I know people get on Amber for being controlling but I think she truly loves all of her children and is doing her best to be a good mother to them. When I see her and Anna getting on each others nerves I think of that video of Amber holding Anna in the Russian orphanage when she was 4 yrs old. Anna was just clinging to her new Mama and Amber has never let her go. If Amber's biggest flaw is being too controlling about hairstyles and wearing the right shoes I still think she's a great parent overall. She and Trent truly want whats best for their kids. I wish they had more episodes though. It feels like this season just started and already its over. 

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Anna and Elizabeth both looked fantastic at their proms. I especially loved Anna's dress choice. I would never have thought of a two-piece but it looked both lovely and comfortable. I love her low-key, dry demeanor. Also, I just want to say that when she was dancing with Dylan (I think that was his name, the second guy who wasn't so tall and didn't get on his knees) that it looked no different than me and my husband. I'm 5 foot 3 and my husband is a foot taller than me. If Anna were to date an "average" guy who is on the short side of average I think dancing together would look pretty typical. I see lots of couples with big height differences.

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On 5/24/2019 at 9:08 PM, GoldaVining said:

Anna and Elizabeth both looked fantastic at their proms. I especially loved Anna's dress choice. I would never have thought of a two-piece but it looked both lovely and comfortable. I love her low-key, dry demeanor. Also, I just want to say that when she was dancing with Dylan (I think that was his name, the second guy who wasn't so tall and didn't get on his knees) that it looked no different than me and my husband. I'm 5 foot 3 and my husband is a foot taller than me. If Anna were to date an "average" guy who is on the short side of average I think dancing together would look pretty typical. I see lots of couples with big height differences.

I'm 5'1 - 5'2 (depends on the day lol) and in high school i dated a guy that was at least 6'4 and haaaaaaaated it.  He would hunch over all the time and it almost made me more self conscious.  However my friend is about 4'9 and her husband is over 6' I think.  When they do family photos she stands on a foot stool. ha. 

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(edited)

I saw Elizabeth’s Etsy page for her art work. This is currently the only item available, but I’m pretty surprised that she’s selling this item for $40!! 

It’s really cute, but it’s small (26” x 2”), and not really what I’d consider “art”. 

If she is able to sell that sign for that much money, then more power to her, I guess!! lol 🥳

P.S. I circled the item that’s for sale because at first glance, I thought the background which I guess is her easel, was the actual art! Abstract art with a cute summer theme. 😂😂😂

115A2E84-E1E8-4365-8AC2-6BA65AA1CF4A.jpeg

Edited by ShowsILoveToHate
Added the dimensions of the item.
(edited)
58 minutes ago, ShowsILoveToHate said:

I saw Elizabeth’s Etsy page for her art work. This is currently the only item available, but I’m pretty surprised that she’s selling this item for $40!! 

It’s really cute, but it’s small (26” x 2”), and not really what I’d consider “art”. 

If she is able to sell that sign for that much money, then more power to her, I guess!! lol 🥳

P.S. I circled the item that’s for sale because at first glance, I thought the background which I guess is her easel, was the actual art! Abstract art with a cute summer theme. 😂😂😂

115A2E84-E1E8-4365-8AC2-6BA65AA1CF4A.jpeg

Wow! Very interesting. thanks for posting.

That looks like something you'd see hanging in the hallways of a middle school. Or elementary school. Not impressed. Hope her other stuff is better. All IMO of course as art is so very subjective! But it is cute in a way and kind of shows a teenage girl's enthusiasm for summer, which is awesome!

Edited by seasons
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6 hours ago, seasons said:

Wow! Very interesting. thanks for posting.

That looks like something you'd see hanging in the hallways of a middle school. Or elementary school. Not impressed. Hope her other stuff is better. All IMO of course as art is so very subjective! But it is cute in a way and kind of shows a teenage girl's enthusiasm for summer, which is awesome!

My nephew and his girlfriend do board art and do a MUCH more professional looking job. His girlfriend is a much better artist and they sell something like that for about 40-50 bucks. But it looks much better than Elizabeth's. 

On 6/1/2019 at 10:13 AM, ShowsILoveToHate said:

I saw Elizabeth’s Etsy page for her art work. This is currently the only item available, but I’m pretty surprised that she’s selling this item for $40!! 

It’s really cute, but it’s small (26” x 2”), and not really what I’d consider “art”. 

If she is able to sell that sign for that much money, then more power to her, I guess!! lol 🥳

P.S. I circled the item that’s for sale because at first glance, I thought the background which I guess is her easel, was the actual art! Abstract art with a cute summer theme. 😂😂😂

115A2E84-E1E8-4365-8AC2-6BA65AA1CF4A.jpeg

She's very much benefiting from being on tv.  I'm not knocking her art either but I know from experience that the stuff you do in high school will look dumb and super childish once you actually take art classes in college or otherwise. Hell I look back at some of my freshman college paintings that I was SO proud of and now think "what in the world......"  and then I have some that I'm still really proud of. Because I was given guidance and shown how to refine my technique. 

Most of Elizabeth's stuff is still very amateur but in one scene I did see 1-2 pieces that looked promising. But just sitting at your kitchen table and whipping stuff out because you need quantity is not the way to go. And she's using really inferior products and supplies. 

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On 5/15/2019 at 9:57 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

I get that they may consider their main job TLC reality tv and I get that. It likely pays them pretty well, but, it doesn't provide health insurance and it's not a sure thing. 

Great post - I do not understand how any couple with that large a family would consider losing benefits, seniority, and possible pension to pursue something that has no guarantee, just as their appearances on TLC are not guaranteed. I think some positive public feedback has gone to Amber's head. (And it brings to mind how much I cringe when I hear reality show participants begin discussing their dealings with 'fans' or the "paparazzi". (Shades of Kate Gosselin, much"?) Just live as you did and bank any proceeds from TLC or hobby sales. Amber used to be so aware of budgeting, what on earth happened to her? I worry that Outdaughtered parents are doing the same - don't they realize kids don't stay 'cute'  (or watchable) forever?

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(edited)
On 6/5/2019 at 1:49 PM, Dmarie019 said:

But just sitting at your kitchen table and whipping stuff out because you need quantity is not the way to go. And she's using really inferior products and supplies. 

Excellent points. As soon as I saw Liz whipping off paintings to sell, I was immediately puzzled of the reasoning behind sharing this 'glimpse' into Liz's artistic 'process'. No way would I pay beyond the cost of materials for a painting that the artist had no investment in, or passion for. Liz was not immersed in portraying her subject, nor did she even explain why she chooses certain subjects nor how she approaches a blank canvas. Yep, Liz's artistic indifference should have remained behind closed doors. I do not want to invest in her high school hobby.

Edited by Chalby
forgot a word
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On 4/26/2019 at 11:08 AM, Dmarie019 said:

  If he were their bio child they may be a bit more harsh with him but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a bit of leway about his attitude because he's adopted. 

I do believe Alex gets away with a lot, but perhaps he's treated gingerly because he's the youngest? "Being adopted" doesn't cut him any slack because Emma and Anna are also adopted, and there's no way that has helped (especially Anna) during consequences. I do wonder if Amber's insistence on not pushing Alex to try new things, or excusing him from poor behavioural choices that the other kids would be grounded for, has helped create his present issues. Alex appear afraid of everything and can go from 0 to 60 on the anxiety/panic attack scale. Even if we were to consider Alex's early years, his experiences are no worse (and perhaps even better) than Anna's experiences?

On 12/18/2018 at 6:08 PM, Whyyouneedaname said:

She has the upper hand by not showing emotion & it pisses Amber off, my take is that's exactly why she does it. 

You are SO right. That's Anna's defence mechanism and for some reason, it annoys Amber that she can't 'break Anna' emotionally. I find that Amber increases the consequence, unfairly,if she doesn't see any affect on Anna. God forbid if Anna only says she's sorry. Amber wants sobbing, begging for forgiveness, etc. and that's simply not Anne's nature. Amber's not purposely riling Amber up, yet viewers can see Amber becoming colder and determined when talking with her. She acts as though she's been put through the wringer with Anne's antics. Bizarre relationship.

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17 hours ago, Chalby said:

I do believe Alex gets away with a lot, but perhaps he's treated gingerly because he's the youngest? "Being adopted" doesn't cut him any slack because Emma and Anna are also adopted, and there's no way that has helped (especially Anna) during consequences. I do wonder if Amber's insistence on not pushing Alex to try new things, or excusing him from poor behavioural choices that the other kids would be grounded for, has helped create his present issues. Alex appear afraid of everything and can go from 0 to 60 on the anxiety/panic attack scale. Even if we were to consider Alex's early years, his experiences are no worse (and perhaps even better) than Anna's experiences?

This is exactly what it is IMO and I think its been mentioned maybe one or twice in the first season.  Amber more so than Trent babies Alex and you can definitely see the other kids frustrations at times with the things that he gets away with.

He is the baby, although only by a couple months as Emma is the same age.  Also, he was adopted as a baby too, he was maybe 6 months when he was adopted from Korea.  Both Anna and Emma were at least 4-5 years old when they were adopted.

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anyone remember how many times Trent & Amber have said they don't remodel their house to fit their size because the world isn't made for little people so they just get use to it. I'm guessing the TLC money has afforded them to do just that and that old saying is out the window, it appears their kitchen remodel has lower cabinets. I guess the saying only applied until they got the money to make the changes. I don't blame them, I can't reach my top cabinets and its a pain in the butt, however if it could be done I'd scream at the top of my lungs "do it" not that gibberish they've spouted for as along as anyone would listen.

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