7 Little Johnstons - General Discussion

[MommySusan1]

I was getting them confused with another show about little people- the one with the little boy and twin girls.  Can't remember the name for the life of me :)  T

[Honey]

46 minutes ago, MommySusan1 said:

I was getting them confused with another show about little people- the one with the little boy and twin girls.  Can't remember the name for the life of me :)  T

Our Little Family.

https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/our-little-family/

[winsomeone]

For two weeks they have been saying Alex will have an anesthetic, and then brain surgery..seemed an odd thing to say, as who has brain surgery without an anesthetic? The mother really doesn't seem very bright at times. Anyway, right until the end, the parents were saying brain surgery, when it looks like he had surgery to remove excess bone growth at the top of his spinal column instead. The stitches were all in his neck area. Not saying that wasn't a serious thing, but it was not brain surgery.

[camom]

I think she kept mentioning the anesthetic because that has been a problem for him in the past.  Last time he had an MRI they had to do it under general anesthesia and he had to be intubated.  Some people just don't do well with anesthesia.

[Whyyouneedaname]

6 hours ago, winsomeone said:

For two weeks they have been saying Alex will have an anesthetic, and then brain surgery..seemed an odd thing to say, as who has brain surgery without an anesthetic? The mother really doesn't seem very bright at times. Anyway, right until the end, the parents were saying brain surgery, when it looks like he had surgery to remove excess bone growth at the top of his spinal column instead. The stitches were all in his neck area. Not saying that wasn't a serious thing, but it was not brain surgery.

I got that too, the surgery was serious but it sounded like they wanted it to sound more serious than it was. They kept mentioning he was having his brain operated on, not what the Dr said, just where the brain stem sits, there again serious enough but don't make it out to be what it isn't. 

[smalltowngal]

Brain surgery might draw more viewers. I felt bad for this little guy that it was being filmed.

[winsomeone]

Also, if he was stopping breathing over 50 times a night, why in the world wasn't he using a cpap? Can't be his age, because Will on the Little Couple used one when he was just 2-3 years old.

[winsomeone]

This show doesn't appeal to me all that much. When Mr. Big Balls Trent starts bragging about the amount of sex he has daily, I immediately turn the channel. Not a very family oriented show to say the least. Can't someone stifle him?

[DkNNy79]

Alex was really bratty in this episode.  He cries at a drop of a dime.

Trent is Trent.  I think he's funny, but yeah sometimes its a bit much.  Wonder how much that classic car cost?  Sad that Poppy wasn't there to see the car, hope he's doing alright.  I know via Instagram that Amber is now a real estate agent so she is bringing in some extra income.  I guess now that the kids are older and Jonah can drive she has a little more freedom to get a PT job.

[Whyyouneedaname]

i don't understand all the "we have sex all the time" talk, it's actually off putting to say the least. 

[gunderda]

1 hour ago, DkNNy79 said:

Alex was really bratty in this episode.  He cries at a drop of a dime.

Trent is Trent.  I think he's funny, but yeah sometimes its a bit much.  Wonder how much that classic car cost?  Sad that Poppy wasn't there to see the car, hope he's doing alright.  I know via Instagram that Amber is now a real estate agent so she is bringing in some extra income.  I guess now that the kids are older and Jonah can drive she has a little more freedom to get a PT job.

The guy listed it at $6k and she haggled him down to $5k. (at least for the sake of the show)

[DkNNy79]

18 minutes ago, gunderda said:

The guy listed it at $6k and she haggled him down to $5k. (at least for the sake of the show)

Thanks.  I dvr'd it, so I probably ffwd that part since I don't care about cars.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I agree, the sex thing is OTT and not necessary, it is a family show so what are kids thinking?!  I notice since the show started their house furnishings have improved immensely, I remember when they had no living room furniture and used a car seat for a couch!  The income from the show has improved that.  I was surprised to see Alex break down like that, wow, they treat him like a baby so he responds like one.  He is 10 after all.  I do enjoy the show though! 

[gunderda]

55 minutes ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

I agree, the sex thing is OTT and not necessary, it is a family show so what are kids thinking?!  I notice since the show started their house furnishings have improved immensely, I remember when they had no living room furniture and used a car seat for a couch!  The income from the show has improved that.  I was surprised to see Alex break down like that, wow, they treat him like a baby so he responds like one.  He is 10 after all.  I do enjoy the show though! 

I think he did it once last season too.  But adopted kids can have some tricky emotional issues so it doesn't surprise me too much.  But for being adopted they seem extremely well adjusted.  My cousin adopted a 5-6 year old that said he hated her and wanted a new mom on a continuous basis...... 

I'm an odd ball and I like Trent's humor... most families seem to try to be so prim and proper on tv and Trent just doesn't give a F.  And I appreciate that lol.

[camom]

Quote

I was surprised to see Alex break down like that, wow, they treat him like a baby so he responds like one.  He is 10 after all.  I do enjoy the show though! 

Amber said it was just two weeks post-surgery for Alex.  I imagine they were just getting back to normal after him pretty much being waited on.  Some kids have a hard time making that adjustment.

[camom]

Just watched the most recent episode and I've got to say that Amber and Trent seem to be really good parents.  They handled Jonah's bad grades and Anna's not wanting to go to college very well.  Laughed at 10 year old Alex saying he wanted more "T&A time."  To him, T&A means Trent and Amber. 

[DkNNy79]

I think Trent & Amber are good parents, although they spoil Alex a little too much.

I thought this episode was a little boring.  Excited to see next week's episode and Elizabeth competing in a beauty pageant.  For some reason I didn't expect that from Elizabeth. 

[gunderda]

3 hours ago, camom said:

Just watched the most recent episode and I've got to say that Amber and Trent seem to be really good parents.  They handled Jonah's bad grades and Anna's not wanting to go to college very well.  Laughed at 10 year old Alex saying he wanted more "T&A time."  To him, T&A means Trent and Amber. 

That was so funny.... when he said it to his mom i'm like "wait what.... did he really just say what i think he said?" and then they asked him in their interview couch and he proudly stated it stood for Trent and Amber time lol  I think dad has been saying that around him a little too much! lol

And why did they have Anna clean out the drain with her bare hands? That's disgusting... she should have just used the towel... or get some paper towels or something... When I clean my bathtub drain there is no freaking way i'm doing that without gloves and I'm the only person using the shower!

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Alex is doing so well so soon after surgery with his mobility etc!  I love him!  I like the rest of the family too but he is my fave, spoiled but my fave!  LOL. I saw on twitter he was getting a palette expander and wasn't looking forward to it of course...will have to google it...maybe it will be on next week.  I agree with the above posts and think they are very good parents, so calm and collected and work together as a team.  He has a great job!

[winsomeone]

Elizabeth looked more like 30 than 14, when in that beauty pageant. I thought the top of her dress showed way too much for someone her age. She and Alex are gaining a lot of weight.  When I look at Alex, all I see is his huge head. They are doing him no favor by allowing his out of control behavior.

[Whyyouneedaname]

1 minute ago, winsomeone said:

Elizabeth looked more like 30 than 14, when in that beauty pageant. I thought the top of her dress showed way too much for someone her age. She and Alex are gaining a lot of weight.  When I look at Alex, all I see is his huge head. They are doing him no favor by allowing his out of control behavior.

when they made Emma have a rematch with him until it was called a tie.....that is so not okay. Did it make them a bad parent? No, but it doesn't make them a fair parent either, totally knocked them down a notch or three with me.

[camom]

I used to like Alex, but he really is turning into a spoiled brat.  I'm surprised that the rest of the family puts up with it.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Yes the more we see of Alex the more we see his cry baby habit and the family accepts it as being Alex, not sure why...I do think Amber handled it well though and he did come back willingly to try again.  He has gained a lot of weight, wow!  Elizabeth did well in the pageant and is very mature.  I think she is very pretty.  

[mythoughtis]

Does anyone know the backstory on Alex? Was he the last one adopted? Amber said that he had a Georgia Birth certificate already because he was brought to the US instead of them going to get him. Was he older and maybe suffers from emotional issues as a result? 

[Whyyouneedaname]

16 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

Does anyone know the backstory on Alex? Was he the last one adopted? Amber said that he had a Georgia Birth certificate already because he was brought to the US instead of them going to get him. Was he older and maybe suffers from emotional issues as a result? 

no he was adopted before Emma and was an infant, 6-9 months I believe, so that wouldn't be the issue. I think he's just a spoiled brat and you could tell it bothered Emma and she had to explain that she didn't hit him that hard. If anyone would have emotional issues I think it would be her & the way they are treating them different she may have issues in the future. She was 4 or 5 when they got her. I know we only see a glimpse but I just don't like the obvious favoritism with Alex. 

[DkNNy79]

Alex is the baby (by a few months) and Amber definitely spoils him.   You can tell it annoys the other kids by the expressions on their faces.  But at this point I definitely think they just see it as "Alex being Alex."

Emma was adopted last, but they haven't really discussed her adoption that much.  She seems quiet and well behaved.  All the siblings chose her as their favorite sister, with Anna getting the most votes for least favorite.  I believe they also adopted Anna when she was 4 or 5 as well and they mentioned that in the beginning she had issues with males and would not have anything to do with Trent.

Edited June 2, 2017 by DkNNy79

[DkNNy79]

I felt for Amber last night.  I watched it live last night, so I might have missed a couple things.  I know they gave her some steroid medication for the bulging discs in her back.  But that sounds like it would be a temporary fix.    Would she ultimately need to get surgery for this?

Anna and the prom.  I agreed with their decision that the kids should be a junior/senior before going to prom.  A freshman is way too young, especially Anna because I think that she can be easily swayed by her peers.  Elizabeth on the other hand has a stronger/confident personality and I can see her not giving in to peer pressure.

Glad the kids got it together and worked to make a decent dinner.  Their first attempts looked awful.  I was surprised not to see Aunt Heidi stop by with dinner.  Or Trent could've ordered Pizza for them.

[Hero]

I have a herniated disc, and the pain is so unbearable. I totally  understood when Amber said it felt like her back just locked up.  My back hurt soooo bad that I just cried. It was hard to go to the bathroom and do anything that involved moving. 

My doctor told me that surgery is the last resort for herniated disc. I did physical therapy and my back got so much better. I still feel pain, but that tells me that I am not stretching enough. 

Edited June 8, 2017 by Suzy123

[mythoughtis]

Yes. Ambers pain was apparent. Hope the steroids and therapy did the trick.

Based on how easy it was the second night, the kids have cooked dinner before.  They just took the opportunity the first night to be 'goofy' - their way of blowing off stress, I think. 

I am glad Trent was able to take off work while Amber was in the hospital. It sounded like he didn't leave until Amber was mobile. He mentioned something about it not being practical to go back and forth- so maybe they went up a  hospital familier with Their medical issues? 

Edited June 9, 2017 by mythoughtis

[winsomeone]

I have had enough of the medical issuers already..have enough of my own, and watching others in pain is just not my idea of entertainment. This whole family seems to have really low IQ's...maybe Emma is smarter then some of them, and the older boy? I just don't see how they ever qualified to adopt the two from China, when they used to be so poor?

[camom]

I don't get that impression at all, winsomeone.  Granted, they're not Rhodes scholars, but they seem pretty intelligent to me.  And I like that they are teaching their kids practical skills.  But I do think Emma is perhaps the smartest of the bunch.  In fact, I like all the kids (well, the jury is still out on Alex).  I have to keep reminding myself that Anna is older than Elizabeth.

[mythoughtis]

I think they are intelligent enough. Jonah and Anna were studying for the SATs. The other 3 seem bright enough also.  They are tweens and teens- who probably don't really enjoy speaking on camera.  i think some viewers  may think speech impediments mean brain impediments.  Remember English was probably not the first language for the adopted ones.  Trent and Amber both seem bright enough also. They seem to be doing a good job raising that brood and teaching them good values.  Alex is somewhat emotionally immature, sophomoric, and selfish but I think he's like many10 year olds, honestly. 

[Honey]

With the way Alex acts, I can''t imagine he's very well-liked by his classmates in school.  He's a brat, and I don't think it's cute at all.

[gunderda]

On 6/7/2017 at 6:38 PM, mythoughtis said:

Yes. Ambers pain was apparent. Hope the steroids and therapy did the trick.

Based on how easy it was the second night, the kids have cooked dinner before.  They just took the opportunity the first night to be 'goofy' - their way of blowing off stress, I think. 

I am glad Trent was able to take off work while Amber was in the hospital. It sounded like he didn't leave until Amber was mobile. He mentioned something about it not being practical to go back and forth- so maybe they went up a  hospital familier with Their medical issues? 

The hospital was in Atlanta and it looks like they're about an hour from Atlanta, depending on where the hospital is located.  If it's on the northern side then it's almost 1.5 hours. 

[gunderda]

20 hours ago, winsomeone said:

I have had enough of the medical issuers already..have enough of my own, and watching others in pain is just not my idea of entertainment. This whole family seems to have really low IQ's...maybe Emma is smarter then some of them, and the older boy? I just don't see how they ever qualified to adopt the two from China, when they used to be so poor?

They were never poor.  They had a very nice middle class house before they purchase this one. And I don't think you have to show bank statements when applying for adoption, you just have to be able to hand over the money before you get the kids (that sounds really harsh but it's kinda true.... ) 

[Bina]

No comments about what Elizabeth saw in the nightstand drawer that "looked like a phone but wasn't?" Poor kid. 

[camom]

Quote

No comments about what Elizabeth saw in the nightstand drawer that "looked like a phone but wasn't?" Poor kid. 

That made me laugh, but since it was her parents.....ewwwww.

[gunderda]

17 minutes ago, Bina said:

No comments about what Elizabeth saw in the nightstand drawer that "looked like a phone but wasn't?" Poor kid. 

Notice to parents:  hide toys really well just in case your kids need to go through your drawers to pack a suitcase for you lol 

I can't believe that seemed to go over Jonah's head completely. 

My parents always had books in their bedside tables... adult books.  Like do you seriously think your kids will NOT find them??? lol 

[AprilMay26]

First time posting on here so please be gentle. I am a life-long resident of Atlanta. The Johnstons live in Forsyth which is not considered a suburb of Atlanta. It's about two hours south of the city (granted if you could do it as a crow flies it probably would only have an hour and 15 but Atlanta traffic is horrendous). The hospital that Amber was in was St. Joseph's which is on the north side of town (I live about 5 minutes away.) honestly, I was a little puzzled to see that they went to St. Joseph's. the other hospitals in Atlanta are definitely better (Emory, Piedmont, Northside). As someone who suffers from a chronic illness, I've unfortunately had stays at all of them and St. Joes was definitely the worst. Heck Emory even has a hospital that is only for orthopedics and spine...

[DkNNy79]

6 hours ago, AprilMay26 said:

First time posting on here so please be gentle. I am a life-long resident of Atlanta. The Johnstons live in Forsyth which is not considered a suburb of Atlanta. It's about two hours south of the city (granted if you could do it as a crow flies it probably would only have an hour and 15 but Atlanta traffic is horrendous). The hospital that Amber was in was St. Joseph's which is on the north side of town (I live about 5 minutes away.) honestly, I was a little puzzled to see that they went to St. Joseph's. the other hospitals in Atlanta are definitely better (Emory, Piedmont, Northside). As someone who suffers from a chronic illness, I've unfortunately had stays at all of them and St. Joes was definitely the worst. Heck Emory even has a hospital that is only for orthopedics and spine...

Maybe depending on the insurance plan they have, St. Joseph is considered an in network hospital for them?

 

Positioning of the porta potties - I was on Anna's side with this one.  They shouldn't be so close to the tent.  I abhor them.  I only use them if its a dire situation (I can't hold it) and there are no other options available.

I thought Anna looked really cute in her dress.

[mythoughtis]

in network might be the issue, or preferred doctor/ surgeon is there?   I know some little people travel out of state to get to facilities familiar with their physiology.  

[ShaNaeNae]

I adore this family, I always have.  I think Trent and Amber are doing a great job with those kids.  Alex can get a little whiney at times, but nothing too bad.  I think they're all well mannered kids who have been raised right.  Anna looked beautiful in her Sweet 16 dress.  I also liked the way Trent showed Jonah how to put oil in the car without a stepstool.  He's right.  If that ever comes up and you're on the side of the road or a gas station, you won't have those conveniences.  And Emma, she seems to have the most sweetest heart.  I just want to take her home with me.

Edited June 19, 2017 by ShaNaeNae

[Jellybeans]

I started watching this a week ago.  I enjoy this family and all the different personalities.  Do you guys think they will adopt another child or is this simply a producer driven plot?

[Whyyouneedaname]

5 minutes ago, Jellybeans said:

I started watching this a week ago.  I enjoy this family and all the different personalities.  Do you guys think they will adopt another child or is this simply a producer driven plot?

I really hope it's a story line, I liked Trent's reasoning, pretty much wanting to enjoy the kids while they are still young enough. They have mentioned several times about surgeries being a part of life for a LP so I don't know why you would want to take on more, just enjoy what you have. Just my take anyway :) 

[DkNNy79]

5 minutes ago, Whyyouneedaname said:

I really hope it's a story line, I liked Trent's reasoning, pretty much wanting to enjoy the kids while they are still young enough. They have mentioned several times about surgeries being a part of life for a LP so I don't know why you would want to take on more, just enjoy what you have. Just my take anyway :) 

I agree.  5 kids is more than enough IMO.  Who knows how long this show will last, so they shouldn't always count on this income.

I check up on their instagram once in awhile and I've never seen any other children, so I think its just a storyline.  The shows we are watching are a year behind due to whatever production dispute was going on.  We just saw Anna's Sweet 16 birthday party, but they wished her a happy 17th birthday on instagram recently.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I agree this is a nice family with great values, Trent and Amber are level headed and I love how they keep their cool..,  

[gunderda]

I don't think Alex would do well with another kid coming in... he would no longer be the baby and I think he'd have major issues with that.  Even though he thinks it's exciting and would be fun.  I would foresee a lot more Alex break downs. Jonah seemed to be the only one that was like "uhhhhh no freaking way" but he'd be out of the house (probably) in a couple years anyways.

Adoptions can take years so if they're keeping the adoption secret until the decision airs on tv then we probably wouldn't know one way or another by looking at social media stuff. 

I wonder when the new 'season' starts? By the previews it looked like the entire thing had been filmed already.

[DkNNy79]

By the previews to me it sounded like they didn't move through with the adoption?  I thought I heard Amber say in the preview something about them just sticking with their family of 7.

Yes, Jonah was the only one who didn't seem thrilled about the possibility of another adoption.  Alex was not thinking it through.  He loves being the baby and the attention that comes along with it.  Also, he is the laziest of the kids so I don't see him helping out much.  Glad that Jonah brought that point up to him.

I'm sure the next season is already filmed.  Per their instagram this season that just finished was at least a year behind.  In their instagram, Anna turned 17 (not 16), Elizabeth already had her foot surgery and Amber has already sold a few houses (where in the show she just got hired).

[gunderda]

Found their instagram... Jonah looks just like this dad!

[gunderda]

Did we know that Elizabeth had hearing problems?  Looking on their instagram she got an implant back in January