S11.E01: Great Scot! The Hurricanes Are Coming / S11.E2: A Sheep Is Going to Eat Us!

[SunnyBeBe]

Kids vary in their abilities and propensities, I get that, but, there needs to be some level of "that's my parent and I need to pay attention to them, especially, when they have that tone and look."  These kids don't and I don't fine it amusing at all.  And it's not their fault.  It's the parent's responsibilities to create this.  

  You know.  When I was a little kid, all my grandparents had to do was look disappointed and I lost it.  I did not want to disappoint them at all.  And they never spanked me.  Actually, no time outs either.  Not sure why I just wanted to please them and be a smart girl.  lol  My mom always said that even as a toddler, they could take me anywhere and I wouldn't touch a thing, unless it was provided to me, including a china shop!  My mom allowed me to play records on her sterero by myself when I was 7 years old!  I was fine too.  

Edited September 20, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[RemoteControlFreak]

15 hours ago, abbey said:

... Those kids are very young, nothing wrong with making sure they held either Bill's or one of the grandparents hands while walking around places like the castle.  They should not have been running around loose.  ....

A six (or is it seven?) year old doesn't need to have his hand held in a place like this old castle.  A child this age should understand and be able to follow the request "don't touch anything."  Obviously, Will and Zoey's parents have not put an emphasis on trying to teach them to follow this simple request.  

Bill also seemed to think that visiting an old Scottish castle would be like going to Snow White's castle at Disney World. 

Edited September 20, 2017 by RemoteControlFreak

[SunnyBeBe]

I think what we are seeing is lack of boundaries.  The kids haven't been taught that nor much in the way of manners. As described upthread.   The kids have special needs due to their statute, but, depriving them of having boundaries and manners is further handicapping them, imo.  Being super educated, talented and athletic is great, but, it means little if you grow up being out of control with no manners. 

Edited September 20, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[abbey]

23 minutes ago, RemoteControlFreak said:

A six (or is it seven?) year old doesn't need to have his hand held in a place like this old castle.  A child this age should understand and be able to follow the request "don't touch anything."  Obviously, Will and Zoey's parents have not put an emphasis on trying to teach them to follow this simple request.  

Bill also seemed to think that visiting an old Scottish castle would be like going to Snow White's castle at Disney World. 

Yes, Will shouldn't have to have his hand held.  But since he either hasn't been taught to listen to his parent's requests or doesn't care to listen  then perhaps having to hold dad or grandparents' hands might have taught him that if he doesn't listen then there are consequences.  Adorable kids, I love watching them and the family, but last night they got on my last nerve when they were in the castle.

[Snow8585]

The first hour was informative and I am glad that nothing happened to their homes.  Second hour not so great. Kids are older, speech improvement is very good. However, still not listening to parents or authority figures.  Kids still sucking fingers and thumbs. Not good.  Sad moment when Will said someone in his class called him a baby. Wait til Will takes a swing at one of those kids or uses his karate training. I wanted to hear more about how Bill and Jen handle those teachable moments.

[gunderda]

I think it could also be the company that joins them. The grandparents that they might not see very much, and the camera crew.  Supposedly my nephews are very kind and polite kids.  They do well in school and behave.  However when I am around them, I don't really see that at all.  They act up a lot. Not saying they are complete terrors but I can tell from their parents' attitudes that they are not normally like that.  They're just hyper with all the extra things going on.  I sense that zoey and will might be similar.

[LocalGovt]

I was sad to see Will sucking his thumb, as well. I was hoping he was just doing it because now he's got this gap in there, where his front teeth used to be, and it's a neat thing to be able to do, all of a sudden.  I hope it's not due to needing to self soothe, because kids can be mean, and I see a lot more name calling (by other kids) in his future, if that's the case.

[camom]

Good for Bill for trying the haggis. When in Scotland...

[DkNNy79]

3 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Being laid back is one method of parenting, but, I wonder if Bill and Jen truly realize how it is a DISSERVICE to your children to not insist on them complying with adult instruction.  They just seem to not care what their parents or another adult says. They will do it their way and the hell with you.  It's pretty obvious.  I pity Bill and Jen, because eventually, their kids will drive them crazy.  Then there's the special schools, juvenile court and jail to contend with.  It's all laughs until someone has to get lawyers. 

I agree and that to me seems to be the norm these days.  Even when I see my friends with their kids and how they act out.  I have to bite my tongue sometimes because its not my place to say how someone should raise and discipline their child. 

That is not how I was raised (I'm Asian, 37).  My mom would hit us growing up if we were bad.  Spatulas, shoes...etc  One occasion she even got out of hand and parents these days would've definitely called social services on her.  It worked on me, but not necessarily my sister. 

While I don't advocate the same, I am a big believer in discipline. 

The kids were definitely a little out of control at the castle and I think this is where Bill and/or the grandparents should've been holding their hands or picking them up if they were not listening/behaving themselves. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Not every venue is perfect for a child, but, there still needs to be a certain level of respect and control from the child, imo. 

I don't personally believe in corporal punishment, but, the key is supposed to be to teach the child SELF CONTROL.  And not just to obey.  That's my philosophy.  

[RemoteControlFreak]

26 minutes ago, DkNNy79 said:

 The kids were definitely a little out of control at the castle and I think this is where Bill and/or the grandparents should've been holding their hands or picking them up if they were not listening/behaving themselves. 

No. Just because they're small enough to be picked up does not mean this is an appropriate reaction when dealing with misbehaving 4-7 year olds. If they can't follow behavioral requests in the castle, the appropriate recourse is to leave the castle, not to treat Zoey and Will life toddlers.

Edited September 20, 2017 by RemoteControlFreak

[toodles]

I enjoyed the first hour, but the second hour, not so much.  I normally enjoy the kids, but the running around in the castle really got on my nerves.  I hollered HOLD THEIR HANDS at my TV.  Bratty kids are not fun to watch.  

If the whole season is like this episode, count me out.  I really enjoy this family, but last night was a snooze.

[jcbrown]

1 hour ago, gunderda said:

I think it could also be the company that joins them. The grandparents that they might not see very much, and the camera crew.  Supposedly my nephews are very kind and polite kids.  They do well in school and behave.  However when I am around them, I don't really see that at all.  They act up a lot. Not saying they are complete terrors but I can tell from their parents' attitudes that they are not normally like that.  They're just hyper with all the extra things going on.  I sense that zoey and will might be similar.

I think this is a very good point. Being in a new country, in a different time zone, in completely unfamiliar surroundings, and with a full camera crew filming you would be overwhelming for anyone. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for the moment and hope for better in the future. Will clanging that cannon down was appalling, however. I think a discussion with the kids about boundaries before they went into the castle could have been to everyone's benefit. It seemed like it was presented to the kids like a Disney venue (the princess dress, for example). That may not have been the whole story but it would rather set the kids up to fail.

Zoey is adorable and overall I enjoyed watching the interaction between Zoey and Will.

[keetmommy]

I also wonder if some of their "delays" in behavior is the fact that they spent a significant amount of early development in an orphanage, yes they have been here for a while but could they have some "issues" because of it. It is easy to judge parenting from the other side of the camera if they were too strict people would be saying we should call CPS on them, I know if people just saw snipets of our day we would look like terrible parents sometimes, I remember being in the gift shop at the zoo and my DD had a melt down  about not getting something, some lady said to her DD loudly, (heard as I was walking out with her) "I'm so glad you aren't a brat like that" What this lady didn't know is before coming to the zoo we had just had a very difficult doctor appointment and DD was facing another surgery after having a bunch that year,
That said I love Zoey and am amazed how far she has come since the last time 

[Tikichick]

2 hours ago, gunderda said:

I think it could also be the company that joins them. The grandparents that they might not see very much, and the camera crew.  Supposedly my nephews are very kind and polite kids.  They do well in school and behave.  However when I am around them, I don't really see that at all.  They act up a lot. Not saying they are complete terrors but I can tell from their parents' attitudes that they are not normally like that.  They're just hyper with all the extra things going on.  I sense that zoey and will might be similar.

I'm not sure that as a television audience we do see their normal, average, everyday lives.  IMO we see their "jazzed up" lives fit to entertain an audience.  When it's our friends' Facebook pages we intuitively understand that their lives aren't really so shiny and pretty as the pages might lead us to believe.  With this family the show is how we know them, and I suspect the filming and the staged outings are a real disruption to what life is normally like in their home on any old given Tuesday.  Add to that the fact that for many of these arranged outings it's a very forced and staged set up, where the kids are a given to be showered with special attention and opportunities.  To them that begins to seem normal and what they should expect.  They're young.  It's got to be a hard concept to say, hey, the cameras are here with us, we need you to step right up and try whatever the nice people ask you to.  Next month they go somewhere with a similar setup with their parents alone or with their class on a field trip and they should simply know to wait in the crowd like everyone else -- that's got to be tricky to explain the nuances to them for stuff like that.

[Libby]

Even though the kids had a rough beginning, Jen and Bill must get a handle on the kids' bad behavior. If the children broke a very rare item in that castle, there would have been very real consequences for the parents. Nobody would have said that since the children had a rough beginning that it was ok that a priceless item was damaged.

The same holds if the kids were behaving badly because of the show, or strangers around or whatever. If Jen and Bill want to be on TV, they must find a way to help their children behave in spite of it.

Bill seems to think it's funny when his children run around out of control. I wonder how funny he will think it is when he has to deal with the fallout.

Edited September 20, 2017 by Libby

[DkNNy79]

1 hour ago, RemoteControlFreak said:

No. Just because they're small enough to be picked up does not mean this is an appropriate reaction when dealing with misbehaving 4-7 year olds. If they can't follow behavioral requests in the castle, the appropriate recourse is to leave the castle, not to treat Zoey and Will life toddlers.

If they were crying or being loud I would agree with you, you take them outside and or leave if they won't calm down.  However, they weren't being loud they were just roaming around and not staying within the boundaries of the ropes.  That's where you hold their hand.  I don't think that's reserved for toddlers.  I've held my nieces/nephews hand before when we're out in public when they were older.

To me leaving would be a last resort.  You took the time to travel there and explore the castle, I'm not just going to leave unless my kids were affecting the enjoyment of the other visitors there. 

[Evagirl]

2 hours ago, Snow8585 said:

Sad moment when Will said someone in his class called him a baby.

The show didn't mention it, but I bet dollars to donuts Will was called a baby for sucking his thumb, NOT because he's short. 

[alegtostandon]

Will thought the Castle Tour Guide took them to the dining room to serve them lunch-lol! That kid is always ready to eat.

ITA that dressing Zoey in the princess dress with the tiara gave the kids the idea that this was a Disney castle with the Disney princesses roaming around.  It's sad, both Bill and Jen are afraid to discipline Zoey because of her 'meltdowns'. 

My nephew, who is now 10, sucked his thumb whenever he was tired or nervous til he was 8. I use to tell my brother I was afraid of other kids making fun of him. They tried to break him of it. All of a sudden, one day, he stopped. I'm sure he noticed other kids were not sucking their thumbs. 

My sister went to Scotland earlier this year. She loved the Haggis. Now I know why, she loves liver & liverwurst, I cannot stomach either one. 

The scenes in Houston broke my heart. When we were kids, we lived in Houston in an area called Nottingham Forest. This was the mid 60's. I remember one hurricane, I think it was Inez. Our street flooded, my mom was pregnant & due any day & my dad was unable to get back into town. I just remember dead armadillos floating around.

[seahag50]

Quote

I have to agree about the second hour not so good.  I find little kids nerve wracking when the act like that.  My grandkids could go anywhere with me because they knew for bad behavior there are consequences....I never had a problem with them...my daughter and her husband let the kids go nuts...and sat on the couch to watch them.  I love the kids think they are adorable...but they are growing up...if this is the last season that will be ok....I really don't want to watch 9 year old kids.....lets see more of Bill and Jen.

[Absolom]

Ratings are in:

8:00 PM 2.200 M viewers and a .47 rating.

6:00 PM  831 K viewers and a .18 rating.  (Countdown show)

[SunnyBeBe]

I suspect that Bill and Jen will get wind of what a lot of viewers think of their LOOSE parenting skills.  It is their business, but, since they put it on tv, it's going to be commented on, imo.  Jen does some discipline on air, like when she was admonishing Will for using some forbidden word, but, it's pretty scaled down.  At least I hope there's more than that.  I don't see why a caring parent would have a problem exhibiting the manner in which they handle issues on camera.  I mean, if you are thoughtful, consistent and fair, what's the problem?  No need for loud voices, horns or threats.  If you have your act together, the child knows what to expect.  I'd respect that, as it benefits the child and shows you care.

I actually wonder if they may need a professional to help them with goals, techniques and support.  I'd think their parents could do that, but, maybe they overindulge too. 

Edited September 20, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[AZChristian]

A possible future episode?  I agree with those who say that the parents need to get on top of this behavior now.  When my kids were little (the ages Will and Zoe are now), I taught them ONE French phrase, "Ne touche pas."  (Do not touch.)  If we were out in public and they heard that (even spoken quietly), they knew Mama wasn't kidding.

ETA:  If they have enough money for dance lessons, piano lessons, trips all over the world and whatever else they want, it might be a good investment to have someone like The Nanny come into the home and teach them ALL how to behave as a family.  In other words, kids learn to listen to parents, parents learn how to parent, and a time-out chair is assigned and utilized as needed.

Edited September 20, 2017 by AZChristian
Yet another brilliant thought. LOL.

[PJ123]

1 hour ago, Libby said:

Even though the kids had a rough beginning, Jen and Bill must get a handle on the kids' bad behavior. If the children broke a very rare item in that castle, there would have been very real consequences for the parents. Nobody would have said that since the children had a rough beginning that it was ok that a priceless item was damaged.

The same holds if the kids were behaving badly because of the show, or strangers around or whatever. If Jen and Bill want to be on TV, they must find a way to help their children behave in spite of it.

Bill seems to think it's funny when his children run around out of control. I wonder how funny he will think it is when he has to deal with the fallout.

Exactly this.  Bill has said on more than one occasion how he is their "friend".  Big mistake.  I get the sense even though Bill has his support of his own family growing up, he does still have that insecure child need to "prove" himself.  I realize he has had a very rough life, but he is now an adult (for many years) and parent and needs to get over himself. 

I am also surprised no one had commented that Bill, his Dad and Stepmom (and later Jen) brought young children to a distillery for a tasting.  No one has a problem with this?  It was all about Bill's selfish wants.  News flash you are a parent not there to re-live your frat glory days.  The fact that the other adults all went along with it really irritated me more than the kids going a bit wild at the castle tour (although that should have been nipped with simple discipline quickly).  I am no prude and enjoy a good beer/wine/mixed cocktail and not saying he shouldn't do that but leave the kids with grandma to play while you get your alcohol fix.  We saw them at 2 parks later in the show so I dont understand why the kids couldn't have been brought to one while that was going on and meet later to eat.

Adoptive mom here.  My kid has ADHD and sensory issues and we have worked hard with her behaviors and she at that age still did not do the kinds of things I saw last night.  And yes kids like Will and Zoe do have trauma/delays from the orphanage, but that does not excuse their behavior in the castle at all.  Boundaries are needed and required for proper growth.  Both Bill and Jen use that sing-songy tone of verbal discipline that is useless.  The kids know they dont mean it and ignore it.  Say it once firmly (no yelling) and mean it.

Finally, I really wish they would have touched more on Will saying he got called a baby at Karate.  All we got was a voice over response from Bill about how he hates seeing his children hurt.  Bill what are you doing about it?  Now is the time to give Will and Zoe the power to defend themselves.  I am sure it was editing, but why have that scene at all?  Its not like they were pressed for material.

PS how did Bill's brother get that puppy home to FL?  They flew to Houston.  Dont think they drove back.

[Snow8585]

I did not think the distillery was a great choice to take the kids to but I tend to agree with another poster on here that a lot of these events and scenarios are set up by TLC producers and who knows what deals were made to promote the distillery and the castle for that matter.

[SongbirdHollow]

3 hours ago, keetmommy said:

if they were too strict people would be saying we should call CPS on them

Woah. I doubt that. What is wrong with holding your kid's hand (at any age) to prevent destruction in a historic castle?  If they don't have the self control or don't understand what the ropes mean, it's entirely appropriate. I make no judgement on their parenting in general, but in this instance Bill (and the other adults) handled this situation poorly. You could see the tour guide looking at them like, "Are you kidding me? Get control of your kid!" Although he probably sees a lot of bad behavior, especially from "ugly Americans". Good point above though about once the kids got past the rope, chasing them was futile. This is where consistent discipline would have paid off.

40 minutes ago, PJ123 said:

I am also surprised no one had commented that Bill, his Dad and Stepmom (and later Jen) brought young children to a distillery for a tasting.  No one has a problem with this?  It was all about Bill's selfish wants.  News flash you are a parent not there to re-live your frat glory days.

Yeah, I remember Bill and his crew being all crazy about Señor Frogs in the Bahamas. A bit immature. Again, previous posters are right that this was a work trip for Jen that the producers glommed on, not a real family vacation. So their options were limited unless TLC sprang for an extension. TLC's trip budget must be getting stretched really thin. It was kinda weird that Jen blew off the conference for a whiskey tour and lunch. I go to healthcare conferences and am expected to be there all day as well as attend vendor-sponsored dinners at night. It would have made more sense to have the family join them in Scotland after her professional duties were over.

[BitterApple]

I think the distillery scenes would've came off better if they kept it to an adults only activity. It wasn't enjoyable to watch because the kids were restless (understandably), the tour guide was getting annoyed and the grown-ups couldn't get the full experience because they were constantly trying to quiet the kids. I understand there's times when kids have to suck it up and do an outing that's for Mom or Dad, but a trip to a whiskey factory is not one of those times.

Hopefully next week's episode in London will go more smoothly.

[ZoloftBlob]

I'm of two minds on the distillery trip. It's not my idea of fun at all but ok. It also doesn't sound kid friendly but...

I'm not of the "once you have a child, the child is all, all activities must revolve around the child" school of child rearing. Children never really learn how to act in adult space if they are never taken to adult spaces. That's why, when I am eating out at a nice place, I don't wig out at crying kid if the parents are parenting or disciplining because this is how children learn that they are not the center of the world and that they have to conform to certain behavior. I can't tell you how many not so kid friendly venues I was dragged to as a kid and told to shut up and be quiet... and this wasn't a bad thing. Zoey and Will don't need to have every event geared to their tastes, they're old enough to start learning that part of life is not getting your way.

On the other hand, while castles are more kid friendly than say Arlington, they're usually historical and they aren't playgrounds and Bill and Jen need to not let them run across ropes and barriers because it's rude to the other guests, it can damage things, and frankly someone could get hurt.

[alegtostandon]

4 hours ago, ZoloftBlob said:

I'm of two minds on the distillery trip. It's not my idea of fun at all but ok. It also doesn't sound kid friendly but...

I'm not of the "once you have a child, the child is all, all activities must revolve around the child" school of child rearing. Children never really learn how to act in adult space if they are never taken to adult spaces. That's why, when I am eating out at a nice place, I don't wig out at crying kid if the parents are parenting or disciplining because this is how children learn that they are not the center of the world and that they have to conform to certain behavior. I can't tell you how many not so kid friendly venues I was dragged to as a kid and told to shut up and be quiet... and this wasn't a bad thing. Zoey and Will don't need to have every event geared to their tastes, they're old enough to start learning that part of life is not getting your way.

On the other hand, while castles are more kid friendly than say Arlington, they're usually historical and they aren't playgrounds and Bill and Jen need to not let them run across ropes and barriers because it's rude to the other guests, it can damage things, and frankly someone could get hurt.

ITA with you...we lived in the Bay Area for several years & tagged along to winerys. I also remember when we lived in the Chicago area (yes-we moved a lot, my dad was a government rep for a major pharmaceutical company), we would go to Milwaukee & stop at brewery's.  We had fun activities planned for us kids but my parents wanted to enjoy the trips too. 

[LocalGovt]

Regarding having the cameras around -- they've been around them for how many years now?  It's not as if they've never had a camera crew around them,and suddenly, one just popped up while they were in Scotland. 
 

Edited September 21, 2017 by LocalGovt

[Jellybeans]

I don't like calling kids "brats".  Kids misbehave from time to time.  The only time they misbehaved was in the castle and I have seen much worse from other kids.  Bill could have done better yes but I am sure ALL of us could have with our kids...and none of us are being filmed.  

Loved seeing Zoey point out bugs (?) outside the castle to Will and he "protected" her from them.  LOL.  

The distillery... the kids were great!  All the glassware and they sat there drawing.  

They have grown so much.  It was a delight to see them again.

[Ina123]

I've pretty much had it with the trips.

Probably my wishes would seem boring to most. Why not a simple show of an average day. Getting the day started. Fixing breakfast with accompanied interaction...kids/parents. I know cute, funny spontaneous things happened in my home growing up. Show Jen arriving home. Bill cooking or getting leftovers out for a spread. Jen and Bill at the table and the kids watching TV. Grocery shopping or a school activity. Just snippets of the day. It also doesn't have to be with the kids. A little of just Jen and Bill watching TV together after the kids bedtime. After all, Jen and Bill carried this show before the kids came along. Yes, they are adorable, but just mix it up a little. I'm sick of family outings. Not just this program but a lot of reality TV over does the trip thing. 

[gunderda]

3 hours ago, LocalGovt said:

Regarding having the cameras around -- they've been around them for how many years now?  It's not as if they've never had a camera crew around them,and suddenly, one just popped up while they were in Scotland. 
 

But they aren't with them all day every day.  They are treated as special guests in the minds of zoey and will - like grandma and grandpa.  Kids get really excited when 'special guests' show up and are more prone to act out out of their normal behavior and not listen to their parents. 

[SunnyBeBe]

No, it really isn't the kid's fault.  They only do what the parents allow the to do, so, it's on Bill and Jen, when they are present.  I do wonder if others dread their visits due to the kids being so out of control.  My brother's kids were out of control around him and their mother, but, not around me and other family members.  They didn't even try to pull that stuff. lol  

[AZChristian]

11 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

No, it really isn't the kid's fault.  They only do what the parents allow the to do, so, it's on Bill and Jen, when they are present.  I do wonder if others dread their visits due to the kids being so out of control.  My brother's kids were out of control around him and their mother, but, not around me and other family members.  They didn't even try to pull that stuff. lol  

I found it interesting that the Indian dance class teacher kept parents out of the room until the last 10 minutes.  She works with kids, and she knows that kids may try to get away with things with their parents in the room that they won't get away with without them. (Four uses of "with" in one sentence.  What's up with that?)

[JocelynCavanaugh]

1 hour ago, Ina123 said:

I've pretty much had it with the trips.

Probably my wishes would seem boring to most. Why not a simple show of an average day. Getting the day started. Fixing breakfast with accompanied interaction...kids/parents. I know cute, funny spontaneous things happened in my home growing up. Show Jen arriving home. Bill cooking or getting leftovers out for a spread. Jen and Bill at the table and the kids watching TV. Grocery shopping or a school activity. Just snippets of the day. It also doesn't have to be with the kids. A little of just Jen and Bill watching TV together after the kids bedtime. After all, Jen and Bill carried this show before the kids came along. Yes, they are adorable, but just mix it up a little. I'm sick of family outings. Not just this program but a lot of reality TV over does the trip thing. 

I agree.  Trip episodes are always boring. I don't like them with the Gosselins, Duggars, KodyBrowns, Kardashians, Teen Moms, or Real Worlders either. I watch reality shows about families because their weird lives are interesting enough in situ. 

[ZoloftBlob]

AZChristian - having done some similar aged activities (not dance but karate) its not that the kids will act up because their parents are there, its because the parents can be a distraction to the children in the class. A young kid with a parent in the room will gravitate to the parent, a child with no parent to hide behind will be forced to interact and participate. Plus, it stops over coaching :)

[AZChristian]

1 minute ago, ZoloftBlob said:

AZChristian - having done some similar aged activities (not dance but karate) its not that the kids will act up because their parents are there, its because the parents can be a distraction to the children in the class. A young kid with a parent in the room will gravitate to the parent, a child with no parent to hide behind will be forced to interact and participate. Plus, it stops over coaching :)

Especially when the parent keeps waving at the kid.  LOL.  

I still believe that for some kids there is a belief deep in their DNA that "mom won't yell at me in front of the teacher, and the teacher won't yell at me in front of mom."  But in a room full of kids obeying one authority figure (the teacher), a kid may think, "Hmmm, I don't have anybody to think it's cute to disobey," and they'll be less likely to act out.  JMO based on being an old person with lots of experience with kids.

11 minutes ago, JocelynCavanaugh said:

I agree.  Trip episodes are always boring. I don't like them with the Gosselins, Duggars, KodyBrowns, Kardashians, Teen Moms, or Real Worlders either. I watch reality shows about families because their weird lives are interesting enough in situ. 

These poor kids never get to stay home and be kids!  While watching "Little Couple" the other night, I was trying to think back to how many exotic vacations I took as a child.  Hmmm.  Does a driving trip from Baltimore to North Carolina count?  Then that would make it a total of 1.  (And it was a disaster.)  It's wonderful that these kids can be exposed to these things, but it just looks like their lives are crammed full of things like lessons, trips, etc.  My favorite part of the season opener was Bill making pizza with the kids.  Then you get to see who they really are in their home environment.

[SongbirdHollow]

I actually like trip episodes, IF they aren't contrived (to get footage just so there can be a show) and the participants behave themselves. Those are few and far between unfortunately.

[booboopbedoo]

My Mom would give me "The Look" and I knew I had better behave or I got the wooden spoon.

[Jellybeans]

Ok...I take it back.  Whoever spraypainted the sheep with graffiti are brats.  And they're probably youngsters.

[TwirlyGirly]

2 minutes ago, Jellybeans said:

Ok...I take it back.  Whoever spraypainted the sheep with graffiti are brats.  And they're probably youngsters.

Are you referring to some of the sheep having numbers/symbols/colors spray painted on them? If so, that's not graffiti.

In the UK, sheep are often marked with spraypaint. Sometimes this is done to identify which lambs belong to which ewes. Sometimes the markings are to identify which sheep belong to which farmer.

[Jellybeans]

Just now, TwirlyGirly said:

Are you referring to some of the sheep having numbers/symbols/colors spray painted on them? If so, that's not graffiti.

In the UK, sheep are often marked with spraypaint. Sometimes this is done to identify which lambs belong to which ewes. Sometimes the markings are to identify which sheep belong to which farmer.

My apologies.  My family used tags on their ears.

[TwirlyGirly]

1 minute ago, Jellybeans said:

My apologies.  My family used tags on their ears.

No problem! When I saw them, my first thought was "They sell Serta mattresses here? Some prankster has a sense of humor!"

Then I looked it up.

<grin>

[Jellybeans]

16 minutes ago, TwirlyGirly said:

No problem! When I saw them, my first thought was "They sell Serta mattresses here? Some prankster has a sense of humor!"

Then I looked it up.

<grin>

Haha!  My first thought was, "But the wool!"  

It is a beautiful place.  

[bichonblitz]

7 hours ago, Ina123 said:

I've pretty much had it with the trips.

Probably my wishes would seem boring to most. Why not a simple show of an average day. Getting the day started. Fixing breakfast with accompanied interaction...kids/parents. I know cute, funny spontaneous things happened in my home growing up. Show Jen arriving home. Bill cooking or getting leftovers out for a spread. Jen and Bill at the table and the kids watching TV. Grocery shopping or a school activity. 

They have done this in the past and I enjoyed watching those shows. I agree with you about the trips. 

I'm pretty sure the kids have outgrown Jen being able to pick them up and I doubt Bill can either. Jen is so tiny the kids could most likely break away from her even if she did have them hold her hand when they are acting up. It's time for them to put their disciplinary hats on when needed or it is going to be too easy for Will to overpower them. They have to be taught respect now or it's going to get more difficult as time goes on. 

Having saidthat, it sure is clear how much Zoey loves her daddy. She's a sweet child. 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Will still squeals like a much younger child, wondering if he is still considered 2 years behind because of his background and wondering when do kids start to "catch up" to their actual age...like are there statistics on that.

[Jellybeans]

I think Will and Zoey are happy kids.  Happy kids squeal.  Mine did, until they turned into sullen teenagers.

Who would pick them up if not their parents?  

See ya'll next week.

[camom]

In the preview it shows the kids running around in a roped off area while Bill's dad is telling them to stop. The kids are both completely ignoring him. For their safety Bill and Jen need to teach their kids to listen to adults. If not, they'll take a trip to Yellowstone and lose someone in Old Faithful. 

[BW Manilowe]

23 hours ago, PJ123 said:

Exactly this.  Bill has said on more than one occasion how he is their "friend".  Big mistake.  I get the sense even though Bill has his support of his own family growing up, he does still have that insecure child need to "prove" himself.  I realize he has had a very rough life, but he is now an adult (for many years) and parent and needs to get over himself. 

I am also surprised no one had commented that Bill, his Dad and Stepmom (and later Jen) brought young children to a distillery for a tasting.  No one has a problem with this?  It was all about Bill's selfish wants.  News flash you are a parent not there to re-live your frat glory days.  The fact that the other adults all went along with it really irritated me more than the kids going a bit wild at the castle tour (although that should have been nipped with simple discipline quickly).  I am no prude and enjoy a good beer/wine/mixed cocktail and not saying he shouldn't do that but leave the kids with grandma to play while you get your alcohol fix.  We saw them at 2 parks later in the show so I dont understand why the kids couldn't have been brought to one while that was going on and meet later to eat.

Adoptive mom here.  My kid has ADHD and sensory issues and we have worked hard with her behaviors and she at that age still did not do the kinds of things I saw last night.  And yes kids like Will and Zoe do have trauma/delays from the orphanage, but that does not excuse their behavior in the castle at all.  Boundaries are needed and required for proper growth.  Both Bill and Jen use that sing-songy tone of verbal discipline that is useless.  The kids know they dont mean it and ignore it.  Say it once firmly (no yelling) and mean it.

Finally, I really wish they would have touched more on Will saying he got called a baby at Karate.  All we got was a voice over response from Bill about how he hates seeing his children hurt.  Bill what are you doing about it?  Now is the time to give Will and Zoe the power to defend themselves.  I am sure it was editing, but why have that scene at all?  Its not like they were pressed for material.

PS how did Bill's brother get that puppy home to FL?  They flew to Houston.  Dont think they drove back.

If they flew both ways, I'd assume Bill probably got whatever vet works with Rocky & Maggie's the store (or whom he otherwise knows, like the vet his family used for the real Rocky & Maggie) to do the preflight physical, any inoculation updates that might've been needed, as well as to complete the physician's report required before a dog can fly on most, if not all, airlines. And then somebody bought a travel bag/kennel of the appropriate size for the dog (again, probably through Rocky & Maggie's), they paid the airline the appropriate fee(s) for transporting the puppy either in the passenger cabin (if it was small enough to go under the seat in front) or as cargo in the luggage compartment below.

That's how most people do it anyway. My family even did it at least once, & our (Yorkie) dog got out of her soft side carrier bag after we pre-boarded our connecting flight to where we were going & got all the way to the cockpit before at least 1 flight attendant managed to corral her, keep her from going off the plane & back into the gate area, & bring her back to us (she always was something of a wanderer).