S13.E03/E04: And I Don't Like Alligators!/Yellow Eggs

[BitterApple]

1 hour ago, humbleopinion said:

Better squeeze in an all expenses paid TLC sponsored trip with full TV production crew and planners to coordinate and execute the logistics of such a trip before the show gets cancelled.

That was my train of thought as well. TLC books and pays for the flights, hotels, transportation, translators, excursions, meals, security, "kid wranglers" etc. All the family has to do is pack their bags and show up. I don't fault Bill and Jen for taking advantage of the perks while they're still available, but I'm doubtful they would've gone at this point in time if they had to write the check themselves.

Edited October 19, 2018 by BitterApple

[winsomeone]

Yes, the Kleins keep the kids informed of their heritage. But then, don't lie and say Will wants to go to China. That boy is more interested in what his next meal will consist of then going to China I bet.

[humbleopinion]

Next meal?...His next snack is more like it...meals are boring with meat and vegetables using utensils...snacks are empty calories...salty or sweet....crunchy or creamy... the faster the instant gratification, the better...

[SMama]

8 hours ago, sATL said:

 

Even the preview turned me off - Will wants to go to China... and they go ??? WTH ? That really sends a message... what will the poor child ask for when he's older ? I could handle either of the Disneys (aren't they right by the place) or some fancy kiddy-type party place - but all of the way to China ?  

 

 

Heritage tours are very common among IA children. Our daughter is eleven but we have not been able to take her. We would have gladly done it at seven. It’s not about a luxury vacation, it’s about our children returning to their birthplace.

Sadly, the grandparents are elderly and for now we visit P.R. and Maui yearly because SGirl has precious little time with them. That and several major surgeries I’ve had, minor detail. 

[SMama]

6 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Given how immature Will is, I would've waited until he was much older to do a trip to China. I don't think he'll get much out of it and it wouldn't surprise me if Bill and Jen are completely aware of this, they just wanted to get the trip in while they're still on TLC's dime. 

Eta: I'm not saying he wouldn't enjoy the experience, but for where he's at developmentally it'll have no more significance than a trip to Gator Land or Disneyland or whatever.

If TLC offered to pay for SGirl’s heritage tour we’d take it! Just kidding, not into having cameras in our faces. One thing to keep in mind is that a trip to China will give Will the opportunity to be among the majority, people who look like him. And no a visit to China Town is not the same.

SGirl came home at 16 months and she sure as heck does not remember a thing. But when she returns we plan to recreate some of the pictures we took, return to the places we visited. Last year we recreated a trip SBaba and I took to British Columbia and Victoria. We took a picture on the same exact spot where we decided to bring our daughter home. We recreated many more, SGirl loved the trip, and  is elated to have those pictures.  For children who do not have much record or memory of their past, those moments, those gestures are priceless.

[sATL]

I'm all for getting to see/know one's culture overseas - when its age appropriate. There are practices where one makes a trip back to where their heritage  or religion started.

In the meantime, there are events and places at/near home where you can see the day to day of what goes on - how the culture is celebrated (and yes sometimes modified) here in the US. Let's start there, first. I would think they are at the age where children in their culture learn about holidays, customs, events and traditions.

I'm not sure how diverse their new school, church or new neighborhood is, but if Will and/or Zoe don't see other children that look like them, that surely that can be corrected if Bill/Jen wanted it to be. 1st step might be befriending someone who is from that culture and spending time with them on special family occasions , which yes sometimes includes foodies. Surely Jen runs into other cultures at work and usually people are pretty open to talk about themselves.  This time of year, all kind of customs,traditions and foodies tend to work themselves into general conversation.

And that means also being open to listen and learn about another culture . For example Thanksgiving, as must as it is loved in the US, isn't celebrated the same way , or at all , with other cultures. I just learned about Diwali and Old Year Night just by people at work discussing which days teammates are going on vacation. One stop in the farmers market - esp. in the spices section - opens up all kinds of conversations, and a place to make a friend.

Edited October 20, 2018 by sATL

[flyingdi]

I thought that China was also a business trip for Bill?  I thought he was making some kind of pee pad deal with the Chinese?

[SMama]

13 hours ago, sATL said:

I'm all for getting to see/know one's culture overseas - when its age appropriate. There are practices where one makes a trip back to where their heritage  or religion started.

In the meantime, there are events and places at/near home where you can see the day to day of what goes on - how the culture is celebrated (and yes sometimes modified) here in the US. Let's start there, first. I would think they are at the age where children in their culture learn about holidays, customs, events and traditions.

I'm not sure how diverse their new school, church or new neighborhood is, but if Will and/or Zoe don't see other children that look like them, that surely that can be corrected if Bill/Jen wanted it to be. 1st step might be befriending someone who is from that culture and spending time with them on special family occasions , which yes sometimes includes foodies. Surely Jen runs into other cultures at work and usually people are pretty open to talk about themselves.  This time of year, all kind of customs,traditions and foodies tend to work themselves into general conversation.

And that means also being open to listen and learn about another culture . For example Thanksgiving, as must as it is loved in the US, isn't celebrated the same way , or at all , with other cultures. I just learned about Diwali and Old Year Night just by people at work discussing which days teammates are going on vacation. One stop in the farmers market - esp. in the spices section - opens up all kinds of conversations, and a place to make a friend.

You just don’t get it ?. Our journey to China to meet SGirl taught us more than our advanced degrees. And SBaba spent six weeks in Japan when he was in high school. 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

On 10/17/2018 at 5:40 AM, ginger90 said:

This description is TLC, IMO. Repeating the same thing over and over. State something, break for commercial, reword it, say it again. It’s so freaking annoying !

TLC is the network for people with short term memory issues!

[readheaded]

15 hours ago, sATL said:

I'm all for getting to see/know one's culture overseas - when its age appropriate. There are practices where one makes a trip back to where their heritage  or religion started.

In the meantime, there are events and places at/near home where you can see the day to day of what goes on - how the culture is celebrated (and yes sometimes modified) here in the US. Let's start there, first. I would think they are at the age where children in their culture learn about holidays, customs, events and traditions.

I'm not sure how diverse their new school, church or new neighborhood is, but if Will and/or Zoe don't see other children that look like them, that surely that can be corrected if Bill/Jen wanted it to be. 1st step might be befriending someone who is from that culture and spending time with them on special family occasions , which yes sometimes includes foodies. Surely Jen runs into other cultures at work and usually people are pretty open to talk about themselves.  This time of year, all kind of customs,traditions and foodies tend to work themselves into general conversation.

And that means also being open to listen and learn about another culture . For example Thanksgiving, as must as it is loved in the US, isn't celebrated the same way , or at all , with other cultures. I just learned about Diwali and Old Year Night just by people at work discussing which days teammates are going on vacation. One stop in the farmers market - esp. in the spices section - opens up all kinds of conversations, and a place to make a friend.

They've shown them doing some of this by taking will to Chinese dragon dancing class and on other excursions.  They've also seem to make a point of immersing themselves in the local culture whenever they travel (high tea, fish and chips, crabs, etc.).  Who's to say when it's age appropriate?  I've never adopted a child, but I can see how returning to the country of origin, especially one so vastly different than the US, would help to give a child context for their origins.  

[Libby]

On 10/19/2018 at 4:30 PM, winsomeone said:

Yes, the Kleins keep the kids informed of their heritage. But then, don't lie and say Will wants to go to China. That boy is more interested in what his next meal will consist of then going to China I bet.

Exactly. Why don't they just say, we are going to China because we have a great opportunity for Will to see his country of origin? Will is a jolly kid who's up for anything. However, nobody can actually believe that he's asking to go to China.

We all know they are doing it on TLC's dime so that the network can keep the show going, but I don't expect them to admit that.

They can leave out the lie that it was all Will's idea though. It's an insult to the viewers intelligence.

They always have to tell a lie, to imply they are superior people with some noble purpose.

They really need to stop laying everything on so thick.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Libby

[SabineElisabeth]

3 hours ago, Libby said:

Exactly. Why don't they just say, we are going to China because we have a great opportunity for Will to see his country of origin? Will is a jolly kid who's up for anything. However, nobody can actually believe that he's asking to go to China.

We all know they are doing it on TLC's dime so that the network can keep the show going, but I don't expect them to admit that.

They can leave out the lie that it was all Will's idea though. It's an insult to the viewers intelligence.

They always have to tell a lie, to imply they are superior people with some noble purpose.

They really need to stop laying everything on so thick.

I have no problem at all believing Will is asking to go to China.  They talk to him about it a lot, and Will himself has referenced several times on the show that he's from China, so it's obviously something of which he's aware and seems to be interested in.  The family has also traveled rather extensively with Will, so I would imagine that suggesting they visit China doesn't seem very outlandish or over the top at all to Will - or Bill and Jennifer, for that matter.  Finally, I personally think that there's more depth to Will than what we see on tv.  I think his exuberant personality, small stature, speech impediment, and being overly excited/stimulated by filming make him appear more immature and delayed than he actually is.

[Absolom]

13 minutes ago, SabineElisabeth said:

I think his exuberant personality, small stature, speech impediment, and being overly excited/stimulated by filming make him appear more immature and delayed than he actually is.

I used to think that when Will was around five.  His lack of progress forced me to re-evaluate that position.

[CousinAmy]

I'm always confused by the timeline on this show. When were these episodes filmed? (Just because they were hunting for Easter eggs doesn't mean it was really Easter!) They bought that house in 2017, so why did it take them till June 2018 to move in? And does this mean we won't get to see them living in the house this "season"?

I've been obsessed with that house since I saw the pictures last year. The approach to the front door is up a long staircase, which means that they will most likely pull into the garage(s) and take the elevator up. But we're told that since there's a risk of flooding, the ground floor is almost all garage space - and, the elevator! So it's OK if the garages flood, but then they don't have access to the elevator either.

I have some arthritis in my knees, so I appreciate the idea of an elevator, but I prefer my one-level home anyway. But the area of those floors must be massive - so there's a lot of walking anyway, just not up and down. It's a lot of house.

How do they expect to keep track of the children in so much space - both kids like to run, like to hide, and can be willful and defiant, especially Will to Jen. I'm sure there will be at least one full-time "unseen" housekeeper, but will they need a wrangler for each child? 

Now please excuse me because I need to make sure I have bagels, coffee, cream, cream cheese and lox for my breakfast tomorrow in my bedroom/dressing room/en suite - and after I have breakfast there, I have to wash the dishes, clear the table, make a note of what I need upstairs before I have to go downstairs to the kitchen to make breakfast for the rest of the family. Whew! I'm exhausted.

[winsomeone]

Some on here are saying that kids adopted from other countries need to be returned to visit those countries, so they can see where they came from. Also that they need to keep up on their original language, culture and customs. I am thinking if that is the case, maybe these kids shouldn't be brought to this country at all, if it harms them so much to lose their original culture etc? Maybe they need to be adopted in their home countries and they will have a healthier out come? Myself, I think they should be treated like other immigrants to this country, to assimilate as much as possible to what will be their new culture and life.

[readheaded]

9 hours ago, winsomeone said:

Some on here are saying that kids adopted from other countries need to be returned to visit those countries, so they can see where they came from. Also that they need to keep up on their original language, culture and customs. I am thinking if that is the case, maybe these kids shouldn't be brought to this country at all, if it harms them so much to lose their original culture etc? Maybe they need to be adopted in their home countries and they will have a healthier out come? Myself, I think they should be treated like other immigrants to this country, to assimilate as much as possible to what will be their new culture and life.

Did you miss the part about some kids, like kids with disabilities, NOT being adoptable in some countries?  Visiting and learning about where you were adopted from and assimilating into the country you're adopted to aren't mutually exclusive.  Have you considered that a child who's abandoned, and in particular in a country where they may have been abandoned because of a disability, may need some extra handling and care to feel ok in the world?  That's a pretty big situation to accept, much less for a child.  My boss adopted a child in the US from foster care who'd been horribly neglected by his birth mother.  It was and is difficult for them to navigate the beginning of his story and how it affects his vision of himself.  Bill and Jen taking Will to China has no bearing on any of us and if it helps him feel good about his story, then all the better for them.  

[camom]

Quote

Did you miss the part about some kids, like kids with disabilities, NOT being adoptable in some countries?

It's not just adopted children.  I know two families from Asian countries that left because their children with disabilities were not accepted there.  Both Will and Zoey would never have made it out of the orphanages if they hadn't been adopted internationally.

I personally would wait until a child was at least 10 to take him or her to the country of origin, simply because they will get more out of it than at a younger age.  For most people, it would probably be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so you'd want to make sure the child was old enough to appreciate it.  In Will's case, he seems to behave younger than his age, so I don't know how much he will get out of it.  But Bill and Jen will likely be able to take both kids more than once.

[Sew Sumi]

A friend of mine waited until her daughter was a teen before going to her native country (Laos). It was a profoundly rewarding trip for the girl since she was old enough to learn about her country before going. Will is too young for that kind of experience. I wish Bill and Jen would have waited, but I understand the allure of a trip on someone else's dime.

[SMama]

On 10/19/2018 at 9:29 PM, sATL said:

I'm all for getting to see/know one's culture overseas - when its age appropriate. There are practices where one makes a trip back to where their heritage  or religion started.

In the meantime, there are events and places at/near home where you can see the day to day of what goes on - how the culture is celebrated (and yes sometimes modified) here in the US. Let's start there, first. I would think they are at the age where children in their culture learn about holidays, customs, events and traditions.

I'm not sure how diverse their new school, church or new neighborhood is, but if Will and/or Zoe don't see other children that look like them, that surely that can be corrected if Bill/Jen wanted it to be. 1st step might be befriending someone who is from that culture and spending time with them on special family occasions , which yes sometimes includes foodies. Surely Jen runs into other cultures at work and usually people are pretty open to talk about themselves.  This time of year, all kind of customs,traditions and foodies tend to work themselves into general conversation.

And that means also being open to listen and learn about another culture . For example Thanksgiving, as must as it is loved in the US, isn't celebrated the same way , or at all , with other cultures. I just learned about Diwali and Old Year Night just by people at work discussing which days teammates are going on vacation. One stop in the farmers market - esp. in the spices section - opens up all kinds of conversations, and a place to make a friend.

 

Not the same, we thought like you UNTIL we adopted a child from China. We celebrated Chinese New Year by staying at the Hilton in San Francisco right across the street from the parade. The procession took forever because every politician rode on a convertible. The clerk was so enamored with our daughter that she upgraded us to a suite with a view of the Coit tower. It also happened to have a view of the end of the parade. When SGirl got restless we watched the end of the parade from our room. We also participated in dragon boat races. Interacting with Caucasian adopters does not equate cultural awareness. At most of those encounters SGirl was the only child with interracial parents. Please let’s not be simplistic about Interracial Adoption. It’s complex and at times hurtful. Be there then you can opine.

Edited October 22, 2018 by SMama

[CousinAmy]

It doesn't matter how old Will is or if he is learning challenged; he will get an enormous benefit to be - as someone else out it - being in the majority, not minority all the time. His extended family is wonderful, warm and welcoming, but they look different from him, and I'm sure he's noticed that. He has a good recall of past experiences from the past few years, surely this will add another layer to his understanding of his place in the world. The Arnolds seems to be doing pretty well financially - so what if they have a new home and can afford to travel? They are doing what they think is best for the children. In the long term, maybe it will turn out that they did it all wrong, but I believe their intentions are well-meaning.

[sATL]

23 minutes ago, SMama said:

Not the same, we thought like you UNTIL we adopted a child from China. We celebrated Chinese New Year by stating at the Hilton, right across the street from the parade. The procession took forever because every politician rode on a convertible. The clerk was so enamores with our daughter that she upgraded us to a suite with a view of the Coit toerr. It also happened to have a view of the end of the parade. When SGirl got restless we watch the end of the parade from our room. We also participated in dragon boat races. Interacting with Caucasian adopters does not equate cultural awareness. At most of those encounters SGirl was the only child with interracial parents. Please let’s not be simplistic about Interracial Adoption. It’s complex and at times hurtful. Be there then you can opine.

why not interacting with those families who are maybe 1st or 2nd generation -   in the US to start to develop cultural awareness ? Yes, it means expanding your bubble of friends. I would like to see Bill/Jen having an outing with a families from either/both cultures, as opposed to trips or play dates at dance studio.

I'm not saying never to go back to one's natural birth country. Its just a time a place for everything. And my point was really a 7 year old mentioning something that seems a little extravagant  and giving in. Let wait and see how the preview plays out. 

And let me say this - no I am not adopted but I do know what it is like to feel like I am "the only one of my culture/background" in certain situations. Something I've just learned to deal with my whole life. Not everyone is the majority everywhere.

Edited October 22, 2018 by sATL

[SMama]

It seems it’s one of those you have to be there to understand, and you won’t. Also, Bill’s pee pads are manufactured in China. It may be an opportunity to check on his business, and bring Will along. Not a case of Will said let’s go to China and a trip was arranged to meet his entitled whims.

[SabineElisabeth]

1 hour ago, SMama said:

It seems it’s one of those you have to be there to understand, and you won’t. Also, Bill’s pee pads are manufactured in China. It may be an opportunity to check on his business, and bring Will along. Not a case of Will said let’s go to China and a trip was arranged to meet his entitled whims.

Not everyone has to be there to understand, I promise. Empathy:  "the ability to understand and share the feelings of another."  ;-)

Thank you for being so open with your first hand insight on such a personal subject.  SGirl sounds delightful, I have a crazy amount of respect for you and your husband, and I'm sure your sweet little one will continue to thrive with you and your husband so thoughtfully guiding and cheering her on.  :-)

Edited October 22, 2018 by SabineElisabeth

[winsomeone]

So, these children with handicaps, who were not deemed good enough to be adopted in their country of origin, must some day visit there to see what they are missing by being  forced to live in the US? And some day, when they are able to understand, they will be told why they had to be forced to live here, away from their country, culture, etc? Okay, I guess I understand now. Myself, I don't think I would want to visit a place that rejected me, but to each their own. Thank God our second rate culture is accepting of them.

[readheaded]

1 hour ago, winsomeone said:

So, these children with handicaps, who were not deemed good enough to be adopted in their country of origin, must some day visit there to see what they are missing by being  forced to live in the US? And some day, when they are able to understand, they will be told why they had to be forced to live here, away from their country, culture, etc? Okay, I guess I understand now. Myself, I don't think I would want to visit a place that rejected me, but to each their own. Thank God our second rate culture is accepting of them.

No, if you think any of us were saying any of that, you don't understand.   At all.

And, to think anyone is suggesting that our culture is second rate because we think it's important for adopted kids to go back to their countries of origin is completely off-base. 

[sATL]

re: the pee pads...

I don't own a dog, so please be patient in me asking this question. I thought once dogs are trained they go outside. Is that not true? I see dogs outside and they and their owner seem so happy.

and the reason to manufacture in China was cost and time to market ?

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Folks,

It is getting a bit heated in here.  Let's move on.  We are not going to reach consensus on the adoption and birth country visit issue.  Then again, we don't need to.  This is a TV forum. So let's tuck this issue into a cozy bed, sing it a lullaby and put it to rest.

Thanks!

[Mollysmom]

54 minutes ago, sATL said:

re: the pee pads...

I don't own a dog, so please be patient in me asking this question. I thought once dogs are trained they go outside. Is that not true? I see dogs outside and they and their owner seem so happy.

and the reason to manufacture in China was cost and time to market ?

I have a dog that I got when she was about 5 years old. She was pee-pad trained. I have tried for the last 3 years to get her to go outside, and she will sometimes, but she still wants to pee on the pee pad. So no, not all dogs will go outside. Mine is a 6 lb Morkie though. 

[bichonblitz]

So back to the episode: I don't get why Jen's mom and aunt went with them to look at houses with the kids. The kids were out of control as usual but why not leave them at the hotel or out doing something fun with Nai Nai and Auntie? No, allllllll 6 of them had to go look at houses. What a nightmare for the realtors. 

Zoey is something, though. When she was facetiming with Jen on the phone and explaining her day to Jen, I had to chuckle. What a little talker she is! It's hard to believe how far she has come from the crying, screaming, scared little baby they brought home from India. She is incredibly intelligent. She is going to go far, just like Jen. 

[readheaded]

3 hours ago, sATL said:

re: the pee pads...

I don't own a dog, so please be patient in me asking this question. I thought once dogs are trained they go outside. Is that not true? I see dogs outside and they and their owner seem so happy.

and the reason to manufacture in China was cost and time to market ?

I heard Bill say something about how they were good for male dogs because it gave them an upright target, preventing the pee from spraying all over the wall, etc.  My thought was that they were for doggie "potty training" and for the times when you can't take a dog out (hurricane force winds, snow storms, etc.).  But, I don't have a dog, either and could be way off base...

[gerry]

Hey guys. I'm in the UK and I think we are 1 week behind you. I was happy to find this discussion and that so many of you on here find the children's behaviour completely unacceptable. It's seeing programmes like this that turn Brits against Americans and give them the (somewhat unfair) reputation they have over here. I've lived and travelled in North America so I know the Klein kids don't represent the US generally. I was pretty shocked to see their behaviour during the house hunting - but even more shocked to see how Jen & Bill handled it. Sadly, they lived up to the bad press they got here after the Scotland fiasco. The parents need educating more than the children I reckon. One thing I do notice a lot in the States (and I'm truly not wanting to cause any offence here) is that kids are far less likely to say "please" or "thank you" than they are here in the UK. One of my friend's son and d-i-l live in the US and when they visit, she says she spends the whole time reminding them to say please and thank you. When I stay with friends in the US or Canada, if the kids ask for something I always have to remind to say the "magic" word before they get it - maybe it's one of the differences between our two countries?

Edited October 23, 2018 by gerry

[bichonblitz]

16 minutes ago, gerry said:

Hey guys. I'm in the UK and I think we are 1 week behind you. I was happy to find this discussion and that so many of you on here find the children's behaviour completely unacceptable. It's seeing programmes like this that turn Brits against Americans and give them the (somewhat unfair) reputation they have over here. I've lived and travelled in North America so I know the Klein kids don't represent the US generally. I was pretty shocked to see their behaviour during the house hunting - but even more shocked to see how Jen & Bill handled it. Sadly, they lived up to the bad press they got here after the Scotland fiasco. The parents need educating more than the children I reckon. One thing I do notice a lot in the States (and I'm truly not wanting to cause any offence here) is that kids are far less likely to say "please" or "thank you" than they are here in the UK. One of my friend's son and d-i-l live in the US and when they visit, she says she spends the whole time reminding them to say please and thank you. When I stay with friends in the US or Canada, if the kids ask for something I always have to remind to say the "magic" word before they get it - maybe it's one of the differences between our two countries?

I'm an American and would never let my kids behave like that. And they were taught to say "please" and "thank you".  

[camom]

Quote

 I was pretty shocked to see their behaviour during the house hunting - but even more shocked to see how Jen & Bill handled it. 

The problem is that Jen and Bill didn't handle it at all.  As much as I like this family, I think the parents are failing their kids by not teaching them appropriate behavior.

And no, not all Americans are like this, but it seems to be getting more prevalent.  I was recently in a restaurant when a child (probably about age 4) was acting up and the mother actually took the child outside for a stern talk.  When they came back in the child was much better.  It caught my attention because that sort of thing is so rare these days.  My kids always knew that if they misbehaved there would be consequences.

[CousinAmy]

25 minutes ago, camom said:

The problem is that Jen and Bill didn't handle it at all.  As much as I like this family, I think the parents are failing their kids by not teaching them appropriate behavior.

And no, not all Americans are like this, but it seems to be getting more prevalent.  I was recently in a restaurant when a child (probably about age 4) was acting up and the mother actually took the child outside for a stern talk.  When they came back in the child was much better.  It caught my attention because that sort of thing is so rare these days.  My kids always knew that if they misbehaved there would be consequences.

I've read that the reason some chain restaurants are so successful is because children are allowed to be loud! Family-friendly, I guess.

Yes, children are taught to say "please and thank you" beginning in preschool, if not at home. The Klein kids are at the age where it should be automatic, although sometimes older kids and adults will slack off. Will is often downright rude, especially to Jen. That should be corrected when and where it happens. I guess his parents don't want to seem strict or "mean" on TV. 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

1 hour ago, CousinAmy said:

 I guess his parents don't want to seem strict or "mean" on TV. 

I am pretty sure the kids behave that way all the time, they don’t appear the slightest bit guilty when misbehaving...other kids would be looking over their shoulder waiting for the pending discipline to drop, not the Klein kids, party on!

[Honey]

On 10/19/2018 at 1:36 PM, winsomeone said:

Will was what, 2-3 when he left China? I really doubt he remembers much of the place at all. He was abandoned, and the first place that had him they said all but starved him to death. The second place was supposedly a good one, but does he really remember those people? And I doubt he was ever taken out and about to see the sights, so what is it he misses from there?

Couldn't it just be that he is curious about where he comes from?  I think it's great that they embrace the cultural differences of their children, to give them a link to their beginning, and I suspect that the family will be making a trip to India within the next few years.

[BooksAndTea]

On 10/19/2018 at 5:29 PM, SMama said:

If TLC offered to pay for SGirl’s heritage tour we’d take it! Just kidding, not into having cameras in our faces. One thing to keep in mind is that a trip to China will give Will the opportunity to be among the majority, people who look like him. And no a visit to China Town is not the same.

SGirl came home at 16 months and she sure as heck does not remember a thing. But when she returns we plan to recreate some of the pictures we took, return to the places we visited. Last year we recreated a trip SBaba and I took to British Columbia and Victoria. We took a picture on the same exact spot where we decided to bring our daughter home. We recreated many more, SGirl loved the trip, and  is elated to have those pictures.  For children who do not have much record or memory of their past, those moments, those gestures are priceless.

That is so awesome. :) Recreating pics for your daughter.

22 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

So back to the episode: I don't get why Jen's mom and aunt went with them to look at houses with the kids. The kids were out of control as usual but why not leave them at the hotel or out doing something fun with Nai Nai and Auntie? No, allllllll 6 of them had to go look at houses. What a nightmare for the realtors. 

Zoey is something, though. When she was facetiming with Jen on the phone and explaining her day to Jen, I had to chuckle. What a little talker she is! It's hard to believe how far she has come from the crying, screaming, scared little baby they brought home from India. She is incredibly intelligent. She is going to go far, just like Jen. 

My thought exactly. She's so much like her mother and even more like her Nai Nai. Her love of horses, love of the beach... It really makes you believe in fate and destiny.

[pdlinda]

On 10/21/2018 at 7:59 AM, winsomeone said:

Some on here are saying that kids adopted from other countries need to be returned to visit those countries, so they can see where they came from. Also that they need to keep up on their original language, culture and customs. I am thinking if that is the case, maybe these kids shouldn't be brought to this country at all, if it harms them so much to lose their original culture etc? Maybe they need to be adopted in their home countries and they will have a healthier out come? Myself, I think they should be treated like other immigrants to this country, to assimilate as much as possible to what will be their new culture and life.

I completely agree with the idea that a sense of confusion might occur with too much emphasis on pushing the notion of the kids' countries of origin.  Instead of assimilating into the American culture and traditions (with whatever ethnic contributions most of us practice), some adopted kids seem to marginalize their adoptive parents to focus on finding their "real" birth parents when they are adults.  In the case of these kids this might be intensified by wishing to return to their birth countries to conduct this search and perhaps staying there if they are encouraged to consider their birth countries as "home".

[ChiCricket]

On 10/18/2018 at 12:48 PM, Evagirl said:

More of their new home can be seen here:  https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/florida-mansion-little-couple/

 Nice! At first I thought "Why are the garages front and center?" But as it was explained, it makes it more hurricane/flood proof to just have garage space on the lower level.

My knees ache at the thought of all those stairs though.

[LocalGovt]

On 10/17/2018 at 8:05 AM, BusyOctober said:

I only watched the first half.  Not sure I will finish the 2nd or watch next week.  I'm tired of the same thing every episode.  The editors obviously don't have enough to work with to make 1 hour episodes if they have to keep repeating the. same. damn. sentences. over & over.  It's our anniversary!  It's our 9th anniversary! I have something planned for our 9th anniversary!  We need to find a house!  We are running out of time to find a house!  We are back in FL to find a house!  Which house should we buy?  Should we build a house?  We need to find a house!  One good thing about moving to FL is we will be closer to family!  When we move to FL we will be so much closer to family!  But, first...we need to find a house! We need an elevator!  Where will we put the elevator?  This house has stairs so we will need an elevator!  This house has a spot for an elevator!  But we need to lower the counters!  Which counter should be lowered?  The kitchen is great, but the counters will need to be lowered! Because we are LP's!  In case no one noticed by the title of our show, we are Little People! We need a new house in FL near family with an elevator and low counters!  And it's our ANNIVERSARY! Beachbeachbeach! 

I think the 2nd house they looked at (w/ the closet for elevator/new build) is the one they bought.  The style of it is decidedly more Mediterranean/Spanish influenced than Jen's beloved Coastal look.  The 1st house (no elevator & condo across the way) was closer to Jen's style I think.  I personally liked it better!  But I guess if I had their money, I could be super picky about the view being blocked by the condos.  They made their home purchase with the best intentions for their family, so I'm glad they finally found a good fit.  However, if I had the money to build a custom house on my dream beach front property, I think I could tolerate living in a rental for a while.  Plus, does it really take 2 YEARS to build a house?  Maybe that's a FL thing?  My aunt & uncle had a custom home built a few years ago and it was definitely done faster. They were moved in in less than a year.  They aren't LP's and didn't need anything structural altered, but they picked out all the components from outside in. And we are in New England where the weather isn't as consistent as FL.

It's also annoying that almost all the "experiences" the family does are private affairs.  A whole boat was hired out for the 5 of them (plus crew)?  I did see some other people milling around at the alligator place, but they were off in the distance.  TLC did this with Kate and her kids too, and I understand they do it for security reasons as well as for shooting purposes.  But it's a weird way to grow up.  First being on camera for most of your childhood is odd, but then to have all these amazing trips and excursions planned for your solo benefit is certainly not "normal".  Will these tv kids understand how to wait in line or share time in exhibits in 2-3-4 years when the cameras are gone? 

^THAT!!! I couldn't remember what it was from that last show that really bothered me (and it continues on into last night's show.  There was a time when they used to be "relatable". Not anymore.

[Whyyouneedaname]

On 10/17/2018 at 11:26 AM, woodscommaelle said:

Yes! This just reminded me of Will saying: HEY! I don't wanna eat!

That was intense.  Made my mouth drop to be honest.

when Jen was telling him it was time to eat, she tell's him because I'm the mommy & I say so. It looks more like he's already going to the table when she turns around to follow him responding with "thank you" like she had really put her foot down lol. If you notice Will & Zoey are the only ones with their candy/baskets sitting on the table.  She & Bill definitely need some parenting classes. They do not listen to her at all.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

16 minutes ago, Whyyouneedaname said:

when Jen was telling him it was time to eat, she tell's him because I'm the mommy & I say so. It looks more like he's already going to the table when she turns around to follow him responding with "thank you" like she had really put her foot down lol. If you notice Will & Zoey are the only ones with their candy/baskets sitting on the table.  She & Bill definitely need some parenting classes. They do not listen to her at all.

I saw the same thing, Will was already going to the table and Jen was toddling along after him like see I made him eat by being the strict Mom, cracked me.up!  LOL. Jen needs to watch the shows to see who is leading who!

[LocalGovt]

Heritage Tours.   Count me in the group that doesn't "get them".   Not to sound harsh, although I'm sure it will, wasn't it enough that adoptive parents traveled a great distance, at great personal expense, to adopt their children and give them a better life?  Perhaps when they are grown, they can go back to study their heritage.  I just see them as someone's marvelous marketing scheme to play on guilt (you took them away from their land of birth!) or generous nature  of adoptive parents, a la, "oh, your adoptive children just *have* to have these tours, or they will be missing out on so much of their heritage!"

[CousinAmy]

10 hours ago, LocalGovt said:

Heritage Tours.   Count me in the group that doesn't "get them".   Not to sound harsh, although I'm sure it will, wasn't it enough that adoptive parents traveled a great distance, at great personal expense, to adopt their children and give them a better life?  Perhaps when they are grown, they can go back to study their heritage.  I just see them as someone's marvelous marketing scheme to play on guilt (you took them away from their land of birth!) or generous nature  of adoptive parents, a la, "oh, your adoptive children just *have* to have these tours, or they will be missing out on so much of their heritage!"

They said from the beginning that they were going to keep the kids' heritages very present in their lives - incorporating some of the words, teaching them about their birth culture. So it's not a surprise to the children that they were born somewhere very far away. Think of it as sort of an open adoption, where there are no secrets in the family. Yes, they have to take the chance that the children will resent them from uprooting them as babies, but on the other hand it may deepen their appreciation for their adoptive family. When they are old enough, they can make decisions for themselves. 

I have very clear memories from 1st grade, when I was 6 (and plenty of memories from before that, though some of them have been clouded by time). I have no doubt that a trip taken at ages 7 or 8 will be remembered for years afterwards.

[winsomeone]

I wonder if while on Will's heritage trip, they will show him the orphanage that almost starved him to death? And some day, will the kids be told that in their countries of origin a dwarf is deemed not fit for adoption?

[Mollysmom]

21 hours ago, LocalGovt said:

Heritage Tours.   Count me in the group that doesn't "get them".   Not to sound harsh, although I'm sure it will, wasn't it enough that adoptive parents traveled a great distance, at great personal expense, to adopt their children and give them a better life?  Perhaps when they are grown, they can go back to study their heritage.  I just see them as someone's marvelous marketing scheme to play on guilt (you took them away from their land of birth!) or generous nature  of adoptive parents, a la, "oh, your adoptive children just *have* to have these tours, or they will be missing out on so much of their heritage!"

I happened to catch "7 Little Johnstons" this morning and they were talking about taking a trip. The girl they adopted from Russia said "Let's go to Russia! I want to see where I came from" or something to that effect. The mom said they didn't have passports or anything and the trip was short notice. So I can see taking kids back to where they came from. They wonder who they really are and where they came from. It doesn't take away anything from the adoptive parents - if the adoptive parents feel like it does, that speaks more to their own insecurity of whether the child loves them or not I think. I think everyone has a curiousity to know where they came from. Look at how popular genealogy is, and DNA testing. 

[bythelake]

2 hours ago, winsomeone said:

I wonder if while on Will's heritage trip, they will show him the orphanage that almost starved him to death? And some day, will the kids be told that in their countries of origin a dwarf is deemed not fit for adoption?

It’s neither Will nor Zoe's fault that they were placed in orphanages. Whatever the circumstances, whether it be because of their physical disabilities, or their  home environment, that was the outcome.

Maybe, because of their upbringing, or just the fact that they have good hearts, Jen and  Bill  chose children who would likely have been unadoptable. Yes, they go overboard sometimes, but I think they wanted their children to have the opportunities unavailable to them in their homelands.

Will is Chinese, Zoe is Indian. Period. India and China have rich cultures other than slums and orphanages. What’s wrong with letting them know the beauty of each country?

My ancestors starved in Ireland during the famine, and left for a better life in the U.S. as soon as they had the money for passage. Does that mean that none of us should visit?

[winsomeone]

No one said it was Will or Zoe's fault.

[Nancybeth]

I assume the private experiences make filming much easier for the production company.  You don't have to worry about being in a crowd of people, having people show off for the camera, needing releases, infringing on an establishment's business.  It happens on almost every "reality" show.  Breaking news -- they're NOT reality.

I also think the reason that The Little Couple seems SO repetitive is that Bill and Jen really restrict filming.  There aren't a lot of episodes per season, the seasons are spaced out and everything seems stretched out.  It's like they're filming maybe two or three days a month?  It's not a ton of material to work with so they have to pad it a lot.      

I'm also wondered if they don't like to be filmed disciplining the kids?  Maybe they're just not good at it, I don't know.  But it's possible that they take it a little easier when the cameras are around, and the kids are more aware of the cameras so they act up, and it doesn't come off well.  

[Emily Thrace]

On 2018-10-23 at 9:09 PM, pdlinda said:

I completely agree with the idea that a sense of confusion might occur with too much emphasis on pushing the notion of the kids' countries of origin.  Instead of assimilating into the American culture and traditions (with whatever ethnic contributions most of us practice), some adopted kids seem to marginalize their adoptive parents to focus on finding their "real" birth parents when they are adults.  In the case of these kids this might be intensified by wishing to return to their birth countries to conduct this search and perhaps staying there if they are encouraged to consider their birth countries as "home".

Except most people who have been adopted actually would say it's works pretty much the opposite of what you're saying. Adopted kids who are raised with a sense of who they are and where they come from are more secure and sure of themselves. They're actually less likely to seek out answers about their families.  Letting kids experience their culture helps them understand themselves. I can tell you having known some people who are Aboriginal and were adopted by white people who insisted they "assimilate" and it did a huge amount of damage. Treating a child's race as an after thought or something to be forgotten makes them feel like it's a bad thing. You have to teach minority kids to have pride in thier culture because otherwise the racists in this world will teach them to hate themselves. Race is like anything else you have to give your kids the message first or they pick it up from stereotypical and often nasty sources.