S13.E06/E07: It's a Big, Family Road Trip!/We Can Stay Here! Forever!

[Libby]

23 minutes ago, SabineElisabeth said:

  And when they adopted Will and Zoey, they made a very conscious, firm decision to keep their kids' dignity and privacy as protected as possible. 

 

The way to accomplish this goal would have been to not put their children on a reality TV show at all. The conscious, firm, decision obviously wasn't that important to them.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Libby

[SabineElisabeth]

6 minutes ago, Libby said:

The way to accomplish this goal would have been to not put their children on a reality TV show.

They have stated they felt they could accomplish what they want to do with their show while also appropriately protecting their kids' privacy, etc.  From what I've read, it doesn't appear to have been a reckless decision, and they still give significant thought and consideration to the pros and cons of continuing with the show.

[jcbrown]

28 minutes ago, SabineElisabeth said:

...look at who Will and Zoey are now.  They are happy, confident kids who seem to have formed healthy and appropriate attachments, who believe that the world is full of possibilities for their future (as evidenced by their talk of what they want to be when they grow up, for example), who appear to feel safe and secure in their environment, and who are clearly loved deeply and openly by their parents, their grandparents, aunts and uncles, and Kate, as well.  It's no wonder Bill and Jennifer delight in their kids instead of seeing delinquents in the making, IMHO.

Thank you. You and I are watching the same show. I find Will annoying sometimes and I think Bill could be a better parent sometimes if he would hold the line with Will a little more (rather than joining in with him) but I respect Bill and really respect Jen and I admire the family they have built.

[bichonblitz]

On 10/30/2018 at 11:33 PM, seahag50 said:

So she is live in help which is a good idea. 

I doubt Kate is live in help. She has a husband.

[walnutqueen]

35 minutes ago, SabineElisabeth said:

 

THIS.  I've never in my life encountered the like of the behavior standards to which people hold these kiddos on online message boards  - not just Will and Zoey, but kiddos on all the reality tv shows I like and watch.  If kids only required being told something once, and never again tested the limits or repeated the behavior, which seems to be the expectation, then kids would be fully parented in a few months. and parents could just kick back and watch their perfect little angels move about perfectly in the world like perfect little adults.  Oddly, I don't see many parents with small children whose kids never misstep, who always remember everything they should and shouldn't do, have the self-control to execute on that knowledge,  display manners that would impress Emily Post, speak in voices that they learned to modulate flawlessly just days after learning to talk, and on and on....

Personally, when I watch this show, I see two absolutely adorable little kids who make me smile - and that is why this is one of a handful of my "feel good" shows.  :-)  Yes, I see kids whose behavior is not always perfect, but overall, I see good kids who are a little over-excited and over-stimulated and outside of their normal routine.  It's easy to forget I think that Will and Zoey's everyday life, while perhaps taking place in a bigger house than most,  is likely almost exactly the same as the life of the majority of "normal" kids.  When not filming, which is the large majority of the time, they get up in the morning, go to school, come home and go to various lessons some days, have dinner, play for a while, get ready for bed....rinse, lather, repeat.  Thus, filming in and of itself is probably an event, and add to that the fact that most often filming also involves some activity or trip, and it's no wonder the kids are a little crazy when we see them on the show.  They have an audience in the camera crew, production and so on, and they're doing something other than hanging out at home, and they are kids.  Thus, they act like kids. And they have parents who refrain during filming from disciplining them in the same way I am convinced they would normally because Bill and Jennifer are simply not going to lose their shit at Will and Zoey on camera, period. 

I read Bill and Jennifer's book (yes, I'm a reality tv addict, I know....I know.... ;-) ), and Jennifer explains how the show came about and their thought process in deciding to do the show.  First and foremost, Jennifer was adamant that she would do nothing nor participate in anything that would compromise her professional reputation.  And when they adopted Will and Zoey, they made a very conscious, firm decision to keep their kids' dignity and privacy as protected as possible.  This, I think, explains why they are so low key on camera in disciplining the kids, why we've never seen or heard a word about potty training Will and Zoey, why they don't talk about whether Will and/or Zoey have any cognitive, developmental delays and why they never will, why we never see cameras filming things like Christmas morning and the holiday celebrations we do see, such as birthdays, for example, are often accompanied by another birthday party for friends/family that is not filmed....all of this in sharp, marked contrast to a lot of other families with small children who have reality tv shows.  

I also think Bill and Jennifer almost embrace some of the behavior that is so off-putting to a lot of people.  Jennifer said something on this episode about how wonderful it is to see Zoey becoming her own confident person, who is so strong,.... which made me think about the restaurant scene where she was so insistent Bill and Jennifer eat her soup, and it occurred to me that maybe Bill and Jennifer see that behavior a little differently than we do, as they see it in comparison to the scared, crying little girl they brought home with them from India.  We saw an episode or two of what Zoey was like when she first met Bill and Jennifer;  however, I don't think most of us can even begin to imagine what those first few months were like for any of them as they adjusted (and same for Will).  Kids who have already suffered so much trauma in life, taken from the only home they've known, albeit an orphanage, moved halfway across the world with two complete strangers who don't even speak the same language as they did... and then look at who Will and Zoey are now.  They are happy, confident kids who seem to have formed healthy and appropriate attachments, who believe that the world is full of possibilities for their future (as evidenced by their talk of what they want to be when they grow up, for example), who appear to feel safe and secure in their environment, and who are clearly loved deeply and openly by their parents, their grandparents, aunts and uncles, and Kate, as well.  It's no wonder Bill and Jennifer delight in their kids instead of seeing delinquents in the making, IMHO.

I love your post, and couldn't agree more.

 

4 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

Thank you. You and I are watching the same show. I find Will annoying sometimes and I think Bill could be a better parent sometimes if he would hold the line with Will a little more (rather than joining in with him) but I respect Bill and really respect Jen and I admire the family they have built.

That's the show I am watching as well.

[BitterApple]

I'm curious as to what the living situation is with Kate, her husband and the Kleins. I guess all men are different, but personally my husband wouldn't be okay with us shacking up with my employer. If Kate is the higher earner, I can understand them relocating, but I'd want some distance at the end of the day. 

[readheaded]

One thing I notice and love is how comfortable all the grandparents seem to be together.  They don't seem like they're all best friends, but they certainly seem fond of each other and there's no "jockeying" amongst them over Will and Zoey; just lots of love.  Even between Bill's father and mother and their spouses.  It's such a gift to those kids that they have all their grandparents and bonus grandparents so seemlessly and effortlessly loving them and giving them so much time and attention.  The world would be a much better place if every child had that advantage.

[winsomeone]

Children who need a second, third, or fourth chance to actually behave, should never be allowed into museums,and places like that,  when they can ruin priceless artifacts. Kids like this, run into the path of speeding cars because they don't understand what the word no means.

[bichonblitz]

Two hours of these kids is just too much. They are not that interesting. Neither are the grandparents. Or watching them move in to a house and fret over all the boxes while Bill and his dad sit there and watch the movers. I'm surprised Bill and Jen want to continue with this show. I think it's run it's course. 

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, readheaded said:

One thing I notice and love is how comfortable all the grandparents seem to be together.  They don't seem like they're all best friends, but they certainly seem fond of each other and there's no "jockeying" amongst them over Will and Zoey; just lots of love.  Even between Bill's father and mother and their spouses.  It's such a gift to those kids that they have all their grandparents and bonus grandparents so seemlessly and effortlessly loving them and giving them so much time and attention.  The world would be a much better place if every child had that advantage.

I like Bill's dad. 

[readheaded]

4 hours ago, winsomeone said:

Children who need a second, third, or fourth chance to actually behave, should never be allowed into museums,and places like that,  when they can ruin priceless artifacts. Kids like this, run into the path of speeding cars because they don't understand what the word no means.

Gosh, there'd never be any field trips ever again or maybe 1 or 2 kids would get to go, lol.

[SMama]

12 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I'm curious as to what the living situation is with Kate, her husband and the Kleins. I guess all men are different, but personally my husband wouldn't be okay with us shacking up with my employer. If Kate is the higher earner, I can understand them relocating, but I'd want some distance at the end of the day. 

There is no space in the new home for Kate and Trey. The family is living in what will become the guest space, akin to the apartment over the garage in Houston. 

[jabinlbc]

I'd rather watch Will and Zoey than any of the Duggar children.  At least Bill and Jennifer are encouraging them to be free thinking, independent kids.  Just saying...

[BooksAndTea]

On 11/1/2018 at 7:55 AM, walnutqueen said:

I am green with envy!  ;-)

Lol...:)

[Libby]

I have no doubt that Bill and Jen overwhelmingly love their children. I also have no doubt that they overwhelmingly love the TLC money. They are trying to get the money while also trying not to hurt their children. I think that they will find that they made a big mistake. A lot of children are not kind. The children already have disabilities to overcome. Their parents are putting them in a position that they also have to overcome being TV personalities. Children can be cruel. The older that the kids get, the meaner that their peers will be.

The girl who played Annie on Broadway when I was growing up, went to a nearby high school. She was brutalized by the other girls. She was playing a character, not herself. Will and Zoey will have it worse.  Bill and Jen can't even imagine how they are setting up their children to be hurt.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Libby

[UsernameFatigue]

On 10/31/2018 at 6:33 PM, walnutqueen said:

Zoey's little monologue about "her room" cracked me up.  It was something like "this is Zoey's room, and if you come in, then you will be in trouble - big trouble".

At this point Zoey has become my favourite Klein. I loved it when she asked if they could go out on the boat, so that she could feed the fish. I love how much of an animal lover Zoey is. A girl after my own heart. 

[CousinAmy]

Doesn't the house have 6 bedrooms? I assumed that the nanny/housekeeper/cook/laundress/scullery maid would just have the smallest bedroom by the back stairs. (My aunt lived in a 100-year-old house in Connecticut that had a small maid's room by the back stairs that led to the kitchen. It's so Gothic.) Where is this space that Kate and her family will occupy? 

I really think that they will need more than one "helper" - keeping up that large house is a big job; wrangling the children is a different job, and I can't see that they can be performed at the same time.

Plus, there's a lot of outside work that needs to be done: cleaning the pool, keeping up the "grounds" such as they are. 

Maybe they'll have a cleaning service; pool maintenance service; lawn service - I once knew an upper-middle-class family that had a plant-watering service provider (who I think was also their dog-walking service provider).

The problems of the rich!

[Spike]

On 10/31/2018 at 12:34 PM, Mahamid Frauded Me said:

I am more excited about the reno. I do think they need to cut this show down to 1 hour episodes...it doesn't hold me in like say.. 90 day fiance

It’s going back to one hour next week.

[sATL]

good points. So basically, we are seeing only what Bill and Jen want to us to see in order to not compromise her professional reputation and to protect the kids privacy.

hmmmm... I need that strategy to soak into my spirit for a minute....

[PradaKitty]

I really do love these two kids.  They act like kids! Zooey has really blossomed and is Miss Social Butterfly, and I love how Will’s entire face lights up when he smiles. 

Based on the personalities of both kids, I would not be surprised if Zooey becomes Will’s protector, even though he is older than her. I can imagine her setting anyone who bullies her brother straight. 

[Libby]

4 hours ago, sATL said:

good points. So basically, we are seeing only what Bill and Jen want to us to see in order to not compromise her professional reputation and to protect the kids privacy.

hmmmm... I need that strategy to soak into my spirit for a minute....

I think they they are much more concerned about protecting Jen's professional reputation than anything. 

They try their best to protect the kids, but I think that they underestimate how much they are embarrassing their children with the show.

Right now, the money is rolling in, Jen looks good professionally, and they feel great.

Wait until their children come home crying because of their decision to do the show. They will feel awful. It's easy to trivialize children's feelings and reputations. I honestly don't think that they know what they are doing.

What's so sad is that they don't need the money.

[readheaded]

2 hours ago, Libby said:

I think they they are much more concerned about protecting Jen's professional reputation than anything. 

They try their best to protect the kids, but I think that they underestimate how much they are embarrassing their children with the show.

Right now, the money is rolling in, Jen looks good professionally, and they feel great.

Wait until their children come home crying because of their decision to do the show. They will feel awful. It's easy to trivialize children's feelings and reputations. I honestly don't think that they know what they are doing.

What's so sad is that they don't need the money.

Do you watch the show now or just in the past?

[Mollysmom]

On 11/2/2018 at 5:17 PM, Libby said:

I have no doubt that Bill and Jen overwhelmingly love their children. I also have no doubt that they overwhelmingly love the TLC money. They are trying to get the money while also trying not to hurt their children. I think that they will find that they made a big mistake. A lot of children are not kind. The children already have disabilities to overcome. Their parents are putting them in a position that they also have to overcome being TV personalities. Children can be cruel. The older that the kids get, the meaner that their peers will be.

The girl who played Annie on Broadway when I was growing up, went to a nearby high school. She was brutalized by the other girls. She was playing a character, not herself. Will and Zoey will have it worse.  Bill and Jen can't even imagine how they are setting up their children to be hurt.

Or maybe kids will be nicer to them because they think it's cool that they have been on TV. Whether they are on TV or not, they will get teased, made fun of, etc. Kids (and a lot of adults) are mean. I don't think being on tv is going to make it any worse. 

[Absolom]

It may be me, but this seems to be the most boring episode ever of this series.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

8 hours ago, Absolom said:

It may be me, but this seems to be the most boring episode ever of this series.

Same here.  The episode was ok but as I said before very repetitive, way too much of Bill!!  I notice they have increased the number of TH’s with Bill and his so called “jokes”.   

I also feel they are shoving how much money they have down our throats.  Bill talks like he is the sole payer of the house/reno bills when in all likelihood Jen is the major breadwinner and likely got a signing bonus along with all relocation costs covered by her new employer.   Bill’s pee tower won’t have paid off yet and Rocky and Maggie’s is just another pet store and can’t be bringing in the kind of money the Klein’s spend.   Bill talks a good game so he can feel  important...he gets on my last nerve! LOL

Edited November 4, 2018 by Foghorn Leghorn

[BitterApple]

3 hours ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

Same here.  The episode was ok but as I said before very repetitive, way too much of Bill!!  I notice they have increased the number of TH’s with Bill and his so called “jokes”.   

I also feel they are shoving how much money they have down our throats.  Bill talks like he is the sole payer of the house/reno bills when in all likelihood Jen is the major breadwinner and likely got a signing bonus along with all relocation costs covered by her new employer.   Bill’s pee tower won’t have paid off yet and Rocky and Maggie’s is just another pet store and can’t be bringing in the kind of money the Klein’s spend.   Bill talks a good game so he can feel  important...he gets on my last nerve! LOL

That annoys me bigly. Jen is a doctor. I feel like it demeans all the hard work she's put in when Bill pulls the "Big Daddy" act telling the "Little Lady" he needs to keep an eye on the purse strings. I'm not saying he doesn't earn money, but it's not like he's some executive who found a wife in the turnip patch. I'm sure Jen is completely capable of budgeting for the renovations. 

If it was a one time thing, it wouldn't bother me, but I've noticed it's become a pattern this season. 

[AZChristian]

In our 54 years of marriage, Mr. AZC has always made more money . . . but I've always done the majority of the budgeting.  We discuss everything, but once we've agreed on how much we'll spend on big-ticket expenditures, I keep an eye on the purse strings to make sure we don't overspend.  I'm suspecting that Bill has more time to do that than Jen.  

[readheaded]

1 hour ago, BitterApple said:

That annoys me bigly. Jen is a doctor. I feel like it demeans all the hard work she's put in when Bill pulls the "Big Daddy" act telling the "Little Lady" he needs to keep an eye on the purse strings. I'm not saying he doesn't earn money, but it's not like he's some executive who found a wife in the turnip patch. I'm sure Jen is completely capable of budgeting for the renovations. 

If it was a one time thing, it wouldn't bother me, but I've noticed it's become a pattern this season. 

I've always thought that he's being self-deprecating when he makes those comments because he knows she's got more earning power than him and he's in on the joke.  And now that she's got this newest job, which probably pays her more than she's ever made, the joke's gotten bigger.

[walnutqueen]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

In our 54 years of marriage, Mr. AZC has always made more money . . . but I've always done the majority of the budgeting.  We discuss everything, but once we've agreed on how much we'll spend on big-ticket expenditures, I keep an eye on the purse strings to make sure we don't overspend.  I'm suspecting that Bill has more time to do that than Jen.  

I suspect you don't announce to the world that any expenditure is coming from "your money", and how you fear you'll be unable to afford a house that your spouse is obviously paying for.

Jen has three children.  At least Bill appreciates her and says nice things about her, for what it's worth.

He is just not as accomplished as his wife - no harm, no foul, but he has some difficulty being totally comfortable in that role.

[Libby]

Bill thinks that he's hilarious, he also acts like one of the kids. He's a horrible disciplinarian and actually causes some of the kid's behavior problems. He likes to act like a big shot - Mr. Money and Mr. Cool.

However, he praises Jen to the end. If anything negative happens in the public's eye, he takes responsibility for it. At the end of the day, he protects Jen and plays her up no matter what. That's what's important to Jen.

She couldn't care less if he's a fool who doesn't raise her children properly and acts like a big shot. As long as she's always top dog and he takes the fall whenever she doesn't look so great, she's happy.

In long term marriages, both people get what they need. Bill and Jen's  partnership works for them.

Edited November 4, 2018 by Libby

[walnutqueen]

I just don't see Jen as a megalomaniac.

[readheaded]

13 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

I just don't see Jen as a megalomaniac.

Me, neither.  Some of the negativity here about them is really over the top to me.

[BitterApple]

13 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

I just don't see Jen as a megalomaniac.

Me neither. I think Jen is confident, not arrogant. Her coworkers were sobbing when she left Houston. I can't imagine they'd get that emotional if their boss was a tyrant who constantly needed her ego stroked.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I don’t see any posts saying Jen was arrogant, not sure how we got here and not sure how megalomaniac applies either in any posts.  

[Mollysmom]

2 hours ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

I don’t see any posts saying Jen was arrogant, not sure how we got here and not sure how megalomaniac applies either in any posts.  

 

19 hours ago, Libby said:

Bill thinks that he's hilarious, he also acts like one of the kids. He's a horrible disciplinarian and actually causes some of the kid's behavior problems. He likes to act like a big shot - Mr. Money and Mr. Cool.

However, he praises Jen to the end. If anything negative happens in the public's eye, he takes responsibility for it. At the end of the day, he protects Jen and plays her up no matter what. That's what's important to Jen.

She couldn't care less if he's a fool who doesn't raise her children properly and acts like a big shot. As long as she's always top dog and he takes the fall whenever she doesn't look so great, she's happy.

In long term marriages, both people get what they need. Bill and Jen's  partnership works for them.

The bolded could be construed as the poster thinking Jen is arrogant. 

If people think Bill acts like a kid, have you ever seen Chip Gaines from Fixer Upper? I had to stop watching that show because he screwed around acting like he was 10 years old all the time, and Joanna just laughed at him. Bill relates well to kids. Nothing wrong with that. 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I think it just means Jen is a perfectionist and an A type personality with OCD tendencies...that is not just my opinion but she has confirmed this in her TH’s. I just don’t read arrogant in the post but I didn’t write it either!  LOL

And yes Chip Gaines is a nightmare like Bill in so many ways.  You can still relate to kids and be responsible. After all he is the one with them most of the time along with Kate.  I doubt Kate is given much room for discipline or she is afraid to dole it out...we don’t know as we don’t see much interaction between her and the kids in that area.

Edited November 5, 2018 by Foghorn Leghorn

[Libby]

4 hours ago, Mollysmom said:

 

The bolded could be construed as the poster thinking Jen is arrogant. 

If people think Bill acts like a kid, have you ever seen Chip Gaines from Fixer Upper? I had to stop watching that show because he screwed around acting like he was 10 years old all the time, and Joanna just laughed at him. Bill relates well to kids. Nothing wrong with that. 

Some posters are reading things into my post that I didn't intend.

I don't think that Jen is arrogant or a megalomaniac. I think that Jen loves when Bill plays her up to the public and takes the fall for her when she doesn't come across so great. That's all I meant.

I was speaking about why I think that their marriage works, not about Jen's personality.

I was trying to say that he acts like an ass, but she doesn't care. He adores her and will do whatever is necessary to protect her.

It works for them.

Edited November 5, 2018 by Libby

[viewer]

On 11/5/2018 at 1:41 PM, Foghorn Leghorn said:

I think it just means Jen is a perfectionist and an A type personality with OCD tendencies...that is not just my opinion but she has confirmed this in her TH’s. I just don’t read arrogant in the post but I didn’t write it either!  LOL

And yes Chip Gaines is a nightmare like Bill in so many ways.  You can still relate to kids and be responsible. After all he is the one with them most of the time along with Kate.  I doubt Kate is given much room for discipline or she is afraid to dole it out...we don’t know as we don’t see much interaction between her and the kids in that area.

 

Yes, Bill is just as annoying as Chip Gaines.  However, I can't even look at Fixer Upper.  I can watch Zoey.

Edited November 7, 2018 by viewer

[ButterQueen]

I love Bill’s humor and obvious love of his wife and children.

[SMama]

On 11/5/2018 at 11:43 AM, Libby said:

 

I don't think that Jen is arrogant or a megalomaniac. I think that Jen loves when Bill plays her up to the public and takes the fall for her when she doesn't come across so great. That's all I meant.

 

If I had cameras following me around I’m certain I’d come across bad quite often. Maybe I’m dense but I can’t recall Bill taking a fall when Jen looks bad. Could you please help me out with examples? Again, I can be dense and may have missed this.

1 hour ago, SMama said:

 

Edited November 8, 2018 by SMama

[Maharincess]

On 11/5/2018 at 6:17 AM, readheaded said:

Me, neither.  Some of the negativity here about them is really over the top to me.

It's really not over the top. Have you read any other threads here?  The criticism these people get is nothing compared to other threads on the site.  I think the problem is that so many people for some reason think these are the best, greatest most perfect people out there and can't handle it when people criticize them. 

I personally think they suck, and I have ever since I saw the tiny, terrified, screaming little Zoey with a camera shoved in her face. These two are fame whores just like every other reality TV personality. 

[Libby]

I notice that Jen asks Zoey to do things much more than she asks Will.

For example, "Come on Zoey, let's have lunch."

I used to think that she did this because she favored Zoey. Now I think that she does it because maybe, just maybe Zoey will listen to her. Will? Forget it.

For the person above who asked for an example of how Bill takes the fall for Jen - One example is Zoey's haircut. There is zero chance that Jen would let Bill pick Zoey's hair style.

When, during the off season, they posted the pictures of Zoey's haircut on line, there was a huge social media backlash. Many people hated it. Miraculously, in the talking heads when the show came back on,  the haircut was all Bill's idea. He said that he insisted that Zoey get a very, very short cut, like Jen's hair. Please.....

Edited November 9, 2018 by Libby

[readheaded]

35 minutes ago, Maharincess said:

It's really not over the top. Have you read any other threads here?  The criticism these people get is nothing compared to other threads on the site.  I think the problem is that so many people for some reason think these are the best, greatest most perfect people out there and can't handle it when people criticize them. 

I personally think they suck, and I have ever since I saw the tiny, terrified, screaming little Zoey with a camera shoved in her face. These two are fame whores just like every other reality TV personality. 

Yes, I've read other threads and forgive me if I don't think that Bill and Jen are the same caliber as Tarik or Ricky on "90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days." Saying that someone "sucks" and are "fame whores" seems pretty over the top to me, but you do you.

[Maharincess]

19 minutes ago, readheaded said:

Yes, I've read other threads and forgive me if I don't think that Bill and Jen are the same caliber as Tarik or Ricky on "90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days." Saying that someone "sucks" and are "fame whores" seems pretty over the top to me, but you do you.

They did suck for allowing that poor kid to have a camera in her face while she was so terrified.  And anyone who is on a reality TV show are fame whores. Especially people like this couple who don't need the money.  

I have no clue who the people you mentioned are but a fame whore is a fame whore.  

Edited November 8, 2018 by Maharincess

[SMama]

7 hours ago, SMama said:

 

I wish I could get rid of the darn quote box. I’m in no way defending Bill and Jen, but I wanted to point out that on Family Day (we don’t use gotcha due to the negative connotation) every child has a camera pointed at their face, even while screaming like banshees. SBaby came to us willingly and sans tears (no that is not good). But there were several screamers and the parent that was not holding the child was either filming or taking still pictures. We had a small province group of six sets of parents, and three siblings. Some province groups consisted of up to 15 families, meeting their child for the first time in a small civil affairs office. I’d gladly take a small camera crew than the mess we encountered when meeting SBaby. 

Then after holding our child for a few minutes the paperwork begins. That was almost two hours of the husbands completing the paperwork. All that time the kids kept screaming and we could not even leave the office with them. I will gladly do it all over again, but it wasn’t a rainbows, puppies, and unicorn experience. When we saw the footage of Will’s family day we wished we had such a tranquil experience. But we are common folks and don’t get VIP treatment. Same with Zoey, if done as normal it would have been a real mess.

[Sew Sumi]

@SMama, if you don't mind sharing, what country did you adopt Sgirl from? What a stressful experience for the parents and the children! 

[SMama]

SGirl was born in China. But wait, there was more. After leaving the civil affairs office, we had to stop to get the passports and visas for four of the children. SGirl and a little boy came from a different orphanage and had theirs already. But you are forced to do everything as a group. The six of us sat in the van for ninety minutes waiting on the others to get their passports. It is indeed an extremely stressful experience. You know nothing about your child, and are in a pressure cooker of emotions. So I won’t criticize Bill and Jen over having a crew there. It was certainly better than our experience. And yup, I’ll do it all over again. Wish we could afford it.

[pdlinda]

2 hours ago, Maharincess said:

They did suck for allowing that poor kid to have a camera in her face while she was so terrified.  And anyone who is on a reality TV show are fame whores. Especially people like this couple who don't need the money.  

I have no clue who the people you mentioned are but a fame whore is a fame whore.  

I disagree.  I think Jen and Bill DO NEEED the TLC $$$$ to live the opulent lifestyle they have become accustomed to on the show.  I understand Jen makes excellent $$$ and Bill's business is successful; however, with their mult-million $$$ home, luxury cars (many) and every other expensive creature comfort they provide for themselves and their children, the TLC cash comes in very handy.

[woodscommaelle]

2 minutes ago, pdlinda said:

I disagree.  I think Jen and Bill DO NEEED the TLC $$$$ to live the opulent lifestyle they have become accustomed to on the show.  

Yes! Very good point. 

[Mollysmom]

3 hours ago, Maharincess said:

They did suck for allowing that poor kid to have a camera in her face while she was so terrified.  And anyone who is on a reality TV show are fame whores. Especially people like this couple who don't need the money.  

I have no clue who the people you mentioned are but a fame whore is a fame whore.  

I really don't think they did the show for the money. There is STILL a HUGE misconception about disabled people and what they can do, can't do, or should/shouldn't do. I've seen it on these message boards - people making assumptions about what they think disabled people should have, do and not have and do. There are so many assumptions made about disabled people, that I have actually thought about pitching an idea for a show - I have Spina Bifida and walk on crutches. There are very few people who walk on crutches so I get stared at like I"m a freak all the time. And people are constantly telling me what I should and shouldn't do or what they think I need help with just based on what I look like. We need shows like this to normalize and teach "normal" people about disabilities. But I guess that if I did have a show about my life with my disability would make me a fame whore. I don't think so, but apparently that's what some people think.