S07.E14: First Easter Together

[Jellybeans]

I truly think Bill and Jen are either reading these forums to a degree or some feedback is coming to them about a couple of things which got addressed last night which seemed odd....first Bill finally being shown disciplining Will, lots of comments about it too from Bill almost like he had to explain it to us.

I doubt they are reading this forum because This is a new forum and Easter was some time ago. I hope they are not reading it.

Plus, most parents do not give a flip what other people think of their "parenting skills". I sure did not. I did not dole out advice and did not appreciate advice from others unless asked. I do think they check the TLC FB and Twitter feed which is more than enough.

[LegalParrot81]

 

No of course he can't read. But his mother can. And she should have stopped him. but again she is a afraid of a tantrum

And can you verify that indeed Jen saw the sign or was it close to where they were picking strawberries or were there signs at both ends of every row or that anyone on the staff of the farm pointed it out to them or if anyone on the production crew did or did the production crew keep silent so they could get their shot?  Assumptions being made based on nothing other than a 5 second shot of a sign.

Edited June 4, 2014 by LegalParrot81

[gunderda]

If you're at an outing and you're around a ton of people, most likely any parent is going to give in to their child or try to bribe them with treats to get them to behave. 

 

Jen used it to her advantage.  She wanted pictures, Will wanted ice cream.  Win-win.

 

Some people must have the most angelic kids on the face of the earth of they're having issues with Will's behavior.......

[jodo]

Agree, we can't blame the children for breaking the rules when it is the adults reading the signs.  If all kids were eating the strawberries then that would be a lot for that farm to give away just because they are cute kids?  Don't think so, it is still a business.  

 

So Bill takes the egg holder away because Will continues to disobey him by putting it in his mouth...Will big time pouts and points to it like give it back...what does Bill do?  Instead of saying Will I asked you not to put that in your mouth and you did he starts to laugh at Will's face?!  Will almost looked confused and pointed to the egg holder and put a bigger pout on and asked for it back.  Will is going for the laugh too like Bill does and I guess it often works.  Bill needs to know when to be serious and follow through and when he can laugh.  

[gunderda]

And I'm fairly certain the eggs for the egg hunt were empty.  They gathered them, dropped them off in a box and got their prize. Then I'm sure the workers at the farmer put them back so other kids could enjoy them.  Collecting 10 was probably more of a learning experience for some kids.  I doubt they actually cared if the kids gathered more than that. 

[Kickerbee]

I absolutely loved when Bill said, "Whaa Whaa Whaa" to Will when they were coloring eggs and then Will laughed and said it back to Bill.

[walnutqueen]

Jelly - I am totally jelly of the backyard chicken coop.  I want one in the worst way.  Banties. Yes, they are little - but they are fierce.  We had them running all over the place back in the day, and every day was an "easter egg hunt".  And those little eggs?  Delish and perfectly proportioned for the - ahem - smaller appetite!  Like mine, back in the day.

 

Also, "back in the day", my best friend's parents bought a wee strawberry farm close to my old homestead - picking strawberries for cigarette money was not for me!  I recently purchased one of those Upside Down strawberry planters on clearance and might have even planted it - but the raccoons finally knocked down the intended sunny hanging spot, so I am SOL.  Luckily my area is rife with strawberry fields .. forever.

 

I don't want to get all misty or reminiscey, but there is something about a dress nicely Easter outing that is just so darned comforting to me; like, this is of those things that nice, happy families do, don't they?  I like watching that kind of stuff - I even participated in activities like that when the nieces were young, and it brings back the warm & fuzzies.  For me, but more importantly now that they are grown, for them, too.  I hope this family makes many more good memories.

 

Now I need to search some other forums to retrieve my inner bitch and restore my reputation.   :-)

[Jellybeans]

Will is right, chickens are "bawk! bawk!". Never knew there were sooooo many different species of chickens... the ones Will checked out looked nothing like the ones in my backyard. Kind of weird its in my yard and it's not my coop but....There are eight species in the coop. They are very tame.

Re, the Nanny. Why do they need a Nanny when they are both off???? A nanny is for when they are both at work.

Edited June 4, 2014 by Jellybeans

[Steff]

My dinky little town is still debating on whether or not we can have chickens inside the city limits (town has 2 lights & 1 grocery store, but I'm technically inside the city limits).  I've already told hubby that if they approve it, we are so getting chickens!  We already have a garden that is 1/4th of an acre, so chickens would just totally complete the Green Acres look.  And now I have to have one of those strawberry planters too!

 

Again, I see no problem with Will calling chickens bawk bawks.  he knows they are chickens, he just has another word for it.  Having taken my kiddo to pick strawberries every year when he was little, it's not unusual for kids to shove a strawberry in their mouth while picking.  The general goal is to only have them eat 1 or 2, not shove every berry they pick into their mouths.  I don't think a single cherry tomato we've grown in the garden has ever made it into the house.  And I'm just as guilty as anyone else for picking and eating right there. 

[Meliskee1]

I do think they shoud have maybe squashed the ice cream thing, but I thought the pictures first, ice cream (especially a shared sherbet) was a fair "fun family day out" compromise. It's not like he threw himself on the ground kicking and screaming having an all-out tantrum. They WERE able to redirect him and get him to cooperate with, in my opinion, a minimum of "giving in".  It annoyed me that he ate the strawberries while picking them, simply because you pay by weight. I would have like to have seen Jen pay a little extra for the eaten ones, but who knows...maybe she did. We don't know. The easter egg coloring discipline was handled beautifully, and I LOVED Will's sad face. I want that kid to be happy all the time, but darned if that wasn't one of the cutest sad faces I've ever seen.

 

In my experience, only having one child (a boy, now 8 1/2), dude, 4-year old boys are HARD. Like wicked hard. Forget the terrible twos...it's all about the pissy preschoolers. I was warned by countless friends and family members who had gone before me that when my son turned four I'd be ready to sell him to the circus. It wasn't quite that bad, but they are not easy little creatures. The consistency in expectations and discipline that is required with that age is huge, and Bill and Jen didn't have a ton of time to get to know their children, nor did they get to establish their discipline methods (my son was the best little time out sitter ever, because I was completely unwavering with it. There was no negotiating a time out). I think Jen and Bill are doing great, and learning and developing along the way the methods that will work for their family.

[mojito]

I loved Will's pouting stare down with Bill. That's something that the family needs to pull out upon meeting all of Will's future girlfriends. It was a classic attempt at daddy manipulation, which only elicited a chuckle from his father, and anyone watching.

 

I guess my provider's version of this episode was the only one to carry the talking head segment in which Bill stated that he and Zoey ate strawberries while picking. And I only saw 3 seconds' worth of Will's ice cream truck meltdown (back in the day, it was merely called "being four and trying to get your way" but distortion is apparently more fun).

[Jellybeans]

The pouting staredown was adorable. It could not have been cuter. And he picked pink!

Steff, roosters are illegal in my town but .... no one seems to know he is there or cares. He has a very soft voice and does not wake up my b/f. My neighbor said if anyone complained he was going to be dinner. Aww.

[mbutterfly]

And can you verify that indeed Jen saw the sign or was it close to where they were picking strawberries or were there signs at both ends of every row or that anyone on the staff of the farm pointed it out to them or if anyone on the production crew did or did the production crew keep silent so they could get their shot?  Assumptions being made based on nothing other than a 5 second shot of a sign.

And the TLC camera folks are notorious for taking just such sign photos. You see them in all the reality shows. I think it is very possible this was a special shooting time for the Klein's and TLC, It advertises the place after all. We have really have no reason to believe they were expected to limit to 10. 

I do think they shoud have maybe squashed the ice cream thing, but I thought the pictures first, ice cream (especially a shared sherbet) was a fair "fun family day out" compromise. It's not like he threw himself on the ground kicking and screaming having an all-out tantrum. They WERE able to redirect him and get him to cooperate with, in my opinion, a minimum of "giving in".  It annoyed me that he ate the strawberries while picking them, simply because you pay by weight. I would have like to have seen Jen pay a little extra for the eaten ones, but who knows...maybe she did. We don't know. The easter egg coloring discipline was handled beautifully, and I LOVED Will's sad face. I want that kid to be happy all the time, but darned if that wasn't one of the cutest sad faces I've ever seen.

 

In my experience, only having one child (a boy, now 8 1/2), dude, 4-year old boys are HARD. Like wicked hard. Forget the terrible twos...it's all about the pissy preschoolers. I was warned by countless friends and family members who had gone before me that when my son turned four I'd be ready to sell him to the circus. It wasn't quite that bad, but they are not easy little creatures. The consistency in expectations and discipline that is required with that age is huge, and Bill and Jen didn't have a ton of time to get to know their children, nor did they get to establish their discipline methods (my son was the best little time out sitter ever, because I was completely unwavering with it. There was no negotiating a time out). I think Jen and Bill are doing great, and learning and developing along the way the methods that will work for their family.

Love that old expression "sell him to a circus." Yes, the phrase was definitely aimed at 4-year-old boys. I can so easily remember my own son at that age because his son just turned 5 (and we're still a little bit there). 

[Steff]

Jellybeans, if the city approves chickens, they have already said that roosters wouldn't be allowed.  This is the 3rd year they have held town meetings & allowed citizen comments about chickens.  I'm in a subdivision, but I have cows in a field across the street.  lol  It would have been culture shock for me if I hadn't spent my summers as a child on my grandparents ranch.  I'm still a city gal, married to a county boy.  It took 15 years, but he finally got me out of a city and into a dinky little country town.  It's not too bad really.  I can leave my doors & windows open at all hours & not be worried at all.  I don't think I ever slept with a window open in Houston. 

[MrMattyMatt]

Just caught up with this cute episode.  I won't re-hash anything other than these comments/observations:

 

There obviously was quite a gap in filming leading up to this episode as Zoey's hair is quite a bit longer and Jen seems generally less chemo-exhausted.

 

Jen seems less whiney and more matter of fact about getting back to work and only have "quality" verses" "quantity time" with the kids.

 

The egg-dying was cute, I still do it as an adult, I've done both the hard-boiled and blown-out versions.  Will's pout face tactic was typical.  I would have just ignored him.  So I guess Bill can be the bad cop once in a while, sort of.

 

Zoey looked super cute in her dress, but Will's vest/shirt ensemble just seemed odd to me.  He didn't appear comfortable in it. 

 

So Bill thinks that Will is a super itelligent 4 year old since he was able to recognise an ice cream truck?  They have seen one before on a previous episode and any normal toddler within 20 feet of one would probably know what it is.   Then we have Jen's comment "It would be nice if you could hug your sister" (for the pictures)  Still after that sweet non-posed picture, huh Jen?  I've just alwasy been a fan of natural pictures myself in order to preserve how things actually happened.

 

I wasn't shocked Will was hoovering down the strawberries, I was actually expecting it.  Those are certainly more healthy than candy, cookies and cake.  And of course Jen had to make it into a competition (yawn)

 

New parents indeed.  Bill seemed to have to over-analyze the egg hunt and how the kids were going about it.  They appeared to enjoy it and had great fun with it for sure.

 

I was never one as a child to handle chickens or other farm animals, so I am on Zoey's side with that one!

 

Regarding Will in the stroller, I am sure he had a sugar crash after running around, eating ice cream, strawberries and a bag of animal cookies (and possibly more)  What shocked me was that he was sucking his thumb.  Last season, Jen seemed freaked out over that and was trying to get him to stop it.  Oh well, I'm sure there isn't a shortage of orthodontists in Houston.

 

Will and Zoey didn't interact with each other in this episode again.

 

Where were the Easter Baskets??

 

 

Lastly and certainly not trying to cause a debate...   I guess they don't attend a church?  Both Easter and Christmas didn't have any religious suggestions at all.  We learned from Bill that the Easter "miracle" was that both kids knew how to give him a back massage....  Anyway, I am simply commenting on that observation, everyone has a choice on how to celebrate regligious holidays.

[walnutqueen]

Jelly - yet another reason to have little banties - almost nobody suggested we eat them!!!  (My Oma, she'd eat anything, but I wouldn't let her near my chickie wickies).

 

Steff - The only time I close windows is when I go out grocery shopping, or the few chilly nights we have here in SoCal. And I live in a nondescript subdivision. But you are so lucky to be able to grow things.  A friend of mine used hanging plants and pocket walls for veggies & fruit - YUM.

 

In my very limited experience, girls are sometimes easier than boys ... in the early years.  :-)

 

Matty - I am the most anti religion person you're likely to meet, but I still remember the reason my nieces got those pretty Easter dresses and made a big deal of the holiday was the going to church part, if even only for a few years.  And I gladly participated, BTW.  But I think reality TV is divisive enough without adding religion and politics to the mix, so I understand not including it (although I see nothing wrong with at least mentioning church services, if they are a regular part of your life).  Beliefs are very personal, eh?

 

 

Edited because planets is not plants.  WTF?!

Edited June 4, 2014 by walnutqueen

[LegalParrot81]

I think Bill & Jen may be Catholic.  I remember Will almost knocking himself out last season doing the sign of the cross when they said a prayer at meal time. That is one of the only times I remember seeing them do anything the least bit religious other than Bill saying that Jen will be the one to tell the kids they can't fart in church.  LOL 

 

I agree with Walnut Queen, I think TLC maybe trying to keep the religion debate out of the show, because it is a subject that is devisive and those who don't believe may very well be offended and change the channel.

Edited June 4, 2014 by LegalParrot81

[Jellybeans]

If I could figure out how to post pictures of the chickens, rooster and turkey in the pets section I would- but I have an ipad and I can't figure out how to do it. Poo.

i pretty much never made an issue of minor issues with my kids on holidays because it was a holiday.

I have a sneaky feeling this was not filmed on Easter Day. I would not bet all my like giveaways on it.

MattyMatt, I was pretty competitive with my Grandma. We ganged up on my grandpa on fishing, canasta and catching the most lighting bugs. Game on!

*edited because a c is not a v!

Edited June 4, 2014 by Jellybeans

[Steff]

Jellybeans, my pawpaw taught me to play canasta and his words always were "always play to win, there is no family when it comes to games & competition".  I learned that phrase so well that no one will play backgammon with me anymore because I'm way too cut throat about it. 

 

I also think other than seeing them pray before dinner, we won't see much if any religion on the show.  And as another strongly anti-religion person, I'm a-okay with that.  Just look at how well TLC has hidden the Duggars cult religion. 

[Jellybeans]

I never play to lose. Good times in the Shark Tank!

[gunderda]

I didn't know we could have backyard chickens here until my neighbors started building a chicken coop.  I didn't even believe it was a chicken coop until the day I actually saw chickens back there.   Our yards aren't very big, pretty long and narrow - I can't even tell they're back there unless I'm doing something in the way back of my yard.

[CousinAmy]

Unfortunately I was pretty disappointed by this episode. As others have said, Bill and Jen are first-time parents and don't seem to have much experience with toddlers and preschool children. If "Will is the smartest 4-year-old I know" according to Bill, then he doesn't seem to have observed very many 4-year-olds. He acts like a much younger child. 

 

I work in a daycare (for toddlers) and preschool (3-5 year olds) children and Will would definitely be receiving evaluation and services for his speech, to begin with. His behavior might also need to be addressed - tantrums are not appropriate at 4 years old, and he needs to learn how to deal with frustration, waiting, and disappointment. You simply can't have ice cream every time you see an ice cream truck. He should have been told that they would be having strawberries later, no ice cream today. 

 

We are supposed to give our children no more than two servings of food. They will ask for more - whining, but not throwing tantrums - and if there is more available, we'll use our judgement whether or not to give additional helpings. Some have been told by doctors seeing them for childhood obesity and high blood pressure (really) that we have to set limits. No amount of pleading will get them more food. 

 

As for "bawk bawk" for chicken? Appropriate for Zoey, not for Will. Parent or teacher would say, "Bawk bawk, yes, chicken. Can you say "chicken"? You use their word, then model the correct word, then ask them to say it. Repeat ad nauseum. If he still doesn't get it, drop "bawk bawk" entirely and only use "chicken." 

 

He not only needs speech (the physical part,) but he needs language, (vocabulary and spoken grammar*) too. 

 

* I want, you want, he wants, etc. 

[BitterApple]

In my town a lot of Easter activities take place on Saturday. It wouldn't surprise me if the family went to the farm on Saturday and then to church on Sunday.

[Lola16]

I don't like hard boiled eggs and have never gotten into dying eggs. Plus I hate the mess. I never do it as a day care teacher. Will and Zoey were quite cute. Like how Will asked for pink first. I was waiting for a "boy colour" comment from Bill and was surprised he didn't make one.

Jen's point about the babies needing doctors and nurses every day was spot on. No one wants to work holidays but then, no one wants to be in the hospital on a holiday! Bet the mothers there would kill to go Easter egg hunting with their kids instead of willing them to gain an ounce.

The farm was a nice idea, there are pumpkin patch farms, why not an Easter farm? I think Bill should have been stricter about cutting Will off at his 10 eggs. Cute as it was, rules are rules.

Egg dyeing is a tradition in my family on both sides and while I never eat the eggs, the olds do - they make egg salad out of them.

Coming from a service family (doctors, nurses, policemen, firemen), it's so true that they don't get every holiday off because people need them.  And no-one in my family begrudged them their service.

I am sure the egg hunt people are used to kids with 15 eggs in the basket.  I did think it was cute when Will upgraded his basket so he could get more.  Would I have stopped him?  Yes.  But it would be a great story to regale him with at his wedding.

 

 

 Zoey is following dads lead picking berries. The sign clearly says do not eat strawberries but guess who is cramming a mouth full? Yep William and they laugh.   

Bill states in his TH that Zoey ate some berries too but that she picked more than she ate.

 

I think I'm the only person on the planet who loves Peeps. I'm not really a sugar/sweet eater but for some reason I always eat a box of Peeps during Easter.

I'm not a fan of the peep but I do love me some candy corn.

 

And it isn't good to reward behavior with food. It sets up connotations that are hard to break as they get older.

True.  My brother says "thanks for being a good listener" when his kids stop bad behavior.  I just squirt them with a water gun.  More effective in my opinion.  And zero calories!

 

They took the kids on a fun outing. I don't think that the Will overate anything. All we saw was that he shared a small cup of sherbert with Zoe and ate a few strawberries. Isn't having treats a big part of having a fun outing?

Yes it is.  As is running around, screaming, getting dirty etc etc.  Then crashing due to exertion.  My brother and I were reminiscing the other day about the strawberry festivals we went to as kids with our grandmother.  There were strawberries in many forms, games and lots of hills to run up & down.

 

And can you verify that indeed Jen saw the sign or was it close to where they were picking strawberries or were there signs at both ends of every row or that anyone on the staff of the farm pointed it out to them or if anyone on the production crew did or did the production crew keep silent so they could get their shot?  Assumptions being made based on nothing other than a 5 second shot of a sign.

Jen saw the sign.  She commented on it.  Jen probably felt it wasn't worth a meltdown and just tried to redirect Will into more picking, less eating.  Anyone who has gone apple picking has seen the signs and also has seen kids taking huge bites out of apples.

 

Unfortunately I was pretty disappointed by this episode. As others have said, Bill and Jen are first-time parents and don't seem to have much experience with toddlers and preschool children. If "Will is the smartest 4-year-old I know" according to Bill, then he doesn't seem to have observed very many 4-year-olds. He acts like a much younger child. 

 

 

What parent doesn't think their kid is the brightest?  I don't know any.  Everyone thinks their kid is a genius or has some special talent.  Almost none of them are. 

[Absolom]

Ratings are in: 2.852 M viewers and a .9 rating.

[Kohola3]

I don't want to get all misty or reminiscey, but there is something about a dress nicely Easter outing that is just so darned comforting to me; like, this is of those things that nice, happy families do, don't they?

 

Geez, yes, this episode made me absolutely weepy with nostalgia for my childhood when we all got new outfits, wore Easter hats and gloves to church.  Zoey looked just adorable and loved Will's little vest!

 

I believe that they are Catholic and I am very happy that they have not brought religion into the show.  And often there are Masses that cater to children on the "eves" so as to make it easier on the holiday morning, at least in my area.

[4leafclover]

Loved the episode.  I thought Bill did a great job with the children dyeing their eggs.  When Zoey said she wanted "purple" dye, I chuckled.  I expected her to say "pink" like brother did, but clearly Zoey has a mind of her own!  Their Easter clothes were adorable and it looks like fun was had by all at the strawberry farm.  Did anyone else think it was odd that an ice cream truck would be there?  Usually these farms are in remote areas outside the city limits, far from any main thoroughfares.  Maybe it was part of the concessions on the farm.  Will was told he could have ice cream after family pictures, and the promise was fulfilled.  Good bargaining chip, handled well (in my opinion).  From what I saw, it seems that both children are developing appropriately and having a good life.

Edited June 4, 2014 by 4leafclover

[Jellybeans]

clover, I saw an ice cream truck in my neighborhood last week. "Food trucks" are making a big comeback in my town, including ice cream trucks.

I really want a drumstick all of a sudden. *pout*

Ratings are in: 2.852 M viewers and a .9 rating.

I have no idea what this means but thank you. :-)

[4leafclover]

We have a darn ice cream truck that comes through our neighborhood almost every day--ringing that obnoxious bell, beckoning my overindulged thighs to bolt out the door and devour a $5 fudgsicle!  

[walnutqueen]

Dog help me, when I hear that jarring jingley jangley Pop Goes the Weasel ice cream truck music, I clench my jaw.  The ice cream man gave me TMJ!

[Absolom]

I have no idea what this means but thank you. :-)

 

 

The ratings they are getting are excellent for TLC.  Good news for TLC and those who want the show to continue. 

[Jellybeans]

Thank you for explaining, Absolom.

[mbutterfly]

Just caught up with this cute episode.  I won't re-hash anything other than these comments/observations:

 

There obviously was quite a gap in filming leading up to this episode as Zoey's hair is quite a bit longer and Jen seems generally less chemo-exhausted.

 

Jen seems less whiney and more matter of fact about getting back to work and only have "quality" verses" "quantity time" with the kids.

 

The egg-dying was cute, I still do it as an adult, I've done both the hard-boiled and blown-out versions.  Will's pout face tactic was typical.  I would have just ignored him.  So I guess Bill can be the bad cop once in a while, sort of.

 

Zoey looked super cute in her dress, but Will's vest/shirt ensemble just seemed odd to me.  He didn't appear comfortable in it. 

 

So Bill thinks that Will is a super itelligent 4 year old since he was able to recognise an ice cream truck?  They have seen one before on a previous episode and any normal toddler within 20 feet of one would probably know what it is.   Then we have Jen's comment "It would be nice if you could hug your sister" (for the pictures)  Still after that sweet non-posed picture, huh Jen?  I've just alwasy been a fan of natural pictures myself in order to preserve how things actually happened.

 

I wasn't shocked Will was hoovering down the strawberries, I was actually expecting it.  Those are certainly more healthy than candy, cookies and cake.  And of course Jen had to make it into a competition (yawn)

 

New parents indeed.  Bill seemed to have to over-analyze the egg hunt and how the kids were going about it.  They appeared to enjoy it and had great fun with it for sure.

 

I was never one as a child to handle chickens or other farm animals, so I am on Zoey's side with that one!

 

Regarding Will in the stroller, I am sure he had a sugar crash after running around, eating ice cream, strawberries and a bag of animal cookies (and possibly more)  What shocked me was that he was sucking his thumb.  Last season, Jen seemed freaked out over that and was trying to get him to stop it.  Oh well, I'm sure there isn't a shortage of orthodontists in Houston.

 

Will and Zoey didn't interact with each other in this episode again.

 

Where were the Easter Baskets??

 

 

Lastly and certainly not trying to cause a debate...   I guess they don't attend a church?  Both Easter and Christmas didn't have any religious suggestions at all.  We learned from Bill that the Easter "miracle" was that both kids knew how to give him a back massage....  Anyway, I am simply commenting on that observation, everyone has a choice on how to celebrate regligious holidays.

I have noticed at family prayer time both Jen and Bill cross themselves. I assumed from that they come from RC or Episcopalian traditions. My family is quite religious but you could easily video tape us around the holidays doing secular things. I was also assuming that was the case. Perhaps TLC does not want them to do activities so directly related to their faith practices or perhaps they have chosen not to be filmed actually worshipping. Those were my thoughts, anyway. 

[Honey]

You miss the point. Rewarding a screaming child with ice cream just teaches him that he can get what he wants. I don't know why but it seems when it comes to WIl and food they just can't put their foot down. It's not like he is starving and never was. He was very well taken of at the foster home it appears and unlike Zoey was not malnourished. But they are afraid to tell him no when he asks for food and I really don't understand that. He is already packing on the pounds you can tell. I mean it won't hurt the kid to be told "No" you can't have that once in a while. And where is the nanny? She seems to have disappered since they got Zoey and I don't understand that I would think they would need her MORE with two kids, not less.

Will was not screaming for ice cream.  He pointed at the truck and maybe whined a little.  I don't recall hearing any screaming.

[CousinAmy]

 

Will was not screaming for ice cream.  He pointed at the truck and maybe whined a little.  I don't recall hearing any screaming.

It looked like the beginning of a tantrum. I think they didn't linger on him, but it's hard to tell if he stopped on his own. So Jen bargained with him: do this thing for Mommy, and you'll get what you want. But she shouldn't have to bribe him to do this thing for Mommy. If Mommy wants to take his picture, he should suck it up and get his picture taken. Then told he'd have fresh strawberries after they finished the strawberry-picking activity. 

 

And he didn't really "share" the sherbet or sorbet with Zoey. He held onto the cup with both his hands, and Jen asked for Zoey if Zoey could have a spoonful. That's not sharing. Sharing would be passing the cup back and forth (and Zoey would probably be satisfied after a couple of spoonfuls anyway) or drawing a little "dividing line" across the top. 

 

My years as a preschool teacher have turned me into quite a little old Miss Grundy. I sound like I'm nitpicking, but I can see what behaviors lead to what consequences, and it looks like Will is learning very few consequences. 

 

I think he should be enrolled in a preschool ASAP to get him more attuned to typical 4-year-old behavior. Many parents refuse to see what their child needs, when the teacher is more aware of what kind of behaviors are acceptable and which need to be addressed. We see parents who refuse to acknowledge that their child needs services because they have nothing to compare them to. It sometimes takes a year or two to get the parent to agree to an evaluation. I'm sure if and when Will is evaluated, and if and when anything comes up, Jen, being a professional, will follow through. I think she's just a little naive as a mom. 

[MrMattyMatt]

The ratings they are getting are excellent for TLC.  Good news for TLC and those who want the show to continue. 

Thanks for letting us know, I have no idea what those number mean either.   I am glad it's going well for them, but part of me wants them to end it for the kids sake.  So far it been pretty sanguine overall, but as the kids get older I just think it's a bad idea....

[jodo]

 

 

Unfortunately I was pretty disappointed by this episode. As others have said, Bill and Jen are first-time parents and don't seem to have much experience with toddlers and preschool children. If "Will is the smartest 4-year-old I know" according to Bill, then he doesn't seem to have observed very many 4-year-olds. He acts like a much younger child. 

 

I work in a daycare (for toddlers) and preschool (3-5 year olds) children and Will would definitely be receiving evaluation and services for his speech, to begin with. His behavior might also need to be addressed - tantrums are not appropriate at 4 years old, and he needs to learn how to deal with frustration, waiting, and disappointment. You simply can't have ice cream every time you see an ice cream truck. He should have been told that they would be having strawberries later, no ice cream today. 

 

We are supposed to give our children no more than two servings of food. They will ask for more - whining, but not throwing tantrums - and if there is more available, we'll use our judgement whether or not to give additional helpings. Some have been told by doctors seeing them for childhood obesity and high blood pressure (really) that we have to set limits. No amount of pleading will get them more food. 

 

As for "bawk bawk" for chicken? Appropriate for Zoey, not for Will. Parent or teacher would say, "Bawk bawk, yes, chicken. Can you say "chicken"? You use their word, then model the correct word, then ask them to say it. Repeat ad nauseum. If he still doesn't get it, drop "bawk bawk" entirely and only use "chicken." 

 

He not only needs speech (the physical part,) but he needs language, (vocabulary and spoken grammar*) too. 

 

* I want, you want, he wants, etc. 

 

 

Well said and totally agree!  

 

Bill even said he wants to be their friend but "sometimes" has to do some discipline??  Kidding right, if you wanted little people as friends become a big brother not a father.   

Edited June 5, 2014 by jodo

[MrMattyMatt]

The Little Couple Facebook team posted a while back a  photo of Will and Bill saying they had a "Bromance"....   I was like huh?  They love to use the trendy buzzwords it seems. 

 

As a new parent Bill seems to be taking the "I'm the kids best friend" approach.  That may or may not work out, so far Will seems on to getting his way. 

[jodo]

Will is a very smart boy and is becoming a master at getting what he wants, whatever he does works.  But......he will be in for a very rude awakening when he hits the population!  And he might feel betrayed and blindsided by Bill who should be helping Will stand out as the smart boy he is and try much much harder to give him the tools to develop into a little man.  Being a little person comes with enough baggage, he doesn't need to be talking like a baby or having tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants.     

[Absolom]

Since there is some confusion, the average prime time viewership for TLC last week was 1.121 M viewers. That's a bit higher than usual for them. It usually hovers in the neighborhood of 1 M or a bit lower. TLC almost never drops a show that consistently stays above their average. The exceptions have usually become too expensive. The rating number means the estimated percentage of the universe of TV households (18-49 in this case) tuned to a program in the average minute. Ratings are expressed as a percent. TLC shows are usually down around .5 to .7.

[Lola16]

And he didn't really "share" the sherbet or sorbet with Zoey. He held onto the cup with both his hands, and Jen asked for Zoey if Zoey could have a spoonful. That's not sharing. Sharing would be passing the cup back and forth (and Zoey would probably be satisfied after a couple of spoonfuls anyway) or drawing a little "dividing line" across the top. 

 

My years as a preschool teacher have turned me into quite a little old Miss Grundy. I sound like I'm nitpicking, but I can see what behaviors lead to what consequences, and it looks like Will is learning very few consequences. 

 

Not all kids are the same.  As a teacher, you know that.  I did 5 years with 2nd graders.  I can attest to that.  What works on one doesn't work on another, even if they are brothers.   As for sharing, yea, Will didn't pass the cup over but he wasn't asked to.  He also didn't throw a hissy fit when Jen took some for Zoey.  One of my nieces would almost burst a blood vessel when her mom would take 3-4 fries off her plate for her younger sister.  So while Will could do better, he certainly could be doing worse. He did exactly what was requested of him.  Hard to place blame on him there.

 

 

 

As a new parent Bill seems to be taking the "I'm the kids best friend" approach.  That may or may not work out, so far Will seems on to getting his way. 

That's an error a lot of parents make.  Bill addressed it in a TH saying he knows he needs to discipline Will and can't always be his BFF.

[Absolom]

Jen has typical working parent guilt. She feels guilty for working and she all but said that last night. So instead of being firm with her kids, she gives in. All working parents do it.

 

I have issues with absolutes without support.  My experience is that not all working parents have guilt or if they do, they get over it.  For sure there is a subset of parents who never learn to discipline their kids and are always trying to make sure the kids never suffer any slights. 

 

I haven't seen a lot of tantrums from Will and no full blown ones recently.  He was doing the fall to the ground and cry or resist when they first brought him home but he seems to have gotten out of that now as he should.

[Fostersmom]

Will's little sad panda pout was adorable and he totally knew what he was doing. He kept slipping into a small smile as he was trying to keep his pout on. 

 

While both kids looked adorable at the strawberry farm (although, it looked more like a park with a berry stand to me), I wish Jen had dressed them more comfortably for the day. Poor Zoey's in a frilly dress and Will's in a shirt and vest, but both Bill and Jen were basically in shorts and tee shirts. Cute has a time and a place and a berry farm might not be the right place for a party dress. Plus, I was worried about Zoey's feet. Her little feet are so very tiny, those little shoes she had on looked more like slippers and probably were designed for infants who do very little walking around outside. Very cute, but didn't look they would even hold up to a stick poking through the bottom. 

 

I cracked up when they were done taking their pictures and they were going under the plastic rope and Will totally ducked. His head was a foot under it, Bill said you don't need to duck, but I loved that Will did. To me, that said Will doesn't see himself any different for any other person and if other's need to duck, then so does he. Very healthy sense of self to me. 

[RedheadZombie]

I think Bill's laughing at Will's pitiful face was Bill's way of letting Will know that the manipulation wasn't going to work.  My cousin did that to her daughter just the other day.  When the pathetic fake crying started, my cousin laughed and said, "I don't think so".  The whining stopped almost immediately.

 

I don't have many complaints with the way Bill and Jen parent.  The only thing I remember questioning was Will's speech therapy.  He only goes once a week, so working with him at home daily is essential.  During that session, Zoey was at the table and included in the homework.  It's a distraction for Will and the parent working with him.  That may not be typical for them, but Will deserves 100% focus during his homework.

[kb3]

According to twitter there was a night when Bill and Jenn didn't tweet  during the show as they were attending baptism classes.  I have also noted that when they eat it would appear they say grace and cross themselves.  I am respectful of their keeping aspects of their lives private. There was an article from a few years ago where Jenn noted that events are celebrated twice - once for the camera and once for them.

 

And joining into the ice cream truck discussion.  Our backyard is fenced so my daughter didn't see the truck, but could hear the music.  We told her that in summer there were nice people who drove music trucks around in the evening so that we could enjoy them.  How about a freezie?  I think we made it to almost 5 before she figured it out.  Twenty years later it still gets thrown out at me! I'm sure there were far more heinous things that I did in my first time parenting but this was the one that stuck.

Edited June 5, 2014 by kb3

[CousinAmy]

They wouldn't be eligible for

Head Start because of their income. They certainly can afford a top-notch preschool that offers comprehensive services.

[jodo]

I am so finally glad to read these posts that Will needs more than what he is getting to help him communicate.  He is being let down by his parents!  Yes, I said it!  Bill and Jen are letting Will down by not giving him absolutely all the resources available to get that boy up to speed.  I am tired of reading "they are doing their best"..."he is speaking sentences now"..."he had so much to deal with in the last year"....bullshit or poppycock for the faint hearted.  

[BitterApple]

To Will's credit he did share when Jen asked him to. From a logistics perspective a four year-old holding an ice cream cup is less dangerous than a two year-old in a party dress holding an ice cream cup.

I've been berry picking several times and in my experience most parents will let their kids sneak a couple to get it out of their system and then insist the berries go in the baskets. Although I'm often critical of Will's eating I can't say what he did or didn't do since I only saw him eat one strawberry on camera. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[Fostersmom]

I was wondering how I managed to miss the quarts of berries that Will was apparently shoving in his mouth the entire time. 

[gunderda]

I am so finally glad to read these posts that Will needs more than what he is getting to help him communicate.  He is being let down by his parents!  Yes, I said it!  Bill and Jen are letting Will down by not giving him absolutely all the resources available to get that boy up to speed.  I am tired of reading "they are doing their best"..."he is speaking sentences now"..."he had so much to deal with in the last year"....bullshit or poppycock for the faint hearted.  

 

If you know everything they are doing or not doing, I'm sure everyone else would love to know.  

 

However, I think it's safe to assume that no one, except those in their immediate circle know entirely what they are doing to help Will catch up. And it's unfair to say they aren't doing enough when you have no idea what they are doing exactly.  Just because we seem to know that Will only attends speech therapy once a week doesn't mean that's all they are doing.  We also don't know how far he is into the process.  Things get filmed and switched around all the time.  We may see things when Will has had quite a bit of therapy and the next episode there might be scenes from when he just started.  

Edited June 5, 2014 by gunderda