S07.E15: The Big 4-0

[jodo]

I think the difference is the Kleins DO have a yard and could have been provided a play area.      

[wrestlesflamingos]

Isn't the yard itself a play area? I don't know very much about kids but I don't think play sets and sandboxes are required.  I have a hard time believing the kids have a hard life. 

 

Neonatology is an immensely demanding specialty.  Many of the doctors that go after it wash out and wind up internists or pediatricians.  I call hog wash on her choosing that course based on her skeleton.

[cassaundroll]

The front yard is neither enclosed nor private.  Is it therefore a safe or appropriate play area?  Have we ever seen the kids -- or the dogs, for that matter -- play in it?  True: just because we haven't seen them doesn't mean it doesn't happen.  However, we ARE treated to many, many photos (especially during their summer hiatus) of them playing -- Will trying to eat plastic food toys, etc. -- in what was originally intended to be Bill's media room (more bad house layout planning).  Just one final thought: has anyone ever heard the term "poor little rich kid"?  Any child requires much more than designer clothing, expensive trips, electronic gadgets, and other material advantages to thrive, as we've seen illustrated by the Gosselins and -- even before that -- the Dionne quints (who did have an outdoor play area, albeit on display to the paying public).

Edited August 19, 2014 by cassaundroll

[SistaLadybug]

The front yard is neither enclosed or private.  Is it therefore a safe or appropriate play area?  Have we ever seen the kids -- or the dogs, for that matter -- play in it?  Just one final thought: has anyone ever heard the term, "poor little rich kid"?  A child needs more than material advantages to thrive.

My front yard (small as it is) is neither enclosed nor private.  My daughter, when she plays outside, plays in it and on the sidewalk.  While she has more than what I had as a child, we are not what one would consider "rich" or even particularly well-off.  We are solidly middle class.  She is thriving.  So, I agree, a child needs more than material advantages to thrive.  I don't think anyone would dispute that.  In my opinion, some of the things being called out as problematic are of little consequence.  The effect of television cameras is likely not a small thing.  But whether or not a child's home has a yard, whether a toddler is made to participate in tea parties with her mom, whether a dad is the stay-at-home parent rather than the mom ... I think these things are of little consequence to whether or not a child thrives.

[jodo]

And Will and Zoey are now "famous" and cannot enjoy the freedom of playing outdoors without fenced/protected areas anymore thanks to TLC.  

[cassaundroll]

For the record, I have no problem with Bill being the stay-at-home parent versus Jen, since Bill is so painfully obviously better suited to that task.  The more time Jen spends being OCD and Type A at work (where these are valuable traits) rather than micromanaging her children's every move and breath at home, the better.  My only concern is that paid help is probably spending the bulk of the time with them and that they're spending the bulk of that time indoors with only each other and not really interacting meaningfully much, just from what we've been privy to.  Will was absolutely thriving under Bill's care when Jen first returned to work and before Zoey was adopted.  Even the experts caution against adopting again too soon.  More than from Jen's cancer or even the permanent lights, camera, and action for the viewing audience's vicarious pleasure, I believe Will has suffered from the loss of quality time with his beloved Baba.  That his development has come to a screeching halt is irrefutable, IMO.

Edited August 19, 2014 by cassaundroll

[xldb2004]

As someone pointed out earlier, the pool will be useful to all of the family for years to come, unlike a swingset, sandbox, or jungle gym.  The kids are getting water safety lessons ( we saw Will, so I will assume Zoey will too) and the pool is fenced. I have always lived in Southern California and having a pool that takes up the entire yard is not rare. There are some who believe the Arnold-Kleins should not be on TV and that is a fair point.  However I my opinion I have not seen anything that makes them unfit parents. I am beginning to realize for some, just being on TV trumps all the good they have done for these kids, at least that's how it comes across to me. 

[cassaundroll]

I suppose it depends how you would define good.  If you mean material wealth and modern medical care, I suppose they're better off, although I don't subscribe to the notion that they were in one of Dante's rings before (particularly Will).  Is it "good" to have your childhood exploited on TV for financial gain?  Not in my opinion.  Let us be careful not to frame these adoptions as acts of charity.  I view them more as the attainment of ambitions, not to say purchases, and can only hope that the quest for ratings didn't enter into the equation at all.

Edited August 19, 2014 by cassaundroll

[starfire]

FWIW, the pool does not appear to be fenced. The backyard is fenced, but the pool is not fenced within the backyard. Hopefully they have childproof locks and maybe even an alarm on their backdoor(s) just in case one of the kids decides to try to sneak into the backyard by themselves.

[xldb2004]

I suppose it depends how you would define good.  If you mean material wealth and modern medical care, I suppose they're better off, although I don't subscribe to the notion that they were in one of Dante's rings before (particularly Will).  Is it "good" to have your childhood exploited on TV for financial gain?  Not in my opinion.  Let us be careful not to frame these adoptions as acts of charity.  I view them more as the attainment of ambitions, not to say purchases, and can only hope that the quest for ratings didn't enter into the equation at all.

Look at Zoey then and now. 

[cassaundroll]

I did say "particularly Will."  Zoey loves her Baba (I never believed the whole "rejected Bill" spin and never will; I believe, instead, my own eyes and ears) and I'm sure she gets excellent care and nurturing from the nanny.  I do not credit Jen - who is not by any stretch a relaxed, instinctive, or natural parent - with Zoey's progress.  That said, she's still not speaking (to speak of), sucks her fingers to a worrisome extent, and is being treated like a dress-up doll.

 

Is she better off at the Arnold-Kleins than she was in the orphanage?  Considering what a bad orphanage it was (in contrast to Will's), probably.  Is she better off there than she would be in another home with non-reality-TV-star parents and no lights, camera, action?  Probably not...

Edited August 19, 2014 by cassaundroll

[jodo]

Well if weight is any indication then Zoey has certainly flourished since joining the AK family!  Those kids never had food like this in China or India but they will have to be careful.  I remember Jen mentioning it was not good for little people especially to carry extra weight and they commented how he had put on 3lbs before he had even left China likely eating the hotel food and I remember Bill bringing him his first taste of McDonalds at the hotel.  Welcome to the North American obesity battle!    

I hope next season we see Bill with a reduced waistline as this is not good for his internal organs or his back.  Jen keeps herself nice and trim!  

Edited August 19, 2014 by jodo

[wrestlesflamingos]

We are definitely off topic for this episode thread.  I'm going to take some thoughts over to the general thread. Please join me.

[iamkarski]

I think both kids adore their parents but I can't help but notice Will and Zoe are more relaxed when they're alone with Bill. Zoe seems like such a Daddy's girl I wonder if the earlier "Zoe hates Bill" stuff was slightly exaggerated.

 

I think exaggerated in a way that they somehow made us see the difference as to how Will adjusted right away compared to Zoey's. It may not be as bad as we thought it to be but certainly during the early part it was evident in the videos they showed that Zoey was pushing Bill away when he tried to comfort her. 

[Literata]

Jen keeps herself nice and trim!

 

One more reason I admire Jen. I'm not terribly tall, and when I gain five pounds, it shows. She must be very disciplined in maintaining her weight.