S14.E01/E02: Wait, They're Cutting You Open?/Let's Have a Bravo to Dad!

[sATL]

18 hours ago, ellenr33 said:

I would personally be very okay with Jen releasing a brand of clothes because her style is amazing! 

That kinda has already happened because her tailor/designer was on project runway- chloe. I don't remember how far she went into the season,  but she did go far enough to make an impact on my memory.

Re: the eposide- I wonder would it have been better to open the season post surgery.

Re: the show itself- I do like that given Bill & Jen's medical issues and disabilities,  they do have successful / educational careers in something other than the entertainment industry like most of all of the cast from "Little Women of xxx".

Everytime I catch Little Women I always wonder did they ever consider seeking out Jen as a mentor/role model. Not  necessarily to be a Dr., but to be something/anything that is productive to society and not to have to worry about be made fun of or being  typecast.

Edited August 8, 2019 by sATL

[winsomeone]

I wonder where Jenn would be today, if she had started out dirt poor instead of coming from a very wealthy family? She most likely never wanted for a single thing from her first breath on. I doubt that she was saddled with student loans either. Yes she has a lot of drive, but coming from wealth sure helped a lot I imagine. They had money for her 35 surgeries and food and housing, poor people often don't. And where would Bill be if he hadn't married Jenn? His pee pads would not give him the life he has today.

[bichonblitz]

On 8/7/2019 at 1:03 AM, camom said:

Will is taller than his mom, and Zoey isn't far behind.

Jen is so very tiny and fragile. Yet, she let's nothing stand in her way. She is amazing. 

[MMEButterfly]

2 hours ago, winsomeone said:

I wonder where Jenn would be today, if she had started out dirt poor instead of coming from a very wealthy family? She most likely never wanted for a single thing from her first breath on. I doubt that she was saddled with student loans either. Yes she has a lot of drive, but coming from wealth sure helped a lot I imagine. They had money for her 35 surgeries and food and housing, poor people often don't. And where would Bill be if he hadn't married Jenn? His pee pads would not give him the life he has today.

I'm wondering whether she even have survived childhood. She did have a lot of help, but she had so much more to overcome than someone born relatively poor but full of health, strength, and intelligence. At least I feel that.

[ehall1052]

4 hours ago, winsomeone said:

I wonder where Jenn would be today, if she had started out dirt poor instead of coming from a very wealthy family? She most likely never wanted for a single thing from her first breath on. I doubt that she was saddled with student loans either. Yes she has a lot of drive, but coming from wealth sure helped a lot I imagine. They had money for her 35 surgeries and food and housing, poor people often don't. And where would Bill be if he hadn't married Jenn? His pee pads would not give him the life he has today.

After reading their books, I don’t get the impression that Jen came from great wealth. As a matter of fact, her Dad was even out of the picture for a time. Her mom had a lot of help from her family in taking care of the kids (especially Aunt Barbara and her aunt who passed away several years ago).  I don’t know about student loans, but in my case, a Mom of a disabled son, there are scholarships available that regular kids can’t get. My son graduated with 2 masters degrees, no student debt.

Edited August 8, 2019 by ehall1052
Typo

[seahag50]

i think both of Jens parents worked...so maybe double income...I am willing to bet she had full paid college education due to her brains....lots of scholarships and grants.  My sister has her phd and we were not wealthy....just an ohio farm family....she had all of her education paid for...she is a brain...I got the looks LOL...I admire both of the Kleins..

[Quilt Fairy]

7 hours ago, sATL said:

Re: the eposide- I wonder would it have been better to open the season post surgery.

I agree.  Watching people sit in the surgical waiting room is not interesting TV.  

I also wonder why they even took Will and Zoey to NYC with them.  It's a huge amount of people to wrangle through the airport and a very busy city when Jen is post-op.   Even if they wanted to film Jen's surgery, I would have left the kids with Aunt Barbara and the dogs. 

[Sew Sumi]

7 hours ago, sATL said:

That kinda has already happened because her tailor/designer was on project runway- chloe. I don't remember how far she went into the season,  but she did go far enough to make an impact on my memory.

Re: the eposide- I wonder would it have been better to open the season post surgery.

Re: the show itself- I do like that given Bill & Jen's medical issues and disabilities,  they do have successful / educational careers in something other than the entertainment industry like most of all of the cast from "Little Women of xxx".

Everytime I catch Little Women I always wonder did they ever consider seeking out Jen as a mentor/role model. Not  necessarily to be a Dr., but to be something/anything that is productive to society and not to have to worry about be made fun of or being  typecast.

Chloe won her season of Project Runway. I wonder if she's still making Jen's clothes since the move?

[pdlinda]

5 hours ago, winsomeone said:

I wonder where Jenn would be today, if she had started out dirt poor instead of coming from a very wealthy family? She most likely never wanted for a single thing from her first breath on. I doubt that she was saddled with student loans either. Yes she has a lot of drive, but coming from wealth sure helped a lot I imagine. They had money for her 35 surgeries and food and housing, poor people often don't. And where would Bill be if he hadn't married Jenn? His pee pads would not give him the life he has today.

From personal experience,,some of the most feckless, useless, uninspiring and lackluster people I know (including close family) come from financial wealth.  These are individuals who throughout their lives depended on (and to this day, depend on) parents for financial support and show little initiative and/or motivation to strike out on their own including completing a college education.

Conversely, some of the most financially successful, inspiring, high functioning and highly productive individuals I know came from homes that were financially working class (or as you refer to them as "dirt poor.".

This things that make Jen so admirable and inspiring is NOT the financial wealth (although from what I read that term seems a bit overblown...) of her family.  It's the character, values, integrity, sense of determination, grit and personal initiative that she engaged (and engages each and every day) to get through the rigor and demands of the education and career that she chose!!

I hope that Jen and Bill dig deep into what made them successful, functional adults and not OVERINDULGE their two precious children with material things that far surpass what most "ordinary" (non-disabled) parents provide for their children (regardless of their financial circumstances).  I see some signs of that and it gives me pause.

[readheaded]

6 hours ago, winsomeone said:

I wonder where Jenn would be today, if she had started out dirt poor instead of coming from a very wealthy family? She most likely never wanted for a single thing from her first breath on. I doubt that she was saddled with student loans either. Yes she has a lot of drive, but coming from wealth sure helped a lot I imagine. They had money for her 35 surgeries and food and housing, poor people often don't. And where would Bill be if he hadn't married Jenn? His pee pads would not give him the life he has today.

I read their book and it seemed like she came from a middle class background, not wealth.  The book talks about how her parents made it all work.  She was also very bright and probably earned scholarships for that reason, and maybe because she's an LP.  And, I don't think she had 35 surgeries as a child; I thought that was total? 

Likewise, Bill had his own success before he met Jen.  No doubt reality TV has helped them financially, but Bill was doing fine before Jen and reality TV.

[Bon bon]

1 hour ago, Sew Sumi said:

Chloe won her season of Project Runway. I wonder if she's still making Jen's clothes since the move?

Chloe only made a few dresses for Jen.  These are formal dresses for some events she went to!  

[SunnyBeBe]

I had given the show up for a while, because of the children's out of control behavior that was not addressed by their parents annoyed me.  (Maybe, that was producer driven, as it seems to be a theme with TLC shows.)  But, I tuned in to give it a shot and I was pleasantly surprised.  The kids behavior was better, which tells me that maybe their teachers are reinforcing the importance of abiding by rules and showing respect to adults. I'm not quite buying that it's coming from their parents.....lol.  Sort of kidding...but, I do find that for their age, they really do seem immature. Not sure where that's coming from.   At their age, the proper care of a hamster shouldn't be an issue. 

I did notice that Zoey has taken on a lot of Jen's characteristics. The way she words things is very Jen like, imo.  And, both of the kids are quite the chatterbox. I didn't talk that much when I was a kid, especially around strangers.  I have noticed that more kids today are very chatty.  Lots of talk all the time.  Interesting.  I'm not a fan of that, though.  

I totally get Jen's fear after her anesthesia experience.  Once, when I was sedated, but, I could feel something cold like water going up my nose, only, I was frozen and couldn't move, couldn't speak, everything was black!  I thought I was going to choke, because, I couldn't swallow....then, I went totally out.  I awoke okay. I was having eye lid surgery.  We never did figure out what happened, except that some kind of water they were irrigating my incision rolled into my nose.  NOW, I really fear it. 

[jcbrown]

Zoey is so adorable. I was grinning every time she was onscreen. I agree with the poster who suggested Zoey would do well in a theater program.

[BitterApple]

3 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

 Sort of kidding...but, I do find that for their age, they really do seem immature. Not sure where that's coming from.   

I agree. I'm not sure what their daily life is like, but I've noticed the kids inhale a crap-ton of sugar during filming. They're always bouncing off the walls and maybe that's why they seem so much younger than they really are. 

Edited August 9, 2019 by BitterApple

[SunnyBeBe]

3 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

I agree. I'm not sure what their daily life is like, but I've noticed the kids inhale a crap-ton of sugar during filming. They're always bouncing off the walls and maybe that's why they seem so much younger than they really are. 

Maybe...I haven't done the research, but I've read that the thing about sugar is not really as the theory goes.  And, I'm not sure that it's so much an energy thing.  Hmmmm....I'd like to see them interacting with their peers. 

[Quilt Fairy]

3 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

..but, I do find that for their age, they really do seem immature.

I thought that Will seemed much more mature than last season, much better spoken.  Previously Zoey seemed more advanced than Will, but in this episode I thought the reverse was true. 

[sATL]

During all of the counting and reminiscing about past surgeries/illnesses- just what happened to the family- namely Jen's mom faith in that surgery will go well? Faith in the medical team? Faith in a full recovery?

Edited August 9, 2019 by sATL

[Quilt Fairy]

56 minutes ago, sATL said:

During all of the counting and reminiscing about past surgeries/illnesses- just what happened to the family- namely Jen's mom faith in that surgery will go well? Faith in the medical team? Faith in a full recovery?

That was strange.  It appears that she thinks that so far they've been lucky and at some point their luck will run out.  Or maybe that statistically it's time for a bad result?  

[floridamom]

I watched the program. Sadly the children babble...constantly. They don't seem to really make any sense; they ramble on. Their behavior is questioning to me....still. Will was 'riding the luggage' across the floor at home, Jen told him to stop and Will completely ignored her, which Jen did NOT pursue. I also noted that the kids didn't really seem to give a damn what was going on with their mother and her surgery. They were more interested in what TOYS they wanted to buy and kept on asking for them. They seem to not give good eye contact and didn't show any emotion about their mother. I think they have some issues there. Jen's mother was visibly annoyed at Will for his reaction in one of the scenes about Jen's surgery; can't remember which one, exactly, but it was obvious to me. I think  the Kleins have their hands full with those two children. Certainly they take a lot of energy just to be around, IMO. Anyone else notice these things?

[readheaded]

6 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

That was strange.  It appears that she thinks that so far they've been lucky and at some point their luck will run out.  Or maybe that statistically it's time for a bad result?  

I totally understand what her mom was saying, even though it's not at all rational.  It's like you just feel like you can't keep going to the well before it eventually comes up dry.  Her mom also said something else that resonated with me, even though it, too wasn't rational; she said that that SHE'D put her daughter through all the surgeries.  As a parent of a child with medical issues, even though you don't want your child to have to have surgery, it's necessary and you have to force the child to go through things that are really hard and they don't necessarily understand.  As I've posted before here on the forums, 2 of my kids have Crohn's and I just feel like I have to keep "asking" them to do things that no one ever wants to do (colonscopy prep for a 6 year old, monthly infusions, weekly shots, etc.).  There's just a lot of anxiety and emotion going on.

I also understand the whole idea of making the day before surgery and even the trip for the surgery fun.  There's a good chance Will and/or Zoey will need surgery, so Jen and Bill are trying to model for their kids a way to make a little lemonade from their lemons.  Because their own parents were able to help them do that is just one of the many reasons they've been able to build such good lives for themselves without self-pity.

[readheaded]

1 hour ago, floridamom said:

I watched the program. Sadly the children babble...constantly. They don't seem to really make any sense; they ramble on. Their behavior is questioning to me....still. Will was 'riding the luggage' across the floor at home, Jen told him to stop and Will completely ignored her, which Jen did NOT pursue. I also noted that the kids didn't really seem to give a damn what was going on with their mother and her surgery. They were more interested in what TOYS they wanted to buy and kept on asking for them. They seem to not give good eye contact and didn't show any emotion about their mother. I think they have some issues there. Jen's mother was visibly annoyed at Will for his reaction in one of the scenes about Jen's surgery; can't remember which one, exactly, but it was obvious to me. I think  the Kleins have their hands full with those two children. Certainly they take a lot of energy just to be around, IMO. Anyone else notice these things?

The title of the episode was Will's quote when he expressed concern about his mom having surgery in the restaurant.  And then Zoey later said she added to her Christmas wish list that she wished for her mom to feel better.  

[BW Manilowe]

1 hour ago, readheaded said:

I totally understand what her mom was saying, even though it's not at all rational.  It's like you just feel like you can't keep going to the well before it eventually comes up dry.  Her mom also said something else that resonated with me, even though it, too wasn't rational; she said that that SHE'D put her daughter through all the surgeries.  As a parent of a child with medical issues, even though you don't want your child to have to have surgery, it's necessary and you have to force the child to go through things that are really hard and they don't necessarily understand.  As I've posted before here on the forums, 2 of my kids have Crohn's and I just feel like I have to keep "asking" them to do things that no one ever wants to do (colonscopy prep for a 6 year old, monthly infusions, weekly shots, etc.).  There's just a lot of anxiety and emotion going on.

I also understand the whole idea of making the day before surgery and even the trip for the surgery fun.  There's a good chance Will and/or Zoey will need surgery, so Jen and Bill are trying to model for their kids a way to make a little lemonade from their lemons.  Because their own parents were able to help them do that is just one of the many reasons they've been able to build such good lives for themselves without self-pity.

Regarding the bolded, Will has already had surgery at least once (& an MRI under sedation). So has Zoey.

In an early season of the show, soon after they brought him home to Houston, Will had his tonsils & adenoids removed, tubes put in his ears (which was hopefully supposed to help alleviate his hearing issues) &, as I said before, I believe he also had an MRI under sedation (which I think was supposed to check the status of his skeletal dysplasia). They devoted a whole episode to that, if not 2. He had the surgery at the hospital in Delaware, I think it is, where their dwarfism specialist doctors are. Will also got to have a special day in Delaware, or wherever the hospital is, the day before the surgery. He could eat whatever he wanted all day, even if it was more junk food & less nutritious food than Jen (at least) would’ve liked. Will was also going through 1 of his phases of liking cars, or some other form of transportation, at the time & Bill & Jen took him to see a classic model car, or whatever it was. And during all the procedures Jen was going back & forth between “well-informed doctor” & “mother having a freak out” about everything. Once the procedures were over, Jen stayed in the hospital with Will until he was released a day or 2 later. In an ep filmed & aired since the move to Florida, Will also underwent a sleep study, to check on his sleep apnea, at the same hospital where Jen works. She stayed overnight with him then, too. The study showed Will needs to wear the headgear when he sleeps for at least another year, according to a voice over or talking head by Jen in the same episode.

Zoey’s also had at least tubes put in her ears (not sure about her tonsils removed) & she also had sleep studies (& was diagnosed with sleep apnea, but—as Bill or Jen said in. the ep about Will’s sleep study (I think)—Zoey has managed to grow out of her sleep apnea & she doesn’t have to sleep in the headgear anymore.

As someone else said, somewhere in this forum, the producers probably didn’t show Zoey going through the ear tubes procedure or the sleep apnea-related stuff because they’d already shown Will going through the same things & perhaps they thought seeing Zoey undergo them too would be redundant.

I think the only time they “repeated” something medical about the kids was when they showed Will & Zoey going together for their annual checkups with the skeletal dysplasia specialists after Zoey came home from India. And they probably showed that because it was Zoey’s first exam & Jen & Bill would learn the status/severity of Zoey’s dysplasia (as would the viewers) during the exam.

[BitterApple]

3 hours ago, floridamom said:

. I also noted that the kids didn't really seem to give a damn what was going on with their mother and her surgery. They were more interested in what TOYS they wanted to buy and kept on asking for them.

 Anyone else notice these things?

I noticed. When Will asked for a second toy the day after he got something at FAO, it would've been a nice moment for Bill to stress the main point of being there was for Jen. He could've had the kids color some Get Well pictures or suggested buying a gift to raise Jen's spirits. 

[libgirl2]

3 hours ago, readheaded said:

The title of the episode was Will's quote when he expressed concern about his mom having surgery in the restaurant.  And then Zoey later said she added to her Christmas wish list that she wished for her mom to feel better.  

And kids are kids. They don't always get the gravity of the surgery or if they do, they still get silly and act like children. 

[Libby]

Will displays signs of being overly concerned with what he's going to get. He has had this issue since the Kleins first adopted him. The behavior is most often related to food, but also with other things like toys. In addition to asking for the second toy, there was the gummy bear discussion with Jen. He said that he should get all of the gummy bears and that he was the gummy bear king. That's two examples in a two hour episode. While all children display this behavior, I think that it's much more pronounced in Will. I think that it's probably due to his very rough start in life.

I don't fault Will for displaying this behavior. I fault Bill and Jen for doing nothing to address it in the six years that they've had him. Rather than trying to curb Will's tendency to over indulge they reinforce it by constantly giving in to him.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Chloe Dao, Jenn's designer is the winner of the second season of Project Runway.    She has one or two boutiques in Houston, where she's from.     She's a great designer, and has a very successful line, and like most successful designers now, has an online store.    

It must have been terrifying for Jenn having that surgery with her fused neck, and I'm so glad she has that surgery behind her. 

[SunnyBeBe]

7 hours ago, floridamom said:

I watched the program. Sadly the children babble...constantly. They don't seem to really make any sense; they ramble on. Their behavior is questioning to me....still. Will was 'riding the luggage' across the floor at home, Jen told him to stop and Will completely ignored her, which Jen did NOT pursue. I also noted that the kids didn't really seem to give a damn what was going on with their mother and her surgery. They were more interested in what TOYS they wanted to buy and kept on asking for them. They seem to not give good eye contact and didn't show any emotion about their mother. I think they have some issues there. Jen's mother was visibly annoyed at Will for his reaction in one of the scenes about Jen's surgery; can't remember which one, exactly, but it was obvious to me. I think  the Kleins have their hands full with those two children. Certainly they take a lot of energy just to be around, IMO. Anyone else notice these things?

I do get what you are talking about.  They still do have a lot of maturing to do.  I think that Bill and Jen have good intentions, but, aren't that intent on rules of the house, manners or control.  To me, the parent's job is to teach the children how to control themselves, since, that's what they will need to do for the rest of their lives.  Something tells me that the kids do a much better job when at school or with nonfamily members.  Or really, just anywhere except around Bill and Jen.  lol  But, it has gotten better.

I don't think kids their age are really capable of processing the potential risk and seriousness of surgery, like an older kid might.  I know that when I was their age, I had some family members undergo some pretty serious health crisis and one even passed away.  I just didn't understand.  So, I don't put much into that aspect of how things went.  

[Foghorn Leghorn]

44 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I do get what you are talking about.  They still do have a lot of maturing to do.  I think that Bill and Jen have good intentions, but, aren't that intent on rules of the house, manners or control.  To me, the parent's job is to teach the children how to control themselves, since, that's what they will need to do for the rest of their lives.  Something tells me that the kids do a much better job when at school or with nonfamily members.  Or really, just anywhere except around Bill and Jen.  lol  But, it has gotten better.

I don't think kids their age are really capable of processing the potential risk and seriousness of surgery, like an older kid might.  I know that when I was their age, I had some family members undergo some pretty serious health crisis and one even passed away.  I just didn't understand.  So, I don't put much into that aspect of how things went.  

I agree with both of you.  The children are rewarded at every turn in the way of food, toys and activities.  Jen almost coddled Will about the theme for his room, she gave him all the power if that makes sense during their discussion over breakfast in that restaurant where they laid on the furniture preventing any other persons waiting to even have a seat...both Jen and Bill seemed oblivious and they too are almost just as spoiled.  

Jen and Bill were not typical kids getting into trouble either inside or outside the home.  They were too busy with doctors, surgeries, recoveries and therapy.  So they never were disciplined as children so they never learned how to do it themselves.  Their parents simply gave them things to make them happy based on what they could afford of course.  Jen commented on how many times her own room growing up was redecorated.  

And the adults certainly seem to be over it with the kids!  They look tired and not everything is as cute anymore.  The scene with Kate showed a woman not happy!  How can she discipline the children if she is not supported or backed up by their parents.  She has a difficult job.  

Edited August 9, 2019 by Foghorn Leghorn

[SunnyBeBe]

I wonder if Bill still has his car.  Recall how he refused to get the mini van/SUV type vehicle for the family.  I suppose you can have both.   

I suppose that I'm not bothered that much with the overindulgence as some are.  I focus more on the attitude, respect and self control in behavior.  Maybe, I'm biased.  I was the first born and only grandchild for a while and quite the center of attention and presents.  I really got anything I wanted for a while. But, I was also very well behaved, respectful and kind.  (This according to friends and family who recall it.)  Not a lot of warnings or talk either.  I knew what was expected and did not want even a cross look from my parents, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.  No spankings were ever involved.  

I realize that all parents have their own method of parenting.  Maybe, Ben and Jen's will work out fine.  But, if it's like this now, I can only wonder about them at age 15.  lol  Nonetheless, both of them seem VERY proud of their kids.  I think they think things are fine. 

Edited August 9, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[lookeyloo]

On 8/9/2019 at 2:08 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

I wonder if Bill still has his car.  Recall how he refused to get the mini van/SUV type vehicle for the family.  I suppose you can have both.   

I suppose that I'm not bothered that much with the overindulgence as some are.  I focus more on the attitude, respect and self control in behavior.  Maybe, I'm biased.  I was the first born and only grandchild for a while and quite the center of attention and presents.  I really got anything I wanted for a while. But, I was also very well behaved, respectful and kind.  (This according to friends and family who recall it.)  Not a lot of warnings or talk either.  I knew what was expected and did not want even a cross look from my parents, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.  No spankings were ever involved.  

I realize that all parents have their own method of parenting.  Maybe, Ben and Jen's will work out fine.  But, if it's like this now, I can only wonder about them at age 15.  lol  Nonetheless, both of them seem VERY proud of their kids.  I think they think things are fine. 

I just watched the episode and read all the comments and I agree with your last paragraph.  I got tired listening to Zoey go on and on. She is very bossy and more articulate than Will and just rags on him.   Of course the producers may have influenced all of that, but, still, she seems very comfortable with it. What is with that blinking thing he does.  He seems to have a sadness about him.  I don't find Zoey all that adorable.  Yes, she is cute and Jen dresses her very well, but, wow, she would make me tired in a minute.  I too wonder about them when they are teenagers since the parents have little control over them now.

[floridamom]

Another thing that I was quite surprised about was Bill's attitude about the kids licking the beaters when they were baking. He said if Jen wasn't there he would have let them lick the beaters. She was sitting right there watching the whole thing. It's always a bad thing for the children to know that their parents don't agree about the 'rules'. Bill wants to be more of the childrens' friend instead of their father. He makes Jen out to be the bad guy. I'd be so mad at my husband for doing that. Jen has 3 children to raise, not two.

[SunnyBeBe]

7 hours ago, floridamom said:

Another thing that I was quite surprised about was Bill's attitude about the kids licking the beaters when they were baking. He said if Jen wasn't there he would have let them lick the beaters. She was sitting right there watching the whole thing. It's always a bad thing for the children to know that their parents don't agree about the 'rules'. Bill wants to be more of the childrens' friend instead of their father. He makes Jen out to be the bad guy. I'd be so mad at my husband for doing that. Jen has 3 children to raise, not two.

Yes. Bill does take on almost a nonparental role with the kids at times, as if he's the doting grandparent.  When describing how he does that, he grins, like it's a joke.  That bothers me too.  It's as if he doesn't get that some things like severe overindulgence, undercutting their mother's policies, and excessive permissiveness, isn't just fine.....He doesn't get that he ends up hurting the kids.  If he doesn't get that by now....I doubt he will. 

Edited August 12, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[BigBingerBro]

I've often gotten the impression that the whole "TV Show" thing is sort of a big joke to Bill.  I'll bet that he's worried how he'll be portrayed if he disciplines the kids too much while the cameras are rolling.  Editing can make someone look really good or really bad.  I have a feeling he'd rather appear overindulgent than like he's some sort of monster parent.  We already know that major events like Christmas are usually staged on shows like this.  Who really knows what they are like off camera.

[flyingdi]

I'm not sure Bill regards the show as a big joke but I am sure that Bill is far more comfortable not being serious.  From what I've seen he seems to shy away from the serious stuff.  Some people are like that.

Edited August 14, 2019 by flyingdi

[SunnyBeBe]

Yeah, it's difficult to say how much of these reality shows are producer driven. I get that, but, then there are some things that I don't think even the producers can control and that is the kids behavior and the parent's immediate responses.  I think viewers can get an indication of some things, no matter how bad the producers want to manage it. And, I don't think that most of those we see will lie about their core values.  (I'm not including all TLC shows on this. Just certain shows.  I believe some ARE able to lie about anything. lol, but, not Jen and Bill.)

[toodles]

I enjoyed the season opener, but too much Will and Zoey.  I'm not a kid person and listening to Will's butt and poop comments and Zoey rambling about nothing really annoyed me.  I realize it's what kids do and I will be ff through their talking heads.

[readheaded]

On 8/9/2019 at 1:59 PM, Foghorn Leghorn said:

I agree with both of you.  The children are rewarded at every turn in the way of food, toys and activities.  Jen almost coddled Will about the theme for his room, she gave him all the power if that makes sense during their discussion over breakfast in that restaurant where they laid on the furniture preventing any other persons waiting to even have a seat...both Jen and Bill seemed oblivious and they too are almost just as spoiled.  

Jen and Bill were not typical kids getting into trouble either inside or outside the home.  They were too busy with doctors, surgeries, recoveries and therapy.  So they never were disciplined as children so they never learned how to do it themselves.  Their parents simply gave them things to make them happy based on what they could afford of course.  Jen commented on how many times her own room growing up was redecorated.  

And the adults certainly seem to be over it with the kids!  They look tired and not everything is as cute anymore.  The scene with Kate showed a woman not happy!  How can she discipline the children if she is not supported or backed up by their parents.  She has a difficult job.  

Maybe you have some insider knowledge about them, but when I read their book I didn't get at all that they weren't disciplined by their parents.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

5 minutes ago, readheaded said:

Maybe you have some insider knowledge about them, but when I read their book I didn't get at all that they weren't disciplined by their parents.

I meant they weren’t disciplined as much or as often as.children who were not needing so many surgeries as children.  The discipline is lacking big time with Will and Zoey.  

[readheaded]

15 minutes ago, Foghorn Leghorn said:

I meant they weren’t disciplined as much or as often as.children who were not needing so many surgeries as children.  The discipline is lacking big time with Will and Zoey.  

I honestly don't understand how you've come to the conclusion that because they needed so many surgeries as children that they weren't disciplined as much or as often as children who didn't.

[winsomeone]

I have a son who was always medically fragile, and I agree. These kids just are not disciplined as much as children. They have so much to cope with just staying alive, so how much discipline are you going to heap onto them?

[readheaded]

2 hours ago, winsomeone said:

I have a son who was always medically fragile, and I agree. These kids just are not disciplined as much as children. They have so much to cope with just staying alive, so how much discipline are you going to heap onto them?

I respectfully disagree.  We don’t discipline our sons with Crohn’s differently than the 1 who doesn’t. They’re all held to the same standards. 

[Libby]

If I had a child who's every summer vacation consisted of going to the hospital, getting their bones broken, and then spending the rest of the summer in a cast, I wouldn't be heavy on the discipline.

If indeed Bill and Jen's parents let things slide, I certainly wouldn't fault them.

[Dmarie019]

I'd be willing to bet that when the cameras aren't there the kids are disciplined a little bit more and likely behave better at the same time.  But also I don't think Jen is super comfortable disciplining them a lot - it's likely more Bill. And I don't think either of them are comfortable doing it on camera.  I think we see a hyper version of the kids because they get excited with the crew arrives and it's a fun time for them. 

[sATL]

Is it a new policy  that children are  not allowed in the hospital - at all ? I can understand certain areas ...so security  stops then at the door??

[BitterApple]

1 minute ago, sATL said:

Is it a new policy  that children are  not allowed in the hospital - at all ? I can understand certain areas ...so security  stops then at the door??

I was curious about that myself. The ICU, I can understand, but regular rooms? That surprised me. Maybe the hospital is worried about unvaccinated children spreading disease? 

[tomorrowgirl]

5 minutes ago, sATL said:

Is it a new policy  that children are  not allowed in the hospital - at all ? I can understand certain areas ...so security  stops then at the door??

Maybe Jen's surgery took place during flu season.  A lot of hospitals don't allow children in at that time, and really discourage any visitors from coming in.

[readheaded]

47 minutes ago, tomorrowgirl said:

Maybe Jen's surgery took place during flu season.  A lot of hospitals don't allow children in at that time, and really discourage any visitors from coming in.

I took a look at the hospital’s website and it looks like kids under 14 aren’t allowed in any clinical areas (unless they’re patients).  https://www.hss.edu/visitor-information.asp

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Many-sized people,

Let's move away from discussions related to whether or not Bill and Jen were disciplined as children.  They are not children on the show.  They are adult parents.  Let's keep the discussion to the show.  

[camom]

Quote

I took a look at the hospital’s website and it looks like kids under 14 aren’t allowed in any clinical areas (unless they’re patients).

This used to be the policy at pretty much every hospital.  When my daughter had surgeries in the late 70s and 80s, I wasn't allowed to stay with her after visiting hours, either.  I wonder if the increase in in-hospital infections (like sepsis) is in any way linked to more lax rules on visitors.

[RebeccatheWriter]

16 hours ago, camom said:

This used to be the policy at pretty much every hospital.  When my daughter had surgeries in the late 70s and 80s, I wasn't allowed to stay with her after visiting hours, either.  I wonder if the increase in in-hospital infections (like sepsis) is in any way linked to more lax rules on visitors.

Yes, when my grandfather was hospitalized in 1983, I was 8 years old. The rule at that hospital was that visitors had to be 10. My mother instructed me to say I was born in 1973 and to stand as tall as I could. I was so scared that they (the hospital police) would catch on and I would be sent to jail.

Her surgery was before Christmas and some areas of the country did have a rough flu outbreak in December. It is possible that she was in a hospital that did include such protocols that would prevent visitors who would prove to be a higher risk.