Jon & Kate plus 8 (shows, parents, friends, Boise)

[returningtonepa???]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

I love it. Kate is my favorite television celebrity :P I don't think she's rude at all- I know I'm just about as type A as she is and if I was out and about with 8 kids, I be a nervous wreck and yelling at my husband too. It's not a conscious thing- can you imagine what is going through her mind every time she takes her kids out? Jon's kind of a dope, in a good way, but he often is much too laid back and whiney for the household IMO. They work well together because they balance each other out, even if there is some tension at times.

i agree neither r perfect

[jfkIII]

what happens when those six reach age 9 or so? One has soccer practice, the other has a concert at school, another is sick with the flu, another has boy scouts...etc...all at the same exact time! It will all collapse.

While Kate and Jon are harried now, they currently do have the advantage to fully control every movement of those 6 kids. As they get older and more independent, it will only work against the marriage and lead to a household of chaos and further separateness in their marriage. Just wait until those 6 are in their teen years.

No way will their marriage survive long term.

[gentlearts]

I love the show, and think Jon and Kate do a great job with the kids. Some things I wonder about though..
If making memories and establishing family traditions are so important to them, where is their extended family? We've only seen Kate's brother and SIL and there was a reference to Jon's grandmother once. It seems they farm in substitute grandparents and neighbors, but not the real thing. Maybe no relatives want to be on TV?
Also, I think it's so interesting that the children are only 1/4 Korean, yet they all look more Asian than even Jon does. Interesting.

[Rose Red]

It is curious that we don't see there extended family. Maybe they don't live close by. My husband and I don't live near our families and we have a lot of close friends and neighbors that help us on occasion. I wonder if that will ever come up on a show.

I think there doing a great job not losing their minds with eight children. Eight children... I have one 2 1/2 year old. Could you imagine hearing her meltdown times eight? I don't know how I would behave in her shoes.

I think what makes the show so fascinating is that does anyone know how they would behave with eight children? Six of which are the exact same age? Six children going through the terrific twos at the same time! Yikes!!! There life is a challenge and will continue to be challenging but it can work with a supportive network. Could you picture them all going to prom at the same time...

[Roselvr]

Its been discussed on the J&K+8 forums.. think they said her parents live not too far & he is a minister.

[MooksterL1]

Originally Posted by Rose Red

I think there doing a great job not losing their minds with eight children. Eight children... I have one 2 1/2 year old. Could you imagine hearing her meltdown times eight? I don't know how I would behave in her shoes.

I think what makes the show so fascinating is that does anyone know how they would behave with eight children? Six of which are the exact same age? Six children going through the terrific twos at the same time! Yikes!!! There life is a challenge and will continue to be challenging but it can work with a supportive network. Could you picture them all going to prom at the same time...

I agree with you! I often wonder if I could even deal with 8 that age at the same time. My son is almost 2 1/2 and the meltdowns are very frequent. Yikes indeed!

[MooksterL1]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

I love the show, and think Jon and Kate do a great job with the kids. Some things I wonder about though..
If making memories and establishing family traditions are so important to them, where is their extended family? We've only seen Kate's brother and SIL and there was a reference to Jon's grandmother once. It seems they farm in substitute grandparents and neighbors, but not the real thing. Maybe no relatives want to be on TV?
Also, I think it's so interesting that the children are only 1/4 Korean, yet they all look more Asian than even Jon does. Interesting.

Good points. I've also wondered about both. Kate did say once that neither set of parents were involved in their lives, but that's the only reference I've noticed.
I'm not sure what fertility method they used, but I wonder if that has anything to do with the kids resembling Jon so much. You would think at least one or two would have gotten a few of Kate's genes. My boys are east Indian and they look very different from each other. My oldest has darker skin and eyes, but my youngest resembles me.

[Prettygyrl777]

They should save up for marriage/family counseling.

[sskkc]

"One has soccer practice, the other has a concert at school, another is sick with the flu, another has boy scouts"

I don't see that this will be a huge problem for them. Kate's very organized, and I'm sure she won't over-schedule her kids, as so many parents do these days (really, does your 9 year old need EVERY moment of her day, every day of the week scheduled? Whatever happened to playtime?)... plus, I'm sure other parents will offer to drive one home from practice, drive another to Scouts, etc. If she keeps it to one activity per child, some will choose the same one, one or two will elect to be home with mom and dad without all the others around.

If one is sick and the other has something that can't be moved (like a concert), then one parent can attend while the other stays home... just like in other families. I'm sure they'll work it out... really I am amazed at what Kate has the ENERGY to do. So she snaps at Jon... sometimes when I'm tired and my husband is being an idiot or deliberately provoking me or just fails to read my mind, I snap at him. And I only have 2 kids... but no cameras are following me around, reminding me of every hateful thing I've said to him.

I love this show!

[Roselvr]

I went back and tried to do a little reading at other sites I go to. This is the info I could find...

Jon is half Korean (Korean mother, French/Welsh father-deceased)
Jon's dad passed away.
Nothing has ever been mentioned about Jon's mom other than she lives in Pennsylvania and is not part of their everyday lives. She could be in their lives, but not day to day. His grandmother was in the birthday party episode IIRC

From someone that was a volunteer when the kids came home from the hospital.. Jon's mother lives in PA, Kates Parents just live a "hop, skip & a jump" away, but were never really a part of Kate & Jon's life.

A friend of Kate's posted on the TLC board that her parents have 17 grandchildren and aren't part of any of their lives on a day to day basis.

Kate is close to her brother Kevin and his family, and also her sister Kendra and her family.

I'm also reading her father is a minister & owns a trailer park in PA.