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Archive through January 20, 2005

The TVClubHouse: Other Reality Shows ARCHIVES: Archives for 2005-3: WifeSwap: ARCHIVES: Archive through January 20, 2005 users admin

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Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Friday, January 14, 2005 - 2:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
My kids aren't allowed to go to a house where there is no adult.

Sunshyne4u
Member

06-17-2003

Friday, January 14, 2005 - 4:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Oh I agree some hangout houses MIGHT be good IF THERE ARE solid rules then I dont consider it a true Teen Hangout house where anyone can just walk in the door.

What I think some of you are saying is that your kid's friends feel comfortable coming over and being part of your family. This is different from what I have experienced and what was portrayed on the show which I was commenting on.

One hangout house I went to had a pervert father who was creepy and would try to grope you. Let me tell ya, you slept with one eye open during sleepovers!

Any adult who likes to 'hang out' with kids instead of other adults is questionable. And that includes this Single Mom who is allowing all kinds of behaviour to occur infront of a nineyear old when the mom isnt even home(as shown on the show).




Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Friday, January 14, 2005 - 5:25 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Sun, why would you want to hang out there?
I know alot of kids want to hang out at the house where they can get away with stuff, but it's also interesting to see how they come back to the ones with the rules/structure.

Sunshyne4u
Member

06-17-2003

Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 12:50 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
It was my friend's house. which was also MILES from my house. That was many eons ago ...a different era. SIGH, yes, I remember the days of the REAL hippy communes LOL.

My family was very structured and I was raised properly. But many of my friends were not so lucky and there was much dabbling in drugs - drinking at young ages. I did not join in as I KNEW my parents would KILL ME if they found out LOL Nowadays kids have no fear of parental reprisal I think.

**
I know I am sounding judgemental about the mom But this is a TV show (shrug)



Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 8:51 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Not all kids.

Auntiemike
Member

09-17-2001

Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 9:23 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
On a more positive note, I do think the single mom got the "message" that she needed to be a parent and not a friend. The problem is she has a lot of bad parenting to undo and it will take some time because those kids are going to resist. I do think they can come around, though, and hope that what we saw at the end is the beginning of their changes in attitude. I definitely think the youngest girl has the best chance to grow up nicer than her sisters.

Sunshyne4u
Member

06-17-2003

Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 6:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
cheers to Auntiemike for a positive comment!


I have a bad tendency to focus then debate the negative aspects of this show.

There are great things about this show. I loved how the dad stood up for Single mom when her daughter was being disrespectful. Funny how so many deep feelings come out when they only trade places for a week eh?

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 7:44 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    

Any adult who likes to 'hang out' with kids instead of other adults is questionable.


Sorry -- had to chuckle at this -- I teach HS, so I 'hang out' with kids ALL day long -- and w/ extracurriculars, many weeks it's 6 of 7 days of the week! LOL

Like others, our house was the "hang out" house -- and my dad was a principal. We always had rules, but everyone was always welcome. I remember my dad trying to find students in the middle of the night when their parents would call us instead of looking for them themselves. My parents' love and concern for ALL kids obviously had a major influence on my decision to teach -- but I do hope the "friend" aspect of the single mom is curtailed somewhat after this experience.

Auntiemike
Member

09-17-2001

Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 9:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Aw. thanks, Sunshyne!

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 11:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hey is anyone watching Wife Swap tonight? The rich corporate woman, with the hippy homemaker?

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 2:24 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Yes I watched. Can't say I much liked Corporate Wife. Sure, the hippy wife's home had a lot of knick knacks and stuff, and it wasn't Corporate Mom's cup of tea. I can respect that. But the condesending way she treated Hippy Mom at the meeting later was over the top. Telling her that was an unacceptable way to live and all. Sheesh, what is she going to do, go home and call the authorities on them?

And yes, my oh my we must "de-kid" the house. We mustn't have any evidence of a kid living on the premises!

Watching2
Member

07-07-2001

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 2:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I watched it. The hippy mom seems she's a tad obsessive/compulsive with the shopping, dont ya think? While it's nice to see her spend time with her kids (I did the same thing, but gave up a job at a Fortune 500 co. to do it) and we tend to have way too much clutter, there's no way I would shop in "that kind" of bulk or put a bed in my LR!! Sheeesh! I like to use paper plates as often as possible if it's summer or "finger food" but t to use them all the time? Yikes. I was sort of thinking while I was watching it would be kind of nice to have someone come into our garage and box up all the "stuff" that's going to go in our "garage sale" that keeps getting put off!

I thought the corporate mom was really rude in what she said to hippy couple. She could have gotten her point across much more diplomatically! It appears the "Corporate Family" ended up with the best results in that they realized there was more to life than working and buying nice things, like their daughter! They seemed the worst at first, but seemed to show the most growth afterwards.

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 2:50 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
You bring up some good points about the obsessive pack rat mom. I guess I was so teed off at corporate Mom's attitude at the end there, that's all I could remember off the top of my head.

Yes, buying in bulk that much is pretty odd. But you know what? I'm really surprised my pack-rat mom didn't end up doing the same thing. When we were kids, we couldn't afford tp. We had to use tiny strips of paper napkins (so they wouldn't clog the toilet). We also had to blow our nose on tissues, and then put the used tissue in a box for later use at the toilet. I can tell ya know how unpleasant a memory it was using dried up nose stuff on your fanny. Yuck! Because of that period in time when tp was a golden commodity, in our adult life, we still both feel very rich to have 4 or 5 packages of tp stocked up in the closet. So I can almost understand her stockpiling of tp (though I have no way to know if a shortage of tp in her early childhood triggered that!).

Dogdoc
Member

09-29-2001

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 5:47 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
The cluttered house was just too cluttered. How could you waste a whole bathroom because you wanted to store paper products in there! I didn't understand the de-kidding part however. I liked the way the corporate dad tried to go along with the changes. He seemed so out of place in the grocery store looking for bargains. I don't think his wife will change a whole lot even though she experienced the other families life.

Resortgirl
Member

09-23-2000

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 5:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I had much more empathy for the hippy mom... if you want Disney characters around your house, SO WHAT? That doesn't make the house unclean or unhealthy. Lots of people love knick-knacks... As far as her stockpiling, SO WHAT? If it works for her and her family, who cares! Her kids seemed happy and well adjusted, from what little they showed of them. I would rather have a cluttered messy house full of happy kids then a spotless museum where my daughter's only accessable "parent" was a paid employee. The corporate mom's speech at the end made me absolutely sick! She didn't seem to get the "point" of the experience at all. Well, I guess in the sense that she finally realized that family time was important, but she couldn't seem to see that the other family related to each other in such a wonderful way... that maybe clutter isn't the worst thing in the world. I don't think I could have sat through the final session with the stuff spewing out of corporate moms mouth. I would have "clocked" her!

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 7:24 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Even though I think the hippy mom was a better mom, and I applaud her for realizing what is important in life--I still think there is something psychology wrong with her. There is no reason for that much toilet paper/paper towels. To waste one whole shower/bathroom on it is nuts. There are 6 people sharing one bathroom? That is unnecessary. ANd the clutter was in every room to a ridiculous degree.

Then she spent 8 weeks re-cluttering it? Crazy!

My guess is that the corporate mom did not start out being so critical at their meeting. I guess that the hippy mom showed so much resistance that the corp. mom got fed up....

Geri
Member

07-08-2003

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 7:43 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
The hippy mom was so compulsive about saving that it overshadowed a lot of her good points.

When she started tearing up the paper plate because it cost more than she thought, she pretty much lost me.

I am hoping the editing made the Corporate Mom sound as nasty as it did and that we did miss something before she said that.

I find both this show and trading spouses a lot of fun to watch.

Sweetest_thang
Member

09-28-2004

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 8:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
What I find funny is when the hippy dad made a comment about being able to see the floor of the garage and that just "maybe" he could convince his wife that they work at keeping it that way. and the total Flip flop he did at the meeting and that he liked the way they lived, etc. That just blows my mind.

I believe in buying some stuff in bulk; paper towels, tp. But not to the excessive. The fiance and I use paper plates, but I am trying to break him of that habit.

The corporate mom was a little too condesending, but I think in the end her family is the one that got the most out of the swap.



Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 9:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I think the dad flip flopped at the final meeting because he felt defensive because his wife was being criticized. I think he was just defending her. I really think he'd be happier to have the 2nd bathroom and more space overall and not so much stuff. I think it was positive for him to have his house somewhat decluttered.

I think hippy mom has a bit of a psychological hoarding problem, not severe, but a bit. She seems to shop a lot, so she has time to buy tp etc. every week w/o stockpiling it. Having purchased her cremation dress and never getting rid of anything are both just a bit off.

I really liked how corporate dad did the math with the paper plates vs washing dishes. I just wish hippy mom hadn't gotten so ... can't find the word...but she reacted by cutting the paper plate in 3rds and her attitude was uncomfortable for me to watch.

I thought the corp. daughter was a lot younger than 15. I am so glad for her that they were on this show. She seems to be such a lonely sweetheart of a girl. I hope they spend a lot of time together...more than just one night per week. I thought corp. dad was very reasonable in this show...especially when he said they each have their own independent lives and it has to be that way and right away he corrected himself and said they chose to have it that way (but not saying or implying that it was the proper choice). I feel badly that the girl is 15, I really hope that she hasn't had 15 years of very little time with her parents. I hope that was a recent situation for that family, otherwise it is heartbreaking for the daughter especially.

I think we missed a LOT of that final meeting.

Lilfair
Member

07-09-2003

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 10:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Just going on what “they” showed us.

Corp mom being overwhelmed by walking into the clutter seemed natural. Her wanting to de-clutter I thought was a great idea. Her holier than thou attitude wasn’t the best tactic but I think it’s in her nature to be holier than thou. Instead of being on WifeSwap this family should have been on clean sweep. Honestly, way too much stuff all over the place. But regardless of the clutter and her strange shopping habits it was clear that the kids and parents were very happy and loved one another. I was shocked that stay at home mom didn’t cook for her family. Considering all the love she professed for her family I thought she’d be more interested in the health of her family especially when it comes to nutrition. I found that even odder than her shopping habits.

Corp family was a much sadder family for me to watch. Their daughter seemed very articulate and well educated but so very desperately longing for her parents to pay attention and be affectionate towards her. My heart broke for that young lady. Her parents wasted too many years outsourcing their parental role to hired help. It’s a sad fact that will come back to haunt them sometime in the future. When the corp father bragged that he had a conversation with his daughter that last an hour, something he’s never done before I thought it might be too late. I didn’t mind Corp mom too much I can sorta see where she was coming from in regards to de-cluttering. But Corp dad was a very unlikable person and should never have agreed to participate in the program.


Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 11:43 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Darn I'm sorry I missed this one. Being a mom with 2 kids we use paperplates every day and on holidays. I prefer that to washing plates every night or filling up my dishwasher with them.

Lexie_girl
Member

07-30-2004

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 11:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Gawd... I know I'm going waaaaayyyy against the majority (please be gentle with me) but I personally thought Hippy Mom was a total <>. Her husband even said he makes enough money that she doesn't have to buy in bulk and they don't have to live like that. This woman is a hoarder. And don't even get me started on what a fire hazard her house is!!!

<QT>

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 11:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Lexie, I am with you! I think she is a <>. I do like how she puts her kids first. But she is a hoarder, no doubt about that.

She said she doesn't throw anything away. Her own kids said she was crazy. It was funny/sad that the one said, she was more zany than crazy and the others said, no, she's <>.

<QT>

Hippyt
Member

06-15-2001

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 11:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I thought this was just such a set-up from the get go. Do they recruit these people? Where are the normal people?
I cannot imagine having 6 people share one bathroom and stuffing the other one full of toilet paper and paper towels. That's insane!!
And,it was probably editing,but the corporate mom was just flat out rude to the other mom. There was just no need to attack her like that.

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 11:58 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
hippy, I thought it was rude too, but I will give her benefit of the doubt that there was some editing in that meeting and that corp. mom said that stuff after seeing the hoarder mom was not budging or admitting that decluttering/organization would be a good thing.