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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 11:48 am
Quite honestly, I thought the way Mrs. Chaos parented is likely to be far more disastrous for her children's future than the strict parents' methods. That said, I did find the strict parents to be far too rigid -- and many of their methods I do disagree with. I don't believe in the Whacker, I don't believe in such rigidity, and I do believe the social aspect of school and opening children up to people, ideas and cultures outside your own is a good thing -- but I also believe that having some rules, teaching a sense of order and responsibility, taking good care of your body and health, etc., are things that I wish more parents did with their children. But also, kids should be allowed to have a little fun. They're kids, for pete's sake. It's a balance. I know that we were supposed to appreciate the "fun-loving" Chaos group more, but to me they seemed even more dysfunctional somehow. Like I said earlier, it's a balance. Teach your kids some respect and some responsibility. And Mrs. Chaos was ridiculous at the end. Absolutely ridiculous. I was glad when her husband said, "What are you doing?!" I also appreciated Mrs. Strict's no-nonsense comment at the end about nutrition, and being able to see what the effect of eating nothing but junk has on your health. It wasn't mean-spirited, just matter-of-fact, and I'm glad she said it in the way she did.
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Hippyt
Member
06-15-2001
| Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 12:01 pm
I was glad they ditched the whacker too. Mr. Strict seemed so robotic to me. Seems like it had never occurred to him to talk to the kids with some respect and reason. If nothing else was learned by any of them,at least he learned you that don't have to have leather straps hanging all over the house to remind your children who is in charge. Oh,and I agree that daughter with the boyfriend will probably end up pregnant. My parents NEVER let me have boys in my bedroom. I just hope Ms. Chaos has the intelligence to discuss birth control with her girls.
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Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 1:11 pm
The undisciplined family was on Jimmy Kimmell last night with the BF. He swears he's a virgin [on national TV!] and that the way the show was edited makes it seem like they are up there with the door closed for a long time, even though they are not. The undisciplined mom acted like she did on the show, which was not very impressive to me. I didn't like either family and I felt bad for both. Even though everyone seems worried about the future of the undisciplined kids, the disciplined kids have a hard row to hoe, too because of the rigidity with which they have been raised. I wonder how they will ever acclimate themselves to the real world. I did, however, like disciplined mom [and undisciplined dad somewhat]. I think both were the weaker personalities in their relationship and could have eventually forged an agreement. No such luck between disciplined dad and undisciplined mom.
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Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 1:48 pm
I found both families too extreme in their own ways. Strict family needs to learn to lighten up and have some fun. I felt sorry for their kids. In addition, kids who grow up having everything told to them don't ever get to make the mistakes they need to make in order to learn to make healthy choices on their own. So in spite of the strictness, I'm not sure these kids will be all that responsible when they are free to make their own decisions. They won't know how. Chaos family needs to grow up (all of them), and be more responsible. Life isn't all just one big fun fest, you have to learn to deal with the difficult stuff in healthy ways. And I found Mrs. Chaos unbearable in some ways and as much of a control freak as the strict family in her own way. Both families could have learned something from the other, if it had been presented differently and they had been more open-minded. I'm not sure much was gained by either except they each became more convinced of how "right" they are. Sigh.
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 4:59 pm
ITA Kar. I wondered why they were even on the show if neither was open to trying something different or learning something new.
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Not1worry
Member
07-30-2002
| Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 5:45 pm
I was mostly interested in the show from a home schooling perspective. My 2 kids have always been homeschooled, we are finishing our 4th year. I doubt the HS kids going to public school (and the other kids staying home) was a typical experience. The school and the teachers knew it was only for 3 days. The kids were "stars" and sure - recess is fun, did the producers think the kids were going to mope about that? Sadly, I have to wonder if the kids in that family get out and have activities with other kids enough. My kids have home school P.E. and arts and crafts every week with 100 other HS kids, they have HS computer class, park days, etc. We did a field trip to Olive Garden this week (not terribly educational, but totally fun). The producers definitely wanted to slant it to look like the kids were socially deprived and public school was the cure. The non-strict mom just made my skin crawl. The strict mom wasn't too likeable, but not like the other one.
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Dogdoc
Member
09-29-2001
| Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 6:01 pm
I felt sorry for military dad at one point. He finally relaxed and shook CANDY out of the pinata for the kids and got yelled at by chaos mom. I think it was wrong of chaos mom to 1. Make the vegetarian kids eat meat which was bound to cause digestive problems and 2. Let the kids run around the pool area. I hope the strict parents see how happy their kids were when they got to play.
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 6:29 pm
YES!! Dogdoc, excatly.. it wasn't like the Chaotic mom actually wanted the strict dad to hear her.. in fact I never heard her finish a conversation with anyone,, her husband or the other couple, she just got up in faces, took offense and shouted and never listened to anyone and then usually stomped off.. sheesh. And here this guy was, loosening up .. a person who wanted to cause change would have been ecstatic.. not her! She just goes all whiney and lashes out at him. And he WAS right about the running around at the pool.. after all he was the one who would get sued if one of those kids got hurt. And the sad thing is she was for the most part just as hostile to her own husband, except when he was kissing her, uh, feet..
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Annie
Member
11-10-2004
| Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 11:37 pm
Was I the only one who noticed Chaotic mom didn't follow the rules the first week? She tried to buy chips, and then stomped out of the store like a spoiled child, but when it was her rules, they were black and white. Let's face it, chaotic mom's older daughter will be living off them for a long long time, that might be a good thing, she could help take care of her sister's baby, her and her b/f are a train wreck waiting to happen. At least in the end, the Strict family, lightened up on the rules a bit.
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Watching2
Member
07-07-2001
| Friday, November 12, 2004 - 1:39 am
Let's face it, chaotic mom's older daughter will be living off them for a long long time, that might be a good thing, she could help take care of her sister's baby, her and her b/f are a train wreck waiting to happen. Bwahahahaha Annie!! You said just what I was thinking!! I agree the strict family lightened up a bit and the chaos mom just made herself look worse all the time. I didn't think either of the husbands were that bad. Strict husband at least tried as did Chaos husband. What he sees in wifey, I'm clueless!! I saw Chaos mom on Jimmy Kimmel and she thought she looked even "better?" Ummm hello? You think an awful lot of yourself don't you? SHEEEESH! She just made herself look worse! The main things these shows highlight every week is the need for BALANCE! I wish they'd stop showing such extremes since it's going to get old fast. They need to find something else in their lives to focus on where they actually might learn something and use it. What's their point in doing this anyway if they have no intention of learning from it?
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Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Friday, November 12, 2004 - 5:58 am
No, I dont see it that way!! I see the military mom and dad as being more savy to the "publicity" aspect of this show!! I didnt see military dad "loosen" up at all, he always was at attention. When he pulled that car over with the kids so excited to share thier experiences with their "new" mom, he would've spanked them there and then, but she stood up to his bullying. He then turns to the cameras, and then I would say some editing took place, the kids were cowered as usual, and they drove off... At the pinata, there was more chaos than *I* would've allowed, perhaps... but those kids were exposed to fun, and allowed to share it. Military dad wanted it OVER as fast as possible, yes he shook the pinata, instead of letting all "11" kids participate, he didnt "get" it, and the "new" mom didnt know how to educate, she wasnt as "savy" as Military dad. This show plays off of extremes, and that's exactly what we got. However, I was so insulted at the follow up show, again, the scenes they showed of the military parents lead me to believe they are much more "savy" and knew how to play to the cameras, to come off looking a little better... to me that was sad... I'm glad the kids were allowed to eat meat for a week, I only wish that would've given the over powering control parents an insight into the joys of being a kid, how sad some childhoods must be to turn around and subject another generation into power plays, the old "might vs right". . . came into play more than once as I watched this show...
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Friday, November 12, 2004 - 8:43 am
Chaotic mom was every bit as controlling as the most controlling person I have ever seen. What a horrible example to her girls!
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Auntiemike
Member
09-17-2001
| Friday, November 12, 2004 - 2:01 pm
Maybe it's just me but I was so repulsed by the "chaotic" mom I had difficulty watching this show. I couldn't believe how rude, immature and downright dysfunctional she was. She may have had a goal to loosen up the kids in the "military-type" home, which I think she accomplished, but as far as manipulating others with her emotion, walking away from any situation she doesn't have complete control in, her inability to listen to others and show respect, her destructive parenting, her self-righteousness, her "shoot from the hip" reactions, etc. are all red flags to me that she is a deeply unstable influence in her home. It's her way or the highway. She scares me to death! Heaven help her children who are learning to parent just like her. Her husband needs more backbone, and to strengthen his parenting skills as well.
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Friday, November 12, 2004 - 3:02 pm
Reader, I saw it more as overstrict vs dangerously loose.. not might/right. And no matter how much fun was being had, you simply don't let anyone run around a swimming pool on a wet deck.. even on Big Brother if you watch the feeds with adults who have signed away all rights, they still are quick to quash that sort of behavior and here we had a gaggle of children running amok and Chaotic Mom refusing to even discuss the possibility of having ground rules. Sure, dad should have let the kids all have a turn but it wasn't the end of the world for the kids and for his own kids it must have been pretty neat to see him get into a play activity like that.
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Bridget
Member
07-11-2004
| Saturday, November 13, 2004 - 9:14 pm
I missed something, did the strict parents mention why there were no doors on their cupboards? It was driving me bonkers.
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Watching2
Member
07-07-2001
| Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 4:46 am
Hmmm.. maybe we'll catch them on an episode of "Queer Eye" LOL!! I remember how horrified we were when they took the cupboard doors off in this guy's kitchen! They never really said, but I know what you mean!
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Justalittlebean
Member
08-15-2003
| Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 6:56 am
There is more behind the "military" dad besides serving 5 years in the Navy. I spent 22 years living on military bases with my husband (also Navy) and I have never seen such a anal acting person. We once had a neighbor who was a gunny sgt. in the Marines and she was raising two daughters and was very strict with her girls but nothing like him. I felt so sorry for those children and the mother reminded me of a prison guard. 
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Alisons
Member
01-10-2003
| Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 8:06 am
I think that we can safely say that if you are chosen to be a family on this show, there is something drastically wrong with the way you are living.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 8:20 am
Alisons, so true!!! LOL
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Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 9:29 am
I agree Sea that there was drastic differences... I'll still say sometimes at pool parties the activity from kids when there are cameras around is often upped... and that shouldnt excuse what has been pointed out that "chaotic" mom was too lenient, creating choas in every since of the word, and if her family wasnt as chaotic I could wonder if it wasnt to give these kids a difference - but she wasnt coming from that point of view at all!! I still say that "military" dad scared me, his tactics came across to me, (from my life experiences) as controlling and abusive. (verbally if not physically) However, as has been posted this is a show looking for opposites.(and I give him no credit for standing stiff as a board at that pool party, he didnt want that party, didnt want to be there, but he knew he was on TV, and he was more publicity savvy imho - I agree with you Sea that its not the end of anyone's world not to get a turn to hit the pinata, but I took it more of, he wanted it over, it was his way of "controlling" things, but again, it is probably my interpretation, based on my life expereinces!!) (and a ps, I too know military families that are not controling, or come across in this manner!)
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Serate
Member
08-21-2001
| Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 8:29 pm
I thought the military dad looked like he was actually having fun when he was shaking the pinata.
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Annie
Member
11-10-2004
| Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 10:20 pm
I thought so too Serate. And I think it wouldn't really matter to Chaotic mom, if he had let the others hit the pinata, she would have accused him of not lowering or raising it high enough for everyone to reach. Had anyone been hurt running around the pool, she would have made it his fault. Chaotic mom is full of "excuseitis", she should have just said "the neighbors horse died" that would cover EVERY fault against her.
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 11:49 pm
What I observed was that chaotic mom simply shouted over pretty much anyone who attempted to dialog with her.. including military dad, strict mom, or her own wishy washy husband.. and she pretty much told the camera that she was going to mess up the strict family. This isn't saying that the strict family didn't need some loosening up, just that chaotic mom wasn't the most appropriate vehicle to deliver that message, IMO.
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Riviere
Member
09-09-2000
| Wednesday, November 17, 2004 - 3:55 am
Hey, Justalittlebean~ you caught what my USCG career hubby did, that man was at "parade rest" most of time on camera. I thought their home schooling spoke volumes of their need for absolute control more than what's good for their children to learn about life. The wives tried, quite telling that the husbands had the understanding of what the other puts up with daily?
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Wednesday, November 17, 2004 - 9:18 pm
I was so surprised. I thought I'd hate Jimmy and love Hallmark. Turned out I loved Jimmy and somewhat disliked Hallmark. I really never ended up liking Kim...(except for the fact that she was the one that turned Jimmy around.)
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