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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Friday, November 06, 2009 - 12:19 pm
I am just interested in this family and since the boys have graduated from high school and there was talk of college, I found it interesting to talk about it.
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Brenda1966
Member
07-03-2002
| Friday, November 06, 2009 - 12:38 pm
It's the first question I ask when anyone graduates: What are they doing now? I think both Amy and Matt went to college, so there's an expectation there that they will do the same. If not, perhaps a trade school. I really hope they are not going to lay around and sleep all day while Amy does their laundry and cooks for them. Would love to know what path they end up on toward a career, toward some marketable skills.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, November 06, 2009 - 5:06 pm
It has been the subject of any number of episodes of this show, so naturally it would be discussed. Amy has talked about college and grades for several seasons.. they even made the boys go to Sylvan Learning Center at one point, undoubtedly a product placement but something Amy hoped would help them. Matt and Amy are educated and speak well and seem to write well and I'd guess they want that for their children too.
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Twiggyish
Member
08-14-2000
| Saturday, November 07, 2009 - 6:49 am
Community College is a good option. They can get some of their basics out of the way... since all colleges require English, Science..etc.. classes. They can get that done at the local level and transfer at a later date to a 4 year.
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Kellsma
Member
08-27-2002
| Monday, November 09, 2009 - 7:19 pm
Haha, good episode on Jacob and texting. It is quite annoying watching your kids so engrossed in texting. What I don't understand is why they don't have unlimited texting on their plan. They have a Verizon plan. I have a Verizon family plan and for 30.00/month, we have unlimited texting on all of our phones. That is 30.00 total, not per line. How can anyone still have a cell bill that high. Just does not make sense with all the plans out there.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Monday, November 09, 2009 - 7:29 pm
Kell, that was my first thought too....why not get the unlimited text plan. I'd be curious as to what he had to say in those text.....geez. I missed the texting craze...personally I hate it. My adult children (20's) seem obsessed with texting. I don't get it.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, November 09, 2009 - 8:58 pm
I'm guessing they didn't want any of their kids having unlimited texting.. more than the money it was the idea that he was so obsessed at age 12.. probably they had had no problem with three teenagers and two adults texting so it didn't even occur to them that suddenly Jacob would turn into a text monster.
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Kellsma
Member
08-27-2002
| Monday, November 09, 2009 - 9:42 pm
Well with not getting unlimited texting they now have a 2700.00 texting bill. If they want Jacob to be able to contact them if he needs them or they want to check on him, they just need to block texting on his phone. Very easy to do. My DD is 17 and that is how all the kids communicate. Heck, I text quite a bit now myself between co-workers, friends and family but Jacob does not need to text so they just need to block his texting. I wonder if they really got a 2700.00 phone bill or if that was just for hte show and to prove a point. Regarding not having a problem with the older kids and texting, I would think the older kids would be just as obsessed or even more 
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 4:23 am
i think until you have been through that, you don't realize how fast the texts add up even when you set up rules...BTDT! LOL
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Brenda1966
Member
07-03-2002
| Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 8:18 am
It's hard to believe that Jacob is 12 -- I still think of him as the baby and he acts so young at times. Was anyone else a bit annoyed that Zach when to his first coaching job completely unprepared? It sounded like that coach had asked them in advance to prepare a plan and they didn't work on it at all. I wonder if the coach showed them a sample of what he was talking about in advance. I think he should have been a bit harder on them regarding their lack of preparation.
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 8:43 am
Tex, I agree, they really add up fast. Each of my kids usually has at least 2000 texts per month. Sometimes 8000. (And kids can text very fast!) Even I have 200 per month and I hate to text...I avoid it a lot. When I was in high school (I know Jacob is a bit younger), I used to spend hours and hours on the phone with my friends. This tied up the line of course and made it impossible for anyone to contact my other family members. Also, I was not interacting with my family when I was on the phone. Kids need to be able to talk to their friends. At least when they are texting they are communicating. I'd rather have them text than play video games or watch tv. My three kids still talk with us etc. They interact with us and take texts and text back too and our conversation does not really even get interrupted. I have not noticed anything detrimental re: the texting here in our family. It is quite practical at times too. (We do check the bill though and will take their cell phones away if they text or call past bedtime. Also, no texting during dinner.) My oldest daughter (and us, although she paid us back for it) learned the hard way about texting. She ran up a bill (no where near $2700!) We did get unlimited texting after that. I wonder if $2700 was just Jacob's total or if it was for more than one month. At 10 cents a text, he'd have to text or receive 54 texts per hour for 16 hours for 31 days to reach $2700. (On our old plan, we were charged with incoming texts too...before we got unlimited.) That is not very realistic. Maybe their texts cost more than 10 cents each. I think they should definitely get unlimited texting. You have to weigh that sort of thing. $2700 is such a waste of money...not worth it when the lesson is to text less or whatever. One of our old plans was $5 per line per month for unlimited texting. Now, our plan just includes unlimited texting. I think this family is great. I think there is so much love. I haven't seen any of the new episodes this season, but in the past, I never saw the kids being disrespectful to their parents. I could care less about that messy house. (I would not be able to live with it that messy and be calm, but it is not my house.) I think the kids will be just fine. This family has different priorities than a clean house. I do think they all know how to clean, the kids would just rather do other things. I do cringe when Amy gets them up in the morning. But I don't think it is really going to damage them. I think they should get themselves up, but I don't fault Amy for doing it. Anyway, they will do it when they have to. It might take a strong natural consequence like losing a job, but they will naturally learn and cope with what life gives them, including getting up in the morning. I think all 4 of those kids have had a great upbringing and are very decent people and will thrive as adults.
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Rissa
Member
03-20-2006
| Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 8:58 am
We have unltd texting for our girls as well. Only costs $10 per mnth/per daughter. On top of that they each get 200 minutes of phone time. That's what hubby and I have decided is reasonable considering they can use the home phone for free when at home and shouldn't be making phone calls on school property. We changed last year from a contract to a pay-as-you-go so that when the 200 minutes are up, the phone just stops working until the next mnths payment goes through. If they want more then they can pay to top it up out of their own allowance. We used to have mnthly arguments and just gave up, I really don't think they understand just how fast those minutes and texting limits run out. This way, no arguments and they learn to self-monitor their calling limits (the first month my eldest ran out of minutes before the first week was up, she spent hours on the phone with virgin trying to find out why her phone was broken . That was a long month for her and her dialing addiction). I am sure Amy/Matt will have changed their phone plan asap after a bill like that. If not then odds are they got phone calls from friends/family when the episode aired. LOL
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Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 10:21 am
Happymom, did you notice how all the boys were walking out the door of the hotel at 9AM in order to be on time with the soccer bigshot? That just shows they can get up on time when they have to. There is hope for them yet. As for Jacob, words fail me at what they let him get away with. The worst is his total disrespect for how he talks to his parents; and how he jut goes ahead and does whatever he wants to. Their lack of dissapline with Jacob might just come back to haunt them one day. I find it scary.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 10:51 am
I think the main point was that Matt wanted to be involved in parenting now that he's home more and he just runs over Amy who was used to and had to make all of those decisions previously. Matt isn't typical retirement age and wasn't deployed in the military but they exhibit some of the issues of those situations.. Amy's initial reason for not wanting Jacob to have a cell phone at that time didn't have to do with whatever cost,and sure they could switch their plan if they want him to be texting that much.. just seems like the other three kids hadn't run into excess but then they may not have had the opportunity at age 12, since Amy wouldn't have given them the phones. Matt mentioned Jacob being out on their property.. well I imagine they have walkie talkies.. in fact I'm sure they used them in the pumpkin and tour business and certainly as mentioned above they could just put limits on his phone. It was clear that Matt just handed over one he'd been using with all of his contacts and perks (and if I had been one of Matt's BUSINESS contacts I'd have been not too happy to see him hand my info over to Jacob, though it SEEMED that Jacob may have deleted, but who knows?). I was also shaking my head when Matt kept fighting Amy on her punishments which seemed right in line with what they had told Jacob.. he had rules, and if he broke them he'd lose the phone. Matt wanted to punish Jacob by making him "clean his room" which seemed like Matt slapping at Amy for not making the kids maintain the house more and nothing to do with a cell phone. Yep, teens have always felt the need to communicate and I remember the hassle of land lines at a time when few people had separate lines for kids.. living in a fairly wealthy area, some kids actually DID have their own lines, just as some were handed sports cars at age 16, but there were enough of the "rest of us" who had to fight for phone use. I was considered lucky that we had a second phone on the one line in my bedroom, but of course that didn't keep my mom from kicking me off that phone if she needed to use it. Our family was so not phone oriented so mom wasn't all that worried, usually, about missing calls, dad went to work and never called home unles he was on a business trip and for us to call him was just not done. Mostly we were fortunate that we each had good friends who lived in the same development so we just walked or rode a bike and talked to them in person and hung out in person. Amy may be coming from that mentality since she has always welcomed the friends of her kids to hang out there and really doesn't restrict them in their activities so I guess she's happier being able to observe her kids with their friends and even first girlfriends and here is Jacob who has always just tagged along.. didn't SEEM to have friends over, that we've seen and suddenly has the girlfriend and all this secretive texting. Probably one reason Amy had the family over so she could meet them. I think a couple of seasons back they briefly dealt with Jacob's bad attitude and how bratty he was acting but sort of wrote it off to him not getting as much individual attention. Mike Detloff's (sp) death was not only a huge blow to Jeremy, who had spent so much time with Mike, but also to Jacob, who seemed to get one on one attention and encouragement from Mike.
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Brenda1966
Member
07-03-2002
| Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 10:51 am
Certainly seems like the case of the younger one getting away with far more than the older kids did because the parents are tired, worn out, and just ignore a lot of bad behavior. I too was shocked at how disrespectful he was. And good observation that they did get themselves up on time for the meeting! It's amazing how self reliant kids can be when mom is not around. 
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 12:57 pm
Jake has always been the sly one. He never seemed as enamoured with his folks or family as the other kids. He's displayed other actions that caught me off guard like the time they were doing something maybe taking a boat ride and reached out or stepped off in a dangerous way. Jake having such a close relationship with a girl at age 12??? is also a bit glaring. My kids at opposite sex friends (boy/girl group dating and movie going) at that age but not to the point of spending every min texting or talking. I like Jake best of all the kids and wish him the best. I bet when it comes to his turn to go away to college he'll make sure there is NO WAY he's going to stay in town. He seems to be the most independent and less tied to the family than the twins. On a whole this texting is rather harmless compared to other things...not good but take the phone away for good is an easy fix. Amy loves her kids no doubt but I don't think she's done well in a lot of ways with them. She favors Zach and Zach is a complete mama's boy even though he disrespects her at times. Matt is the happy go lucky kid-dad. I think in many ways he's living the childhood that he couldn't have because of all the hospital stays. All in all this is a great family and the kids are loved and taken care of. It's a bit odd having their lives shown on TV and in return they get comments like mine. I'm getting a bad feeling about the strength of their marriage. Amy was so pissed that she couldn't even bother to mention where she was going and didn't bother to return Matt's calls. I've been plenty ticked at my husband but never just walked out to go to an event and not bother reminding people in the family where I'd be. I think Matt and Amy could benefit from some family or marriage counseling before it's too late.
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Twiggyish
Member
08-14-2000
| Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 2:16 pm
I agree they could use some marriage counseling. Otherwise, the resentment could build. However, I do think they are far more close than Jon and Kate.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Monday, November 16, 2009 - 5:33 pm
It seemed like Matt made a point to make it clear that his friend got the Maui rooms and he was using frequent flyer miles to get the airfare or maybe I’m still jaded by Jon & Kate? The gun play sorta freaked me out. Zak’s maturity seems to be a bit stunted. And OMG on the condition of Zaks room. I can’t believe they didn’t have tents at home. I’m guessing they have dozens, they just have no clue where they are in that mess of a house. I’m thinking that Matt and Amy’s marriage is on a down cycle.
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Zgoodgirl
Member
08-22-2003
| Monday, November 16, 2009 - 6:03 pm
Well, I find it kinda odd that the camera crew did not follow Matt to Maui on his vacation. We only see what TLC wants us to see. And I don't know if I am doubting their relationship now because there is a reason to doubt or if this is the way TLC wants to play now since they banked a little on J&K's fiasco. But what is up with them not communicating with trips like they have had done twice already? I would like to hope that my spouse would inform me of big trips like Maui and BVI. Freebies, frequent flyer trips or not. As for the tents well, we usually have to buy new stakes for ours every couple of years because the stake gremlins get them everytime.
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Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Monday, November 16, 2009 - 6:50 pm
I found it very interesting tonight as they visited my DD alma mater, University of Portland. I don't think there is a snowballs chance in you-know-where that they can got into that school because of their grades.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Monday, November 16, 2009 - 7:03 pm
I was waiting for them to show Matt in Maui, too. I forgot, did Matt mention if his friend that had the rooms was male or female. My mind is going in a very bad direction.
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Brenda1966
Member
07-03-2002
| Monday, November 16, 2009 - 9:11 pm
Didn't Matt say "a buddy of mine"? To me that means male friend. I'm surprised Amy and the kids weren't more angry at him leaving town for their birthday and mother's day. I think I would have been a lot angrier! I think the gun incident just shows Zach's immaturity. I expect that kind of behavior from Jacob, but Zach showed he's at nearly the same mental age. Really stupid and dangerous to shoot someone in the face. I'm thinking of the Christmas Story ("you'll shoot your eye out!") I didn't realize the boys started school late. Most kids are 18 when they graduate, not 19. Some are even 17 if they have a summer birthday. I think Amy is right that Zach is in some kind of crisis. I have to wonder if he's not sabatoging his grades so that he can't get into a University and won't have to leave home. I can understand his fear of venturing out into the unknown.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - 2:04 am
I was 17 and less than two months when I graduated and I still wasn't shooting at people .. and neither was my brother, but he was a pitcher so he got to throw hard toward people. I WAS interested that Amy thought Zach was having an LP crisis and that actually does make some sense.. he's lived in that area all his life, it seems, and maybe stepping out into the world is a little bit scary, no matter what he says. And he didn't want Amy's rather practical advice to be looking around for coping strategies, just felt people would always help him. Amy and Matt both seem the sort to help themselves most of the time.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - 4:16 am
alot of boys here with summer birthdays even late spring are held back for various reasons. lots of my son's friends turned 18 the summer before their senior year. i found it really odd that matt was saying his gift to her was leaving. she also made the comment that 'at first it bothered me, but now i am used to it'.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - 12:07 pm
I have a feeling that when Matt was travelling for work so much, when he was consulting, he missed lots of milestones. When the show started, he was back at the farm but had his company that designed and built the adaptive devices for hotel rooms. Then he moved his office home and Amy wasn't really happy with that, meaning he'd be around all the time (and more time to get into his giant projects and such and they seemed to have more money worries). Then he went back to the consulting but seemed like they realized that physically, this couldn't last for that long, for Matt's sake. Meanwhile they were making more money from the show and of course they got better footage with everyone at home or having adventures that were filmed. So I suspect Amy, while having somewhat less anxiety over money, also felt much more cramped with Matt being around more and sort of randomly swooping in to fix things that she may not have considered broken. This season they are showing him wanting to be more involved and bumping heads with Amy, like with the cell phones or wanting to mete out his style of punishment. And then at the same time he seems to schedule big things without really consulting the family. In the past he had his dad around more.. haven't seen his parents at all so far this season, and Mike was there most days too and I think those people sort of tempered things or stood in for Matt at times with the kids, but also helped Matt. He may have missed other birthdays or mothers days but this time it was completely voluntary. And since they DO get so many comped trips and such (and travelling can be hard on him physically) there is not such a compelling drive to take advantage of something free, such that he should miss those landmark events.
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