Episode 7 preview: 11/10

[Critical]

IMHO...lack of corporal punishment is the root cause for the general lack of respect shown by most kids today. Kids today have no fear of repercussions for anything they do.

Okay - I'll respectfully disagree with that statement. I think some people who use corporal punishment can mistake fear for respect. I can count on one hand the number of times my parents even laid a hand on me as punishment. The "spankings" we got were more for effect (the anticipation was much worse than the actual punishment)... you know - a few little pops on the butt and that's it. For me, hearing "We are so disappointed" was like a knife in my heart and was WAY worse than being spanked and my parents knew that. I grew up in a house with very few rules. The rules we did have were non-negotiable. Granted, my brother and I were good kids, but our parents taught us respect and self-displine without using the fear of corporal punishment. Anyway... getting down now

Random thoughts about this episode

• That "Miss Melissa" stuff was a bit much - I was waiting for her to pull out the Magic Mirror
• Atlas and Geography from a Christian Perspective? I imagined text like "And then this country was invaded by another group of people in the name of Christ." BTW - please no flaming on that - it was meant sarcastically
• Those VA kids needed some serious discipline! What's with an 18-year old living at home and not either working OR going to school?
• FL dad explaining to the little girl that swimming at that time might be "confusing." His inabillity to communicate with a child when he has 5 of them was just sad.
• I felt sorry for the FL kids when they talked about why they wished they went to public school. Those parents think they're teaching their kids to make "correct" choices, but it doesn't seem like they're being given any choices. When they go out into the real world, they won't know how to deal.

Every week when I watch this show, I'm amazed at how I start out the hour thinking I'll like certain parents and, by the end, my opinion changes completely. I'm also surprised by who ends up growing from the experience (and it's usually not the one I start out liking or identifying with) and who I want to smack (and I'm a pacificist!)!

[just1paul]

4) Slapping her husband's hand away when he was reaching for the other husbands hand, to shake it. Oh. My. God! Talk about being a bossy cow! Cindy needs a T-shirt that says, "It's all about ME!"

I can only guess that Cindy's husband (Steve?) has such low esteem that being with her is a step up from a blow-up doll.

The shirt says MOOOOOO, and if poor low esteem hubby did get a blow up doll of his choice, it would take 3 days and a few oxgen tanks to fill. I'm sorry for being rude, but that woman just p*ssed me off, loud, obnoxious, rude, me me me.. *revs engine on tank* aims for big mama

[just1paul]

I can count on one hand the number of times my parents even laid a hand on me as punishment. The "spankings" we got were more for effect (the anticipation was much worse than the actual punishment)... you know - a few little pops on the butt and that's it. For me, hearing "We are so disappointed" was like a knife in my heart and was WAY worse than being spanked and my parents knew that. I grew up in a house with very few rules. The rules we did have were non-negotiable. Granted, my brother and I were good kids, but our parents taught us respect and self-displine without using the fear of corporal punishment. Anyway... getting down now

Random thoughts about this episode

• That "Miss Melissa" stuff was a bit much - I was waiting for her to pull out the Magic Mirror
• Atlas and Geography from a Christian Perspective? I imagined text like "And then this country was invaded by another group of people in the name of Christ." BTW - please no flaming on that - it was meant sarcastically
• Those VA kids needed some serious discipline! What's with an 18-year old living at home and not either working OR going to school?
• FL dad explaining to the little girl that swimming at that time might be "confusing." His inabillity to communicate with a child when he has 5 of them was just sad.
• I felt sorry for the FL kids when they talked about why they wished they went to public school. Those parents think they're teaching their kids to make "correct" choices, but it doesn't seem like they're being given any choices. When they go out into the real world, they won't know how to deal.

Every week when I watch this show, I'm amazed at how I start out the hour thinking I'll like certain parents and, by the end, my opinion changes completely. I'm also surprised by who ends up growing from the experience (and it's usually not the one I start out liking or identifying with) and who I want to smack (and I'm a pacificist!)!

OK I agree completely, especially with the discipline thing, what used to hurt a lot for me was the "Go to your room, think about what you've done, then you can come out and apologize" --wooo! I was usually feeling pretty stupid by then and ready to say sorry, and the parents were right!

Easy for all of us to say this would be better etc., etc., but thats what A forum is, opinions.. your post was well thought out and intelligent.

[dagwood]

I am just watching this episode now and Cindy is so rude, arrogent and uncooperative it's disrespectful. How do you expect to take anything from the experience that YOU signed up for when you aren't willing to play by the rules. The whole supermarket episode about the potato chips was like watching a 2 year old take a temper tantrum. She should be setting an example and showing she is willing to go along with the rules so that the kids in the household will see the fairness in following her rules.

My sentiments exactly. She was a horrid woman. As much as the military parents bugged me, at least they learned something from the experience. Cindy seemed to go into it with the "I'm right and you are wrong" attitude. Her hissy fits when she got mad really bugged me. She could have tried talking to robot dad, but instead she always stalked off and pouted. I think she blew the pinata incident way out of proportion. He was actually starting to loosen up...I think it is a break through. And don't get me started on her kids. At least the military kids were respectful...even when following Cindy's rules.

[Qboots]

Referring back to the VA family being on the late night show last night, the host asked the punk Boyfriend if "he had a job." He replied, "No." Also, apparently he actually lives with the family now; in what room does he sleep, I don't know.

Then, the host asked the boyfriend if "he is a virgin?" which answer to reveal, and then he just shrugged and said, "Yah." to the virgin question. So, the host than asked Sluggo, the oldest daughter, if SHE felt the boyfriend was still a virgin. (I don't 'get' the Virgin Question. ) Sluggo turned from her food on the table, looked at boyfriend, burst out laughing and said, 'I guess. Yeah, I think he is."

Lamest interview I've seen in a lo-o-o-o-n-g time!

Jimmy Kimmel, right? I was wondering if I was the only person who noticed that the 2 girls and the boyfriend didn't seem to be able to come up with a complete sentence between the 3 of them.

And welcome to the newbies: jkirk, weary, & puccathestrange.

[barefootdyke]

I felt sorry for the FL kids when they talked about why they wished they went to public school. Those parents think they're teaching their kids to make "correct" choices, but it doesn't seem like they're being given any choices. When they go out into the real world, they won't know how to deal.

i felt really bad for those kids too. i'm very close friends with some home schooling parents, and their kids have never been to public (or priviate) school, but they're also very involved in a home school cooperative, which provides a weekly "enrichment day" where all of the home school families in the county (that are interested), come together and have a regular "school-like" day. this is where the kids get to enjoy band, drama, debate, speech, etc. ... all of the areas that teach teamwork and interaction with other kids. i've been very impressed with the graduates of that group.

home schooling can be very good if done the right way ... unfortunately, not all of them are.

[TrapperJon]

Okay - I'll respectfully disagree with that statement.

I respectfully respect your opinion. (See how well I was brought up...LOL)

Like I said, it's my humble opinion. I for one don't have kid's (everyone collectively breathes a sigh of relief..lol)...but have been around many, many kids who make me glad I don't. Nothing grinds my gears more than hearing a parent say things like ...."Timmy stop that....I mean it. 1....2...3...now stop that...your'e really going to be in trouble if you don't listen to me...1...2...3...I'm really serious...you are about to be in so much trouble" and the kid is like..."No I'm not." I can probably count on one hand the number of times I got the belt too, but beleive you me, most times when I'd think about doing something I knew I shouldn't, I didn't.

[lambikins]

Jimmy Kimmel, right? I was wondering if I was the only person who noticed that the 2 girls and the boyfriend didn't seem to be able to come up with a complete sentence between the 3 of them.

That's his name! Jimmy Kimmel. The show was on accidentally; we were just to lazy to switch channels and when they announced that the family from Wife Swap was going to be on, we stayed up to see it.

Cindy reminds me of a female Homer Simpson, and just like that character, she's proud of her ignorance, her bad manners and her grotesque weight. And again, like Homer, if she can turn her two children into clones of herself, it validates that what she's doing is "A.O.K."

Cindy's in for a HARD reality check when she develops diabetes, gout, or any of the other pantheon of diseases associated with her abuse of herself. Let's see who's so glib, then!

[jkirk]

Atlas and Geography from a Christian Perspective?

I notice how the show blurs out most items with any kind of logo, from the TV, to T-Shirts... (it was funny they blurred the blue oval of the Ford SUV on the Super Workout Barbie episode) - but somehow conspicuously zoomed in on this - were they trying to make a point?

[lambikins]

Well, the official description for the show stated that the FL family did go to church on Sundays...twice that day, so perhaps it ties into their believes and they wanted to show that.

Aw-w-w-w, where's a good Holy War when you need one?