Jon and Kate: Viewers Divided

When it comes to Jon and Kate Plus 8 people either love it or hate it. Not a single comment posted on other articles featuring the show have been in the middle. There are posts about how the show is deplorable, that Kate is abusive and how the show should be taken off the air immediately. Then there are the posts that fiercely defend Kate and the show, mostly citing the fact that 8 children would cause a lot of stress. Mostly I am amazed at how everyone can have such a strong opinion about someone else's life and how they should be living it, even if it is on television.

The fact is that most of these people who watched the show believe that they either will be or that they are perfect parents. They feel that they had wonderful role models in their home and therefore that is the correct way to parent, as is evident by how well they turned out. Or they feel that they have learned from the mistakes of others, and therefore they know what not to do. This is problematic in that it will only lead to intolerance of different parenting styles. There are people out there who believe they really know how to drive and everyone else is an idiot, which leads to road rage. There are people out there who believe that their religion is correct and everyone else is wrong, which leads to religious intolerance. Unless someone is really being hurt, why do we care so much about the choices other people make (and there is no evidence that simply being on television will emotionally scar children, seeing as how not every child star has taken the Drew Barrymore route).

There is no real expert for us to turn to for the real answer on the Jon and Kate issue. Parents with children comparable in numbers to Jon and Kate have been found on both sides of the debate. Teachers who have received education and have dealt with a high number of children at once have been divided by this fight. Even psychologists can be found arguing for both sides. The fact of the matter is that this is all based on opinion and everyone's individual experiences. Some people had parents who lost their temper and would yell from time to time, but they turned out okay and realize that not everyone is perfect. Other people seem to think that parents should be calm, caring, patient and loving to everyone at all times. And all of the judgement of this show has come from the 30 minutes of edited footage that is aired each week. To say the least, we are not getting the whole story.

Let's look at one fact. In the state of Ohio the ratio of children in a childcare setting does not become 1:8 until children are 3 years old. How is this ratio set? Did someone pull a number out of a hat? No, but that would be kinda funny. Not only was it taken into consideration how much care a child could receive from one childcare giver provided there were other children vying for attention, but also the stress a person would receive trying to care for too many children. As children get older this stress is relieved as they become more independent.

Not only is there a limit for childcare providers on the number of children they care for at any given time, but they get to leave at the end of the day. How many breaks does Kate get during the day? Kate and Jon both have received a lot of criticism for doing anything that does not involve the children. People say that they knew what they were getting into and that they are capitalizing on the children's fame. Does becoming a parent mean that you stop being human? Are you no longer allowed to want nice clothing to wear or fancy coffee drinks or to enjoy entertainment you enjoyed before having children? Are there parents in this world who are so self-sacrificing that they never think of themselves and devote their lives entirely to their children, who eat, drink and sleep for their children? I would say they deserve a medal, but they probably would not take it unless it somehow benefitted their children. It's safe to say those parents don't exist, and if they did their children would be horribly insufferable spoiled brats.

I would also like to say that it is admirable that Jon hasn't taken the cowards way out. He takes his vows seriously, for better or for worse, and will stay with his family and see it through this rough time. So many viewers have said that Jon is abused and that he should leave Kate. Jon is a grown man who can make his own decisions, and he is probably more understanding of Kate than any viewer could ever be. It's no wonder divorce rates are so high, if people turn and run at the slightest sign of trouble. Or they simply entered into marriage lightly, not taking into consideration all the stress and hardship that could come with it. Jon is at least a man keeping his word.

In the end, when this show does eventually leave the air, Jon and Kate will still have 8 children to care for, they will still have a family to manage. Hopefully they will have learned from their experiences, as that is the hope for all people everywhere. Mistakes will be made, but that's life. Life isn't perfect and thank goodness for that. Life (and television) would be boring if it were.