Jon & Kate Plus 8, Season 5 Premiere

I've watched the show for a long time now. I used to think it was so interesting to see what parenting multiples was like. I never cared for the relationship between J&K, but I liked watching the episodes because of the kids. I definitely think there should be laws relating to child labor and reality tv shows, but other than that, I don't have TOO strong of an opinion about the show and its continuation. It's their life and I don't want to waste my energy hating what they're doing with it. I'd rather focus on my own life and how I plan to raise my own children.

Anyhow, as for the premiere last night, I couldn't believe how different Jon seemed. Even his voice sounded different; he seemed younger and more carefree and less dedicated to his family. Maybe that's just me feeling differently about him now that I've heard all these stories about him cheating or almost cheating with younger women. If he was unhappy, he should have gone about bettering his life in a different way than hurting his family, no matter how horrible his wife was/is to him. As for Kate, whatever she was doing wrong, too, she should have thought of her family. Yes, they both deserve to be happy, but there are so many ways to be happy that don't hurt others.

I don't have any problems with Kate's writing and traveling, although I don't quite understand why she has to travel. I assume her books sell themselves, according to how popular the show is. I thought book tours were just an extra push to sell more copies and make more money, which I doubt she needs. I'd love to be able to stay at home with my kids and simply write about my life...books can be a good source of money if they're big sellers, and then they wouldn't even need the show. They could chronicle their life, tell the world their story, all while Kate stays home with the kids and Jon goes to work to make more money and have the break he so desperately needs. If they need to have a camera to chronicle their kids' lives, why not just videotape it themselves? They say they don't have time, which I'm sure they don't with eight children they need to watch every second, but they also don't need to record every second, do they? Couldn't they just tape a few minutes each week?

I know I don't have eight children, but I also know that there are many families with eight or more children who get by without being on tv. J&K chose to have many children. Whether they hoped for eight or not, they made it a possibility. Again, I don't care enough to feel like they're awful people for living their life how they do. If they want to be on tv every second, more power to them. However, it was more than clear at the end of last season that Jon was very unhappy about his life on television and Kate should have listened.

The episode last night made me sad for the family. I have wondered how much is played up by TLC to wrench our hearts and make us continue watching. Regardless, it was sad for a family in real life to go through that, and my heart goes out to all of them, despite their faults and issues.