Jon and Kate

During the summer my wife and I try to limit the amount of television our kids watch. We always start the summer very idealistic and by mid summer reality sets in and our limited viewing expands a little. Often this happens because we are trying to keep our own sanity. One of the shows that we all watch together is Jon and Kate Plus 8. I have to admit when I first watched it I was a bit sceptical and didn't want any of my NASCAR buddies to know that I watched the show but...I got hooked. First, the kids are hilarious, and second the husband has got to be a saint to deal with Kate's ocd. My wife and I discuss how TLC probably forks over the $$$ in order to do the show and how that probably makes raising 8 kids a little easier but money won't solve all of the problems. What I have noticed is how they value time together as a family, and yet they make time for each child individually. Kate does days out with the girls and Jon does male bonding time with boys. (You have to see the episode where he takes the boys golfing.) On one episode, the parents made a statement that was really important. The both stated that they would not allow the fact that there were 8 children to deprive any of them from what other children experience, whether it be golfing, skiing, or a trip to Disneyworld. As a parent I know I have used the excuse of having three children involved in a variety of activities to deprive one or all of them of something. Jon and Kate are not perfect and they readily adminit that but I believe that those eight children will grow up to be well adjusted adults, becaue their parents give them the most important thing in the world...time. Skeptics would say that because they are on tv that gives them the ability to spend time with their kids. It doesn't take as much time as one may think. How will this valuable time reflect on their education???