Saturday, August 25, 2012

The Farmer's Wife: When a story of surviving motherhood isn't force fed

We're a little late with our final Farmer's Wife post due to some other Kate-ish news coming up, but better late than never! 

Realitytvkids.com will be organizing an official summer "book club" screening of The Farmer's Wife. Watch Part 3 this week and discuss it as you go with all the interesting folks here. If you missed Part 1 it can be found here and Part 2 here.

Audrey, Abby, Whitney and Juanita, 1996.

David Sutherland never intended to find a woman like Juanita. However when he did, he didn't succumb to the temptation to write the script for her, give her labels, define her. For three years, he stepped aside and let Juanita just be Juanita. What resulted was not just a beautiful story of a wife's devotion to her husband and one woman's strength in incredible adversity, but a poinant portrait of motherhood. Juanita listened to her children, was there for them as much as she could be, worked hard to improve their situation and give them a better life, and always showered them with positivity and love.

In part three, Juanita takes her family's destiny into her own hands by furthering her education and getting a job in crop insurance. Due to her hard work from the ground up, the family's hard times finally seem to turn around as this wonderful documentary comes to a close. Today, although Juanita is divorced and no longer lives on a farm, she reportedly still works in the farming sector on the business side, helping out the farmers of Nebraska. Darrel reportedly still lives and works on the same farm featured in the documentary. 

Reality T.V. today loves to "define" characters. Kate is the "mother of 8," and has made a career out of this definition. We prefer authenticity, which Sutherland was lucky to find in a little town in Nebraska in 1995.

Whitney, Audrey, Juanita and Abby, on a family trip to Mexico, 2009.

1688 sediments (sic) from readers:

«Oldest   ‹Older   1601 – 1688 of 1688   Newer›   Newest»
NJGal51 said...

Sadly Dwindle I don't think that @FleetEnema will help Kate get her head out of her ass!

Gosselin8ComeFirst said...

Kate tweeted -My cold didn't stop me!I made bread,a full delicious dinner,ran 6 mi,paid bills&did phone calls!Oh yeah!:) Homework X (2tune of hammer X:)! less than a minute ago

Kate tweeted@ XXXX- I'd rather cook my fingers2the bone than clean!Love CLEAN&do it daily but takes a helper 2 accomplish here. I hv 8 tornadoes! about 8 hours ago
---------------------------
Oh my God, she is so pathetically proud of herself, while so many women do so much more as mothers on a day to day basis, while holding full time jobs, and no cleaning lady or a regular "helper/not a nanny." Her narcissism is brimming over and her tweets and blogs are getting more pathetic by the minute. She really should be a case study.

Weee - Look at Me Kate. Please pay attention to me, I am so special. And yet there is really not to much to brag about. There are SO many mothers out that have a lot of children and yet do not feel the need to brag daily about every single thing they did. They simply don't have time to. I hear a toilet flushing, and see a psychiatrist waiting for her call. Sad.

just a mom and grandma said...

To put my 2 cents in about allergies, here is a good article about peanut allergies in general.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/allergies/peanut-allergies.aspx
I don't know how to make it clickable.
When my kids were young a good friend of theirs had severe allergies to almost everything. We were very careful about what she was served and she still had problems. Life is tough for those kids because after all they are kids.

Tweet-le De Tweet-le DUMB said...

This is truly gag-worthy:

@Kateplusmy8
@msgoody2shoes21 I made garlic rosemary chicken thighs, sautéed brocc/cauliflower, baked beans and Cous Cous (easy but was raved about here)
__________________________________________

I shouldn't criticize the kids, but, really, if they actually rave and oooh and ahhhh over every meal, they must be so brow-beaten I hate to think about it. There is nothing remotely close to natural and normal about that behavior.

Gosselin8ComeFirst said...

anger issues kate said... 2

---My sympathies on the loss of your dear friend. Wonderful memories sustain us, and know she is dancing with Davy Jones, as I type this.

Berks Resident said...

Anger Issues Kate:

I am so very sorry to hear of your dear friend's passing. Sounds like you had a wonderful time together, Disney and Davy Jones, how much better could it get?

She was very very young.

SG said...

Regarding that blogger mentioning a young child, such as age 7, "knowing better" than eating something with peanuts, there are a lot of things a 7-year-old should know better about but it just doesn't work that way.

Young children are warned not to talk to strangers or go anywhere with a stranger or even someone they "know" such as a neighbor or the kind old lady at Target, etc.

I tell my kids that all the time. They swear they know. They know all the right answers when I give them various scenarios. But when it comes to real life, I really feel I have NO idea what they would actually do if a little old man with a cane goes up to them for help. Or calls them by name and says Your mommy was in a car accident, come with me and I'll take you to her.

Because I don't know what my child would actually do when the time comes I don't put my children at risk. I would not allow them to walk home from school alone or with other young children, or go a few aisles away into the toy dept by themselves. Yes, theoretically my children "know better" but I would not take that chance, especially if it can be prevented.

I don't think a child can really be expected to "know better" when it comes to certain things. They really are just children. When a child is abducted (and recovered) one thing they say you should never say to the child is You should have known better. No, they shouldn't really. They are just a child. They don't handle decisions like that like adults should.

I know we've discussed in the past that even teenage children can't "make the best decisions" for themselves because that part of their brain isn't fully developed yet until they are over 21. It's a scientific fact... if you believe scientific facts. ;)

CS said...

anger issues kate said,

I am so sorry for your loss.

Dmasy said...

Anger Issues...so sorry for your loss. I hope your wonderful memories help you during the days to come.

Gosselin8ComeFirst said...

Tweet-le De Tweet-le DUMB said... 6
--------------
I would oohh and ahhh to avoid the wrath of her narcissism. I am sure every single child is expected to say how great the meal is every day. Or get on her wrong side- smart kids. Narcissism is a bi%ch!

Formerly Duped said...

Kate 'did' phone calls? How amazing, considering she had a cold and all. She ran! (oooh!) Made dinner which got rave reviews! (yum!) Helped with homework!( wowza) Paid the bills in her purse. (no lie!)

Well, that's a hard day
s work- better hit the hay early, Kate.

Once a Viewer, now Formerly Duped. ( just so you know I ain't no troll)

Tweet-le De Tweet-le DUMB said...

This is so funny. Someone posted they want to meet Kate and Kate tweets back, "Let's make it happen." Here's the profile of that person. Won't she and Kate have a lot to talk about? LOL

Animal lover. Zombie fighter. Vampire slayer. Ghost hunter. UFOs are real. My dog's a werewolf. I practice witchcraft. Pink and purple. :)

SG said...

I don't think a child with peanut allergies that is protected from peanuts in elementary school is going to wake up at the age of 18 and not know how to handle peanuts popping up all over the place in the real world.

At a young age they will still have to deal with peanut products elsewhere. Like the zoo. ;)

Formerly Duped said...

anger issues:

So sorry about Kathy. Sounds like you truly have great memories. She is gone too soon, but nice to think of Davy and her together!

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Anger issues so sorry. :(

And yes it's freaking weird the way Kate describes these kids drooling all over her efforts. Kids want to play, get hungry and want you to feed them, then are off to play again. All this adoration in between is creepy.

silimom said...

Admin, my not-dissing housekeepers comment was more directed towards people here who have them, not Kate herself.

I was trying to point out one of Kate's discrepancies. Didn't she have a coupon cabin post about I stilling a work ethic in her kids and hasn't she twittered about how they have to do work around the house and clean up after themselves? I thought she made it sound like she and the kids did everything.

Dmasy said...

baked beans and cous cous? OK. But, I don't understand her menu choices. Really?

SG said...

Oh, sorry, I just read Midnight Madness's comment. She covered it already. And very well I must say...

Parent In Lancaster County said...

There are outbreaks all the time. It's interesting schools who are taking peanuts ao seriously are overlooking such an obvious danger.

--------------
I don't think that they are overlooking an obvious danger. Many schools give out a suggestion list as to possible snacks to be shared. This includes pretzels, baked chips, carrots, grapes, crackers, oatmeal cookies, and the like. I don't recall hearing of a salmonella outbreak in a bag of pretzels. Unless Kate takes her famous undercooked chicken chunks on a tray to school, I think the kids are safe.

I would think that salmonella is a main concern among food services that prepare the meals in the school kitchen, and I hope that county food inspectors who regularly check to see if all codes/guidelines regarding food preparation pull the license if any dangers as to a possible outbreak are uncovered. I know that the inspectors here are really tough and if violations are discovered and not corrected, they shut the place down.

County food inspections, including all schools, are printed every Sunday in the local newspaper, listing each violation found. There are times when I read them and can't believe how detailed they are, such as "eggs are stored above ready to eat items, chili and potato soup were held at 120 F and 112 F, respectively, in the food warmer, rather than 135 F or above as required, some food labels are still needed on jarred products. Facility owner has three weeks to comply."

In this area, even the corner popcorn stand at a local market is subject to regular inspections and scrutiny.





Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Sillimom i was agreeing with you. :)
I have a housekeeper myself.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Lancaster I think those precautions are reasonable. Some things I'm hearing about what should be done I don't find quite so reasonable.

SG said...

Just my opinion: As someone that doesn't post here regularly I personally don't feel that there is a clique and I don't fit in.

I make a comment to give my opinion or agree with someone else's. I don't feel the need to be "accepted" as one of the blog. A lot of times my comments don't get any replies. I don't mind. I enjoy reading all the comments here (except maybe the sleeping aids but only because I'm not interested in sleeping aids, no big deal). Everyone can't reply to every comment.

I think there may be a camaraderie among some of the more regular posters just because they post all the time. That's only natural in a setting like this.

LoveMyGrandsons said...

Anger Issues, I'm so sorry for the loss of your dear friend.

Audible Click, I hope you get well soon and please stay safe; God Bless.

Okay, I was worried about not being "blue", but I'm not going to worry about it anymore. Although I never have the time to read every comment, I trust that all of you know that if there is a nasty comment from someone named LoveMyGrandsons, you all will know it's not really from me.

Next, Kate's tweets about what she does - so what?? I only had one child and worked 45-50 hours a week outside of the home. I was also involved in church, charities, PTA and other school functions, as well as the housework, laundry, shopping, and cooking. And I still had time to get together with family and friends and enjoyed every minute of it! Once a month we had mommy-daughter Saturdays, and they were the best!!

Please understand, I am not patting myself on the back. I just don't understand how Kate can brag about the help she has and yet feel that she does so much when actually, she does so very little.

And these unknown, unnamed corporations she works for? Yeah, right. Has to tweet something so she doesn't sound as lazy as she really is.

Parent In Lancaster County said...


Animal lover. Zombie fighter. Vampire slayer. Ghost hunter. UFOs are real. My dog's a werewolf. I practice witchcraft. Pink and purple. :)

-------------

lol, Tweet! I saw that last night and pulled up the profile and was going to say something about this tweeter being a witch and vampire hunter, but I was too tired to come up with anything other than Kate and the fan will have to arrange a meeting at night if they are going to join forces to slay those vampires. If the fan can cast spells, perhaps Kate is hoping for one to be put on the networks so they pick up her dating show!

Griftopia said...

Call Me Crazy said... 199
I used to love Breyers Ice Cream. Years ago, they started pumping it up with so much air that it was no longer recognizable as the thick, creamy ice cream I once enjoyed.

*********************

I was a life-long lover of Breyers up until a few years ago when I read that they refused to stop using milk from cows injected with rBGH. So disappointing when big companies who can act as an example by doing what is right just plain drop the ball.

SG said...

Can't schools give the same consideration to peanuts as salmonella? Must they choose one? ;)

Gosselin8ComeFirst said...

LoveMyGrandsons said... 25

-----

But she had SO many unimaginable phone calls to handle : ) Her phone is ringing off the hook!!!!!!!!


LoveMyGrandsons said...

Gosselin8 - oh my! I forgot about all those calls! Probably from TV execs wanting her because of her "gift of gab"!

Griftopia said...

Kristine said... 200
Also, if she cut her fingers off on that meat slicer, Kate would have to hire someone to do her maniacal tweeting. Imagine having that job... Wow.

*************

Surely his/her first assignment would be to grift a new set of fingers for Kate....

ncgirl said...

"Grifting tat removal"

I'm surprised when she came into money and obviously got other surgeries(a boob job at least), she didn't get the tattoo removed. I don't know anything about the procedure. Is it too costly or painful?

Call Me Crazy said...

anger issues - I'm so sorry you lost your dear friend. I hope it comforts you somewhat remembering the sweet memories of the experiences you shared together.

Griftopia - I didn't know about Breyers refusing to stop using milk injected with rBGH. Companies usually "drop the ball" because their hands are otherwise occupied trying to grab up any extra money they can in any way they can.

Ex Nurse said...

Rainbirdie said... 84
I have learned first hand that food allergies can develop in adults without warning. Happened to me recently with sesame. Out of the blue. One tasty little sesame seed on a bun or bagel turns my body into a mess of quarter size hives. Last week I broke out from hands to elbows & feet to knees...looked like I had the plague for 3 days. Finally dawned on me that there must have been sesame oil in the lotion when I had a mani/pedi. Never even thought to ask about that..I always carry benedryl & an Epi-Pen, just in case.

Lauren...
Too bad there's not a way to convey what you mean on boards like this, because I am truly not a Kate fan or a shit stirrer. I usually come home from work, grab something to drink, and log onto this site for a bit of entertainment and winding down time. Now I'm sorry I even spoke up. I probably won't stop reading here, it's become part of my routine, but I'll just stay on the sidelines.
______________
Lauren--please don't give up on commenting! When I first started chiming in, I was threatened with being banned because I called a regular out on participating in another blog that was bashing this blog's admin and our posters. People started questioning who I was and was I this particular sheeple or another. I agree that it does at time feel like mean girls, but there have been a lot of impostors taking others' names, making crap up, creating sock puppet user names, etc.--as a result, people are suspicious of people they aren't familiar with.  

I agree that some of the comments were uncalled for after some of the "fanz" answered some questions in a respectful manner. There were only a few comments in that vein, so, even though I don't agree, I can just skip over it.  The admin of this blog has kept things very civil and respectful, but, when dealing with a polarizing personality like Kate, people are bound to get carried away. 

Sorry I didn't speak up in agreeance (hah--spell check flagged that word) with you--I have been traveling and am almost always at least several hours behind--right now, I am 250+ posts behind!


OT--last night, I was so concerned about getting my post about glycine finished and posted, I forgot to take my glycine. Had weird dreams, kept waking up and overslept by 2 hours past the time I've gotten up.

Thanks for the kind words, Berks Resident...

I am back in basic black--sick of having to sign into my fake gmail account every time I post.

AuntieAnn said...

Dmasy - I got busy cleaning up supper dishes and didn't see your post. In lieu of an apology I will accept cash or a gift card.
(Seriously, your advice to Anonymous was good, my feelings are intact. :o)

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Yes, schools should treat salmonella and peanuts the same. No food sharing, and more education.

I don't agree a 7 year old can no better about allergies, but I do agree they can understand not to share food.

Salmonella is most commonly found in uncooked foods. If they treated salmonella like a peanut ban, then that would mean serving only packaged food, and I don't think anyone would agree to ban fresh food from schools on the off chance a kid might get salmonella. You take reasonable precautions. My point of bringing up salmonella is that no school that I know of has gone to the extreme of banning all the high risk foods related to salmonella, and yet the number of people dying from salmonella drastically outweighs the number dying from peanut allergies--by 590 people. I see a disconnect is all.

I was thinking the issue of how to deal with peanut allergies in schools, what with the surge in allergies, would make an excellent topic for a high school debate club.

Dmasy said...

Auntie Ann -- Target, I assume. (Thanks.)

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

t. In lieu of an apology I will accept cash or a gift card.

&&&

Check your couch cushions. You may not need that if one turns up there.

Ex Nurse said...

Heide--
Thanks for your kind words, too!

Regarding food allergies:
My daughter has a horrible allergy to quinoa--she has never had any other allergic reaction to any other food. We have had to call the paramedics twice--she swells up and produces all this mucus and then her throat closes. The last time it happened, she ate some bread that had it listed as the 9th ingredient. Quinoa is an ancient grain that is making a comeback--fortunately, it wasn't something that would have been served when she was in school.

I have a friend that trains dogs for special service. She recently trained a dog to detect peanuts in the environment for a child that was highly allergic and had had several near-fatal incidents even though he never ate them.

AuntieAnn said...

Ha. If popcorn kernels were nickels I'd be rich.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

. I agree that it does at time feel like mean girls, but there have been a lot of impostors taking others' names, making crap up, creating sock puppet user names, etc.--as a result, people are suspicious of people they aren't familiar with.

&&&

ExNurse you are a great example of someone who got off to a bit of a rocky start but stuck it out and now are a regular no one takes issue with. As I recall some people thought you reminded them of a previous imposter's style of writing, but turned out, it was just a coincidence.

I'm glad you talked about the imposters and other things we have been throuhg. Understand if someone is skeptical at first it's because we have been burned many times before. It's not coming out of nowhere just to be mean. On the flip side if people are way too open and welcoming all of a sudden people take advantage. It's just like a real life friendship, usually it develops slowly over time as you build trust.

I understand you want everyone here to be patient and open, but newbies need to be patient and open too as they feel their way out. It helps to start off on the right foot yourself, like making sure to follow the rules. I don't have much sympathy for someone complaining about us when they can't even follow a simple rule to pick a name and stick to it.

Anonymous said...

Layla said... 55
_______________________
Layla, yes, that is where I am. At the new building. I work for the agency. Small world. My shop's product, I am sure, must go into his briefings. So you can vouch for me that I dont post on this blog from work, LOL.

---SG said... 51
LOL butterfly,

I don't really understand the flu vaccine issue that well...
----------------------------
SG,
I am sorry I didnt make myself clear, was headed for a nap at the time. A poster, maybe you - can't remember, said it would be nice if people gave up their rights for the health of others. My argument is, as of right now, flu vax are not mandatory but there is a growing movement to make it mandatory for all AMericans to get flu vax because of the minority of people who are immuno-compromised. I dont believe in taking away a person's right to choose. That was argument. I have a countdown for how many more flu shots I am forced to get before I get out of military. Then I will no longer get them :D (and yes, there is an immuno-compromised member of my family- I am aware of the danger). Why does the right of one's own self become less important then the right of others? I think that is the bigger argument. But I stopped taking law classes in my 3rd year of college.

Anonymous said...

Ok, everyone, Layla uncovered me- Now I have to change my name, go Pink instead of Blue and remain in hiding for awhile, :D

mim said...

Anyone besides me remember that in the spring Kate Tweeted she was growing "veges" to plant outside in an organic garden?

@isol83 no but my kids seem to think we need one and a cow and then we can make cheese too lol!
1 hour ago - Twitterrific

isol83 @Kateplusmy8 awesome! Do u have a veg garden at home?

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

YES she totally said they had a garden.

Someone please find the tweet. I'm awful at that.

LoveMyGrandsons said...

Yes, Admin, I agree with you: newbies need to be a little patient, too. I was a newbie about a year ago (although I was a long time lurker). I was a little hurt because I didn't get flowers or a welcome card. But I let it go because you guys are so accepting of me and all my stories about my grandsons!!!! Lol!!!

FYI said...

Admin-here's the tweet you're looking for.

“@gypsi001 you're so energetic miss gardener:) tomorrow we plant our organic veges inside then will move outside when they sprout yay!”

Apr 7

Blowing In The Wind said...


I'm surprised when she came into money and obviously got other surgeries(a boob job at least), she didn't get the tattoo removed. I don't know anything about the procedure. Is it too costly or painful?

---------------------------

I just watched a show on this, and apparently it is extremely painful. After many procedures, this gal went to have another tattoo put on top of the existing one because they couldn't remove it entirely and the results were dreadful. What happened was that it just looked like a horrible faded version of what was there originally. I don't think that they have yet perfected a way of removing them.

Griftopia said...

Call Me Crazy said... 33
Griftopia - I didn't know about Breyers refusing to stop using milk injected with rBGH. Companies usually "drop the ball" because their hands are otherwise occupied trying to grab up any extra money they can in any way they can.

*******************

Just sad, right? They could set an example, but instead they choose the bottom line. Really disappointing -- especially from a company that could affect some legitimate change.

silimom said...

Hey just saw the cereal snack pic on her website. Sorry if this has been mentioned but when did she start using Kraft Jet-Puff marshmallows? Didn't she make some big stink during their E-Town backyard campout that they didn't get marshmallows all that often because the organic ones were scarce or too espensive or something like that? Geesh, her "organic" comments just are irking me to no end today.

Sorry, I'm just not feeling good right now. I have hip pain referred from the low back that's flared up again. It's been 3 years now I've had this and I'm just fed up with my body, my doctor and HMO at the moment. So if I've been coming across as grumpy and terse, I apologize.

Formerly Duped said...

Yes, she did imply they were soon to plant a 'veges' garden, so why the frozen veg in the Alpo meal?(They looked like the kind from a package) Why didn't she get the lawn boys or Mr/Ms Gardener to plant her a patch? Honestly, the kids would enjoy it, and Kate could cook her little heart out!

Anonymous said...

Admin, I tried to email you, but got some strange message that I must use windows email. When I attempted to do that, it asked for information I don't understand. How do I email you without using that form?

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Anonymous which form are you trying to use? YOu can just email me directly like a normal email.

Anonymous said...

Then that goes back to someone else's question, what's the point in changing the rules at School if everything else in their lives is the same? I think schools are probably more concerned with liability than sincerely protecting kids with allergies.
______

Little kids share. They are taught to share, They like to do it. They share food. They don't know what's in food. It tastes good, they eat it.

Not sure why this is an issue.

My son's preschool has a no pb policy. I have no problems with it. My son shares food ALL THE TIME. If I sent him to school with peanut butter cookies and he shared them with an allergic child, I would NEVER FORGIVE myself. And my son would grow up thinking he killed his friend. And the teacher would be beside herself with grief. And the parents ....

I can't even imagine. No peanuts allowed? NO PROBLEM.

heather

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Heather preschool is different. It's just for a short time and at that age I agree you probably couldn't trust them. There's usually only a quick snack in pre school anyway.

Most of this discussion has been about grade school, specifically a 7 year old, when they are eating a full lunch in school and spending six or more hours a day there. I think everyone has pretty much thoroughly covered all the reasons why a good parent might not agree with such a ban, you can scroll back to see that. The debate is also all over the internet, with thoughtful points from all sides and all kinds of parents.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Kate is a Twit, bingo.

Bluebird said...

I have not posted here in a long time, but I lurk and read most everything, sometimes I will skip topics that I'm not interested in.

Some of you will remember that my 5th grandchild, a girl, was born in June and that there were complications. At that time I greatly appreciated all of your words of encouragement.

Anger issues: My sympathies to you for the loss of your dear friend, cherish the memories.

Lovemygrandsons: I read your posts and see myself. I do a lot of the things you do with your grandkids and realize that there are so many of us that are grandmas, mamies or grammies here that can relate.

As for the peanut allergies, one of my coworkers lost her 17 year old DD. She was in a restaurant that did not serve anything that contained peanuts, it was not her first time there. The person sitting in the table behind her had a box of chocolate coated peanuts in her jacket pocket that was hanging on a hook on the corner of the banquette. My friend's DD was feeling ill and got up to go to the washroom, she rubbed her arm against the jacket and began to immediately swell. She died in the ambulance before arriving at the hospital. No matter how much someone can take precautions and be knowledgeable of their allergies, sometimes we have no control nor any idea of what other people do.

While I'm here let me give you my thoughts about Kate. She is surely going down the drain. Her tweets are so juvenile they remind me of when I was 14 and thought that everything was about me. Unfortunately that was more than 50 yrs ago and I have learned since that I'm not that important.

I try to imagine what it's like being one of the G8. It must be constant yelling, ordering and threatening in that house. Someone mentioned earlier in this blog that they had never seen Kate entertaining, playing, interacting or just having a conversation with any of her children, this is SO true. I'm sorry to say but she will NEVER admit that she has a major personality disorder or a narcissist.

meagler said...

The peanut debate, the immunization debate, the whether its ok to rub whiskey on my kids gums when he's teething debate, the " that never happened when we were kids, so why do we have to wear seatbelts" debate, etc,etc,etc...

Laws are made sometimes whether we agree with them or not. In the public school system, I hate to admit this, but like Admin said, I think it comess around to liabilities, especially in elemantary schools.

We laugh everytime someone gets hurt, and say, " Well that playground equipment will be gone in the next few weeks"....The last school my kids went to, they were not allowed to move off the tarmac if it was rainy outside because someone might fall in the mudd and their mom will call and give the teachers all heck. It is ridiculous!!

Dont get me wrong tho, I have a very good friend whose son is deathly allergic to nuts and I feel that in her sons school, the no peanut rule needed to be implimented. In my kids school, we had no one allergic to peanuts, ( I was on the school council, so was very aware) but we had a no peanut rule anyway.. There was a kid deathly allergic to raspberries but NEVER was a note sent home about not bringing anything raspberry!! When I queried the principal about that, he said.. oh I never thought about telling people not to bring raspberries, its usually just peanuts we worry about... UGH! Think chewy granola/cereal bars.

My point being there are rules implimented, I believe, because of fear of liability. A Child died from a peanut allergy in a school, so we now have a no peanut rule in all school. If that other child was to d ie from the raspberry allergy, we likely would have a raspberry rule in our school board.

I think we need to set the rules based on the needs of the community in which people live. One size fits all can be smothering...

So, I am offering up some jello Shooters, take the edge off of the weekly HUMP day, and settle into watching the full moon, which will be a BLUE moon, rather fitting as we honor the memory of the great Niel Armstrong!!

Cheers...and I am in black, I am not a troll, or a sheeple, I might drive the odd person crazy, I post a lot sometimes, then not at all for a while. I have even taken breaks from the blog cause Kate was driving me crazy.

If you dont like it here, not one is making you stay.. Not like the poor gosselin 8 at the Kompound..

Anonymous said...

SG said...


Can't schools give the same consideration to peanuts as salmonella? Must they choose one? ;)
======================

Salmon Ella...is that the fish version of Steak Diane? These school lunch programs are so sophisticated these days.

LoveMyGrandsons said...

Bluebird, it's good to hear from you again! How is your sweet granddaughter doing?

Pulling The Wool said...


I can't even imagine. No peanuts allowed? NO PROBLEM.

----------------------

I agree. If there's a rule that there's no peanuts allowed, you follow that rule. If a child cannot be without peanuts or peanut butter from 8 to 2 and can't exist without it, then there's something wrong. Let the child eat peanut butter and all the nuts he wants when he gets home, in the evening, before bed, whatever to get the nutritional value from them.

His/her survival at school doesn't depend on getting a daily nut fix. The survival of his classmates who have allergies may be a different story.

Anonymous said...

Admin, I clicked on the ''email us'' on the right of this site. It said using windows email was necessary, and the form asked for information I don't have.

After reading your comment, I emailed you from my regular email, and got this response...
The address "Realitytvkids.com" in the "To" field was not recognized. Please make sure that all addresses are properly formed.

Maybe I should stop while I'm behind?

SG said...

Wow Bluebird how tragic for that young girl to die like that.

I read that and I think Wow I will never bring a peanut product out of the house for my kids to snack on. There are so many alternatives. I will not feel like they lost their rights to eat peanuts in public.

I wonder if the woman with the peanuts in her blazer would change it if she could or just feels like she has a right to carry peanuts and an accidental death will not stop her from carrying peanuts whenever she wants to in the future.

Bluebird said...

Oops, meant to say that she is a narcissist.

Anonymous said...

silimom said... 50

Hey just saw the cereal snack pic on her website. Sorry if this has been mentioned but when did she start using Kraft Jet-Puff marshmallows? Didn't she make some big stink during their E-Town backyard campout that they didn't get marshmallows all that often because the organic ones were scarce or too espensive or something like that? Geesh, her "organic" comments just are irking me to no end today.

Sorry, I'm just not feeling good right now. I have hip pain referred from the low back that's flared up again. It's been 3 years now I've had this and I'm just fed up with my body, my doctor and HMO at the moment. So if I've been coming across as grumpy and terse, I apologize.

************************************************

I'm sorry that your back is hurting, silimom.

Lower back pain is not fun. I also have issues with my back that flare up once in a while (my sacroiliac goes out of wack). Laying flat on my back and wearing a lumbar belt seem to help me feel more comfortable until my body heals.

I hope you find a way to feel, and be healthy again.

LoveMyGrandsons said...

meagler, I can so relate to your post. When I was in grade school, we had monkey bars, swingsets, and other metal things on a blacktop playground. The grassy area was for kickball, scatterball, and other games.

We rode bikes without helmets, skated without knee pads, etc. No one I know of ever got hurt. It's just the way it was.

The laws were put into place to protect children, and I'm sure they have helped. I was just reminiscing about a different time when we still played, had fun, and liability wasn't an issue. It was just a simpler time.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

NEw post......ehhh not really news that Kate lied again, but I have been dying to someone incorporate Veggie tales into a post!

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

NEw post......ehhh not really news that Kate lied again, but I have been dying to someone incorporate Veggie tales into a post!

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

NEw post......ehhh not really news that Kate lied again, but I have been dying to someone incorporate Veggie tales into a post!

Bluebird said...

LoveMyGrandsons: My GD is doing great. She's 2 months old and gaining weight. She gave us quite a scare at her birth but everything is fine today. Her birth will be a story that she will be able to tell one day to others, it will be a page in her book.

My ID is in blue, loll, and I didn't even try.

Heide said...

I'm another person that used to LOVE Breyer's ice cream, but they changed it and now it tastes fake to me - nothing like the real ice cream it was. I sent them an email once complaining about how they changed it, but all I got in response is some coupons (which I didn't even want since I don't like their ice cream anymore.)

carezee said...

At our elementary school there are separate tables for PB allergies, and milk allergies. The children get excited when they get picked to sit with their friends at that table.

If children bring treats they have to take them to the nurse to have her check them. She checks to see if they contain peanuts or if they were made somewhere that cross-contamination could occur. The children and parents don't have a problem with this. Any classroom that has an allergy in it has a poster at the door stating a non peanut or tree nut zone.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Carazee I love the idea of a well trained medical professional screening the treats. Sounds like the best of both worlds. This is what I mean by education. Let's get our school nurses and teachers up to speed so they can be the double and trickle check on food coming to school. Even if you had a ban on it I still like another pair of eyes on things for when people either knowingly or unknowingly don't follow it.

meagler said...

There have been some good rules implemented over the years that I really believe have saved many lives, or reduced the significant injuries required, such as seatbelts.

I also really like the thick plastic that covers the chain links of the swings at the school, as I hated when my fingers got caught in those, ( even as an adult) and I am even a wearer of a bike helmet when riding on the streets.

I will admit, I wanted to bubble wrap my kids and make sure every playground we visited was safe. I walked the wooden swing bridge to make certain none were broken, etc. But all that did was make kids who were not cautious but leary and afraid to try new things, and the light went on, there needs to be a balance between taking some risk, and being stupid...or making sure you have put some safety strategies into place if you are going to do something that has some risks attached. ( Like ditch skiing)

Here is a true story which will be food for thought, and could open a whole new can of worms... more kids are wearing bike helmets these days, and some city's it is a bylaw you have to wear them. So kids do, and then head to the playground and play on the " beehive" monkey bars, or other kinds of bar structures. Older playground standards included making the bars a certain width apart so feet and legs wouldnt get caught, but narrow enough that kids could still reach them, they had to have so many inches of an absorbable surface material such as pea gravel, shredded tired, etc. Pretty safe hey?? Well, A few years ago, a young girl slipped and fell on a community play ground monkey bar type play structure. The ground surface met requirements, as did the spacing between the bars, it was made with material that had no toxins in it. But sadly, the girl died, and instantly. WHy? because she had on a bike helmet that would not fit thru the previously approved spacing that had been purpossely created to stop this exact thing from happening. BUT the rules were made before bike helmets became mandatory and bike helmuts make kids heads much much wider. So one safety feature made to protect children when riding their bikes becomes a deadly danger when playing on a play structure....

Tragic for that family, and for the kids she was playing with, and the community at large. Her parents said.. It was an accident, we cant make a rule for every thing.

We should make a rule for those things that have been proven over and over again..like seatbelts, even tho in odd situations the wearing of a seatbelt was what killed the person, but more often then not it saves lives.

So, I put faith in the people who make the laws that hopefully they know what they are doing, and the rules I dont really agee with? I also put my faith in a higher source, that what ever will be will be, and try might hard to keep the bubble wrap in the cupboard...and, I chose my battles wisely.

No offense to anyone who has lost a love one due to an accident. Some rules are for a reason, and there are people who dont follow them, such as drinking and driving.. now there is a rule I chose to battle...





Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Meagler that's a horrible tragedy oh God.

I think at the end of the day you can only do so much. I don't envy anyone trying to find that balance between bubble wrap and letting kids experience and learn about the world unhindered. I don't think however that different views is cause for a few of the vile people here to suggest an opinion that isn't quite exactly theirs makes you a bad parent or even person (I'm speaking of a few driveways, not those being respectful). For some reason some people can't talk about kids without making it incredibly personal. I think it's good to keep in mind that just because someone doesn't think the way you do things is the best idea doesn't mean they think you are somehow a bad parent or person.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

A driveby who said something incredibly nasty to Butterfly and me.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Also lemonzest makes a great addition to chicken.

Anonymous said...

Pulling the wool, you dont know what you are talking about. Not every instance is the same. It was not about the nutritional value of peanutbutter, go back and read.

Meagler,
I so agree with you, i think it is about the liability issue, too.

This peanut debate is out of control, lol! Whats next, banning them from baseball games? Carnivals? Slippery slope.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

! Whats next, banning them from baseball games?

&&&

Maybe we should ban baseball period. Kids die playing little league. They get hit in the head with balls or have unforeseen heart issues. Not trying to be trite, it's just, I don't know how we as a society draw a line where this is safe, but this is not. It's tough.

Anonymous said...

Admin, I'm repeating this because I don't know if you didn't see it or if I should quit while I'm behind.

Anonymous said... 62

Admin, I clicked on the ''email us'' on the right of this site. It said using windows email was necessary, and the form asked for information I don't have.

After reading your comment, I emailed you from my regular email, and got this response...
The address "Realitytvkids.com" in the "To" field was not recognized. Please make sure that all addresses are properly formed.

Maybe I should stop while I'm behind?

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Sorry for your troubles anonymous the email is

admin@realitytvkids.com

Look forward to it.

JoyinVirginia said...

Anger issues, so sorry about your friend. Davey Jones had horses that raced at the track in Virginia near Richmond, and a couple years ago he and Mickey Dolenz did a concert at the racetrack, it was so fun to see them! Sounds like you and your friend had a terrific time seeing him!

Bluebird, so glad your granddaughter is doing well!

JoyinVirginia said...

Yes please can we have a Kumbaspringa party? I will bring a bunch of red Solo Cups left over from the last party! Plus I just got a couple more bottles of sangria from Costco, so much classier than the box 'o wine!

Ex Nurse said...

I am still not caught up yet, so sorry if this info has already been posted.

If you guys could all just stop posting for a few hours, would really appreciate it...


Here is information about the US  Dept of Education- Section 504 -which is the applicable law for food allergies. This requires schools to give appropriate accommodations for students with "hidden" disabilities. This a civil rights issue--under the law, every child is entitled to an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. This law is why you can't just say that a child that is that sensitive should just stay home.

http://www.foodallergyadvocate.com/Section504IDEA.htm

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR PROTECTION UNDER SECTION 504?

“The ED [U.S. Department of Education] Section 504 regulation defines an ‘individual with handicaps’ as any person who (i) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, (ii) has a record of such an impairment, or (iii) is regarded as having such an impairment.

...The definition does not set forth a list of specific diseases and conditions that constitute physical or mental impairments because of the difficulty of ensuring the comprehensiveness of any such list…”

(“The Civil Rights of Students with Hidden Disabilities Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.” January 1, 1995.

WHAT IS THE KEY FACTOR THAT DETERMINES WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR PROTECTION UNDER SECTION 504?

“The key factor in determining whether a person is considered an ‘individual with handicaps’ covered by Section 504 is whether the physical or mental impairment results in a substantial limitation of one or more major life activities. Major life activities, as defined in the regulation, include functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working."

(“The Civil Rights of Students with Hidden Disabilities Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.”)

HOW IS A CHILD WITH FOOD ALLERGY ELIGIBLE?

... The criteria by which a child with severe food allergy is eligible for protection under Section 504 is that the physiological condition / disorder of food allergy affects the respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular and skin body systems. The physical impairment of food allergy could substantially limit breathing during an anaphylactic reaction. In addition, the U.S. Office for Civil Rights U.S., Department of Education formally recognizes “allergy” as a “hidden disability.”

(“The Civil Rights of Students with Hidden Disabilities Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.”)

WHAT ARE HIDDEN DISABILITIES?

“Hidden disabilities are physical or mental impairments that are not readily apparent to others. They include such conditions and diseases as specific learning disabilities, diabetes, epilepsy, and allergy. ...

HOW DOES SECTION 504 HELP A CHILD WITH SEVERE FOOD ALLERGIES?
The legislators who wrote Section 504 purposely used broad and relatively non- prescriptive language so that the law would encompass a wide range of disabilities. Schools must give children protected under Section 504 an “individualized educational program” with “accommodations.” This program usually takes the form of a 504 Plan. The 504 Plan lists and explains the formal accommodations and modifications that will be made to the public school environment to ensure the least restrictive learning environment (LRE). The LRE must provide equal opportunities for children protected under Section 504 to the maximum extent possible as their non-disabled peers. A 504 Plan for a children with food allergy should have many components to address important food allergy issues so affected children have the best possible chance of staying safe.

(e.g., Amy is contact allergic to peanuts, one accommodation to the learning environment might be: All children in Amy’s class will wipe their hands with wipes upon entering the classroom.)

Anonymous said...

Most of this discussion has been about grade school, specifically a 7 year old, when they are eating a full lunch in school and spending six or more hours a day there. I think everyone has pretty much thoroughly covered all the reasons why a good parent might not agree with such a ban, you can scroll back to see that. The debate is also all over the internet, with thoughtful points from all sides and all kinds of parents.

Maybe we should ban baseball period. Kids die playing little league. They get hit in the head with balls or have unforeseen heart issues. Not trying to be trite, it's just, I don't know how we as a society draw a line where this is safe, but this is not. It's tough.

___

Preschools ARE held in elementary schools--Florida has VPK (voluntary pre-kindergarten) paid for by the state. And I have no problem with an elementary school ban on peanuts. Middle school and high school are a different story.

The difference with certain comparisons that have been cited here is this: School is mandatory. Your child MUST attend or you will go to jail.

Because of that mandate certain precautions MUST be met. I can choose not to go to the movies, bookstore, grocery store, have my child play a sport, etc.

I can pick which playground I want my child to play on. I cannot choose which school my child attends--unless I am wealthy and can afford a private school. I must bring my child to the school that is assigned according to my address.

Well then, the argument says: So move to a different address. But school lines are drawn depending on community population. I could move to Avenue A, only to find that next year, I have been assigned to a different school.

The bottom line is: If you require my child to be somewhere under penalty of LAW, you must provide a safe environment.

There is a happy balance between overprotective and not protective enough. I don't think peanut bans are too much to ask. And recently my child was hurt at his school. He was climbing the playground equipment, slipped and banged up his eye. He was very bloody and I had to go get him as he needed two stitches. Our reaction was not to accuse the teachers or condemn the playground equipment or threaten a lawsuit--he is an energetic child, he simply had an accident. End of story. Accidents do happen and there is inherent risk with a lot of activities. We don't need to ban/restrict all of them. We need to make decisions that make sense.

heather

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

The bottom line is: If you require my child to be somewhere under penalty of LAW, you must provide a safe environment.


&&&

I agree. No one was suggesting we not provide a safe environment. We were simply disagreeing on HOW that environment should be implemented. I said I liked the idea of school nurses checking all the food.

Even the accommodations seems to suggest a total ban may not be necessary, but rather, having all students wipe their hands with wipes before going in the classroom may suffice.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Respectfully Disagree, I wasn't talking about what was said after (with 1200 comments I couldn't remember) nor was I talking about what others said.
I was talking about the questions Crazy answered, which were respectful.

In any case I don't blame folks for getting frustrated. Like I said last night it's one thing to debate the merits of an orange, another when you're trying to debate with someone who tells you that orange has blue spots on it when it doesn't.

If you are not happy with how folks talk here, the simplest solution is to leave. Why is this so hard for people? I don't hang out on web sites I don't like. Why would you?

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

You know what's hysterical, just before she admitted well okay I have ah homework helper/tutor, she straight out implied that she helps with homework herself:

My cold didn't stop me!I made bread,a full delicious dinner,ran 6 mi,paid bills&did phone calls!Oh yeah!:) Homework X (2tune of hammer X:)! less than a minute ago

I.e. my cold didn't stop me from helping with homework, running, paying bills, etc. Only to admit a short time later well okay I have help.
Even within the course of a 12 hour period she can't keep track of her lies.

EMTanner said...

I am certainly not claiming to be anyone's hero. Outta the blue i got bashed and told a vague side of my story. I just started thinkin...OMG I WOULD LOOOOOVE A WIFE SWAP EPISODE TO SWAP KATE AND MAMA FROM HONEY BOOBOO!!! THAT would ROCK!!!

Anonymous said...

The farmer's wife and her husband are now divorced, and he has remarried, not sure about her. Not much has been said about it.

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