More the Merrier – Jon & Kate Plus 8

KG: All the time. My good old ‘mommy guilt’ does me in on this one. As the kids get older though, they hang back with me when they need that ‘one on one’ and I know they know where to find me when they need me. In a large family, my presence in the house is what they need most and I am blessed to be able to be here more days than not.

ParentsCanada: What is the worst part of ‘living in a fish bowl’?
KG: The hardest part is when people assume we are living a ‘Hollywood life’ and all the perks that come with that. We are still a normal family with real feelings and values and always will be. We have eight kids to raise and have to do what we have to do to support them.

ParentsCanada: What is the best part?
KG: The best part is the people we have been able to meet, the people’s lives we have been
able to touch, and when they email and tell us about it! And, of course, the places we have been able to travel. And to be brutally honest, I am still so thankful that we don’t have to stress about how we are going to pay our electric bill this month!

ParentsCanada: Do you feel the portrayal of your family is accurate?
KG: Yes, it is all true and none of it is ‘set up’ or staged, but sometimes for ‘good TV’ all of my ‘issues’ with Jon are shown in a 22-minute show and they may have happened over a much longer period of time (really! I am not making any excuses for myself!).

ParentsCanada: How do you overcome the stress of criticism?
KG: This is a very difficult aspect of being on TV and in the public eye. We really try not to pay attention to it – or care. Until you are in our house facing our issues, you have no right to judge us. Our show is only a snippet of what we face in life!

ParentsCanada: What point of the kids’ lives do you worry about the most?
KG: We try not to worry about the future. But we (not unlike any parents), want our decisions to benefit our kids today and in the future, so we don’t take any decisions concerning them lightly. I want my kids to look back on their childhood knowing that they had two parents present and involved and understand that we did everything to better their lives.

ParentsCanada: What one ‘parenting trick’ or gadget is your favourite?
KG: Most recently? Single serving snacks for kids (organic, of course). When we are travelling, it is a luxury to have them and makes my job much easier.

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