Anyone else watching TLC's "Little People, Big World" reality show?

[lucas]

Before you guys mentioned it, I never noticed the clutter either. But, now I see what you mean. I must have missed the part with no sheets.

Matt is also the former president of Little People of America.

 

[jaimee1024]

OK...saw some reruns this weekend and definitely noticed the mess this time around! And I saw Jeremy sleeping in the bed with no sign of sheets (although it's possible the corner of the fitted sheet had simply slipped off)...and yes...I did find myself thinking that they needed to clean up a bit. But I still think that it's a matter of Mom having to do it all and no one helping her around the house.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

Count me in as watching the show. I also noticed how messy things are.

 

[aprild]

Hmmm, do i watch this show?? check out my tag!! i am really fascinated with little people and how they adapt to life. i want to go visit the Roloffs on their farm!! i really enjoy watching the shows where they have the little people conventions!

So glad Zach finally passed his test!!

 

[OhMari]

My dd mentioned to me too how much time they spend with Zach. But then they had a show where the dd was in dance and she played soccer.

I think the show wants to chronical more Amy, Zach and the dad.

It sounds like Amy was the kids soccer coach for a long time and now Zach is helping her coach her youngest sons team. I'm pretty impressed. It takes a lot of time and dedication to coach a team. I really give Amy credit. She also said she has been coaching many years.

Also, the dad does a lot of talking. Zach and Jeremy and his daughter will say something so their dad don't hear them, but the camera will pick it up and put it in closed caption. I wonder what the dad thought when he saw the show. And what the kids are saying is nothing but teen rebellion.

 

[jaimee1024]

Hmmm, do i watch this show?? check out my tag!! i am really fascinated with little people and how they adapt to life. i want to go visit the Roloffs on their farm!! i really enjoy watching the shows where they have the little people conventions!

So glad Zach finally passed his test!!

I am fascinated with little people as well and so amazed at what they are able to overcome. It makes me realize that I take just being average sized for granted. I think this family is great. I really like Amy and I think she and I could be pals if we lived near each other. Anyway...just wanted to point out something and I hope you don't think I'm being critical. It's just that I've learned that "midget" is an insulting term for dwarfs or little people. I don't know why...I think it has something to do with the "freak show" days when little people were advertised as midgets. But they do not consider that an appropriate term. I thought you would want to know since, like me you seem to have great admiration for these people.

 

[missypie]

DD and I were flipping channels over the weekend and came up on the show and we couldn't stop watching. Matt mentioned spending most of his childhood in the hospital. Did he have a childhood illness that made him "little" or is his size genetic, too?

I would hate for anyone to film what my house looks like most of the time. A while ago DH changed DS's sheets...the only thing DS15 had to do was to put on a pillowcase...he didn't do it and slept on a bare pillow...I finally put a flowered pillowcase on it and now he uses another pillow! So I guess I'm not going to judge anyone else's bare bed situation!

 

[kimmikayb]

I am fascinated with little people as well and so amazed at what they are able to overcome. It makes me realize that I take just being average sized for granted. I think this family is great. I really like Amy and I think she and I could be pals if we lived near each other. Anyway...just wanted to point out something and I hope you don't think I'm being critical. It's just that I've learned that "midget" is an insulting term for dwarfs or little people. I don't know why...I think it has something to do with the "freak show" days when little people were advertised as midgets. But they do not consider that an appropriate term. I thought you would want to know since, like me you seem to have great admiration for these people.

I really like Amy too. I think she has a lot of the same family frustrations as some of us do (husband who doesn't pitch in at home, kids who don't listen/help). From what I've seen on tv, seems like she would be fun to be around.

I still wish they would buckle up in the car.

 

[AMcaptured]

I have seen most of the episodes because I tivo'd it. I admire so much about this family,however the house is beyong disgusting. I can't imagine they don't notice the mess and with television cameras there, all I have to ask is WHY? I happen to keep a very clean home and the obvious disregard for their environment says a lot to me. I happen to be one of those people who judges people by the cleanliness of their home. Clean costs nothing, jmo

AM

 

[lucas]

Matt mentioned spending most of his childhood in the hospital. Did he have a childhood illness that made him "little" or is his size genetic, too?

No, he didn't have an illness that made him "little," he spent time in the hospital having surgery to correct his legs.

According to the TLC website link that I posted below: "When he was a child, Matt’s dwarfism often left him in the hospital, recuperating from painful surgeries on his legs."

Also interesting: "Matt has one little person brother."

http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/lpbw/bios/matt.html

 

[Sandy22]

As for the house, I am not a neat freak by any means, but there is no way that I would show my kids sleeping in beds with no sheets on them on national television. I just constantly look at the floors in their house and think "Could someone push a vacuum across that floor, please?" I know it's judgemental, but I can't help it. When I see them walking bare foot on that floor, it grosses me out.

I enjoy the show too and I think it's putting out a really positive message about little people. However, I agree with tarmand, the house is filthy! I would never let my home be shown on national tv that dirty. At the very least, the kids are old enough to be cleaning their own rooms.

 

[Brutie]

I've watched it from the beginning and have found it very educational and interesting. I had just not ever given any thought to the daily things that normal size people can do that little people cant.

Matt and Amy both get on my nerves for various reasons. I'm looking forward to the remodel of the kitchen Matt said they were going to do and I'm also glad Zach finally passed his driving test, bless his heart. I think Zach is quite a handsome fella.

 

[Shortee]

I enjoy watching the Roloffs, they seem like a wonderful family. Although I'm not a dwarf, as a person of very short stature (4'10), I can relate to some of the challenges Amy, Matt, and Zach face (reaching for things, shopping for clothes, driving, etc.) I admire their tenacity to lead full lives despite the obstacles they face.

While I do agree that their house is a bit untidy/disorganized, it's not that terrible. It appears they have busy lives, maybe they just don't have a lot of time to devote to housework, or they can't afford a housekeeper. Amy has 2 jobs, is involved in the activities of 4 kids, they do show her cooking and doing dishes sometimes. I think she's doing a GREAT JOB! Like the "sheets" thing that a couple of posters mentioned, she should make the boys put sheets on their own beds, they are way old enough. She shouldn't have to do that, it would be too physically straining for her. The Roloffs appear to be a loving, stable, spiritual, happy family with well-adjusted children, and I think that counts a lot more than a little mess here or there.

 

[jaimee1024]

I agree Shortee! And if people were to decide whether they liked me or not based on how I keep my house, well...I guess there are a lot of people out there who wouldn't like me much. I would never judge anyone based on their housekeeping skills.

 

[2kidsnutsfordisney]

Count me in as one who watches the show! I have noticed the dirty house but figured that they are terribly busy with the kids activities and do not put it as a priority. I love that they face their challenges head on and do not have a "feel sorry for themselves" attitude. Like someone else mentioned earlier - I too would love to visit their farm! It looks amazing - what a fantastic place to raise kids Just another observation - it cracks me up that Zach's hair always looks like he just rolled out of bed - does he ever run a comb through that hair?? He is such a cute kid

 

[slyjly]

Our family loves this show also. We have noticed the clutter in the house. But Amy is so busy and I can only imagine how exhused it must be just to do every day chores for her. I am 5ft and I get tired of always having to reach for something that is too high. Jeremy and her daughter are old enough to have reg. daily chores to help her. Zach and the youngest boy can do a lot too. The episode last nite showed the grandmother getting them all to clean the house. I really like Amy, but may be she is just a little too independent! Matt would diffiantly get on my nerves, but you can't help but admire and love his attitude.

 

[azgal81]

Did anyone else watch the show last night and catch the comment Amy made about someone always seeming to clean her house for her when she is gone. I don't see how she has time to clean she works two jobs, from what I can see does all the cooking and I get tired cleaning my house I can't imagine how hard it must be for her. I'm glad the kids all pitched in to clean it for them when they were on vacation!

 

[SueM in MN]

Their accessibility kit for hotels is really an ingenious idea. They took something that little people were having a problem with and found a solution that is cost-effective and easy to store for the hotels. Part of it is ADA related and they also make the point that it could be a risk management situation for the hotels if someone is hurt because they don't have any resources available at the hotel.
They also have a directory on their website of places that have the kits, so it become a marketing thing for the hotels. The website and their little movie showcasing the problem and the kit is pretty interesting.

I remember my brother sleeping without sheets as a teen, so I think that's a teen thing (and I sometimes slept on top of my bed with a comforter so I didn't have to make the bed when I was a teenager).

Matt and Amy have different type of dwarfism. The type that she (and Zach) have is the most common type, achondroplasia, where they legs and arms are shorter than on people who don't have achondroplasia. Matt's type of dwarfism is diastrophic dysplasia; that type is more often associated with orthopendic problems - things like joint dislocations, flexion contractures (where the joint becomes "frozen" in a flexed position). He apparently had a lot of surgeries as a child to correct some of these things.
I've read that Amy has few/little health related problems due to herr dwarfism and that Zack had surgery at one point because his legs bowed out, and that as a child he had some breathing problems at one point because the breathing passages of a child with dwarfism are smaller than a child without dwarfism.

 

[OhMari]

When grandpa & grandma were watching them, Zach made a comment that there were meals. And all on schedule, plus a snack at 9:00. He said this never happens. So I don't know if everyone makes their own meals in the house. But at the end of the segment, it had Amy pounding pork chops. Zach also said they did zillions loads of laundry. I can see how laundry piles up. I do 4 loads a day, if I would leave it to a Saturday, I would have 30 loads to do.

 

[lucas]

I am totally hooked on this show. Anybody else watching?
Season 2 started last night.