If I were the parent of a child or children that made the burn marks on that coffee table, we would be having a sit down. The first question I would ask is who did it? The second would be what did you use to make the burn marks? The third would be why do you need the lighter or what ever you used to begin with? The next would be are you smoking? (anything?) Then we would have a discussion on fires and how you could burn the house down and kill those you love. i would follow it up with a trip to the fire department and take them there to talk with the firemen. I would never act like Amy. Matt you were right to be concerned, but you wimped out. I hope that never cost you everything you were stairing at last year, in your drive way when you were looking back on how your house had changed!
I agree they should have had a family discussion about the table. But it did seem to me that Matt had already made up his mind who did it without evidence (as he did earlier with the remote) and Amy wasn't having another unfounded accusation. But yes, the burning of the table was far too dangerous to just let go. I would have made the kids either refinish the table or replace it.
Maybe Amy didn't want another unfounded accusation but she could have dealt with that by trying to find the real culprit and thereby exonerate the falsely accused. If the accusation was indeed misplaced that problem would have been solved and the source of the damage identified. It is ridiculous to pass off a matter of fire in the house so casually. We hear regualrly about house fires caused by kids with matches or a lighter. Unfortunately Amy's, sometimes misplaced, protection of her brood seems to extend beyond the reality of the danger involved. What is that table had exploded in a ball of flame and burned the house down? Would she still not care who started it?
it's not JUST A TABLE, it's a table that was burned with FIRE!. If it were just a table There would be no discussion at all. Were not having a thread about the kitchen table or the pool table. This is about a table that had been burnt. TLC focused on the table, then showed the parents discussion on the table. I did not show the table. TLC did a close up for every one to see it. Don't you find that interesting. TLC saw something wrong with it too. They are just there to film. Just like the time when the kids were climbing that dangerous hilland could have fallen down and broken something. They just kept filming, but still showed us the danger. Once again nothing was told to the viewers if the parents were arlarmed to see that footage. I guess something awful willl have to happen and then maybe be will see a responce. Oh, that already happened during pumplin season, and the words the words were up for everyone to see. Why? it was because, it was in the news paper and other media. OH so if something awful really does happen they will have to address it, but if it is dangerous but ends all is well keep TLC quite.
I couldn't believe that Amy didn't want to find out who burned the table. Her response, "it's in the past, we don't know who did it, it's too late to even find out"--that's the way you deal with dogs not kids! You don't discipline a dog after the fact but you can bet those kids know what happened every time they see that table! Lousy parenting!
The other story could be that she didn't want to call out the guilty party on camera. She decided to make it an off camera blessing out and punishment. That's what I would have done.
I put that in one of my post above, but because there are so many children that watch this show I also said they could have put up a message at the end of the show to allow the viewers to know Amy did see it was serious. I have seen that done in the past if a show had under age drinking and other things. I understand her maybe not wanting that on camera, but to just leave it like it is that's just plain wrong. A very bad message. She or matt could have just said somehint to themselves as to the fact it's a good thing we discussed it with the children. I truly think I was just left the way we saw it. When Zach got into trouble with the mini van that was shown on tv. This to me is just as dangerous. I have seen many dangerous things done on this show and have held my breath many times. Some of these things are not good for other children to watch. JMHO
I think it was very important to figure out who burned the table and why. It was burned on the edge which would have been a very difficult spot to burn accidentally. The children and Amy for that matter don't really care what the house looks like and they show no respect for their possessions. When they get to the point where they are burning the furniture, someone needs to step in and do something.
If anyone has a DVR go back and check that burn out. Someone started several small fires and blew them out. That is what is so disturbing to me. The burns overlap each other. It's like the person lit it on fire, blew it out then did it again and again. Looks like 4 different times. That could be a start to a certain cry for attention. Next time they might not blow it out so fast or try to burn something else like a curtain. I still am having a hard time that was just dismissed, but I guess it's not my problem.
It just seems that we are never shown any discipline or follow through. Maybe the situation w/the burned table was handled, & we just didn't see it. If we're going by the fallout though, it appears that these kids haven't yet learned not to do these things! Their wild rampages last night indicated that they continue to disrespect their wonderful home and could pretty much care less...
Originally posted by Cindylynn: If I were the parent of a child or children that made the burn marks on that coffee table, we would be having a sit down. The first question I would ask is who did it? The second would be what did you use to make the burn marks? The third would be why do you need the lighter or what ever you used to begin with? The next would be are you smoking? (anything?) Then we would have a discussion on fires and how you could burn the house down and kill those you love. i would follow it up with a trip to the fire department and take them there to talk with the firemen. I would never act like Amy. Matt you were right to be concerned, but you wimped out. I hope that never cost you everything you were stairing at last year, in your drive way when you were looking back on how your house had changed!
I would bust a few backsides for burning furniture or anything in the house. They have been many families killed by fire.
I was surprised that Amy behaved so nonchalantly when she saw the burned table.
It just seems that Amy doesn't care what the kids do to the house as long as they stay there forever. She's truly doing them no favors by allowing this sort of behavior.
Originally posted by coralsea: I was surprised that Amy behaved so nonchalantly when she saw the burned table.
It just seems that Amy doesn't care what the kids do to the house as long as they stay there forever. She's truly doing them no favors by allowing this sort of behavior.
Matt should strike out and do his own show. I mean he is the only one of the bunch interesting enough to listen to.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: mod_ivy,
The attitude over the coffee table was a shocker.. Matt was concerned because someone had lit it on fire.. Amy saw it as not big deal.. I was stunned.. 'No big deal'..Some dweeb in your house set your table on fire~!! 'duh'?? Time to get upset lady~!!
This is why all the kids in the area hang out at the Roloff's. There are no rules and they can do anything they want...even burn tables. Sadly, I think this nonchalant attitude over their possessions comes about when they simply don't appreciate what they have. The kids aren't being taught to respect their parents, so it's no surprise they aren't taught to respect their home also.
I think sometimes she leaves Matt speechless too.. and if Amy were a different sort of person, I'm sure it would work the other way too Matt pulls some hummdingers of a different variety at times
I did not take it quite so literally; but perhaps that's just the 'grain of salt' thing I've developed hearing Matt go on. I thought perhaps he was 'making for television' with "let's get Jacob out here and GRILL him", and that everyone there had long since known what happened to that table.
I've noticed that a lot of people feel about the R's trips that Matt provides them, and take it literally that he has invited Amy for a luxury goodie provided by himself. I'm afraid I now see them all as TLC's doing: they want to film LP travel, it's complimentary to a large degree. I'm pretty sure that the hotelier in the islands didn't say "I am charging full price -- be sure and get in some good shots of my sign tho" or the sailboat cap'n "it's full price but can you put in some nice shots of the sign on my stern".
There should have been a family meeting right then and there and ALL the children should have been questioned. The guilty party should then have been punished. Perhaps Jacob has a history of burning things and this is why Matt suspected he was the guilty one...who knows.
Originally posted by Cindylynn: ...Maybe you need to go look at pictures of fire survivors and you will see why it makes me angry to see that dismissed on the so called "The Learning Channel". What did that teach any young viewer about burning their coffee table? If there was a discussion with their childrenthen it should have showed it. What it showed was Amy thinking it was no big deal and to leave it alone. Just like the time when Jacob went over the rail to touch the wall on the river boat. We never saw someone telling him that was way wrong and he could have been crushed. As a parent I don't like shows that have dangerous things happen and never show any disscusion as to the matter being dangerous. What does this tell our children. If you have children and see something like this in your home you need to address it. I think that was very dangerous and if they did not want it to show them talking to their children about it for what ever reason then they could have had something written at the end of the show saying it was HANDLED! That is much more exceptable than viewers thinking it was not. You can like the show and love the family however, that does not mean to let something that could cost someone their life be ignored.
I understand when you say you don't like shows that show dangerous situations, but don't discuss the situations as being dangerous. That's when you as a parent have to step up and explain to your children if they're watching such as to why it was dangerous, etc., you shouldn't rely on a television series to teach your children right from wrong, that's your responsibility.
BB64, I agree with you about the point that parents must talk with their children about things such as this. This was, however over the top. I can talk to my children, but I did not see any one talk to the child or children that burned the table. I can handel my end, but they however did not handel theirs. I don't want to wake up one day and hear on the news the Rolloff family lost their home in a fire. I said earlier I had an uncle almost burnt to death because of furniture being lit on fire. Let me tell you he had no ears. His hands were shribbled up and his fingers were burnt off. He sat the rest of his life in a wheel chair because one of his legs was burnt off. He was completely hairless, I could go even more graphic but I will not. I loved my uncle Auther and he was a different man in just a matter of an hour. What Amy and Matt saw was something that could, ( I used the word could) show a quest for attention. Not pointing fingers myself, but I do remember in a past show where Jacob was lighting matches, and Amy took them away form him. Once again sorry for the rant. I just wish if they did correct the person that Amy and Matt said somewhere in the show, I'm glad we took care of the coffee table matter. That is all that could have been said to us we are not stupid viewers. We would have understood without seeing it on cameras!
Originally posted by Cindylynn: BB64, I agree with you about the point that parents must talk with their children about things such as this. This was, however over the top. I can talk to my children, but I did not see any one talk to the child or children that burned the table. I can handel my end, but they however did not handel theirs. I don't want to wake up one day and hear on the news the Rolloff family lost their home in a fire. I said earlier I had an uncle almost burnt to death because of furniture being lit on fire. Let me tell you he had no ears. His hands were shribbled up and his fingers were burnt off. He sat the rest of his life in a wheel chair because one of his legs was burnt off. He was completely hairless, I could go even more graphic but I will not. I loved my uncle Auther and he was a different man in just a matter of an hour. What Amy and Matt saw was something that could, ( I used the word could) show a quest for attention. Not pointing fingers myself, but I do remember in a past show where Jacob was lighting matches, and Amy took them away form him. Once again sorry for the rant. I just wish if they did correct the person that Amy and Matt said somewhere in the show, I'm glad we took care of the coffee table matter. That is all that could have been said to us we are not stupid viewers. We would have understood without seeing it on cameras!
As for handling their end, they very well could have handled it off camera. Just because it wasn't shown on camera doesn't mean they did nothing about it.
There's no need to apologize for your rant, you provide good points for discussion, no need to apologize for that.
It's unfortunate what happened to your uncle and I can see why this would upset you, but since we only see a half hour of 24 hours of their lives, we have no idea what else was discussed on this subject.
I agree we're not stupid viewers that's why I realize there's more that goes on than what we see.
Matt pulls some hummdingers of a different variety at times