Wow, how selfish is Matt, to plan a "Family" vacation and never pay attention to the fact that Amy could not go. Then when his children were upset he blamed everyone else and took no responsibility for his actions.This was so typical of Matt. My friends and family watching were all so upset we were yelling at the television. He had the nerve to mention last years vacation which he ruined my not attending the entire 5 weeks of. Let's face it Matt is for Matt and everyone else can fend for themselves. He showed his true colors when he told his mother it was a father son trip and at that point his daughter was still going. How will she feel when she or her friends see it aired? Of course Amy's feelings were hurt. When he came back from his "family" trip he should have found himself sleeping in his Men's Crisis Center. All Matt had to do is COMMUNICATE with Amy at the very beginning. If he felt strongly about going let her know that. See if they could have stayed at a resort until Amy could join them on the boat. If she could not, she would have understood his need to go and gave her blessing. They could have then talked to the kids together. Marriage is a partnership and it's time Matt learns that. Amy has stuck by his side through thick and thin. Like with his 2 DUI's. Show some respect Matt be a good role model for you sons on how a husband should respect his wife. Publicly say you are sorry to Amy and earn some respect from us. Zach showed more compassion and respect for Amy. He stood up to Matt. Matt said some pretty hurtful things to Zach and once again never said he was sorry. My hats off to both Zack and Molly for staying home. And Matt what was the deal about best friends you tried to throw up to Zack. All you did was prove how childish and hurtful you can be. Matt it take more than sending your children to a religious school to teach them how to be kind to their fellowship, it take leading my example. Maybe you should try that??
I completely agree it is ridiculous. The thing that really got me is when Amy gave Zack and Molly a high five when they were going to talk to Matt. Seriously?! I wouldn't mind if the kids decided on their own that they didn't want to go but she was just egging them on the whole time. She is just a bad parent in my opinion, but she thinks she's some amazing model parent. Her kids are failing school, Jeremy didn't even want to go to college for a while, her house is a mess all the time, and her kids just do what they want around the house, but she does nothing and still thinks shes a great parent.
This is the first time that I have written my thoughts for any show. The disrespect that Amy is teaching the children is harmful for the entire family. Why was it Matt's fault that two things were scheduled? Where is Amy's resonsibility? Matt's was for the entire family. Amy's was off by herself. Amy doesn't have the mobility problem that Matt has and everything is a mess. She complained during the house remodel, she complains over new things. She loves her children - but loving them is also about being a parent and showing them how to be a responsible adult and parent - not just being their friend. That is a beautiful family. All of them. That is why I like to watch the show. But to see the anger rising in Zack and being fed by Amy is creating a monster in her home that I believe she will really regret at some point. There is no winning in that for anyone. If Amy unselfishly loves her children she will help them work through it -not by patting Zack on the head and accusing Matt.
Mothers should NEVER manipulate their children against their father. They should operate as a family, not as one parent against the other. Amy's ambition in life was to be a mother. The whole situation is just sad.
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Originally posted by Glowpat: I agree I think Amy was happy her kids were against Matt. What kind of mother wants to bring a division between her family. She behaves like a child. God forbid if she backed her husband, the father of her children. If it wasn't for him they would not have the beautiful life they have.
How many fathers can take off 5 weeks for a vacation? He went home to tend the pumpkins, had to set up a massive irrigation system so they wouldn't dry up. It seemed obvious to me that he had to go to assure that his family had that income. Maybe Amy didn't COMMUNICATE with Matt. We don't know if she told him about her speaking gig. Others point out that she is so disorganized that she might not have realized her engagement was during spring break. He did ask her if she could fly down after her engagement. Each island has an airport, they chartered boat so it seems feasible that she could have met them. It could have happened but Amy wouldn't even entertain the idea. It doesn't seem to me that there was any way Amy would have given her blessing to this trip. I know we don't see everything. Maybe some apologies were made that we didn't see. I thought it was sad that Zack and Molly stayed home. My hat is off to Jacob for not letting them pressure him into staying home. Amy used her kids to get back at Matt, very sad to see.
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I truly believe that Amy was the one who most likely made the scheduling mistake. She's so very unorganized and is always running late to everything, so it's no surprise that she would book a speaking engagement during Spring Break. I also know that Amy would never admit to making a mistake. She would rather blame Matt than admit to making a mistake on her own.
Matt seemed to know when Spring Break was and scheduled the trip accordingly. So, why was that so difficult for Amy? I highly doubt that Amy told Matt that she had a speaking engagement scheduled for Spring Break. I think she goofed herself, because we all know she'd rather be with her kids on Spring Break. Instead she blames Matt for her mistake. This of course is just my opinion.
Matt seemed to know when Spring Break was and scheduled the trip accordingly. So, why was that so difficult for Amy? I highly doubt that Amy told Matt that she had a speaking engagement scheduled for Spring Break. I think she goofed herself, because we all know she'd rather be with her kids on Spring Break. Instead she blames Matt for her mistake
Good point, Coralsea.
To be completely fair tho, Matt's own father has become exasperated with Matt's over-controlling behavior. I think that stymying Matts plans is the only way Amy knows to slow him down. Too bad she has to use her kids to do it....
Matt gets frustrated during pumpkin season and big events because there is only so much he can do. He has to depend on others to do things for him, and that causes him great frustration. He ends up barking orders at others because he is unable to do it himself. I don't excuse that behavior, but I can understand it. Matt is usually kind about it though for the most part, he has surprised me though a few times when he has barked orders at his father. His father usually gives him what for though, so all ends well.
As for Amy and Spring Break... the whole thing was ridiculous. There was no reason for her to get so upset over the trip. It's not as if they never take trips, they take far more than the average family... way way more! What's the harm in Matt taking the kids on one trip? It was ridiculous how she reacted, and even more ridiculous when Zach joined in. Two peas in a pod, those two.
It has taken me at least 30 minutes to find this site and register to express my sadness that Amy uses her kids against Matt. So she and Matt had a conflict scheduling and Matt scheduled a vacation while she had a speaking engagement,that was between the two of them. Instead Amy stresses to the kids that they are to make up their own mind about the trip. She SHOULD HAVE ENCOURAGED THE KIDS TO GO and have a good time. Amy was not even going to be home so instead Amy prefers the kids stay home alone to prove Her point.
So many people in this world are in need. These people are crying over a vacation! I think Matt is a wonderful man,husband,father and person in general. He lives his dreams. He had and still had such health problems and yet it does not ditter him from getting the most of life. he understands this is his one and only life and he is outstanding. I wish I had a husband or father or brother like him. I wish I had a friend him. I feel so bad when his family hurts him. His little son Zach and his wife are not on his side EVER. They do gang up on him and always tell him how wrong he is whenever he tries to better their lives or his own. Let them go see how poor people are in the congo or India or pakastan. Let them see let them live there without for awhile. If you go out and put your buissness on TV for the world to see then exspect the world to judge you.
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it is truly disappointing to see yet another tv family demonstrating such a blatant disrespect for each other. The way Amy and matt speak to each other makes it clear how little they care about the others feelings, Amy seems to be the biggest offender here, with matt taking a passive agressive stance, almost understandable. The worst part of this is that it always takes place in front of the children, they are slowly drawing lines of loyalty which is selfish and destructive. I will no longer watch this program , frankly getting sick of seeing another family imploding due to the self serving exploitation they have invited into their lives.
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I have only been watching LPBW for about six months. I am always sick when I watch how amy treats her husband especially in front of her kids.Recently I watched an old episode where she actually isn't so nasty and confrontational. I wonder if being on the show made her this way or if over time her true colors have showed through.I enjoy watching how matt overcomes his daily problems and what he is cooking up next, I can see how he could drive a person crazy and needs reigned in. Having said that, there is a much better way to do this than being mean and teaching your children to disrespect their father.It always amazes me that Matt has the most health and physical problems yet it is amy who is so bitter.Matt has given her a home which others would envy, the children have a virtual wonderland in thier backyard. They should ask themselves who gave them this, without matts crazy ideas and positive can-do attitude they would not have any of this.
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I do agree with some of your points...like Matt's exurberance over projects may be hard to live with; however...'gave' her the house? The fact that you have seen Amy and formed these thoughts about her is because she works 5 days a week filming LPBW. Matt's ideas are fine...but the day to day is what brings in the big bucks.
As far as money is concerned, Matt has been the chief contributor since they were wed. Amy was a stay at home mom for the first 15 years of the twins life, so it goes without saying that Matt's income paid for the farm and the buildings on the farm, along with their vehicles and everything else. Matt also initiated the show with TLC, along with his other businesses relating to the farm and the sell of the stools. So, I think it's fair to say that they have what they have due to Matt's ambition. Yes, Amy allows herself to be filmed by TLC, but if it weren't for Matt the cameras would not be there. So, I give all credit to Matt.
I agree completely with everything Coralsea said. If it weren't for Matt, they sure wouldn't have what they have today and Amy wouldn't be getting paid for so called "motivational" speaking engagements. Don't know how motivational a person can be when they pit their children against their father constantly.
Originally posted by coralsea: As far as money is concerned, Matt has been the chief contributor since they were wed. Amy was a stay at home mom for the first 15 years of the twins life, so it goes without saying that Matt's income paid for the farm and the buildings on the farm, along with their vehicles and everything else. Matt also initiated the show with TLC, along with his other businesses relating to the farm and the sell of the stools. So, I think it's fair to say that they have what they have due to Matt's ambition. Yes, Amy allows herself to be filmed by TLC, but if it weren't for Matt the cameras would not be there. So, I give all credit to Matt.
Matt could not have done all those things if Amy hadn't been taking care of his home and children. They are equal contributors.
It is certainly incredibly gracious of Amy to allow herself to be filmed but have no earnings in remuneration. And to think, she delivered 2/3rds of the entire show herself.....unless Matt did that, too! No family members would equal no TV show for a single, dwarf man.
In the years they have had the big bucks...last five or so including their very much updated environs/vehicle/trips/comps. they have all allowed themselves to be filmed. So the concept that Matt alone provides-due to his ambition- for them all financially is not accurate. At one time he did...and they lived in much more modest surroundings.
If MR 'taught' her public speaking, perhaps she'll give him a cut of her earnings, to go with all the credit he's already receiving for 'giving' her such a nice house.
Matt was the sole provider. I'm not so sure why that's such a horrible statement. It's a fact. They had a nice life before TLC came along, so Matt provided quite well for the family all on his own.
Without Matt's ambition, there never would have been a show. There never would have been a farm. There never would have been much of anything.
Matt supported the entire family for 15 years. Amy worked part time as a pre school teacher and did work for the soccer league. I was secretary for our community's (5 towns) youth athletic league for 12 years. We had soccer, baseball, softball, basketball and t-ball. I wasn't paid for all the work I did. In fact it was completely volunteer work. Noone was paid for any of the work that was done. I was surprised to see that she was paid for that. Bottom line is simply that Matt was the SOLE provider for 15 years. If Amy was staying home to take care of the kids and the home, she did a pretty bad job during those 15 years. House is a sty and the kids are disrespectful and have no work ethic at all. Looks like the full time stay at home Mom dropped the ball somewhere along the line. So before you give her accolades for a job well done, think about the reality of it all.
Originally posted by coralsea: As far as money is concerned, Matt has been the chief contributor since they were wed. Amy was a stay at home mom for the first 15 years of the twins life, so it goes without saying that Matt's income paid for the farm and the buildings on the farm, along with their vehicles and everything else. Matt also initiated the show with TLC, along with his other businesses relating to the farm and the sell of the stools. So, I think it's fair to say that they have what they have due to Matt's ambition. Yes, Amy allows herself to be filmed by TLC, but if it weren't for Matt the cameras would not be there. So, I give all credit to Matt.
Matt could not have done all those things if Amy hadn't been taking care of his home and children. They are equal contributors.
The problem is that neither of them sees that they are partners in raising and providing for this family. Amy was telling Matt that she was the one who was around more the last 19 years!
They need to become partners and value eachothers contributions to the family. Sadly they do not do this and Amy gets the kids on "her side" against Matt.
I have only watched a couple of shows. When it first started, and recently.
The children are theirs, and my children do not make a mess like theirs do. They in my opinion are indulged way too much. However, they are the parents and get to determine how they are raised. Taking sides, and trying to pit your kids against their father is totally wrong.
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SAffy, enjoyed your post but I don't think Amy worked outside the home for very long. I think it was less than 8 months. She was an aide for pre-school and a soccer coach which was only in the fall. and as a pre-school aide I don't think she had that much to do and should would have had been off all holidays and the days were only 4 hours long.
Amy worked longer than that. She took a year off in one of the earlier seasons, then went back. I think now she does speaking engagements, and gets a salary from the show. Yes, Matt was the major breadwinner for years, but they lived in a very small house (think back to the first season). When the show first started, Matt had quit his high paying job and Amy was extremye worried about money. And, even though I have always been the major breadwinner, I do not think that makes my spouses contributions any less important, nor their needs,wants, and opinions less important to the marriage and family than mine. I think Matt does.
Amy has worked outside the home for about 3 years. She worked 2 years after the twins turned 15, and then she took off a year, and went back after that. She was a stay at home mom for the first 15 years after the twins were born.
Matt travelled a great deal on business and for that reason was often away. So, during this time the kids probably became closer to Amy than Matt. Especially considering Amy allowed them to do as they pleased. Matt became the bad guy because he'd come home and want chores to be done and the kids wanted nothing to do with that... so the wedge between the kids and Matt began... and it's still there. Amy has widened this wedge by belittling Matt in front of the kids and allowing them to belittle their father also. It's sad.
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