5-Minute Time Out: Kate Gosselin
The mother of eight says parenthood has made her more laid-back. Really.
by Gwynne Watkins
December 30, 2008
What's been the hardest phase of motherhood for you so far?
The first year, with unemployment, with six additional people in my house. Read Multiple Blessings, you can see that I really, really struggled. Hard, very hard. Love my kids, so glad it's done.
What's an advantage that you have over people with small families?
Well, we have eight times the laughter, eight times the noise. We're a sports team in and of ourselves; we can split into two and be two full basketball teams playing against each other. We Christmas carol and we're a whole Christmas caroling group. We don't even need company to have a dinner party. Those are our advantages, I'd say.
How is your family dynamic changing as the kids get older?
Their personalities are really coming out and we're starting to see who they are and who they will become. The kids are close. They love each other. I'm starting to see, like, by the time they get to high school, don't mess with them! They're a group of six — back off. That tightness is there. We're really starting to see it. They help each other out. They take care of each other when they're sick. That kind of stuff is neat.
Jon said early on in the series that you had a much harder job than he did, being the one to stay home with the kids. Have you ever felt ambivalent about being the one who has that job?
Never. While I enjoy getting to do a little more of this kind of [publicity] stuff, home is where my heart is. I enjoy cooking and providing for the kids in that kind of way, doing the laundry. I'm probably close to the happiest when I'm in my kitchen or doing laundry. I don't like to fold it and put it away but I do love doing it; it's just those mom processes that I love. I never envied him.
"I feel like doing the show is normal and healthy for our family."
No? If you could switch with Jon's job for a week, would you do it?
I feel like we have switched a little bit recently, but no, back in that day, no.I worked on Saturdays for those years at the beginning of the little kids and I was gone for eighteen hours, every Saturday. By the time I took the leap of faith and quit that job, we still needed the money, but I couldn't take away a Saturday from my family every week. I mean, I was absent. It was huge. So every Saturday for a year and a half after quitting that job, I'd get up and make pancakes and say, "Oh, I'm so glad to be home." I really felt strongly about being at home, and the girls cheered when I told them I quit my job. They had missed me on Saturdays. So that was nice.
You have faced some criticism for having your kids on camera 24 hours a day. What's your take on that?
I feel like it's normal and healthy for our family. I feel like we're inspiring and helping a lot of people. I feel like as long as it's safe and healthy and normal for our kids, it's fine. The added benefit of the show that we never forget is, again, we work from home. We work many nights until midnight, finishing up e-mails and things that are due for tomorrow. The kids are playing and living life. It's the hardest job we've ever had, but we're very thankful for it because we can work from home and our kids are with us 95% of the time. Never in a million years did I think that would happen, so I'm really grateful for it. It's working for us and I think that our kids — with the traveling experiences, with the different life experiences that they get — they're all the better for it. I don't expect other people to understand it because they don't live our lives so they really almost can't say without being in our situation. It's a weird situation, so, that's what I have to say about that.
Do your kids have sense that other kids don't get followed around by cameras?
No. Little kids at this age, their normal is normal. I'm sure they assume that ever child at school has cameras following them. They'll figure it out later and be like "Oh, alright. Cool."
©2008 Gwynne Watkins and Nerve Media
About the Author
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Gwynne Watkins was Babble's founding Senior Editor. She has written for a variety of web and print publications, and her theatrical work has been produced throughout the New York area. Her new family musical, Tea with Chachaji, will premiere in early 2010. |
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