Erin and Chad 4: Hoping She Loses the Polka Dot Cape

[backyard sylph]

My rule was always "door open, come in as you like, door closed, knock first." I liked knowing they could feel comfortable anywhere in the house while understanding sometimes being private is necessary, and they could ask the same of others. 

[Hisey]

I would not want my kids redecorating my bedroom as a "surprise." That would creep me out.

However, I also want them to know they are welcome in any room of the house, including my bedroom, so long as they respect my boundaries. My boundary is basically 1. knock first; and 2. don't go through my bedroom drawers and 3. don't take my clothes without asking.

Other than that, I'm glad if they want to come in and chat with me. I'm glad if they want to use my tub. I'm glad if they want to sleep in bed with me when the hubs is away. There are a lot worse things teenagers could be doing. Plenty of teens don't want anything to do with their parents.

Edited March 13, 2019 by Hisey

[miss_batson]

Carson and Max. They still have a dog. 

 

[lumpentheologie]

I guess it just depends on what boundaries you want around your bedroom. I'm in my 30s and when I'm visiting I'll get in bed with my mother sometimes in the morning after my dad goes to work.  She likes to stay in bed and read for a while, and I'll join her and we'll read and talk.  It's really nice mother-daughter time, and if she wants to be alone, she has no problem telling me. 

My husband and I go into each other's bedrooms without knocking even if the doors are closed, but if we had kids (who were old enough to understand) I'd want them to knock first. 

[AliceInFundyland]

Ok I have fallen victim to tiny Bates cuteness. That's just too much in one photo. The lab, the lad, and the hats.

[miss_batson]

So, Brookie has a new haircut. I love it! And good thing is Erin is admitting Brookie has a personality and letting her to express. 

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Is that a shock collar on the dog? 

[Hisey]

4 hours ago, HarleyQuinn said:

Is that a shock collar on the dog? 

That does look like a shock collar! I hope it isn't. I think that when you have three small children you might not have much time or patience for puppy training, which can take a while.

OTOH, there are similar collars that emit an unpleasant smell to deter the dog. I hope that's what I'm seeing.

[AliceInFundyland]

It looks a bit like this bark collar 

https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-deluxe-bark-control-collar/dp/48567

[bal maiden]

Poor dog. Poor kids.

[LillyP]

6 hours ago, HarleyQuinn said:

Is that a shock collar on the dog? 

It's probably an electric fence collar. We have one for our dog and they are great. The wire is buried and you train them to know their boundaries by flags and walking them around the perimeter. They get a beep warning if they get too close and a shock (the strength is adjustable) if they cross it. Our dog knows her boundary and never even gets close to hear it beep.

[Hisey]

56 minutes ago, LillyP said:

It's probably an electric fence collar. We have one for our dog and they are great. The wire is buried and you train them to know their boundaries by flags and walking them around the perimeter. They get a beep warning if they get too close and a shock (the strength is adjustable) if they cross it. Our dog knows her boundary and never even gets close to hear it beep.

Oh, right, of course. We used to have one too.

[JordynDarby5]

On ‎3‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 10:53 AM, Melissa1977 said:

Erin is a Kelly mini-me, and manipulation is one of their strengths. Also, Erin was raised as the spoiled daugther (while Michael, just 1 year older, was a slave). Erin had chores but her music was the priority, she was always praised, etc. I wonder if she's still behaving like the princess of the house and I wonder if Chad is getting tired of it. 

 

She's definitely a mini-Kelly, she's learned well. I don't doubt she's behaving like the princess of the house. She always seems to get what she wants. Making sure to tell Chad when the cameras are rolling? She knew what she was doing. Why she doesn't seem to notice how much her husband seems to be aging in front of her and being worked to death I don't know. 

[meee]

On 3/12/2019 at 6:53 PM, Melissa1977 said:

Erin is a Kelly mini-me, and manipulation is one of their strengths. Also, Erin was raised as the spoiled daugther (while Michael, just 1 year older, was a slave). Erin had chores but her music was the priority, she was always praised, etc. I wonder if she's still behaving like the princess of the house and I wonder if Chad is getting tired of it. 

  

That's so odd, though. When you have that many children that close together (Kelly had them faster than Michelle!), why in the world would you let your second oldest daughter be a spoiled musician princess rather than join her older sister in drudgery? 

[Bobology]

Erin likely had to endure drudgery as well. Perhaps she discovered early on that working hard at music got her out of some of the drudgery. Michael's 'hobby' seems to have been the kids and the house... Actually I don't know where I'm going with this. Their fake life on TV is nothing more than that: fake. The crew and the family themselves no doubt set up situations and practice reactions. I personally do not believe that Chad got first wind of the Carlin wedding work right there during filming, but making it look like he did is a good story line good for some laughs, someone thought. The show is fake, the family (as shown) is fake, but I still watch... I'm a diehard curious lookie-loo.

[nausicaa]

I've never understood the "Erin is a princess" narrative and I've really never seen any evidence to support it. 

We've established that Kelly is lazy and has no compunction about off-loading her parenting responsibilities on her daughters. Do we really think in the middle of a hectic day, Kelly was like "Michaela pick up Jackson! Alyssa get started on dinner! Erin, I need you to--oh wait, you have awesome hair, never mind, I'll take out the trash myself."

I think all of those daughters had far more than their fair share of chores. I do think Erin was more of a golden child who outshone Michael because of her outgoing personality, looks, and piano talent. But not a princess. She also currently keeps up with three kids, keeps an immaculate house, and cooks dinner every night, while also often having her younger siblings over to her house. She's a hard driving perfectionist. 

That being said--the Bates kids all had mooching modeled for them as okay. Also, in my personal life, I've found that outgoing, charming people often have an unconscious habit of taking a bit more than they give. 

Edited March 17, 2019 by nausicaa

[Hisey]

7 hours ago, nausicaa said:

I've never understood the "Erin is a princess" narrative and I've really never seen any evidence to support it. 

I feel the same way. I'm sure Erin got free time to practice the piano, but beyond that I don't see any evidence of favortism.

In terms of looks, all the Bates women are beautiful, not just Erin. So why is Erin labeled the "princess"?  Just because she could play piano? Doesn't make sense to me.

[just_ordinary]

I think the Erin=princess narrative is heavily supported by herself. It’s the way she presents her life, family and relationship with Chad. The fact that she constantly praises him for every little thing he does and how hot he is add up to an unreal Prince Charming that stands by foot only to jump when she says. On a superficial note her voice and hair together with her face are the poster features of a classic (helpless) princess.

[CarrotCake]

I think her dress for the mid-evil party showed at least how she sees herself as a princess.

[Melissa1977]

9 hours ago, Hisey said:

I feel the same way. I'm sure Erin got free time to practice the piano, but beyond that I don't see any evidence of favortism.

In terms of looks, all the Bates women are beautiful, not just Erin. So why is Erin labeled the "princess"?  Just because she could play piano? Doesn't make sense to me.

Bates introduced Erin as someone amazing for her music career. Her concerts were a priority. She was the poster child, allowed to dye her hair when it was supposed to be forbidden. You can see it in old videos and in the old blog. 

Of course Erin had chores, but she had something on her own (she studied music for hours, almost daily and Kelly made a big deal of all of her concerts). Any of the other children has been praised like her, and any of the other children had received such attention. Not even Lawson, with his music career neither Zach when tried to be a politician. 

It's not unusual to have a favourite son or daughter. Not fair, I know, but it's not surprising.

I think Kelly parentified Michael, making her an associated-mother and housekeeping and she felt bonded to her, but she considered Erin brighter or better. Alyssa was a shadow that only started to shine when she got engaged and specially when she got married. She and Tori were mostly ignored in the old blog as individuals. 

 

[miss_batson]

According to Erin, Chad moped HER floors and watched HER babies. Waching babies is what bugs me. In my house its called parenting not watching. And as i read the IG comments, she got a alot of negative comments about it. She maybe have choosen wrong words to interpret her toughts but it is as it is. 

And also, Chad 's company now has an IG page 

 

 

[CarrotCake]

I actually thought it was a bit on purpose, like a joke. Especially the combination of 'my floors' and 'my babies'.

 

[nickelodeon]

Tools indeed! Of the Doug Phillips variety.

[Hisey]

Quote

 

According to Erin, Chad moped HER floors and watched HER babies. Waching babies is what bugs me. In my house its called parenting not watching. 

Those are really cute babies. But I agree, the way she worded it was strange.

[DillyDally]

7 hours ago, just_ordinary said:

I think the Erin=princess narrative is heavily supported by herself. It’s the way she presents her life, family and relationship with Chad. The fact that she constantly praises him for every little thing he does and how hot he is add up to an unreal Prince Charming that stands by foot only to jump when she says. On a superficial note her voice and hair together with her face are the poster features of a classic (helpless) princess.

The carriage ride when Chad proposed and the super pink newlyweds bedroom come to mind, too.