Kate Gosselin “losing control” according to In Touch Weekly.
Below is the article that was sent to me from In Touch Weekly… I didn’t write this, this is their take on the situation. Personally, I don’t think that spanking her daughter should fall under the “losing control” category, but that’s just me. I know there’s a lot of debate over spanking these days, but I think it’s really sad this made the cover of the magazine.
Can you imagine having to spank your child, and having paparazzi there to catch it? That’s terrible! I know Kate’s not a saint, but man I feel for her. She can’t go right in the public’s eye. Everything she does makes the front page of the tabloids.
On camera, TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8 star Kate Gosselin tries to portray herself as a supermom who can handle taking care of 8-year-old twins and 5-year-old sextuplets. These exclusive new photographs show that Kate’s composed demeanor may just be a facade. Behind the scenes, she seems to be unraveling. Around 11 a.m. on June 13, a witness spotted Kate, 34, and the children playing outside of their Reading, Pa., home. When Leah, one of the sextuplets, started blowing a whistle loudly, Kate told her to stop because she was on the phone. But as soon as Leah blew on the whistle again, Kate “seemed to lose her temper” and said, “Did you not hear me?” Then she stormed over to her daughter, grabbed her and hit her. “The girl was screaming and crying,” the witness adds. “Kate just pushed her away and walked off with her coffee. Her older sisters were trying to make Leah feel better.”
For years, spanking has been one of the most controversial issues in parenting. Most childcare experts now agree that hitting is not an effective form of discipline. Although spanking is not against the law, Jordan Riak (who does not treat the Gosselins), executive director of Project NoSpank, who has studied the effects of physical punishment on children for more than 30 years, believes it should be. “Spanking can be child abuse,” he tells In Touch. “It has many long-term, lasting effects. It damages brain development in children under 7 and can lead to poor life decisions down the line. It can cause behavior problems, health problems and issues managing emotions.” But in a public statement, Kate shows no remorse for the incident, saying how she disciplines her children in public or private is her decision.
Tags: Kate Gosselin
June 17th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Yeah, thats a blanaced article. Interview the guy in charge of something called “project nospank” and get a really unbiased opinion.
I spank..I was spanked…we are all fine. I have three kids under 6 and it works for us. Not for every instance, but when warrented.
June 17th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I’m OK with spanking as a rare method of punctuating important, life-or-death lessons. Such as spanking a child for running into the street traffic. If it’s rare, a child will realize that it’s only administered for serious offenses having to do with one’s life and safety. Having said that, I haven’t had to spank my 4-year-old. Maybe, she’s just naturally super-intelligent!
For whistling though? Sorry Kate, but that’s a bit harsh!
June 17th, 2009 at 8:21 am
The bible says spanking your kids won’t kill them and I know I appreciate being spanked cause I was a good kid and didn’t get away with crap. Good for her.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:09 am
The spanking im ok with, it will make them learn…but the tight grip she has on her arms im not too sure about.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I agree with Jenna the grip on the kids arm ain’t cool!! I had a great grandma that used to do that to me…I hated that woman till the day she died! But a smack on the bum in some situations is ok.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:49 am
They need to leave Kate alone. Caught “hitting” her children?! Please. Everyone knows a spanking does good when warrented.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Spanking causes behavioural problems? As opposed to those well-adjusted kids who are allowed to do whatever they want, whenever they want? Give me a break.
And most little kids cry when they get spanked – it’s normal. I can’t stand Kate, but IMO in this instance she didn’t do anything wrong.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Just are there are different forms of misbehavior, there should also be different forms of punishment.
Never in anger, even it if is just a verbal reprimand, and never without a logical system being followed consistantly, are the main discipline guildlines for parents.
Some children are pleasers, some are teasers, some only need to be talked to, and others need to have spanking in the line up, but for specific offenses.
If a child does anything that he has been told and understands can hurt him/herself or others, rebelliously pushing the bounds of authority, a spanking can be just the trick. It can actually, because in those cases it works where other forms of discipline do not, be the most humane form of punishment.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
It’s ridiculous how these so called experts have no problem commenting on this woman’s life that “they do not treat” nor know outside the media circus which is her life. She has EIGHT kids! This new age crap about disciplining kids with words does not work; I see it everyday at the grocery store.
June 17th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I am blown away by the amount of media coverage this woman gets, and while I understand that she signed herself up for a life of TV scrutiny, it seems like such a shame that every moment of her life has to be analyzed by the press. What do people expect to see? She has EIGHT kids, this family is filmed nonstop; there are bound to be events where she needs to discipline her kids. Spanking is NOT child abuse.
June 17th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
I don’t think a swat on the butt ever hurt anyone, but would only use it in extreme circumstances like running in the street.
I wouldn’t spank my kid for blowing a whistle. I would have just taken the whistle and send her to her room for not listening.
She was probably on an important call with her hairdresser. haha!
June 18th, 2009 at 7:15 am
OMG just leave kate alone already, i watch the show and think she is a normal mom with a big family… Can anbody imagine if they would write a article on every parent that has spanked thier child, just because these damn paparazzi wanna make a quick dollar they will take any picture and some idiot will write up a juicy article… who knows if that is even what happened… JUST LEAVE HER ALONE
June 18th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Spanking is lazy parenting, plain and simple. It takes more time to deal with discipline problems in a civilized manner, so people do things to their kids, that, if they did them to another person, would land them in jail for assault. That said, I don\’t think Kate should be crucified for swatting her child. She just needs to deal with discipline in a more effective manner in the future. 9.99 times out of 10, spanking is done in the heat of the moment out of anger, and not to actually teach the child anything except to behave badly out of arm\’s reach.
June 18th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I think it’s really sad that magazines really need to rip into somebody’s life just to get a story. It’s really low….
June 18th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Letting your children do whatever the hell they want is lazy parenting, plain and simple. ‘A good talking to,’ ‘time-outs’ can also cause them to still mis-behave when out of arms reach. There is nothing wrong with spanking. Spanking lets them know you mean business. What is with all these people talking about hitting while anger? I have never seen a happy parent spank a child. That is just stupid. Kids today are out of control. I never liked Kate but I am starting to feel bad for the woman. I also agree that it is a shame this ended up on the cover.
June 19th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
I’m a mom of two boys and a teacher in public school. What is wrong with people today? Compare our children’s behavior now to that of ten to twenty years ago. Our children lack the respect we had as kids. I see nothing wrong with spanking and to interview someone from an organization that is against spanking is just crazy. We have no idea what happened with Leah before the witness saw the spanking. She may be battling with Leah on respect issues constantly and needed to handle it differently this time. Leave her alone! While I don’t think Kate is perfect, the public needs to leave her alone. Her show should be cancelled so she can work on her marital issues and family.
June 19th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Spanking is insanity. You’re telling your child, “I hit you because I love you.” Huh? If my husband said that to me, I would be looking for a divorce lawyer. Spanking is degrading and only teaches a child fear and to hide as much as possible from the parent. I have a wonderful, well-behaved, well-disciplined 7 year old girl who has never been spanked.
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:35 am
The little bitch deserved it…..LMAO
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
You know, Mothers have important things to do so she just had the choice to do it. Leah learned a lesson. She learned to listen. And Kate wouldn’t want to remember her as not listening…She didn’t mean to hit her cause she Probably didn’t have enough time to make another choice. You know if you Already Married a girl or your wife had a daughter I bet you would have to spank your daughter too.
Thank you for reading!
June 24th, 2009 at 11:35 am
way to go kate! establish disciplin early.I told you to stop and you didnt, so you suffer the consequences.she’s not going to be one of those mothers that has to tell a child 8,9 or 10 times to stop doing something. in case you people didnt know,a child knows how far they can push the mother. as a parent if all you do is say what your going to do then dont do it.the child knows this and will run with it.just like a time out.I’M THE PARENT,YOUR THE CHILD.I MAKE THE RULES!!
June 24th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Until the recent brouhaha, I barely knew who Jon and Kate were. And since I’ve never met either of them, I don’t know if they are sinners or saints. But I wholeheartedly agree that how they discipline their kids is their own business as long as they are not abusive. The anti spanking crowd can pitch all hissy fits they want,but a swat on the bottom does not fit the LEGAL definition of abuse. It doesn’t even fit the defition of abuse to the SANE general public. As far as I’m concerned, what the child was doing isn’t the issue, the issue is she was told to stop and didn’t. Next time mom tells Leah not to do something, she might remember that swat and NOT DO IT! Personally I think little Leah (and her poor siblings) are going to be far more damaged by being paraded on TV week after week and examined under a microscope than by a swat on the bottom for disobedience.
June 24th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I just LOVE how not spanking somehow equals spoilt brat. I was never spanked, and I got excellent grades, didn’t do drugs or drink, didn’t have sex while still a child, and when I finally DID it was to my current partner, the only person I’ve been with. I was taught to work for what I wanted, I wasn’t just given everything. I very rarely needed to be disciplined, and even if my parents DID believe in spanking, I would never have needed anything so extreme. Not every parent who opts not to spank gives in to the child’s every whim.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
And yes, it has been proven that spanking is detrimental. It only works if the parent doing the spanking explains to the child what they did wrong in a way they can understand immediately after. Most parents aren’t going to do that, they’re too angry, that’s why they spanked the kid in the first place.
June 26th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
OMG!!! I can\’t believe people have issues with her spanking her children. I for one am glad that my mother and father beat the hell out of me with a BELT!!!! We my 2 brother and myself was only told to do something once and we normally did it or got the hell beat out of us! Oh and yes, I turned out just fine. Graduated with honor from grad school.
P.S when I have children and they get out of line I will beat that hell out of them to and then love them up!
June 27th, 2009 at 3:20 am
Well Kate, it might as well been Jon being
publicly punished by you. That is how you always
made Jon feel–lower than dirt. You get what you deserve. I am glad Jon is moving on. He will do better than your hateful self. A new woman will at
least treat him as an equal, not as a dog. Karma is
bitch!!
September 10th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I do not agree with her hitting her child, nor do I agree with people taking pictures of it. They made a big deal of somebody famous hitting her child. OMG! something terrible is happening AAAHHHHH! If your attitude to hitting children is “that’s life”, well the same thing in this situation; people that make money taking pictures publicized it and: “that’s life”.(as well as guiding public opinion) One time I got stung by a bee, now I worship bees. I’m much better off because the whole world follows suit. Some say I am a class A++ bee worshiper. I have constant supply of honey.