Comment on World's Strictest Parents

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A comment on a previous post said:

Saw the show last night. And I felt credit where it's due ... I had to cringe at the behaviour of the two kids (because that's what they were). And speaking as someone who isn't religious, or abstemious (but who doesn't over indulge beyond a glass of wine with a meal), I can only say I was very impressed by your patience, and the outcome ... so much respect, and best wishes to you and your family.

My response was:

Thank you so much for your kind comments.  I was quite pleased at how the show turned out.  The whole experience was very uplifting and I am glad they showed that.  I know James and Hannah had changes of hearts while they were here, but I don't know if those changes will last unless they find new friends.  They are both so socially driven that I am afraid they will have a terrible time going against their peer groups.  This was part of the main reason they were crying as they left.  James and Hannah both told me they really didn't want to go home because they knew that at home people wouldn't understand what they know now.  Their eyes had been opened.  Once a person experiences a change of heart like they did, they are alone if their friends and family don't really understand.  I actually wished they could have stayed.  James told me he wants to try to come back some day, but I don't really know if this will happen.

Thank you so much for your support.  We are making so many wonderful English friends and are inspired by the people we are meeting.  The world really is a good place and has amazing people in it.  We all just need to work together to strengthen the world one person at a time.

Share the show with your friends.  The whole reason we did it was to make an impact for good.  If we all pass it around a bit, I think many people will choose to be better parents and teens.  I have already had other troubled teens contact me and ask me to help them straighten out their lives too.  This is something I am very happy to do.

Again, thank you for your kindness!

I am trying to respond to all the comments and emails as they come in.  I am meeting some tremendously inspiring people.  Hooray for goodness!  We can all influence the world if we keep spreading warmth and kindness.

Carol, They found me

Carol, They found me because of our music teacher and my blog. We weren't going to do it, but then realized God wanted us to strengthen families with this. They came in May of 2009. I will be happy to pass encouraging emails along to Hannah and James. I think they would like that. The very best thing you can do is encourage all youth around you to live virtuously. I wish I could show you the rest of the footage, but I don't own it, the BBC does. It had so much good stuff on it though. Good questions!

I recently noticed this show

I recently noticed this show in the listings for the first time. The title, admittedly, had me worried but I did enjoy the program.

Nicholeen, Several

Nicholeen, Several questions... 1) How in the world did you get involved with this program? 2) When did the visit actually happen? In 2009? 3) What can we do to encourage and help these two kids? Can you pass along e-mails from others? 4) Is the rest of the film footage available for viewing? Carol June

I just saw the youtube of the

I just saw the youtube of the show. I passed it along to most of my contact list. It was really good. Good job!

Dear Nicholeen: I watched

Dear Nicholeen: I watched the show and was so impressed by your calm and collected attitude. I loved it when your son said, "she's trying to push my mom's buttons, but it won't work." One of my biggest problems is I allow kids to push my buttons and engage me in non-productive discourse (getting off track of what we're talking about). These get me so frustrated. I don't know how you did it with James and Hannah. I admire your patience, love and skills. Can you tell us any more about some of the experiences that happened that weren't included in the final edit. I'm curious to learn more about it.

Dear Nicholeen,

Dear Nicholeen, My wife and I would just like to say how impressed we were watching the show last night on BBc3. I have never been to the states but TV here, even the BBC sadly, can tend to focus on the sensational. So the public have come to suspect that even the most innocent and banal conversations will be edited and cut to make those involved look like world war three was about to break out! Therefore it was with some trepidation that we watched World's Strictest Parents because the genre of 'annoying teens' documentary has become so hackneyed. However, it seemed that however they edited it (whether balanced or otherwise it is hard to tell on this side of the screen) the compassion and poise that you and Spencer showed for James and Hannah shone through. I think that you both demonstrated so many admirable qualities in that you could express your feelings to the children without giving them an emotional foothold to 'push your buttons' and you could express your feelings about drugs and alcohol, and get them respected without seeming dictatorial or extreme. My wife and I have two children aged three and 4 months and we can only pray that we can exhibit such grace and elegance under fire. I can only believe that it is the holy spirit that has gifted this to you and your husband and therefore a work of His enduring love for us. I think I am a bit of a rebel at heart and although I am a Christian I am not a Mormon, however the documentary really challenged my faith and has brought me to a place where I want to think prayerfully about the issues you raised about the home and what we bring into it both in our words and in our bodies. God bless you both Phil and Debs Ps. The bit with helping out at the ranch made me ache with a nostalgia for what might have been in my own childhood; and how you must be so used to somewhere so indescribably beautiful which was apparent even on a computer monitor!

Nicholeen, you really must

Nicholeen, you really must write a more complete post about your experiences with Hannah and James. You stated on the show that you're warriors for good, and hyperbolic as it sounded when you said it, I've got to say you lived up to it. The show definitely came off as a force for good.

Wow, you are my hero. It's

Wow, you are my hero. It's one thing to read and listen, it's quite another to watch it happening. While watching I kept thinking, how are they (you guys) going to do this?? I wish there was a 24/7 version I could watch.

Katy, I do keep in contact

Katy, I do keep in contact with James and Hannah. We email fairly regularly. I hope contact continues, but I fear that as they get further and further from what they learned here, they will get back into their old ways. I pray for them regularly too.

Nicholeen, Do you keep in

Nicholeen, Do you keep in touch with these kids at all now that they're gone?

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