Wife Swap

[Helsbells]

Anyone see the self-sufficient family on the boat in Spain, swapping with a rich woman?
What did you think of it?

[old tree man]

I missed it, but my daughter watched it and said it was good i hope to catch the repeat soon.

Russ

[Wombat]

We get the program on Foxtel but I only watch it sporadically and haven't seen that one yet.

Nev

[mrsflibble]

ish I'd see it but my in laws turned up.

[contadina]

I know that it's the remit of the show to pick people that are polar opposites but, I strangely think that the eco family came across worse. Whilst the money spent by the other family was quite mind-boggling and much of what they valued was very artificial they actually came across as nicer people.

I think both eco mum and dad came across as way too militant and dictatorial and that's never a good way to hope to get people to see your point of view. I also felt for their children, who clearly enjoyed going to school but ended up mimicking their parents views on pretty much everything.

[citizentwiglet]

Contadina, I'm with you on this one. The 'rich' family were very superficial, yes, and her idea of spending time with her children was rather different to my own ideas; but I agree that the eco-family adults were a lot more dictatorial than I would have expected.

Now, I have no problem at all with home schooling - it's something that I have considered myself; but I do think that home education needs to be combined with children being able to socialise with their peers and learn through imaginative play. This wasn't happening, those children were completely isolated. The wee girl really enjoyed the chance to go to school, and I was delighted to see that, at the end, the children were regularly playing with the village children and the parents had introduced a policy of asking visitors to teach their children something.

It's a fine balance though, isn't it? You want the best for your children and they felt they were giving their children the best. But you risk alienating your children and making them rebel if you are too stringent with your rules and try to blinker them. It's a hard call, really. Like the girl said 'I believe in what Dan says, but I WANT what she (the other mum) has'.

Bear in mind, too, that these sorts of programmes are very carefully edited so we are probably not getting a completely accurate picture of what really happened....

Cor, it's painful sitting on this fence, LOL!

[Jarmara]

I found myself yelling at the TV the eco warrior parents came across as dictators that had brainwashed th poor children and the house boat was filthy you can be an eco warrior and still be clean!!!

[contadina]

No sitting on the fence for Jarmara

It's a bit of shame as they will have just reinforced many peoples prejudices about sustainable living.

I can just see me having to reassure my mum that we don't pee straight onto our vegetables.

[QuakerBear]

I watched the first half and I don't think either family were good ambassadors for their style of life.

[Helsbells]

Hee hee I was shocked when they put the pee on the veggies! I though it wasnt good to put pee directly on them, only trees and bushes.

I agree too about the dictoral nature of the eco family, it was a shame, and the man particularly didnt come across as a very nice person.
Aspects of their lifestyle did appeal though, but I couldnt live without other people.

[Milims]

I watched it on 4oD - ooohhh - it's sooo exciting being able to watch Tv without moving from the pooter!!
I agree - the eco family did come across as rather militant - which was a shame as they made some very good points. I was rather chuffed at the rich gal having a go at plucking the chicen and such - she deserved a pat on the back for that.
I think that both families made some very good points - but then thats the point of the prog I guess - to try and see another point of view.
My first comment after watching was - thank goodness we are skint - I'd hate to be that rich!

[Jarmara]

No sitting on the fence for Jarmara

Yup thats me i tend to speak as i find hence people very rarely ask me do i look good in this all joking a side i do think the eco family need to tone it down a bit and the fact that they didn't think that the children being behind in english and maths wasnt a big problem i found very upsetting and wasn't a very good image for home schooling being able to read and write is just so important as is basic maths, and the rich family well its god that dad is going to spend more time at home i think the rich family have come out of this experience alot richer if you see what i mean

[mrsflibble]

I watched it on E4 last night. oh-my-god they were both as bad as eachother! fancy being trusted to go and fertilise someone's crops and then not properly doing it!
there was no give on either side which made it good telly, but crap for showing what life can really be like.
I had to laugh when the dad put his foot down about the shampoo.

also, what i don't get is married couples who say their relationshps are better off for not seeing eachother; i know quite a few people like this, family and friends and I just don't get it. I get to spend every other week with my husband and I adore our time together. he really is my best friend in the whole world. the only thing that gets me down about it is soph's dependednce on him...it's mild jealousy I think, he gets more cuddles from her and time with her than I do on his off weeks. oh well. I get her when he's working lol! Also when he's done the washing up I can never find anything, and he uses the wrong settings on the washer- but at least he tries so even that I can't complain about lol!!!

[old tree man]

Jane and i watched the replay last night, there were some good points made but and thats a big but, just because we recycle, take care of our planet, grow our own produce it dosen't mean that we live unwashed and put some effort into the food we eat, and clean our homes.
the lovely boat they lived on could do with washing down and the inside could do with a sweep then a bit of paint to bring it up to scratch,not to mention the hipocracy of an eco friendly man who screamed at the guest for poisoning his children with a spray while smoking a roly and cuddling them at the same time .
dosen't always show our life in a good light
sorry to rant a bit

Russ

[circlecross]

tonights programme had a "green" family and a consumer family, and again it wasn't as clear cut as "greenies are saints, consumers are evil" which in some respects is interesting, but only as a greenie watchiung it and knowing not everyone is like that.
The greenies were freegans, which is interesting, but I don't think I would do it unless in very dire straits. They were also insufferable god-botherers, and the point was made that they consider it their "job" to hand out literature about their choice of belief, not paying taxes or NI, but happy to use the facilities that tax-paying consumers pay for (NHS etc).

The rich chap said that if they volunteered in an old people's home, for example, it would make more sense, and a definite contribution to the world. And saying "God will provide" is clearly a bogus justification of your unwillingness to "work" when he clearly isn't providing for all the "millions starving" that they kept referring to when the rich children questioned eating the bin-food.

I think it is interesting that with the current trend for "greenwashing" (or I read soemwhere it may become bluewashing) that the green couples have been portrayed as real and therefore flawed, as we all are (well except me coz I'm marvellous ) but there is still a long way to go educating people about little steps to take.

On CBeebies there is a jingle about what we can do to RRR, and one idea is "turn the taps off when brushing when brushing your teeth". DOes ANYONE still leave the taps on when brushing their teeth? and if so, why the hell?????