Why wasn't the Balloon Boy in school?

[cork_dork_mom]

There's been all this hoopla about the deception of the Balloon Boy's family & their sorry attempts at fame. From the beginning I've been more concerned about the fact that the boy (along with his 2 brothers) wasn't in school. Nothing has been said about this at all. Are we to assume that the three boys are being home schooled? I grew up in Ft. Collins and the public schools there are fantatastic.

I just read an article this morning about the antics the boys have been put up to (making & servine booger soup for their mom, while dad videotaped). If this is how their days are spent I sure hope serious thought is given to getting those boys into a stable normal family.

[Psychee]

Good question!

If I have found the right school system in my search for the answer, the elementary schools in Ft Collins did not have sessions that day, Oct 15.  The K-5 schools closed for parent/teacher conferences, according to the calendar here.   

Let me know if this is the right web site!

[KathyS]

---

cork_dork_mom wrote:

There's been all this hoopla about the deception of the Balloon Boy's family & their sorry attempts at fame. From the beginning I've been more concerned about the fact that the boy (along with his 2 brothers) wasn't in school. Nothing has been said about this at all. Are we to assume that the three boys are being home schooled? I grew up in Ft. Collins and the public schools there are fantastic.

I just read an article this morning about the antics the boys have been put up to (making & serving booger soup for their mom, while dad videotaped). If this is how their days are spent I sure hope serious thought is given to getting those boys into a stable normal family.

---

This whole situation is deplorable!  I happened to have had the TV on at the time the news started reporting this...and filming it.  I was in shock that there might be a little boy of 6 on that balloon...my grandson's age...and so were a lot of people!  It was breaking my heart to watch this whole thing play out....and the news speculation that it was a hoax....we'll....Now the family is being investigated, so time will tell what happens to this family...This father and mother are a serious threat to these kids....the lies and deception that this has all perpetuated, is horrible....not to mention the lives it took to try and save this child...and it all being a sham and deception.

[Melissa_W Moderator]

I have to admit...I snickered a great deal when the one kid vomited on-air while the family was being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer.

If the family didn't make themselves look stupid on "Wife Swap" they look really pathetic now.  It's a fine line between fame and "infamous."

[KathyS]

---

Melissa_W wrote:

I have to admit...I snickered a great deal when the one kid vomited on-air while the family was being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer.

If the family didn't make themselves look stupid on "Wife Swap" they look really pathetic now.  It's a fine line between fame and "infamous."

---

You "snickered a great deal"?  What did you find so funny, Melissa? I find it interesting how you all inclusively paint the "family" as stupid and pathetic.. yes, indeed interesting.  Can you really imagine what these children are thinking, if they haven't already been brainwashed by their parents into thinking reality TV is real reality.

[Melissa_W Moderator]

You don't get much of a pity vote when you're crying big crocodile tears then your kid pukes on national television during your fifteen minutes of fame after the same child blurts out the balloon stunt was to get a show.  And yet the parents continue the interview.

Schadenfreude.  Comeuppance.  It is ironic that the parents thought this would get them money, fame, a TV deal, whatever, and instead it's turned the entire family into a national laughingstock.  Hence, I laugh because it's really hard to feel sorry for any of them. 

I'm pretty sure those kids are wondering why everyone is so mad at their parents.  Reality TV is going to be the death of this country.

---

KathyS wrote:

---

Melissa_W wrote:

I have to admit...I snickered a great deal when the one kid vomited on-air while the family was being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer.

If the family didn't make themselves look stupid on "Wife Swap" they look really pathetic now.  It's a fine line between fame and "infamous."

---

You "snickered a great deal"?  What did you find so funny, Melissa? I find it interesting how you all inclusively paint the "family" as stupid and pathetic.. yes, indeed interesting.  Can you really imagine what these children are thinking, if they haven't already been brainwashed by their parents into thinking reality TV is real reality.

---

[KathyS]

In the beginning of this whole fiasco, the news media was asking the boy why he had hid in the attic of the garage...he said, he was afraid that his father would get mad at him and yell at him..Well, we all know, now, it was set up.  But, how much truth was in that statement?

My questions are: 

1) - Was this an intended scripting to this boy, by the father...and if it was, it's interesting. 

2) - Why did the kid vomit while on air-time? 

3) - Was that scripted, too? 

Asking, does this father yell at his kids, when they DON'T say exactly what they are told to say? 

3) - Was the kid afraid, in some way, of his father? 

4) - Was he sick (upset) because he DIDN'T want to disappoint, or mess up this interview, like he did the other one? 

5) - What do you suppose this father does to his kids, off camera?

I think, in the long run, it will all come out.  The kids are in an obvious unhealthy situation.  This father is the controller, and I have the feeling even the wife is manipulated by this man.  It's sick, any way you look at it.

But I would have to say,  showing a little more compassion for these kids, then laughing at them, would be in order.  But, Melissa, I can't tell you or anyone else how to feel, any more than you can tell me.

---

Melissa_W wrote:

You don't get much of a pity vote when you're crying big crocodile tears then your kid pukes on national television during your fifteen minutes of fame after the same child blurts out the balloon stunt was to get a show.  And yet the parents continue the interview.

Schadenfreude.  Comeuppance.  It is ironic that the parents thought this would get them money, fame, a TV deal, whatever, and instead it's turned the entire family into a national laughingstock.  Hence, I laugh because it's really hard to feel sorry for any of them. 

I'm pretty sure those kids are wondering why everyone is so mad at their parents.  Reality TV is going to be the death of this country.

---

KathyS wrote:

---

Melissa_W wrote:

I have to admit...I snickered a great deal when the one kid vomited on-air while the family was being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer.

If the family didn't make themselves look stupid on "Wife Swap" they look really pathetic now.  It's a fine line between fame and "infamous."

---

You "snickered a great deal"?  What did you find so funny, Melissa? I find it interesting how you all inclusively paint the "family" as stupid and pathetic.. yes, indeed interesting.  Can you really imagine what these children are thinking, if they haven't already been brainwashed by their parents into thinking reality TV is real reality.

---

---

[Psychee]

I heard that this family was on "Wife Swap" two times.  Did anyone here see those episodes?  Can we glean anything about the family dynamics from what was shown in them?

This reminds me of an incident I once had with a young relative.  We were both on the floor, and I was tickling him in roughhouse play.  He suddenly burst into tears, making me horribly ashamed that I had hurt him, and I backed off and tried to comfort him.  Then he burst into laughter -- it had all been a ploy!  But rather than feeling relieved, I wanted to throttle him.  There's something about manipulatively messing with people's desperately nurturant emotions that I find extremely offensive. 

This man and his family did just that.

[off topic -- is there some reason why this was posted here instead of in the CE forum?  Might it have to do with a safer atmosphere?  lol!    ]

[TiggerBear]

I saw one of them. Without being polite about it, best description I have is a bunch of fruitcakes. They presented themselves as a Storm Casers family, a lot of posing in sudo flight suits as well. Mostly what I remeber is that and him shouting a lot at the swapped wife.

[KathyS]

---

Psychee wrote:

I heard that this family was on "Wife Swap" two times.  Did anyone here see those episodes?  Can we glean anything about the family dynamics from what was shown in them?

This reminds me of an incident I once had with a young relative.  We were both on the floor, and I was tickling him in roughhouse play.  He suddenly burst into tears, making me horribly ashamed that I had hurt him, and I backed off and tried to comfort him.  Then he burst into laughter -- it had all been a ploy!  But rather than feeling relieved, I wanted to throttle him.  There's something about manipulatively messing with people's desperately nurturant emotions that I find extremely offensive. 

This man and his family did just that.

[off topic -- is there some reason why this was posted here instead of in the CE forum?  Might it have to do with a safer atmosphere?  lol!    ]

---

You are so funny! 

I don't know why it was posted here.

I haven't watch wife swap in ages....I got tired of the anger.  So, I can't help you with this.  I wish I could, as you say, to understand the family dynamic's a little better.  Children will pull this sort of stuff, just to get a rise out of another kid, but adults should know better.  Manipulation is not funny.