Kid Nation

Crystalina wrote: Is anyone planning on watching this? I guess there are all sorts of allegations about child abuse. Some of the kids accidently drank bleach (it was not in a bleach container but a cola bottle), one girl got splattered with grease in the face and has burns and they were not supervised the correct way while cooking. And the show was done during the school year so they all missed school. Other allegations, from what I hear, are coming up and some people are saying it may not air on CBS. Others are saying that season two is already being cast. I think it's a little freaky. I like reality shows but I'm not sure what the point to this show is. Adults I can understand doing pointless shows but are they trying to prove that children can survive on their own? Maybe I'm missing the point.

momtoMegan&Alyxandria replied: Every time I see the advertisment for it all I can think is how there is no way my kid would be on there. For starters, I don't let her walk 8 doors down without watching her go let alone live on here own. And second she wouldn't be able to survive on her own. She is 8 and an emotional 8 at that. Even I didn't start cooking (stove) until I was 12. There is just too much that can go wrong, and sounds like has gone wrong. NO, I am NOT planning on watching this one. They are going over board with the reality tv stuff. Like you said, it is one thing for adults to do it, it is another for kids. Let's hope they AREN'T shooting season 2. I hope all that have been injured are ok or will be ok.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: Yeah I have had a problem with it since I saw the first commerial. I wondered about the parents that allowed their kids to do something like that I am sure it will be shown and I wouldn't be surprised if they cast season 2

luvmykids replied: I saw a commercial for it where the kids were taking a vote on who was opposed to killing animals for their food....JMHO, that made it far too extreme for my comfort. That is a whole different level when kids have to actually kill their own food

Crystalina replied:
No Doubt!
The youngest child is 8 and the oldest had just turned 15. Not only did they have to do certain things that kids should not be doing but they were cut off from their parents the entire time. The producers are saying it's no differant then going to camp. Really?

They say the kids were well supervised and had medics around, the producers, cameramen and also mental health specialists. I think a kid would need a mental health specialist after being put through that. And if it's true that they were supervised then why did a couple of them accidently drink bleach? Who would let the kids (first of all) even handle bleach and secondly let them put it in a cola container?
And if they were supervised then who thought it would be a good idea that children should cook with hot grease? I even get burned everytime I cook anything with grease in it.

jcc64 replied: Is it though? I mean, didn't we as a culture do that not too long ago? Is it so very different from "The Colonial House" series that ran on PBS a few yrs back?
Idk, I don't think it's such a bad thing for kids to have to kill their own food, if they want to eat meat. I think ALL of us meat-eaters should be acutely aware of the fact that it was, at one time, alive, and gave its life for our sustenance. I think the kids that go through that experience will have a perspective and a gratitude about how comfortable their lives are that would be impossible to obtain in any other way.
I haven't seen the show- I don't know what the format is- but the part about kids providing their own sustenence- I don't have a problem with that.

Crystalina replied:
I understand what your saying about the kids having to know that their food was once alive and believe me I don't treat my kids with "kid gloves" ( ). We have butchered our own chickens many many times and I have not sheltered my kids from seeing the process but at the same time I would not have them do it. Some of these kids are only 8 yrs old. How do we know that the process of actually killing an animal will not intrigue the kid to go beyond that outside the "game". My kids pay no attention to when the chickens are butchered because they are used to seeing it although we haven't done it for awhile. We don't make a huge spectical about it and we live on a farm where life and death are part of what happens. I'm not so sure all of these kids are "farm kids" and it may mess with their heads to do something like that. That's just my opinion though.

holley79 replied: Once again, I have NO clue what you guys are talking about. I need to get out more or something.

holley79 replied:
I helped slaughter and dress a hog when I was 8 years old. I knew it was a live being before we did this. I knew it was dinner after the fact. I wasn't not scarred nor went on to kill people/ animals for shear fun. I knew that when an animal was slaughter it was for a meaningful purpose.

I think if the child's mental health is on the up and up and they aren't all screwed up being part of the killing/ dressing of dinner will not effect them in a harmful way.

luvmykids replied:
My kids are absolutely aware of that. For me the problem is them not knowing how to do it but being basically dependant on doing it. Sorry, at age 8 I don't think it's cool.

holley79 replied: Ok someone explain to me what exactly Kid Nation is. I gather it's a reality show but what's the gist of it. I just googled it but got a whole bunch of crap.

My3LilMonkeys replied:
From what I've seen on the commercials, they basically take a bunch of kids aged 8 through 15 and they run the town - there are no adults there. The kids have to do everything for themselves.

jcc64 replied: Listen, putting my kid on a tv show "experiment", or anywhere near Hollywood, regardless of the format, is not something that interests me. Look how well Lindsay Lohan made out, right?
All I'm saying is- I think most kids are too divorced from where their food comes from, and maybe they'd grow from that particular experience or knowledge.