Why “Six Little McGhees” Won’t Share The Same Fate As “Jon And Kate Plus 8″

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December 19, 2012 5:00 pm By Tara Pringle-Jefferson
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When I first heard about the McGhees it was right before their appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. They were from my home state Ohio and they just looked like an regular normal couple, just throw in six kids.

But when I heard they were getting a reality show on Oprah’s network, I was a little concerned. The comparisons to Jon and Kate Plus 8 were instantaneous. I watched Jon and Kate Plus 8 religiously, fascinated by what it took to keep a house of multiples in order. But then as the seasons wore on and the tension between the couple got to be almost unbearable, I had to turn the channel.

From what I saw, the McGhees look like a happy couple and I’d hate to see that ruined with TV exposure. But then I watched the premiere of Six Little McGhees on OWN and while I don’t have a crystal ball, I think that Mia and Rozonno will be just fine. Here’s three reasons why:

1) They know the traps of reality TV. They aren’t the first parents of multiples to hit the small screen so there’s some knowledge to be gained there. In a recent Ebony interview, the two of them spoke on their marriage: “I think each marriage is different of course,” Mia said. “We have to make a conscious decision to be together each day. I don’t think anyone [television cameras, etc.] has that much power over my marriage. We have a pretty good relationship. It’s not always perfect, but we don’t let anything break us up. You make your marriage what it is and we choose to make ours what it is today.”

2) They’ve been together more than 10 years. True, the divorce rate for parents of multiples is higher on average than those families with fewer children, but Mia and Rozonno put in a solid decade before they had children. They spent time growing together before starting their family, something that many other reality couples did not do. They were high school sweethearts and they kept the love going through it all.

3) They’ve seen each other through rough times. Part of the reason they were together ten years before having children was due to fertility issues. They lost twins right before they got pregnant with the sextuplets, and Mia said Rozonno gave her the strength to try again. They are true partners and have pledged to keep their relationship strong. In the same Ebony interview, Rozonno said, “We’re married, we’re one, and to keep that going, I just get rid of all the gossip and negativity that drains your energy, even on television…There are struggles we go through every day and so we try to focus on mastering those issues and showing other people that no matter what you’re going through, you can make it.”

Did you watch the premiere of Six Little McGhees? What did you think?

 

Words: Tara Pringle Jefferson

Tara Pringle Jefferson is the founder of TheYoungMommyLife.com and the author of Make It Happen: The Young Mommy Guide To Creating The Career You Crave. Follow her on Twitter or check out her blog for her insights on what it means to be a mom, wife, student, writer, and about three other labels she’s too tired to remember.

 

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