I immediately guessed that the story of 6-year old Falcon Heene the "Balloon Boy" was a hoax even before Falcon said "But Dad, you said it was for the show!" Ordinarily, I'm sure I would have been fooled, but having been inadvertently exposed to the worst parents have to offer: exploiting their kids for money, "fame" or other gain, I could see this Richard Heene coming a mile away. Total loser, with his biggest "investment" three boys, ready to use. Now the couple is very fortunate, getting off easy for misdemeanors in the event.
When I saw the "Wife Swap" video, with Mrs. Heene cackling like a witch alongside nasty, insecure Richard Heene as they mocked the other mother they swapped with ("great TV" - give them another show!), I knew exactly what type of couple they were. The only difference was that both apparently were in acting classes when they were young, which inspired them to want a reality TV show. Mr. Heene is a total failure, with a super-embarrassing and ugly "humor" book that my daughter showed me (she said it was about "offensive" driving and I told her, "It's probably the reverse of 'defensive' driving - that's dangerous." Oh, no. It was "offensive" as in, meant to OFFEND people.
How are kids supposed to handle situations when they are more mature and make better decisions than their parents?
Kids do understand, they do their best, and they give their hearts out to protect and help their messed-up parents. Other responsible adults in kids' lives should always remember that they are so important. Teachers, counselors, parents of friends, and even law enforcement.
One clue as to how much the Heene parents have to learn about taking care of their kids and being role models? They not only made 6-year old Falcon infamous over the incident designed to get the family on another "reality show," they named him Falcon. I don't know the family, so I'm not going to speculate as to whether they'll learn from this super-public disaster. I just hope they realize how fortunate they are that no one got physically hurt, that their penalties were pretty mild, and that they have been given a second chance to back up, start over, and act like parents, not 19th Century circus promoters with their three dancing monkeys (in itself - an animal rights violation!).
