Chip and Joanna Gaines are the faces of Fixer Upper, the HGTV series that’s run since 2013. But early in the show’s onset, the couple’s kids could be seen involved in the program. This was the couple’s first foray into reality TV and involving the kids was one big thing that, in hindsight, they would do differently, says Chip.
2001 marked Joanna and Chip first meeting; Chip went to an automotive shop in Waco, Texas that was owned by Joanna’s father and spotted a family picture on the wall. Chip recalled feeling, “I knew I’d marry her one day just by the picture on the wall.” Together, they are the parents of sons Drake, Duke and Crew, and daughters Ella Rose and Emmie Kay. Here’s what Chip has to say in regards to the kids and their visibility on the show, and the regrets he has surrounding this topic.
Chip Gaines discusses getting the kids involved in ‘Fixer Upper’
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Speaking with Kennebec Cabin Company, Chip admitted that the family, still very new to the reality TV gig, was most unsure when it came to the kids and their proximity to Fixer Upper. “Where we got a little dazed and confused through it, and I think even the kids a little bit, was, you know, I don’t know, do the kids need to be a part of this? Do they not?” admitted Chip.
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He continued, “And for sure we’ve gone through that cycle, where at the very beginning, we had a production company, and again, I’m not throwing them under the bus. I think it was a great strategy. And we didn’t even mind it. We were kind of naive and dumb, really, to be frank, enough to be like, let’s have the kids be involved.”
Cause and effect
As a result, Chip says, the kids have been “recognized” even “out in the wild.” From there, “Mama Bear came out and Papa Bear.” He reasoned, “I don’t know that I want my kids to be visible in that way unless they want to be visible.” Now, comparing the early days of Fixer Upper to today, after Discovery Inc. announced the show’s revival as a launch program for Magnolia Network, the kids are in the show far less.
Parenthood being something of a learning experience is a conclusion Joanna too has had to reconcile with. Initially, she vehemently believed, “I’m the mom, I should have the answers.” However, “The older I’ve gotten, I’ve realized the more humanity these kids can see in me, the more we’re going to connect.” She also emphasized the importance of being “vulnerable.”
Since “none of them are interested in being on TV,” Joanna says they’re mindful of what the kids want, first and foremost.
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