‘Growing Up McGhee’ Returns for 2nd Season on UP!

growing-up-mcghee

Hello World,

Earlier this month, the McGhee sextuplets along with their parents Ro, a minister, and his wife Mia returned to UP for the second season of their hit show Growing Up McGhee, which comes on Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. EST! The next show will air on Thursday, Feb. 9!

In the second season of Growing Up McGhee, with the McGhee sextuplets now six years old, their curiosity about life is making every day exciting and challenging for Ro and Mia. As they get older, each child is beginning to express their own individuality, and with that comes new interests and experiences that keep the family busy, laughing and sometimes a bit exasperated. Mia is also discovering that she is going to need to let go of the reins as the kids start socializing with friends at school and not just their siblings. From learning how to ride a bike without training wheels, going to work with Ro or learning how to play a musical instrument – all times six! – each day brings a new adventure. For Ro and Mia, the kids maturing also gives them a little more time for themselves to help them reconnect with who they were before they had kids. The season ends with an extra special event…Ro and Mia never had a wedding when they got married, so it’s the perfect time to renew their vows with their kids in tow and get that dream wedding they never had.

Below is my interview with Mia McGhee:

Mia, you mentioned that the money you spend on back-to-school shopping for the children is comparable to the money you would spend on a college education! I know you were joking, but have the two of you become extreme couponers since you have a budget of nearly $2,000 for back-to-school shopping? What are your top strategies for saving money on back-to-school shopping?

My strategy for saving money is to shop at places with the best deals. I love coupons but with everything that I have going on, I don’t have time to be an extreme couponer!

According to you, the children need to continue dressing alike because it’s easy to pick your children out in a crowd. But the children seem like they want to start dressing differently. At what age do you think you will allow them to dress differently and how will you cope?

Our kids can stop dressing alike when they start buying their own clothes. I’m joking! Whenever they develop their own style and start picking out their own clothes I’ll be fine with it!

prayerOf all the sextuplets, Elijah is the tallest and his clothes are handed down to his shorter brothers. How do you think he feels about that in relation to his sisters and brothers?

Elijah loves being the tallest. It reminds him of his grandfather, Ro’s dad, whom he is crazy about because he’s tall with muscles (as Elijah would say).

Madison and Olivia were looking at bras when the family went to back-to-school shopping, have you already started thinking about how you will deal with puberty with six children going through it at the same time?!

Madison and Olivia are fascinated about becoming women. To be honest, I have not thought about how we are going explaining puberty to the kids. All I know is that right now, I’m taking it one stage at a time.

I know what it feels like to have been in kindergarten twice because when my family moved from Miami to Atlanta, my parents were told I was too young to enter the first grade after completing kindergarten in Miami.(And I turned out fine by the way 🙂 ) I don’t remember having negative feelings about it, but Isaac cried when all the children were told they would have to repeat kindergarten. Why did he cry, how is he doing now, and how are the rest of the children coping? fishing

Issac did cry about repeating kindergarten because he looked forward to going into 1st grade but honestly, that was short lived. Kids are resilient and all of them have adjusted so well and we now know more than ever that it was the right choice.

Mia, you said their first day of school is your first day of vacation and Ro said, “It’s me, my wife and silence.” What are your favorite things to do as a couple while the kids are at school that maybe you can’t do in the summer months when you have to care for the entire family?

My favorite things to do as a couple while the kids are in school if Ro doesn’t have to work is to just be together. I know it sounds simple but and spending time with each other is still my favorite thing.

two-mcgheesWhat do you hope families will learn by watching Growing Up McGhee? And what have learned from being a part of Growing Up McGhee?

My hope is that our show is an encouragement to other families. If we can do it with sextuplets, you can make it too, but you have to remain hopeful. We’ve learned to pace ourselves and to enjoy the moments while we can. We know we only get one shot at being parents and if that isn’t motivation, I don’t know what is.

Also, UP is doing a “Watch and Win” sweepstakes with every new episode! The details are: UP will be giving away over $50,000 in 2017! During each new episode of an UP original show, the network will give away $1,000 to one lucky fan by engaging UP’s audience in a “Watch & Win.” Each week will be a new sweepstakes with a new chance to win! During a commercial break, the network will give fans a word or phrase they must enter online at WatchUPandWin.com for a chance to win. From there, fans can participate with the brand in other ways to earn additional entries like signing up for the UP newsletter, watching UP content and correctly answering trivia about UP shows on Twitter. Each week, UP will announce winners on-air and talent will encourage viewers to enter. UP will also be giving away 2nd place prizes of $100 Amazon giftcards. Series included in the giveaway are Bringing Up Bates, Growing Up McGhee, Small Town, Big Mayor and Date My Dad.

Any thoughts?

 

McGhee Sextuplets Return to TV Tonight With the Premiere of ‘Growing Up McGhee’ on UP! MY INTERVIEW…

mcghee poster

Hello World,

The McGhee family first captured the hearts of America after an online photo went viral and the entire family appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2011. Soon after, they received a series on OWN. Now the family returns to television in this all-new series for UP TV. Audiences will have a chance to follow this fun-loving family of eight as they embrace life and encounter new firsts – all of which come with unexpected twists and turns when you’re doing them with six five-year-olds. While neither Ro, a minister, nor his wife Mia ever expected their lives to be so hectic, they wouldn’t change a thing.

viral

Ro and Mia tried for 10 years to have children, but they never imagined they would end up having sextuplets! Life was busy enough when taking care of six little ones, but now that their brood is five years old and in kindergarten, they are facing brand new challenges that are throwing them for a loop. Never before have they felt more outnumbered! Diaper changes and feeding schedules have been replaced by sassy opinions and chore charts. “Growing Up McGhee” premieres tonight June 8 at 9p.m. ET.

The first episode is titled “Going a McGhee a Minute,” which is I was able to watch in advance. Here is the summary:  In this all-new series, the McGhee sextuplets are now five years old, and they are forming their own interests, opinions and personalities, which is certainly making life interesting for mom (Mia) and Dad (Ro) who now feel outnumbered! When they go to their first parent/teacher conferences, will the sextuplets get glowing remarks, or are Mia and Ro going to be sent to the principal’s office?

Below is my interview with Ro & Mia McGhee:

When do you find time to be a minister in addition to being a father of sextuplets and a carpet cleaning business owner?

It is because of God that I am a father of sextuplets and a business owner. It is the least I can do for Him for making me who I am today. My faith is priority, teaching my kids about God is essential, so in ministering I’m fulfilling both.

Do you think being married for 10 years before having your children gives you an advantage in parenting multiple children? Please explain.

I can only speak for my situation. Being married for the time we were without kids helped us to build a solid foundation. In this we learned each other, built trust, love and mostly a true friendship. So when the kids came, it just added to what was already there.

The both of you mentioned that your children have stashed items in the craziest places from cookies under a pillow to socks in a freezer. Where is the craziest place you have found something and what did you find? 

Bugs in my vehicle. My kids are at a stage where they are fascinated with bugs. So they collect them in a disposable cup. They will bring the cup in the car and watch them crawl out.  The most I found was about ten different types of bugs ranging from ants to potato bugs.

Do you have  anybody who assists you in taking care of your children other than the children’s grandmother? Why or why not?

We do have a small list of people that we can entrust our children with other then grandma. We choose to keep that list small because we can’t trust just anybody with our children.

McGhees Family Photo

Feeding six kids sounds very expensive! How much do you spend on groceries every week? And what is your favorite go-to meal for weeknight dinners?

When you have a big family, you have to be creative. We spend anywhere from $200 to $300 a week on groceries. Our favorite go-to meal is spaghetti with meatballs.

Why do you think keeping the children in kindergarten for another year will help them? Were they disappointed to find out they wouldn’t be promoted to first grade?

I am still a little torn with this, and I want to be completely honest. My kids have made great strides this year, and I cannot penalize them. However, I want what’s best for them. So I am working with the staff at the school for options and guidance. The kids are not aware of being held back as of yet until I work out the details with the school.

When do you get time to spend alone as a couple?

My husband and I go once a year on a just the two of us cruise every January for at least seven days. We have learned that this helps our marriage as well as assists us with being better parents. Also, when the kids get on the school bus sometimes we’ll have a breakfast date or a lunch date together. We’ve learned nurturing our marriage is a must.

Below is a video snippet of what you will see on “Growing Up McGhee” tonight at 9 p.m. on UP TV!