Do you ever wonder what the Gosselin kids are up to now? It seems hard to believe that the first season of Jon and Kate Plus 8 aired 11 years ago. The married couple, their twins and team of sextuplets charmed the television audience and provided insight into their unconventional family structure. Kate came to be known as the disciplinarian in the family, doling out commands and keeping the children (Jon included) in line. The show did not hesitate to bear all when it came to the family. It was no secret that Jon and Kate had difficulties in their marriage and it all came to a head when they announced they would be getting a divorce in 2009. Since then Jon and Kate have been in the media spotlight as a result of their continued tumultuous relationship.

But what about the kids?

Throughout all the ups and downs of their parents' relationship in addition to being on television their whole lives, the children have born the brunt of a difficult upbringing. Now, as the sextuplets transition into early adolescence and the twins move towards adulthood, they are showing signs of their difficult circumstances. Most families try to be private about their personal lives, but how does a family maintain privacy when their lives are intentionally on display for the world to see? One thing is for certain, where safety is concerned, and considering some of the following stories, it is beneficial that the Gosselin kids have the world's eyes on them. The following anecdotes provide a glimpse into the difficulties these kids have faced in their short lives.

15 Kate May Have Lied About Her Infertility

As many may know, giving birth to multiples is common when you engage in artificial insemination. Kate Gosselin had the intervention which resulted in her two sets of multiples. According to reports, Kate may have never had infertility problems in the first place. Rumour has it that Kate hoped to have multiples so badly that she used fertility treatments to increase her chances. Although she did not have trouble getting pregnant in the first place, the first round of fertility was successful in providing twins so she went back the second time citing infertility again which resulted in her 6 children. It wasn't quite the 7 children she had hoped for in order to mimic McCaughy's legacy, but it was enough to make her famous for having a large family.

14 The Gosselin Home Is Chaotic

It might seem like old news to avid viewers of Kate Plus 8, but the Gosselin household is absolute chaos. After their parents' divorce, the 8 kids remained with Kate as their primary caregiver. Known as a controlling matriarch, Kate has admitted that she liked when the kids were small and under her control. Between managing homework, feeding the kids, getting them all to their activities and being a single mom, the tasks on Kate's list are endless. The twins are becoming young women and the sextuplets are likely starting to hit puberty, one can only imagine the challenges that come with a house full of teenagers. But amidst it all, even Kate's most diehard fan has to ask why she made the decision to return to television with a new show, Kate Plus 8. Doesn't that just add to the chaos?

13 The Kids Had To Eat Moldy Food

Kate's dominant parenting style is not everybody's cup of tea. However, some of the decisions she makes related to her children seem downright unethical. Jon has alleged that when the children return from school with remaining ingredients from their lunch, Kate leaves them in their lunchbox until they eat them. If they come back the next day with the same sandwich, Kate repacks the same sandwich the next day until it gets eaten. There have been times that she has even packed a moldy sandwich for her children's lunch. The kids report having the same food in their lunches for many weeks. Clearly, Kate has difficulty teaching her children without a forceful hand. Hopefully, the children have caught on and throw it out when they get to school!

12 Collin Lives In An Institution

Perhaps the most shocking information to come to light regarding the Gosselin family is that Kate made the decision to institutionalize one of the sextuplets, Collin. In an interview, Kate discusses the fact that her son Collin was experiencing some extreme behavioral and emotional challenges which were out of her control to manage along with the other 7 children's needs. She said she feels at peace with the decision to send Collin to an institution and that she has regular contact with him. The problem with sending a child to an institution at that age is that it is likely that he will spend the rest of his life surrounded by workers and intervenors as opposed to his family. Although he is getting support for his behavioral needs, he is losing out on the important connection he has with his siblings which could be detrimental in the long run.

11 Kate Injured Her Daughter’s Arm

During a verbal altercation in August of last year, Kate injured her teenage daughter's arm. In another one of their custody arguments, Kate and Jon were yelling so loudly and forcefully that an onlooker called the police to the scene. Once again one of the children bore the brunt of that fight, and this time it was 13-year-old Hannah. The argument erupted over which one of the parents would drive Hannah from the orthodontist. Hannah preferred to travel with her father and remained in his vehicle despite her mother's insistence that she come with her. Eventually, Kate resorted to pulling her daughter by her arm out of the car while Jon urged Hannah to "hold on" to the inside of the car. The fight lasted 3 hours and involved police as well as medical intervenors, but no arrests were made.

10 Jon And Kate Are Still Battling For Custody

Despite the divorce being 9 years ago, Jon and Kate are still in a constant battle with each other over rights to the kids. Kate will not answer Jon's texts and Jon continues to accuse Kate of treating the children poorly. Jon rarely makes time to see his kids and Kate is managing single-motherhood with an authoritative hand. There have been reports that their fights over the children have erupted in violence resulting in court orders to avoid communication with one another. What they seem to be failing to notice is that it is their children who are losing out as their parents' egos get in the way. It seems that it is time for Jon and Kate to step out of the spotlight and privilege their children's needs for a change.

9 The Family Was Forced To Stay Together For The Show

There was no denying that there was a mounting tension between Jon and Kate throughout the series. If you were an avid viewer, it was easy to see that the couple did not always see eye to eye. But when you're raising two moody pre-teens and 6 young ones just over 6 while being on tv, some level of contention is to be expected. However, when the separation was formally announced on TLC it was still a surprise to even the most religious of viewers. As it turns out, Kate and Jon had been separated for a while before the network would allow them to break the news. The couple was no longer ever sleeping in the same bedroom for some time. Despite the obvious troubles they were having, the couple was forced to pretend that things were going well in order to maintain the ratings of the show. Imagine the impact this had on the poor kids.

8 Alexis Was Expelled From School

Any child can act up and develop behavioral issues, however, the Gosselin kids experienced inordinate conditions which set them up for difficult life circumstances. As they grow older, the kids are becoming more and more challenging to deal with. Even at the age of 6, one of the sextuplets, Alexis was expelled from the school she was attending. Despite denial by Kate that it was a mutual decision to find a new school, the administration expressed that they had done everything in their power to support Alexis. The school explained that it was not equipped to provide the intensive social, academic, emotional and behavioral intervention that Alexis required to be in school. Although there are always some children who have difficulty adapting to their environment, it stands to reason that if a child has an unconventional and chaotic home life, they will transfer that to their school performance.

7 Kate Locks The Kids In Their Rooms

Kate is well-known for being dominant with her children. But locking children in their rooms without a way out crosses the line between discipline and abuse. According to court papers issued by Jon, the children's father, Kate regularly locks the children in their rooms as a means of punishment. The papers state that when the children are being difficult to handle, Kate places them in their rooms and locks the doors from the outside. Jon also accused Kate's babysitter of locking the children in their rooms and not allowing them to use the bathroom. There came a point when one of the children, Alexis had to go to the bathroom so badly that she smashed a mirror in her room, posing an additional hazard. Allegedly the children confided this information to their teachers but also said that they were scared to tell on their mother.

6 Being In The Public Eye Took Its Toll

It seems like no time has passed since the little sextuplets were just learning to walk. We all got a glimpse into their first words, steps, and achievements. But the trials of being in the public eye can take a toll on a young life. We have to remember that despite the enjoyment we have experienced in witnessing all of these first moments, the children were unable to consent to have their images plastered all over public television. It was their parents', primarily Kate's, decision to publicize the family's journey. And while we have enjoyed these little moments right along with them, there are just some moments those kids won't be able to get back. Although it does not help to judge Kate's decision, one has to ask whether the children benefitted at all from being on tv at such an early age.

5 Kate Mimicked Another Woman’s Birth Story

What many people don't know about Kate, is that she had a model for her 8 kid family. Bobbi McCaughy, a woman who gave birth to septuplets briefly became famous in 1997 and may have inspired Kate's desire to create her family of 8. After hearing of the story, Kate allegedly became infatuated with the idea of having such a large family. However, being the type-A personality she is, Kate was not only intrigued by the family size, but also by the idea of becoming famous as a result. After marrying Jon, Kate hatched her plan to create her dream family and attained her place in the public eye. Kate staunchly denies the allegations that she modeled her family after McCaughy's, however, there are some stark resemblances between the two stories. One pretty blatant similarity is that McCaughy named her firstborn Alexis and the last Joel, the same names as Gosselin's first and last of the sextuplets.

4 Collin Bullied The Other Kids

We now know that Collin Gosselin has transitioned away from the family home to live in an institution. However, when there is a family member who has behavioral and emotional issues as a child, it can have long-lasting impacts on the other children in the family. Even as a young boy Collin's behavior was challenging. He was the only child who actively bullied the other children. On the show, he was consistently engaged in some kind of action which resulted in the other children being in tears. Despite Collin's apparent difficulties, it was the other children who suffered from his bullying. A lack of parental intervention as well a failed opportunity at early intervention and treatment left Collin without the proper support he required to adjust his behavior.

3 Jon Hardly Sees His Kids

Despite his ongoing advocacy to spend time with his children, the reality is that Jon rarely sees them. Jon admits that he has a strained relationship with his children. Afterall, Kate is the primary caregiver and Jon has been out of the picture for the past 9 years, only seeing the kids when they go to visit or for appointments here and there. When he does see the kids Jon rarely sees them all at once. If Jon wants so badly to make time to see his children he should recognize that discussing them on television when they can all see it is not the best approach. His difficulty to control his emotions in relation to his ex-wife and the challenges he has communicating definitely does not bode well for Jon's relationship with his kids.

2 The Kids Are Scared Of Their Mom

With allegations of abuse and openly controlling behavior, it is no surprise that the Gosselin children would have some fear of their mother. Despite her being their primary caregiver she has set the children up for a difficult life. Judgements aside and just looking at the facts, Kate brought a large family into the world for her own benefit. She began a contract with a television network to attain fame. She found it difficult to manage to raise a large family on tv and her marriage fell apart. She had to send one child away to an institution because she failed to implement early treatment intervention. Kate certainly has her fans, but it is possible that at the end of the day she has let her 8 children down. Although there are children out there with a more difficult plight than the Gosselins they have experienced many challenges in their young lives.

1 Kate Has Been Investigated

One of the biggest allegations Kate has faced being a dominant mother and being in the public eye is that she is 'not the nicest' towards her children. Kate's temper is apparent in the show and it is clear that she has a dominant parenting style. In an interview, she openly admitted that she has been under investigation by child protective services on several occasions. While the allegations were unfounded there are times when Kate's behavior borders closely on manipulation if not abuse. One of Kate's biggest accusors is her former husband Jon who says that she is emotionally and physically overbearing towards her children. According to Jon, he used to have to restrain Kate from the children with. Son Collin has also reported to his caretakers that he was the victim of Kate.

Resources: RadarOnline.com, HuffingtonPost.com