Interesting feedback.
Like Ray says, it'd be an adventure, and we're well up for adventure. Indeed, we already appeared on a reality TV programme here in Ireland for financial makeovers, and that was a terrific experience.
But this is different, somehow - for all the reasons the no-sayers have indicated, and many others. It would be exposing all the particulars of our life to two nations (it's a British programme, but it's broadcast in Ireland too, and seeing as I'm Irish there'd be a lot of interest in it here). Not that we have anything to hide, as such. There are no skeletons in our closets.
But to be frank, there are probably too many
cobwebs in those same closets! Being a writer AND a home-schooling mother AND a part time therapist means that, while the house is far from a dump, it's far from a show-house either. And I would just DIE at some house-proud woman sneering at it and showing the viewers of two countries the dust. Oh God the shame.
Plus, it's very intrusive. One of the questions we had to answer was "What would you change about your marriage if you could?" Er, nobody's business actually. Good, bad or indifferent, I'm not about to parade the details of my marriage for the entertainment of the masses.
Re their statement that they're going to go upmarket (I haven't figured out how to do quotes within quotes yet!):
Ingest with a snow shovel full of salt.
. I say: quite.
It's all in the editing, and their agenda is - has to be - compulsive viewing. Somebody else told me that one of the women always comes across as this totally loony harridan - and it could well be me. They wanted me because of our reasonably alternative lifestyle: i.e. the homeschooling, vegetarian, ecological. So I'm sure they could make me out to be this totally head-case hippie (which I'm not, honestly!).
But the clincher was that my son and I would be separated - for no good reason that we could see - for 8 days. One of the things about us that they found interesting was the very family-oriented lifestyle, and that's probably the core reason we wouldn't do it. Don't get me wrong, we haven't got a dysfunctional co-dependent relationship - he barely waves over his shoulder as he heads off to spend a few days with friends or at camp. But this would be different.
As for the money, it's not as good as it sounds. For a start my husband would be there during the day, they told me (to reassure me when I didn't like the idea of my son alone with some strange woman). But that means he has to take a week of his precious annual leave, or else take unpaid leave (assuming he could even organise that). So we'd be down a week's wages there.
Plus if I got the head down and worked that many hours, either at my therapy, or doing a bit of freelance writing - I could earn a good amount of money too. (I don't usually earn that much - what with the home-schooling, and the writing hobby that passes for a career! - but if I put that many hours in, I could).
In fact, I worked it out. Say 16 hours a day, times 8 days - that means I'd 'work' 128 hours. Factor in the same for my husband. That's a total of 256 hours. Divide the $4000 by 256 and you come up with an hourly rate of just over $15.
And that's without including the embarassment factor, the away from your family factor, the possible humiliation factor. Any other ways of earning $15ph wouldn't involve any of those.
So I've very a few regrets about saying no - as a writer I think it's good to open yourself up to all sorts of experiences. And my DH and son didn't have to think very hard about it at all. They both absolutely LOATHED the suggestion.
So, that's my situation.
Seun - please let me know why you wouldn't do it but you think I should??? I'm intrigued!!
