Amy Roloff and Matt Roloff separated in 2014 and filed for divorce in 2015.
Their marriage has been over for years, but — as Little People, Big World fans know well — the former spouses have continued to both live together and work together on th…
This week, Little People, Big World viewers saw Tori and Zach learn that Lilah will be a little person. It was an emotional, important moment.
In a new interview, the proud parents of two are explaining why Jackson and Lilah will thrive without being defined by their shared disability.
Zach and Tori spoke to People this week about what it means to be the parents of two young little people.
“It’s obviously a part of them,” Zach affirms.
“But,” he emphasizes, “we don’t want dwarfism to define our children.”
Jackson and Lilah will grow up to be well-rounded, three-dimensional human beings, just like their father and grandparents.
Achondroplasia has a 50/50 chance of being passed to children when one parent has it.
“That wasn’t a concern to us,” Zach explains.
“Sure, there was a chance our kids could have dwarfism,” he acknowledges.
“And there was also a chance that none of our kids would have dwarfism,” Zach points out.
“Whatever we got is what we were going to love and roll with,” Zach affirms.
He does, however, note one key difference that both of their children being little people may bring.
Zach opines: “I think it will bring them closer than your typical brother-sister relationship.”
And it won’t just be because they will both grow up to be shorter than the average adult.
“Jackson will be setting the precedent at school,” Zach predicts.
“He’ll be punching through those barriers,” he says, referring to accommodations and administration attitudes.
“When it’s time for Lilah to start going,” Zach continues, “the school will already have an awareness of what the needs are.”
He states: “He’ll be blazing that trail for her.”
“You do have to just push [Jackson] a little bit more,” Zach says with regard to the difference in raising kids who share his disability.
“When he’s running with the other kids,” he explains, “he’s a little slower than the rest.”
Zach explains how he offers encouragement: “I just say, ‘Keep going, dude.’”
That sounds very healthy.
“The height difference is just going to get bigger as he gets older,” Zach states from experience, “and the other kids are going to get faster.”
“But I try to not baby him,” he says.
Zach shares: “I want to build that resilience and mental toughness in him early so he’s able to overcome later challenges.”
He says that this will be important “especially when he’s at school and doesn’t have Mom and Dad around.”
“It’s just given me such purpose,” Tori says of helping to prepare her children for the rest of their lives.
“I pray that my kids grow up to be good people,” she says.
Most parents hope for this. The ones who don’t have this prioritiy are the ones to watch out for.
“If I do that,” Tori expresses, “then my job on earth is done.”
This week, Little People Big World viewers watched as Tori and Zach sat down with the doctor.
Following the ultrasound, they learned that Lilah’s limbs were a couple of weeks behind in development.
That, the doctor acknowledged, put her right on track for achondroplasia.
That is the kind of dwarfism that Zach, Jackson, and Amy have.
After the fact, Tori went onto Instagram to detail her reaction to the news.
“I remember that morning so clearly.” Tori revealed on Instagram.
“I was on social media and found out that a friend of mine who was a month further along than I was at the time, was having issues with her pregnancy,” she shared.
“That day she found out that she may never get to meet her baby,” Tori grimly recalled.
“I remember being so absolutely heartbroken for her and her family,” she expressed.
“So,” Tori continued, “when I went to our doctor appointment and found out Lilah has dwarfism I remember feeling guilty for being worried.”
“Because at least my daughter was healthy,” Tori wrote.
“At least I would get to hold her,” she affirmed. “I would get to meet her.”
“Feel what you’re feeling and never feel guilty for it — that’s what I’ve learned,” Tori advised.
“I know my Lilah Ray is going to be just fine,” she stated. “She’s just the way she’s meant to be.”
Tori’s sister-in-law, Audrey Roloff, commented under Tori’s heartfelt post.
“I can so relate to these feelings,” Audrey wrote.
Her comment continued: “[heart emoji] this, Tori.”
That was a sweet show of support from Auj.
While Little People, Big World has just shown Tori and Zach Roloff learn that their daughter will be a dwarf, baby Lilah was born late last year.
Precious Jackson has had months to adjust to being a big brother. How is he handling it?
In an interview published on Tuesday, April 7, Zach and Tori Roloff opened up to Us Weekly about Jackson and his new role.
“We can definitely see moments and glimpses of him not wanting us to talk to [our 4-month-old daughter], Lilah,” Tori admits.
She explains: “He wants us to talk to him.”
“But,” the beloved mother of two opines, “I think overall he’s a pretty easygoing kid.”
“The transition hasn’t been terrible,” Tori characterizes.
Together with her husband, Zach, she goes into how “helpful” the nearly 3-year-old Jackson is being.
“Jackson’s all about order,” Zach begins.
“He’s Mr. Professional,” he assesses.
“So,” Zach explains, “Lilah has her thing and he has his.”
“And those things don’t cross,” he points out.
Any other eldest siblings finding Jackson very relatable right about now?
“But if she’s crying,” Zach says, “he’ll go find a binky or a burp cloth.”
The couple shares that, within reason, things have been going “great” when it comes to sheltering in place during this pandemic.
The parents do acknowledge that their kids are “in different seasons of life.”
“Lilah’s a bit more chill and is not moving yet,” Zach notes.
He then characterizes: “But Jackson is go, go, go all the time.”
Zach goes on to explain that it is for this reason that the parents “divide” their time.
“I usually take Jackson and then Tori will hang out with Lilah, or vice versa,” he reveals.
Zach states: “We just divide and conquer.”
Both parents agree that having a child is “more relaxing the second time around.”
“With every kid,” Tori reasons, “you have to take it in stride and figure out what each kid is doing.”
“I think that things worked out pretty well with Jackson,” she states.
“So,” Tori continues, “we were like, ‘Let’s try to do that again.”
Not all children are the same, but if it works, it works.
“We say we’re built for this,” Zach boasts.
“We love it,” he expresses.
“It’s all part of the game, the fun,” Zach says.
He acknowledges that “waking up at two in the morning. … It’s strengthened [our] relationship.”
Zach also gushes about his wife and brags that she is a “great mom.”
“I love watching her with the kids,” he raves.
Zach expresses: “I think she just has that sense.”
Some people have great instincts as parents. Others do not.
It is so heartwarming to hear that Jackson is such a doting big brother who will quickly leap into action to help his crying baby sister.
At the same time, it is encouraging that he has the good sense to enforce a division between her belongings and his own.
Loving someone doesn’t mean taking their things or giving them yours, after all.
We can’t wait for more updates like these as both Lilah and Jackson continue to grow!
LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG WORLD SPOILER ALERT:
Amy Roloff is engaged!
The veteran reality star announced this enormous piece of news way back in September, showing off the beautiful ring gifted to her by boyfriend Chris Marek.
That was then, howev…
Even though we already knew a lot of Tori Roloff’s delivery details when it came to baby Lilah, it’s another thing to get to see the pregnancy play out.
In this sneak peek, Tori and Zach go for a doctor’s visit … and learn that their baby girl will be a little person.
In this sneak peek of Tuesday night’s new Little People, Big World, Tori and Zach already know that they’re expecting a baby girl.
Together, they visit Northwest Women’s Clinic for another important prenatal check-up.
Tori is four months pregnant in this scene, and she is scheduled for an anatomy scan.
And, of course, they brought little Jackson with them to include him in the process.
Tori makes an audible noise as the cold ultrasound gel is applied to her pregnant belly.
She and Zach watch the monitor, as you can see in the video that we have included.
Meanwhile, Jackson gets a little distracted.
Doctor’s visits can seem to take a long time when you’re just a few years old.
At this point, Jackson’s “baby sister” if four-and-a-half centimeters long — which is less than two inches.
Lilah weighs one pound and nine ounces at this stage.
“I think that it’s just important that our baby is healthy,” Tori remarks.
Meanwhile, Jackson is getting super excited – more about his mother’s pregnant belly than about the ultrasound on the television.
Tori comments that, in the early stages of pregnancy, it can be “nerve-wracking” to wonder if her child is okay.
Zach remarks on how grateful he is that Jackson has suffered no health issues.
“He is very blessed,” Tori agrees.
She continues: “I hope that carries over when we have babygirl, whether she is average height or a dwarf.”
Speaking of which, Tori and Zach sit down with the doctor to find out a little more about Lilah.
“Everything looked normal on the ultrasound,” the doctor informs them both. “But …”
The dramatic pause here, crafted by editing and not by the doctor herself, is an absurd bit of reality TV shenanigans.
“Her head is larger,” the doctor informs the expecting parents, “and most of the longbones are about two weeks behind.”
Tori and Zach already understand what this means, but the doctor of course spells it out.
“Everything is measuring right on track for achondroplasia,” the doctor notes.
Achondroplasia is the type of dwarfism that Jackson, Zach, and Zach’s mother Amy all have.
Unlike his mother or son, Zach has had numerous medical complications, like his father — notably, Matt has diastrophic dysplasia.
Obviously, Tori and Zach are totally prepared to be parents to a second little person, but Zach admits that “It’s a lot to process.”
Any time that parents know that their child will have disabilities, they are conscious of how different their lives will be.
Still, they are hopeful that Lilah’s achondroplasia will be free of complications, like Jackson’s has been so far in his young life.
This sneak peek is so sweet and honest – we can’t wait to see the full episode on Tuesday.
Let’s be clear up front:
We can’t imagine what the last couple of years must have been like for Caryn Chandler, Matt Roloff and Amy Roloff.
The latter two got divorced in early 2016, yet continued to not just work together on their family …
Little People, Big World is back.
And so is the alleged feud between Matt Roloff and Amy Roloff.
All through last season, viewers watched uncomfortably as the former spouses clashed — seemingly for the first time — over the future of Roloff…
Little People, Big World returned on Tuesday night with a premiere titled “Amy’s Next Chapter.”
And for good reason, too.
The opening installment of Season 20 centered not just on Amy Roloff, but on a major life decision and milestone.
The mother of four made the decision last year to sell her portion of the farm to ex-husband Matt.
This put money in Amy’s pocket, but it also placed her in a never-before-experienced position:
After decades of living in the main farm house — first as Matt’s wife and as a caring mother of young kids; and then on her own — Amy had to find a place of her own.
This was a daunting proposition, as viewers saw play out on the premiere.
At one point, Amy sat around with son Zach and boyfriend Chris and talked about her timeline for moving away.
“I’m really hoping I’m not still here during the holidays,” Amy said, referencing Christmas because the episode was filmed months ago.
This prompted Zach to respond:
“Really? What’s your worst-case scenario?”
“I’m here during the holidays and I don’t find a house until March,” Amy replied simply.
When Marek then wondered why it would be “bad” for her to not have a place of her own by the holiday season, Amy noted that it was “just time to move on.”
If you’ll recall, most of the previous season was spent with Amy and Matt fighting for an extended period of time, mostly over the state of their shared property and whether Amy would give in and sell her segment to Matt.
Fast forward to this episode and Amy asking Zach how their family would feel if she continued to live with them despite being separated from Matt.
“Oh, that would be terrible,” Zach admitted. “Dad would throw the biggest fit. I couldn’t imagine.”
Marek proceeded to ask Zach if Matt’s “anxious” for Amy to “get out” of the house, despite allowing his ex-wife to remain in this residence even after the sale.
In a confessional, Zach opened up about the transition within his family.
“I think my dad, he would get mad if my mom’s still in the house in March.
“And it’s just like, ‘Wait a minute. How long has it been that you said you’re going to move out? … What’s your plan here? What are you doing?’”
As loyal fans of the Roloffs know, Amy has indeed moved out and has also confessed to having a tough time with this new chapter.
But, again, this premiere was shot late last fall.
“My mom’s got baggage with my dad too,” Zach added last night.
“It’s way healthier for her to move off quicker rather than later. So, I don’t know. I’m just saying that the tension’s going to grow between my dad and her.”
Elsewhere, while Amy was pondering a literal move, Marek Chris revealed his plans to make a significant romantic move.
He told viewers that he had “big and special surprise” he had organized for Amy to honor their third anniversary.
“I’m planning on proposing on the night of our anniversary,” he said with a huge smile.
Hooray, right?!?
In September of 2019, it was announced that Amy got engaged to Chris after her birthday.
“We’ve been dating for three years now, just celebrated our third year, quote, anniversary, and that’s when he asked me to marry him. I was so surprised. So shocked,” Amy wrote on Instagram at the time.
“I am so, so very happy. He’s an awesome guy. I love him to death. And I’m so looking forward to this new journey of us. Together. So anyway! I’m engaged! I’m happy.
“Thank you all, so, so much.”
Little People, Big World is officially back! It airs 9/8c on TLC.
Little People, Even Bigger World?
In a new interview with the First Class Fatherhood podcast, Matt Roloff surprised listeners by teasing for the first time that his family’s beloved reality show might be spunoff into a number of other programs.
…
Changes are on the way, folks.
It’s been made very clear that the Roloffs will be setting off in a new direction on the upcoming season of Little People, Big World — from a new baby to a new house and so much more.
But Amy Roloff has now taken to Facebook Live in order to offer up some fresh nuggets on what’s ahead.
Including some sort of… scary moment???
To what is Amy referring down below?
Find out now, and then see what else she and her ex-husband have to say about the season to come:
Little People, Big World will feature new cast member this spring.
Sort of.
The TLC series returns on March 31 with fresh episodes and an in-depth look at the relationship between Matt Roloff and Caryn Chander, with the latter taking on more …
Little People, Big World star chose a subtle way to respond to cheating allegations. That’s a tricky topic to approach.
When it comes to talking about wedding plans with Caryn Chandler, however, Matt is much more direct.
Matt Roloff sat down for an interview on the podcast, First Class Fatherhood, to discuss his longtime romance with Caryn.
“There’s no immediate wedding bells yet,” Matt says.
“Caryn and I are kind of waiting to let [ex-wife Amy Roloff’s wedding] excitement play out,” he explains.
But when it comes to an engagement and marriage, he warns: “but no wedding bells planned [just] yet.”
“I hope one day that there are,” Matt expresses, “and [there] probably will be.”
“Caryn and I are very close,” he affirms.
“We enjoy each other’s company and friendship immensely. …” Matt expresses.
That much has been abundantly clear for quite some time.
“We’re dating and having fun together,” Matt characterizes their relationship.
They are enjoying each other’s company “and living our best lives.”
Matt also purchased a vacation home — a house belonging to Caryn’s parents — in Arizona.
He for some reason prefers the weather in Arizona to Oregon, and has enjoyed vacationing there with Caryn.
“My kids seem to really accept Caryn very, very well,” Matt shares.
That has been clear, even if it is a little surprising considering that his emotional bond with Caryn allegedly began before his divorce.
Speaking of his family and Caryn, Matt says: “They spend a lot of time together.”
“She’s a great, sort of, surrogate [grandma]” to his precious grandchildren, he adds.
“They call her Cha-Cha,” Matt says, referring to hids grandkids.
Notably, his grandchildren are very young — half of them are still newborns.
“The grandkids love spending time with her,” Matt affirms.
“And,” he states, “she loves spending time [with them].”
“She’s very, very active” in helping to manage Matt’s family time, he reveals.
Matt explains that Caryn is proactive “in not just accepting the grandkids.”
“But,” he shares, “really setting things up and getting me involved,”
Sometimes, people who are new to being grandparents — and Matt has only been a grandfather for a few years — need a little helpful nudge.
“Matt,” he recalls her telling him, “you’re putting your computer and phone away tonight.”
“You’re gonna be playing games and reading to the grandkids tonight,” he says that she likes to inform him.
Caryn will apparently tell him: “That’s what you’re doing.”
Clearly, Matt needs firm guidance — but of course, he’s delighted to spend quality time with his grandkids.
Matt and Caryn’s relationship allegedly began with a dubious start.
It’s awkward when someone goes from “employee” to “romantic partner.”
It’s more awkward when that transition allegedly began, to some degree, while the erstwhile employer was still married.
Even if that is true, of course, Caryn is not a “home-wrecker.” That title belongs solely to a cheating partner, not to the third party.
It’s so cute to hear that Caryn plays a hand in arranging these beautiful playdates between Matt and his grandkids.
Just as Matt’s kids enjoy having a little time to themselves, he delights in bonding with these precious little ones.
Good for Caryn for helping to make sure that it happens regularly.
We’ll keep our ears out for those “wedding bells” that he mentioned … but only after Amy and Chris get hitched!
Let’s get this out of the way up front:
Little People, Big World is not scripted.
Matt Roloff is aware of rumors along these lines that crop up across nearly all reality shows, which is perhaps why he recently gave an interview that sought to bre…
Like everyone else, the entire Roloff family is reacting to the pandemic and focusing on remaining hopeful during a time of uncertainty.
But Amy is also taking time to give fans a lovely update on her occassionally polarizing son, Jacob.
Amy …
The Roloff family rose to fame on a TLC reality show titled Little People, Big World.
At the moment, however, Amy, Matt and their kids are really a part of one tiny world, as citizens from around the globe can tragically relate to one enormous and …
You know what they say, right?
Not all heroes wear capes?
It’s a cliche because it’s true… sometimes, they wear baby spit-up on basically every item of clothing they own.
Such is the case for Tori Roloff, the beloved Little People, Big Wo…
