Tori Roloff Makes An Announcement About Her Family
Many people who live with Dwarfism live a normal life but there are still many obstacles that need to be overcome. Members of the Roloff family know these obstacles very well. There's Zach, who had to go through many surgeries as a kid. Then there's Mathew, who has diastrophic dysplasia and required an incredible amount of attention as a child. The Roloff family was used to it but for Zach's wife Tori, she had to quickly learn how to adapt to this new lifestyle and the challenges that came along the way. Read on about how Tori dealt with these challenges and other incredible facts about the Roloff family!
Tori Is Just A Regular Mom
Tori Roloff became a mother and she was naturally very excited and nervous about the prospect of bringing a new human into the world.
However, it's what happened next that caught her off guard. There's nothing that could've prepared her for the next chapter of her life. It was going to be new, and unpredictable.
Tori Confirmed The News, Makes Announcement
Tori was made aware that because of her husband Zach's dwarfism, the baby could be diagnosed with it as well.
Zach's specific condition is called achondroplasia, so when the baby was born, both of them prepared for the news. In May 2017, they got the news and the newborn was diagnosed with Zach's condition.
The Uncertainty Was Present
While this took nothing away from the absolute euphoric feeling of having a baby, there was still some mixed emotions and uncertainty that surrounded the baby.
Tori was a kindergarten teacher by trade, so she was already well-versed in working with young children. She had to leave her job now that she was a new mom.
She Was Already Looking To The Future
While she knew that she would return to the job that stole her heart eventually, she had to care for her own. One of the moments she can't wait for is when she gets to bring baby Roloff to school for the first time.
But, marrying into the Roloff family meant you were going to be a reality star.
The Show That Started It All
You probably already know about the show Little People Big World by now, but if you don't, it basically follows the Roloff's around as they maneuver through life.
But, what makes the show so interesting to watch is the way that it sheds light on a fully functioning family that consists of people with dwarfism, and without.
It Was Incredibly Popular
Zach's brother Jeremy doesn't have any sort of dwarfism whatsoever. It's become an extremely popular show for TLC because of its impartial portrayal of people living with dwarfism.
There are many beautiful relationships in the show as well, and it never really seemed like the show was trying to exploit them.
The Family Seemed To Have An Impact
It was very clear from the start that the family had a lot of lessons to share with the public. Lessons that everyone, big or small, can relate to and learn from.
The Roloffs took the opportunity that was given to them and turned it into something very beautiful. Their genuine attitudes toward each other helped make them instant stars.
The Spin-Off
They've had many spin-off shows because of their success. I mean, why not? There was a show called Little People Big World: Wedding Farm which followed Amy and Mathew trying to live out their dream of being wedding planners.
The ratings from the spin-off show were good, but not comparable to the original that followed the family.
But Not Everyone Was Onboard
But, not everything went as planned for the Roloffs. Tensions started to rise as the family became household names.
Their son Jacob started to dislike the idea of having cameras around all the time, and made the decision to not be apart of the show anymore. He was worried that he was being portrayed as someone he isn't.
He Wanted To Be Himself Again
He explained that he thinks the Roloff family that everyone sees on TV isn't actually the family he knows off of it.
In fact, he even said that everyone is basically just a caricature of themselves, including himself. He wanted to be allowed to just be himself, which apparently, the show wasn't allowing.
The Star Of The Show
Even though Jacob wasn't having such a great time with the show, his brother Zach was a huge hit. Viewers fell in love with him because of his humble ways and they really rooted for him in the romance department.
That's when he met Tori, who was a new farmhand at their house.
There Was A Chance
The chemistry was instant and it wouldn't take long for Zach to ask Tori out on date. They would go on to be in a relationship for four years before Zach would pop the question to Tori.
Zach says that Tori brings him out of his shell and made him a more confident person.
The Wedding Bells Rang
With the TLC cameras in attendance, Zach and Tori exchanged their vows on July 27th, 2015.
The wedding was a decent size as over 100 people attended, and millions more watched on their TVs. It wasn't the first wedding on the show though. Zach's twin brother Jeremy married his girlfriend Audrey on the show previously.
But, It Wasn't All Happy News
But, behind the scenes, Zach's parents announced they were getting a divorce. The couple had been married for thirty years and it was a shock to their family and the rest of the world.
They said that their kids will always be their priority and that they'll continue to work together during daily activities.
Some Big News Was About To Be Shared
But, amidst the craziness that was looming over Zach's parents, Tori had some news of her own. In 2016, Tori and Zach announced that they were expecting their first child.
They both understood that their kid could come into the world with some form of dwarfism. They both were going to just take the pregnancy in stride.
The Big Milestone
Just before the birth of their new child, they were able to celebrate a huge milestone together. Tori posted on Instagram that they were celebrating seven years together.
In the post, she explained how she thought Zach was her better half, who makes her smile every day and that she strives to be a better wife to him.
Baby Jackson Made His World Debut
On May 12th, 2017, the couple welcomed their son Jackson. But, as Tori and Zach imagined, Jackson was born with dwarfism. Zach talks about how you have to encourage a dwarf child a little more because it takes him five steps to do what a normal person can do in one.
He says that he wants to parent his child with the mentality that you have to earn a trophy, you don't just get one handed to you.
The Dreaded News
As you might expect, they have never let Jackson's disability be a burden or roadblock to their love for him. They say that he is perfectly healthy, he's growing, and he's eating well.
Tori even said that he's starting to find his voice. Heck, he sleeps 5-6 hours a night which is pretty good too.
Tori Hit A Roadblock
For the Roloff family, it was beginning to look like they were going to be sailing smoothly for the next few years.
But, Tori says she hit a roadblock. She shared on Instagram that the hardest thing about being a young mom has been the breastfeeding. She says it's much harder than she expected.
The Struggles Continued
Tori continued to post on social media about her struggles with the baby and breastfeeding. She was receiving a lot of positive feedback from other young mothers who have gone through the same thing.
Her followers were praising how open she was being about her difficulties as it could help thousands of new moms.
The Professionals Thanked Her
Experts who deal with breastfeeding issues on a regular basis have praised Tori for contributing to the healthy debate.
One of them (a nurse in women's services) commented on her picture saying that the stigma of not being able to breastfeed naturally is setting up moms to have a lot more postpartum depression issues.
But She Wasn't Alone
Tori was not the only Roloff to face some serious troubles when it came to motherhood. Audrey Roloff (Jeremy's wife) had pregnancy problems as well.
Audrey said that she found it incredibly difficult to manage all of the range of emotions she was feeling about having a baby while also trying to run her business.
She Was Desperate For Support
Audrey took to Instagram to ask her followers how they were able to handle the stresses of being a new mom and running a business. She was worried about how to manage her priorities in the most productive way to both her kid and the business.
In fact, she wrote that she even felt lost in the whole thing.
Thankfully Her Followers Came Through
But, just like Tori, her followers came through with some life-changing advice. Many of them responded to Audrey's cries for help with similar stories of their own.
Many saying that practice makes perfect in this situation and you won't know you can do it until you actually do it.
It's Becoming A Celeb Fad
But, neither Tori nor Audrey is the first celebrity to take their mommy problems to social media. In fact, there have been many celebs who vent about their issues.
Social media has become the quickest way to express your opinions. Many A-listers like Chrissy Teigen, Alanis Morissette, and even Gisele Bundchen have followed suit.
Mommy-Shamed
She received criticism when Matt Roloff posted a picture of Tori and Jackson in a canoe, but Jackson had no life-jacket.
Many people were worried that Tori wasn't being safe with her son. Matt replied to the mommy-shamers saying that the canoe was on land and they obviously put a lifejacket on him when they went into the water.
Bubblewrap Parents
While I can understand the concern for Jackson's safety, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that this canoe is not in the water.
Sometimes, even the kindest people with the best intentions are totally clueless about safety. I feel like the term "bubblewrap parent" comes to mind with this criticism.
The Car Accident
Roloff just recently revealed that she was involved in a car accident with her son Jackson. She said it was the scariest moment of her life.
She took to her Instagram to share that everything was fine and no one got injured, but just looking at her one-year-old in the rear-view mirror was traumatizing.
She Had Replaced The Carseat Three Days Before
She says that looking back on the car accident, she kind of finds it humorous. She said that he was sucking on his toes and was completely oblivious to what was happening.
The scariest part for Tori was knowing that just three days before, she had replaced Jackson's car seat.
They're Still A Happy Family
While Tori and Zach have faced a lot of criticism, it hasn't stopped them from wanting to be the best version of parents that they possibly can.
They have an unlimited amount of love for their son Jackson, and Tori is trying to raise awareness of some issues facing women that often get left behind.
