Leaving ‘Little People, Big World’, raising kids w/ dwarfism & mixed-height marriage w/ the Roloff’s

No one lives a life that can actually produce a reality TV episode every week. Is the show canceled? They haven’t officially said it, but it looks like we’re not continuing. Did you think you would marry someone with dwarfism? On the show, I said I’m going to marry someone with dwarfism and I’m going to have a dwarf army. I got the dwarf army; I did not marry that dwarf. I would not wish dwarfism on my kid—there is a lot of suffering, mental toughness, and medical complications that come from it. No one would pick dwarfism over average height. Words have different meanings through the years; Little People of America started out by M People of America.

We sat down with Zach and Tori Roloff, who made headlines earlier this year for announcing their departure from Little People Big World after 25 seasons. Now, with three kids, they’ve been very open online about the pressures of reality TV and what it’s like to raise kids with dwarfism. We talked about everything from Zach’s parents’ very public divorce to why it’s offensive to use the M-word.

What’s funny is we actually ran into you at Disneyland. Abby saw you guys. Are we stealing the story? Oh, your thunder. Okay, I didn’t think you guys saw me. I was like, “Stop.” We didn’t think you saw us. That’s so funny. I was waiting for it. You were sitting on a bench. We were right in front of the Tower of Terror. I walked by and scrolled through reels on Instagram. You guys did dancing videos at the time. I told Tori, “I could have sworn I’ve seen that girl on reels.” You were sitting there; you must have been on the ride or something. Tori was a little ahead, so you saw Tori too then? Yes. I did not see you guys. I’m pushing the cart, and then later that night, I’m like, “I saw her; I know it.” Scrolling reels, I’m like, “Tori, these are the people.” Then, two years later, podcasts are popping up. I’m like, “Tori, I’ve seen these people,” and then you’re sending us an invite. I’m like, “We already met.”

Patrick Mahomes went to Disneyland the next day after the Super Bowl. We’re watching the parade, and a woman comes up to me crying, excited to meet me. I’m literally like, “Honey, Patrick Mahomes is right there,” but she was stoked to meet me.

Raising kids with different needs is challenging. Jackson craves one-on-one attention and is constantly seeking it. We’re big on child psychology. Kids are inherently selfish and self-centered; the world revolves around them until they realize it doesn’t. That’s a challenge for us as parents. Our kids were becoming more aware of being recognized and didn’t want to film after school. That was a big reason we left the show. For thousands of years, kids have been part of family businesses, but with reality TV, it’s different. Our kids are more involved, and we need to balance that.

In the midst of your parents’ divorce, how did that affect you? Did people ask questions? I avoided a lot of it. For kids with divorced parents, it becomes Mom vs. Dad. Team Matt vs. Team Amy. Both sets of my grandparents got divorced. My parents were hesitant to get married because of that.

Tori is my first girlfriend and kiss. We started dating in college. We decided to buy a house instead of going to college. It was a classic dining room with 1980s decor. We kept some floral wallpaper. We met and started dating, and it was interesting.

I’m going to rant. Disney updated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, scrapping the dwarfs and updating Snow White to be Hispanic. Peter Dinklage had opinions on this, saying the story shouldn’t be told at all. There’s power in being on camera, even if what you’re saying isn’t always educational. With great power comes great responsibility.

Parents often shun their kids from asking uncomfortable questions. We don’t want that. We want kids to be normal and ask questions. If we choose to answer, great. If not, Google it. Jackson is learning to navigate social situations, developing resilience.

Dating Tori introduced me to the LPA scene, where I saw the diversity in our community. All our kids have medical needs, and it’s challenging. I wouldn’t choose dwarfism for my kids because of the suffering and complications, but it’s reality. Our kids were 9-pound babies, and their features are less prominent.

People often use outdated terms to describe dwarfism. Educating them is important. When someone uses the M-word, it’s hurtful. In public, our burden is to educate and inspire.

Navigating social situations can be awkward. At the mall, looking for Zach, people still don’t know what to say. A lady asked who I was looking for, and it’s still an awkward moment.