What sad times are these when the smallest and cutest of children are not safe from the trauma of a broken home.

Many reality TV shows are in the process of winding down their seasons, but the drama of TLC’s “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ has only just begun.

A new season began Monday night amid rumors of infidelity and possible divorce that has been swarming around the media for weeks.

Jon, Kate and their gaggle of kids opened the season with the sextuplets’ birthday party.

The tension during the birthday party was thick enough to make any turtle feel awkward, but interestingly enough, the children did not notice their parents deliberately snubbing each other.

Throughout the episode, Kate continuously states that she is putting her kids first.

Are you sure, Kate? It’s hard to believe her sincerity while she complained more about her kids’ birthday party than the paparazzi.

Sadly, those poor kids never had a chance for a relatively normal life. Growing up on TV is one thing. Having a mother, who is constantly playing to the camera, is another.

If you add divorce, these kids are destined to spend too much time on their psychiatrist’s couch talking about their “mommy issues.”

Most importantly, what about Aaden? He is arguably one of the cutest of the Gosselin children, and possibly the one with the most potential. There’s a reason he’s nicknamed “the little professor.” The divorce may change his life to the point where he will never be the zoologist he was destined to be.

Since “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ is a reality TV show, it is possible that the producers are pushing the adultery and divorce scandal for publicity.

If so, what’s next? Are the producers going to pull another stunt where there’s a special crossover episode with “The Maury Show,” so Kate can reveal to Jon that the children may not be his? Maybe she’ll tell him she’s having a baby with the security guard she’s allegedly having an affair with.

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E-mail the author: Holly Stamps