'Kate Plus Eight' kids could be in violation of work-permit rules, raising concerns

* Cameras were installed inside the sextuplets' bedrooms and were on during the night to capture the children's movements at all times. Professional lighting was installed in the living room and kitchen, essentially forcing family life into those areas.

* In the fall of 2008, the producers had Kate and Jon celebrate Christmas early. A tree was decorated, presents were put underneath, and Kate baked "what she normally does" for the children, Kreider said.

"I'm sure when they grow up and they have memories of Christmas for the show . . . those are going to be hard to process," she said. "And when they realize their childhood was used for the entertainment of strangers, they're going to feel violated and it's going to be a hard thing to work through."

Kreider said that the decision to speak out was difficult for herself and her husband.

"There were two things we could do," she said. "Stay quiet, turn our backs on our nieces and nephews and all children involved with reality shows, or speak out even though it's not the popular thing to say but bring awareness to this extremely serious issue."

She said that she "didn't want eight adults looking at me and saying, 'Why didn't you say anything? Why did you turn your back on us?' It was extremely difficult, but this is a worthy cause.

"It was not them living their life. To me, it was not healthy for children to grow up in that kind of environment."