Heene/Martel The Heene family from Colorado live life on the edge. Wife Mayumi and storm scientist Richard take their three kids, Bradford, Ryo and Falcon, out of school to go on storm chasing missions to prove Richard's theories about magnetic fields and gravity. If conditions are right, Mayumi wakes her family by shouting "Storm Approaching, Storm Approaching!" into a bullhorn. The family sleep in their clothes so they can leap out of bed and into the storm-mobile. Richard calls Mayumi his ninja wife; she maintains equipment, drives the storm-mobile, films tornadoes and waits with the kids while Richard jumps on his motorbike, heads into the eye of the storm and launches rockets to measure magnetic forces. At home the family are as chaotic as a twister: the kids have no table manners and throw themselves around the house, and while Richard devotes every moment to his research, he expects Mayumi to cook, clean and run the house without any help. Meanwhile on a quiet street in Connecticut, the Martel family - wife Karen, husband Jay and their two kids, Max and Dean - live a life of calm and safety. Dad is so committed to safety that he runs a child-proofing business devoted to identifying dangers and risks and making sure kids stay out of harm's way. With all the precautions taken to keep them safe, Max and Dean seem to be afraid of everything. The Martels conduct safety fire drills, make sure the kids wear protective gear on their bikes and pogo-sticks and never let the boys out of their sight. The atmosphere in the house is calm and serene, and Karen and Jay are equal partners. In the first week, Karen Martel moves to Colorado and has to overcome her fears as she becomes a storm-chaser. She is shocked as the Heene kids jump off banisters and run wild, and appalled by Richard's attitude to women. Meanwhile at the Martels', Mayumi Heene sees safety gates everywhere and wonders how the family have fun. She asks the kids about their anxieties and confronts Jay about the climate of fear in his house.
In the second week of the swap when the wives change the rules and turn the tables, Karen tries to bring order to the Heenes' chaos, with Richard fighting her rules every step of the way, and the Martels have hold on tight as Mayumi shouts "Storm Approaching! Storm Approaching!" At the end of two weeks, will Karen Martel bring peace and order to the chaotic Heene household? And can Mayumi free the Martel kids from fear?
McCaslin/Deekens The McCaslin family from New York State live by the motto, "whatever it takes." Wife Sandi, husband Zane and daughters Sarah and Kerri all hold benchpressing and powerlifting records. They live in an old converted school and spend most of their time together training in the gym pushing each other on to their next big lift. Outside of the gym, life for the McCaslins is easygoing and full of practical jokes; they live in sweats and really don't care what others think because ultimately they have each other. The family invite their friends round for "Gameland" an raucous evening of board games, joking and playful insults. The only thing Sandi would change about her family is the girls' aversion to chores. Meanwhile on a quiet street in Virginia, the Deekens live a life of quiet and calm gentility. Wife Donna is on a one-woman mission to bring femininity, etiquette and the ladylike art of tea parties to the girls of Virginia. She presents her tea parties in a range of personas, dressing as a princess, a Victorian lady and a fairy queen, and prepares thoroughly for each tea counting out tiaras, testing flashing wands and personally picking up the specially decorated cakes. Husband Bill and son Greg find her obsession silly and childish, but that doesn't stop from Greg helping out behind the scenes or spending money. In the Deekens' house, the family lead separate lives, coming together for quiet meals and their sedate daily walk where spotting a squirrel is a cause for excitement. In the first week of the swap, Donna is plunged into the McCaslins' testosterone driven world of weight-lifting and struggles with the idea of young girls benching more than most men. Meanwhile Sandi finds the world of tea-parties slightly ridiculous and breaks down when she realizes the lack of support Bill and Greg give to Donna's dream. In the second week, when the wives change the rules and turn the tables, Sandi resolves to change everything in the Deekens' home for Donna, and Donna finds the true meaning of family support with the rough and ready McCaslins. At the end of two weeks, will Sandi succeed in showing Bill and Greg the meaning of family? And can Donna turn the bench-pressing McCaslin girls into demure little princesses?
Kinsman/Thompson The Kinsman family lives a simple, frugal life in Maine. Captain Bob, a lobsterman, and wife Barbara live in a rustic log cabin with Barbara's daughter, Casey. Lobstering is financially insecure so the Kinsmans pinch pennies wherever they can, heating their cabin with wood from the forest, drying their old clothes on the line and picking up treasures from the local dump. Casey has to make do with her mom's hand me downs and out of date fashions - it's been a year since Barbara bought her any clothes. Life for Casey is strict, structured and full of chores. Captain Bob tries to support his step-daughter in sports, but he treats her more like a crewmate than the sensitive 13-year-old she is. In California Michelle Thompson brings new meaning to the phrase "shop til you drop" - she shops in stores or online every day, filling her and her family's closets with up to date labeled fashions in the pursuit of looking great. Husband Carey has spent thousands of dollars on Michelle's plastic surgeries and high-end wardrobe and loves people noticing his "hot" family. The three Thompson kids - Brandon, Megan and Noah - have to be bribed to behave, and even then the bribery doesn't work for long. Brandon is Carey's stepson and their relationship is difficult. Carey can't decide whether to be a parent or a friend, so the two tend to ignore each other. In the first week of the swap, Barbara scrubs up well with Michelle's hour-and-half hair and make-up routine and is appalled at the money pouring out of Carey's wallet and the lack of structure and discipline in the house. Meanwhile, Michelle sees the fishy side of the Kinsmans as she puts on her waders and starts scooping dead fish on Captain Bob's lobster boat. At home she rebels against the number of chores Casey has to do and becomes upset about the lack of connection between Bob and his step-daughter. In week two the wives change the rules. Barbara and Carey clash as she tries to introduce structure, discipline and a budget in the Thompson home. In Maine Michelle begins the mission of building Casey's confidence and showing Captain Bob that his rough, tough lobstering ways are ruining his relationship with his sensitive step-daughter. At the end of the week, will Captain Bob show his softer side? And can Barbara show Carey that money is not the way to a happy family?
Melton/Dufrene Brandi Dufrene and husband Pookie run airboat tours on the Bayou, while their three boys, Dalen, Gavin and Zane, run wild in the swamp - fishin', huntin' and froggin' and treading a trail of mud into the Dufrene home. Brandi is fighting a losing battle as the only girl in a house of Cajun wildmen. The boys use her makeup as warpaint and leave muddy socks all around the yard. Husband Pookie is no help, egging his boys on to more mischief and leaving Brandi to cope with all the chores and discipline. Brandi gets a taste of life outside the swamp when she travels to the home of the Melton family in California. Wife Monique and husband Mike are classically trained ballet dancers, and son Jake has been following in their footsteps since the tender age of three. Monique and Mike are raising their son to appreciate the finer things in life, taking him to operas, art galleries and wine and cheese parties. As performers, all three Meltons take extreme care of their appearance, and both Mike and Monique always make sure Jake looks his best. In the first week of the swap Brandi trades her swamp clothes for a dress, as she hosts a soire for the Meltons' sophisticated wine and cheese crowd. Meanwhile Monique messes up her manicure as she pulls frogs out of the swamp and picks up the boys' muddy socks. In the second week, when the wives change the rules. Brandi holds a "mantervention" to toughen up Mike and Jake, while Monique introduces the wild Dufrene boys to ballet, opera, manners and chores. When the couples are reunited, will Monique learn to let Jake be his own boy? Will Brandi be able to tame her ragin' Cajuns?
Martin/Vallone In Florida, the Vallone family may only have $30 in their bank account, but they are rich... in karma that is. Wife Jana, husband Jason and their four children, Ezekiel, Shashamane, Malachi and Sheba, live in a trailer where all four kids share a bed. Jason is a singer in a reggae band that's waiting for its big break; instead of working a nine-to-five, he devotes his time to the band. Jana cooks, cleans and home-schools the kids according to the principles of ONE LOVE. At the Vallones', Jah will provide, so if the kids want to go to the beach instead of learning spelling, Jana and Jason head to the ocean. A world away in Texas, the Martins pursue the American dream in their well kept home. Wife Katrina and ex-marine Troy value order and meticulous financial management. They always have a financial goal in mind, whether it's an upgrade to their pool or an $8,000 home theatre system. Their three daughters, Allyson, Charlene and Emily, have a rigorous schedule of chores which MUST be completed by 4.30 p.m. when Troy inspects their work. Troy polices the girls and is especially hard on his biological daughter, Allyson who craves a closer relationship with her dad. Once in Texas, Jana is horrified by the girls' chores and can't understand why Troy is so harsh with his daughter. In Florida Katrina is shocked at Jason's unconcern for providing for his family, as she watches the kids do whatever they want. In the second week, Jana clashes with Troy as she tries to show him that happiness comes from giving to others and also tries to heal the rift between him and his daughter. In Florida Katrina and Jason clash when she sends him to work at a job, and the Vallone kids experience public school for the first time. At the end of their time together, will Jana be able to heal Troy's wounded relationship with his daughter? And will Katrina convince Jason to pursue the American dream?
Brown/Neighbors The Neighbors family know that appearances are important and that, if anything is worth doing, it's worth doing well. Wife Jessica and husband Alan studied the art of parenting and are totally involved in their children's lives, which means going to school every day to check their kids' desks and meet with their teachers. At home in Idaho, daughter Kassidy and son Kaden have a rigid routine of gymnastics, soccer, music lessons and chores. The children's performance is monitored by Jessica's intricate star chart system; if the children win enough stars, they earn a pizza and a movie. Safety is a priority to Jessica, so the children are never left unattended and both are buckled into booster seats for every car trip, even though Kassidy now finds this embarrassing. Meanwhile in Ohio, the Brown family lives a chaotic life of yo-yos, rock music and taking life as it comes. Wife Marlee is a freelance graphic designer juggling a heavy workload with her two boys, Maverick and Zane. Husband Steve, a yo-yo champion who performs in a tutu when he's not working long hours in the family's zany shop, believes the best way to teach responsibility to kids is to leave them free to turn the house upside down. Steve is Zane's step-dad, and his hands-off approach to parenting means the two have a distant and uninvolved relationship, while Marlee is too busy trying to keep her job, her boys and the house together to do anything about it. In the first week of the swap, Jessica is uncomfortable with the chaos in the Brown home; she can't believe the lack of parental involvement and insists on picking Zane up from school. In Idaho, Marlee is upset by the pressure she feels Alan is putting on his kids, and confronts him after he shouts during their gymnastics and soccer practice. In the second week, when the wives change the rules, Jessica takes Steve back to school to teach him how to parent, while Marlee forces Alan to put on a vest filled with weights so he can feel the weight of his kids' worries. At the end of the week, will Jessica bring Steve and Zane closer with her parenting expertise? And will Marlee convince Alan to ease up on his kids?
Berwick/Roachford For the Berwicks from Illinois, life is about pursuing your dreams - as long as your name is Pete. Pete is still chasing his dream of becoming a mega rock star, and wife Denise will do anything to support him. Pete's so focused on his own career, he takes bookings even on holidays. Daughter Faith feels she takes second place to her dad's dreams. Pete's music gigs don't pay enough to cover the bills, so he makes his money singing telegrams dressed like a gorilla, a chicken or a pirate. As well as making all of Pete's bookings, Denise does all the household chores; Pete believes that "(brides') wedding dresses are white so they match the appliances." Denise does everything for Faith too, including putting up with her temper tantrums. But in Georgia no one talks back to Val Roachford. Val runs her family like a business, training her nine children to unload groceries assembly line style. She expects her husband, Greg, and the children to do whatever needs to be done to keep the house running smoothly. Daughter Briana had been co-opted as a third parent and is so busy caring for her eight brothers and sisters, she never has a moment alone. In this house, dreams take a back seat to efficiency in managing a household of eleven. In the first week, Denise moves to Georgia and has to adjust to the efficiency of the Roachford home. She worries the children are stifling their passions as they follow the regimen of all work and no play, and bonds with Briana, as she warns her about giving up her dreams. Meanwhile at the Berwicks', Val gets into a chicken suit and sings for her new family's supper. She criticizes Pete for his selfish lifestyle and follows him to one of his gigs to ask him why he isn't at home with his daughter. In the second week of the swap, to show the family the importance of fun, Denise dresses everyone up in chicken suits to perform "the world's largest chicken gram." At the Berwicks', Val locks up Pete's instruments and invents "Holiday Day" to make up for all the holidays Pete has missed. Can Denise help the Roachfords see how important dreams are? And can Val show Pete that the only thing he should be striving for is more time with his daughter?
Cooper/Kukta The Kukta family from Utah are obsessed with the exhilaration of the "sweep." They enter raffles and contests and travel from supermarket to supermarket buying products tied to competitions. They have piles of packets of cat food with competition panels snipped out, but they don't own a cat. Wife Heidi never goes anywhere without her "sweeping tools," two telephones on separate lines, and husband Andy wakes up at 3:00 a.m. to play online contests because, "while you're sleeping, he's sweeping." The house revolves around Andy and Heidi's shared daughters Catherine and Aimee, while Heidi's two older daughters, Jennie and Miranda, fight for step-dad Andy's attention. The older girls do endless chores and cater to their younger sisters like two modern day cinderellas. At 9:00 p.m. the house goes on "lockdown" so the younger girls can get a proper night's sleep. A social life outside the family is out of the question. Instead Heidi and Andy feel that any spare time should be spent collecting old bottle caps from the trash cans in the neighborhood so they can enter prize draws. Meanwhile, the Cooper family from the Florida Keys live their lives as if they were on permanent vacation. Jim and Joanna quit their normal 9 to 5 jobs to relax and enjoy life with their two kids, Caya and Andreas. They run a DJ and wedding video business so they can make a living off of their love of partying. The Coopers love the Keys so much, they convinced Joanna's parents to move in so they'd always have someone around to baby-sit. With the kids taken care of, Jim and Joanna can bounce from party to party and stay out until the sun comes up. For the Coopers, life isn't about keeping a clean house or enforcing boring rules; Jim and Joanna see no need to wear watches, and are content carousing around the island of never-ending fun. In the first week, Heidi moves to the Florida Keys and is thrust into the party spotlight when the Coopers host a bash for 50. She questions the free flowing, careless lifestyle on the island, which she calls an "adult playland." Meanwhile at the Kuktas', Joanna is astonished by the amount of time and money that is spent entering sweepstakes. She also notices the disconnection between step-dad Andy and the older girls, and is concerned they aren't able to lead normal teenage lives. In the second week of the swap, when the wives change the rules and turn the tables, Heidi introduces the Cooper family to the wholesome fun of bottle collecting and exploring the supermarket for contest opportunities. She also forces Jim to get a traditional 9 to 5 job in hopes he'll learn to provide for his family instead of partying. In the meantime, Joanna bans sweeping from the Kukta home and encourages Jennie and Miranda to throw a luau for all their friends, against Andy's wishes. After two weeks in another home, can Heidi Kukta teach the heedless Coopers the importance of responsibility? And can Joanna show the Kuktas their sweeping obsession is ruining family?
