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Texasdeb
Member
05-23-2003
| Thursday, November 10, 2011 - 6:30 pm 
Aren't the older kids assigned a younger kid to "help" raise? Does that mean the boys too? I never see any "raising" going on with the older to the younger boys. It's all Jana, Jill, Jesse, & Jinger doing the raising, cooking, & housework IMO. Heck, we've even witnessed the older girls doing the home schooling to the little ones. Just what is it that the older boys do? I've yet to figure that one out.
I know that Michelle mainly focuses on the youngest child & has especially done that with Josie & all of her special needs. She really is some kind of super MOM to live this life.
I'm not really sure what Jim Bob does either (except the bedroom watusi.....often ).
I wish the family well & I pray for Michelle & her unborn child to have a safe pregnancy!
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, November 10, 2011 - 7:19 pm
Funny about the personalities, but I think Kate is more honest about what she wants (security, for one thing, since she didn't have that as a child).. The Duggars are not my cup of tea at all invoking god thus avoiding responsibility for what they are doing.. passive crap to me. I think being able to go on trips is just great for Duggars, Gosselins, Roloffs and any of the other families who share their lives on these shows.
But I guess for most people it just naturally is about liking or not liking the people involved, mostly parents and that's okay but then statements about the shows, cameras, trips, etc being detrimental to the kids.. well then it should apply to ALL the kids.
I sure don't consider it being a super MOM to only concentrate on the last child. Josie has had (and needed to have) more time and thankfully she got more time since I gather this will be the largest age gap between children in their family.
And I do hope this next baby will be full term and without problems. Told you so stuff is never okay when a child is involved. But menopause would be a good thing. Hopefully 20 will be enough and they will get their desired gender child to balance things out so they won't have that excuse.
I thought they at one time had a business and the older boys were involved in that?
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Chieko
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, November 10, 2011 - 7:49 pm
"I'm not really sure what Jim Bob does either (except the bedroom watusi.....often )."
Most married couples manage to have sex once a year or more.
Jim Bob is a real estate agent, property owner and has had a career in local politics. Oldest son Josh owns a used car lot which recently moved to a larger location and seems to be doing well, second son John-David is the owner and manager of
his own company Duggar towing, he is an EMT, volunteer fireman and recently ran for local office. His twin sister Jana has mentioned going to nursing school but I don't know if she did or not. The next oldest son is just 16.
Jim Bob and Michele may have early on chosen the path they wanted to follow together but it didn't necessarily run in the family. Jim Bob has only one sibling, an older sister who had a daughter out of wedlock. Her daughter Amy is on the show quite often and is a fun girl who is part of the family but doesn't follow the same religious ideals as her Uncle's family. Michele's family has been featured a few times too and they didn't seem particularly religious. Michele was a cheerleader in public school and admitted to kissing before her marriage.
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Texasdeb
Member
05-23-2003
| Thursday, November 10, 2011 - 9:07 pm
makes you wander.......what was so awful with their own childhoods (Michelle & Jim Bob) to cause them to create "this" environment & lifestyle for their own?
Also, HOW MANY 2nd hand stores are there where these folks live?
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, November 10, 2011 - 9:13 pm
Why does having a lot of kids suggest that their childhood must have been awful?
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Misspoufy
Member
09-30-2004
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 4:21 am
Why is it, when people choose to live a decent, wholesome, lifestyle and live free of debt, not being a burden on society, contribute to their community, have normal religious beliefs, (they're Baptist) do folks think they're weird, odd, strange, and become critical and bitter?
Jim Bob and Michelle chose after her miscarriage (her first pregnancy) to allow God to lead in the number of children they have. God has given them 20. I didn't use birth control and had 2. God knew I couldn't handle more.
I believe they are calm, soft spoken parents because they choose to be. As a retired teacher I can tell you that kids listen faster when you're being quiet over yelling. I employed that tactic many times in a classroom.
Jim Bob has a job, the family owns commercial real estate as income property.
As for the older kids raising the younger...I don't think that is what happens. They use the buddy system. I don't suppose anyone's parents here every said, "watch your little brother/sister" as you went out to play. In our family we did chores...laundry, cooking, dishes and on and on. We weren't slaves, we lived in the house and contributed to keeping it neat and clean. I don't see these kids doing anything normal, healthy kids in every family shouldn't be doing. No, they don't play video games, they play outside...sunshine and exercise, good for them. They're polite, well-mannered children...nothing wrong with a teenager having respect for adults instead of using curse words and hating their parents.
Honestly, THIS is a normal, healthy family. Instead of villifying them for having a few more kids than what one thinks is the ideal 2.5 we ought to look at their example and see what can be gleaned to improve our own families.
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 6:15 am
They're just opinions, like we freely give about all the TV shows and families! I haven't seen any bitterness, can you give examples?
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Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 7:37 am
MissP, kudos for your lovely entry. I would have loved to have had Jim Bob and Michelle for my parents.
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Frogichik
Member
06-11-2002
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 9:24 am
Huk'd I'm bitter. This planet can't sustain people having 20 kids and then they all go multiply and so on and so on.
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Kellirippa
Member
07-10-2002
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 10:14 am
From a biological point of view, I wonder what effect it has on a woman's body to spend her entire reproductive lifespan pregnant or post-natal? Pregnancy and nursing upset your regular hormone balance, your hair, skin, teeth, muscle tone & elasticity, nutritional levels, blood volume... How will her body be effected biologically when she enters menopause?
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 10:17 am
Oh Frogi, now you went and ruined my post!! Well, I'm not bitter. :-)
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 12:32 pm
The Duggar's having 20 kids is among the most miniscule of the planet's problems. No relevant impact whatsoever.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 1:54 pm
I'm not concerned over the population impact on the planet but I'm concerned that these kids have little if any freedom to figure out what it is in life that would make them happy and fulfilled. If you don't have choices in life then in my opinion you have wasted your time here on Earth. And these kids especially the girls have no real choices. There is so much the world has to offer. When Michelle giggled and said she doesn't think the kids even know who The Beatles are, well that hurt my heart for these kids. They are beyond sheltered. They may be traveling but they travel under heavy guard. They will all most likely grow to be happy idiots.
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 2:32 pm
I'm pretty sure Josh was Michelle's first pregnancy. She then went on the pill and got pregnant and miscarried. The Dr. said she might have miscarried because of the pill. After that, they prayed and decided to not use birth control. They would leave it up to God.
In a show that was filmed within the last year or two, she was teary eyed (or more) talking about it.
After watching most episodes of this show, I really think they would be exactly the same if they'd never been on tv. I think the only difference it has made is that they maybe occasionally buy things that they would not have had without the extra money. They dress in a more modern style now. (Maybe the girls' matching dresses of several years ago came about because they were hand made from a lot of the same fabric because they got it for cheap.) They have a new bus for their family trips. They all can go the the roller rink together. One kid got a brand new bike recently. They maybe spent more on it than a new bike they would have purchased if they didn't have the extra money from the show. Things like that they they probably couldn't afford before the show.
I think there is one more difference too. I think they are probably very happy to have found a way to spread their Christian beliefs to a lot more people. I'm sure that makes them very happy.
Other than those two things, I think this family would have been just as we see them on the tv...if they had never been on tv.
I used to think they were weird and really didn't understand them. I used to think it was unfair that the older girls seemed to have too many chores.
I have totally changed my opinion after watching them. Those kids seem very well adjusted, well rounded, and able and allowed to do whatever they want to do.
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 2:36 pm
I don't think they are sheltered. I used to think that. I think the girls have just as many choices as any other girls.
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 2:48 pm
They don't have the choice to watch TV or surf the net (unless it is supervised and for school as best I understand).
They all play only classical/religious music. I haven't heard any classical though, I think that's a stretch and in reference to the style, not actual classical pieces.
Their manner of dress was decided on by the parents, and of course they all now say that it's their choice. I doubt that 100%.
Their friends only come from other families with the same belief system. How sheltered is that? It's fine to be on TV and share your Christian values, but do they experience and accept others?
These 4 things alone make them very different (some might say weird), and not truly free willed.
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Nyheat
Member
08-09-2006
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 3:00 pm
I don't watch this show but have been following the discussion. Doing that much laundry would make me pray for death. I do a load every other weekend and it's like torture. So as long and the girls are not indentured servants, I guess I'm ok with the Duggars. They sound like nice people. Who need to stop reproducing. <runs out of thread>
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 3:20 pm
I am going to correct myself.
They are sheltered as children from media, I agree.
(I think that is a good thing too.)
I meant that the older girls are not and won't be sheltered once they are adults. Jana is now 21. They've been clear that the kids can have whatever college and careers that they want.
Also, they are out in the world a bit. They see things. They know about things. Their cousin Amy is around quite a bit and she wears pants. and dates. they aren't so sheltered that they are cut off from the world at all.
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Chieko
Member
11-20-2003
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 3:30 pm
"Their friends only come from other families with the same belief system. How sheltered is that? It's fine to be on TV and share your Christian values, but do they experience and accept others?"
Have you not met cousin Amy and her mother?
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 3:58 pm
I don't think JimBob's sister and her daughter really qualify as much exposure to others
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-03-2001
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 4:16 pm
I think it is an excellent idea to supervise TV watching and internet use for all kids!
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Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 4:59 pm
A couple of the girls work with the volunteer fire department. I don't imagine all the men volunteers are paragons of Christian virtue. When fighting a fire with those men the girls are probably exposed to a bit of salty language. The older kids don't live in a cocoon by any stretch of the imagination.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 5:12 pm
Yes, they seem happy and are very polite but they still are sheltered...maybe sheltered is the wrong word...what's it called when someone has all life choices taken away from them from literature, media, love interests, art, friendships, music...
There are a lot of financial gains from doing the show and I think that's great. But without the money I think simple things like feeding the family, getting new busses/filling the tanks, the health care costs of the premie Josie (even with good health ins the out of pocket expense are great). I would guess their lifestyle would be much different.
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Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 7:00 pm
As I understand it neither of the large buses they have bought have been new.
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Roxip
Member
01-29-2004
| Friday, November 11, 2011 - 8:08 pm
I wouldn't presume to judge how another parent raises their children, unless they are doing something morally wrong or reprehensible to them. The Duggars have chosen to raise their children as very sheltered from what they consider inappropriate influences...and doesn't every parent do that to a certain extent? It is just what a particular family decides IN THEIR ONW WAY what is appropriate...the Duggars are much more conservative than most but that is indeed their decision. The children have the opportunity to leave the confines of this lifestyle when they become adults. This is no different than a Muslim family who chooses to raise their children in the faith, an Amish family who chooses to raise their family in their belief system, etc. I doubt that if one of their children decides to live a different lifestyle in the future that they would be in danger of either being shunned or stoned to death.
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