So about that family that has 18 children…
…To me this is absolutely absurd! That is wayyyy too many children. I am also guessing that the only reason this family is able to survive is that they have a t.v. show, what if this never happened for them? Would they have continued to have children? Most likely, as they are a very religious group and I’m assuming don’t really believe in birth control.
It’s great that they aren’t in a bad financial position, but it is crazy that they continue to have children, children require a lot of individual attention from the parents, and in a family so large, it seems there would be little to none…
I have no idea, I just feel like 18 is far too many children to have… :dubious:
Since I heard about the crazy octomom, I see the Duggars in a whole new light.
Yes, the Duggars are eccentric. I don’t relate to their desire to have THAT many kids and think it would have done the world more good if they had taken in a bunch of adopted or foster children instead of giving birth to so many.
I think some of their beliefs are odd (like the fact they expect their kids to not even kiss the opposite sex until they’re married - I can understand no premarital sex, but no kissing is a little extreme!).
In spite of all that, though, they seem like nice, good-intentioned people who aren’t expecting others to take care of their kids (unlike the octomom). I’m sure they live better with the money from their TV shows/books than they would otherwise, but my understanding is that they make money from some real estate, the oldest kid works at a car dealership, etc. so it appears that they are willing to be self-sufficient and don’t want to be parasites on society. For that reason alone, I like them a lot more than the octomom.
The kids seem (though I acknowledge TV editing may make appearances deceptive) very nice, polite, and well-behaved, so I can’t really complain about their parenting methods. I wouldn’t do it myself, but somehow it works for them. I saw some episodes featuring the oldest kid, the son who is now married, and he seems like a fairly well-adjusted nice young man who even has a sense of humor about how he was raised. Those episodes also showed that the family accepts a female cousin who has different views about life than they do, so it appears that they aren’t hostile to those who follow a different way of life.
There are many families with fewer kids who do a worse job at raising them than the Duggars seem to be doing. Unless the rest of the kids come out with a horrifying tell-all book that shows a totally different side of the family, I have no issue with the Duggars.
Out of curiosity, have the Duggars ever said why all 18 kids have names starting with a J? Is the father (Jim Bob, but goes by Bob) an egomaniac, or is it so they can all wear hand me down monograms, or a speech impediment or what exactly?
That’s not exactly true, since each new infant is assigned to an older child for the older child to raise. I know that’s not how it’s worded, but that’s pretty much what happens. That way, Michele can go on to the next gestational period.
100-200 years ago, 18 children born wouldn’t be all that unusual (although having all of them survive to adulthood would be). The children were expected to help around the farm, help with the running of the house. In fact, when my schoolteacher grandmother (who ended up having 11 living children) had children numbers 6 & 7 (twins) she gave one to my mother and one to her sister and told them these were theirs to care for. My uncles never felt unloved by their mother, or abandoned.
The Duggar children seem happy and loved, well-spoken and fit, and although I might not agreed with everything they agree with (Creationist Museum trip), if they want lots of children they can support, it’s none of my damn business.
Did anyone see the latest episodes of the Duggar show on TLC? They featured the dad and 11 of the oldest kids going to El Salvador to participate in a Christian ministry program for the poor.
There were two things about the trip which really struck me. First, the Duggars get a lot of criticism for sheltering their kids from the outside world, but on this particular trip they saw conditions which most people in the United States never see at all. The kids seemed very affected by it.
On the other hand, they visited orphanages and families with huge amounts of kids living in squalid conditions. Seemed ironic that a family famous for its belief in not using birth control was trying to help people who would have benefitted greatly from it.
I watched an episode starring the “lovely” Duggar family, and well…
It seemed to me the kids are used to turn profit, as I watched two girls spend ALL day making dresses for their little roadside store…
I also noticed how rude the Ms. Duggar is to Mr. Duggar… She is straight up terrible… I have never seen a woman talk to her husband so disrespectfully! And as mentioned the children are assigned to other children, because mom has “oh so much to do” delegating…
I understand 18 children wasnt a lot 2 centuries ago, but it is now.
Also the oldest is probably so well adjusted because he was old enough to get out before there were SO MANY children.
Artificial insemination is tricky, and I think that there is no way they thought they were going to have 6 children in one go, its just how it happened!
Another set of twins wouldn’t be so bad was probably their thought, 4 children? that’s resonable… even 8 in comparison to 18…
My dad’s parents did the same thing. I think they just thought it was cute. It confuses the hell out of Mr. Neville, since it means my uncles’ names are so similar it’s hard for him to remember who’s who.
Be kind to your future children- and grandchildren-in-law- don’t give all your kids names with the same first initial, or make them all rhyme, or anything “cute” like that.
My wife watches this show all the time and hisses me down when I try to snark on it. I don’t know why she likes it. I guess because she loves babies. I think those people are nuts.
Like CallMeKate, I’ve also picked up on what a doormat the husband is. Poor slob always looks like he’s trying telepathically cry out “save me” to the camera. He’s probably going to go out for milk one night and never come back.
Are you talking about the Duggars or the Jon & Kate family? Because I’ve never noticed Ma Duggar being disrespectful to JimBob. Jon and Kate, on the other hand, seem to actively despise one another.
It’s a bit strange to realize how quickly this has changed. Screw two centuries ago, in my mother’s generation families of 10 or more weren’t uncommon at all, at least not in her community (as compared to her brothers and sisters, none of whom had more than 3 kids). Family sizes have come down a lot just in the last 50 years.
I recall hearing about someone in the area winning the lottery, and having to deal with all the aunts and uncles coming out of the woodwork–11 on one side, 18 on the other. Poor sop.
The Duggars are the uber-Christians with all age ranges in their house. Jon and Kate have the dad who looks like he wants someone to kill him, and only young kids, but the sextuplets are being dressed and treated like they’re younger because babies/young toddlers = cute = ratings, and not so much for older kids.
I’ve gotta step in and point out again that **CallMeKate **obviously has families confused.
Mrs. Duggar has never been anything but angelically kind, patient, and adoring to all of her family members on her show. The Duggars don’t have a store that sells handmade clothing.
Since she ~LOVES!~ Jon and Kate (surely Kate is the rudest wife ever?), she may have seen another show about a giant family–there are three or four others featuring families with 10-14 kids. She was most definitely not talking about the Duggars.