# 18 Kids and Counting becomes 19 Kids and Counting **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 2, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576 "2009-09-02T00:30:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/21 "2009-09-02T18:19:57Z")
She should just get a zipper installed during her next c-section. Would make it a lot easier for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/22 "2009-09-02T18:23:18Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > My father-in-law had an uncle younger than he was, but it was unusual even back then. He got into trouble for making the claim to his teacher. > > Never heard of a great-nephew older than his great-uncle, but this family has what it takes to bring it off. > > Regards, > Shodan My mom has an uncle about 6 weeks older than her, which makes him a year younger than my aunt Pat. Grandma was the second-oldest of 9 who were spread out over about 20 years, and she got married when she was just barely 18–it wasn’t all that common even 60 years ago, but it was far from being so weird your teacher wouldn’t believe you when you told her about it. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/23 "2009-09-02T18:29:41Z")
There is NO. FUCKING. WAY. that you can convince me that any given kid out of NINETEEN gets all the love and attention he or she needs. If this sideshow is still in the news in another decade or two we’re going to be hearing about some very serious problems the kids are having. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/24 "2009-09-02T19:03:08Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Their reality show is a train wreck I can’t look away from. The married son is so unbelievably sheltered and immature, and the Dad is seriously quite stupid. I mean he just doesn’t “get” the simplest things, and then he guffaws as if to suggest that whoever is trying to explain it is the crazy one. > > Stiil, I have to say the kids are clean well mannered and responsible. I do wonder how all these folks who are home-schooled and never go to college will earn a living. Especially if they all intend have big families. > > Imagine, if they each had only five children, that’ll be 19kids +19spouses+95grandkids+Mom & Dad = 135 people at the family reunion. > > Yikes! Coming from French Catholic stock, I’d call that “a good start”. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/25 "2009-09-02T19:19:20Z")
**Cisco** said: > [@](#): > > There is NO. FUCKING. WAY. that you can convince me that any given kid out of NINETEEN gets all the love and attention he or she needs. That’s what siblings are for. And I don’t mean that facetiously. Standard practice is that older siblings do a lot of the minding of the younger sibs. Part of your duties are to look after the young snots. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/26 "2009-09-02T19:36:35Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > **Cisco** said: > That’s what siblings are for. > > And I don’t mean that facetiously. Standard practice is that older siblings do a lot of the minding of the younger sibs. Part of your duties are to look after the young snots. Fuck that. My wife and I have one. We’ve decided to stop at two because we don’t think we can spread our love, attention, and money fairly among 3. I’m not saying others can’t juggle 4, 5, or 6, but 19 is outrageous. It’s completely out of line in modern society. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/27 "2009-09-02T19:51:55Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I give them a lot fo credit for traveling with their kids and exposing them to other mindsets. This is not at all typical of “Quiverful” families. They also treat other ways of thinking very respectfully. They are briefly exposed to other types of people because of the tv show, and for the most part the kids really are very polite and well behaved. But I don’t kid myself about the possibilities for their future. If one of those kids announced he or she was gay, or didn’t believe in Christianity, or even if one of the girls just wanted to go to college and have a career of her own instead of being married off at 21 and raising another child army…you can bet Ma and Pa Duggar would not too open-minded about it. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/28 "2009-09-02T19:54:22Z")
Good God, I’d think that the Duggars would try to prevent their kids from even knowing that something called “college” exists. Imagine, college tuition for 19 children. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/29 "2009-09-02T19:58:41Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > The Duggars are part of the **QuiverFull** movement which means to produce as many children as humanly possible to raise up a Christian Army to displace the secular culture. I know that’s technically what they are but I haven’t them talk that way about themselves, or be particularly militant in that respect. I haven’t watched them religiously (heh) though. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/30 "2009-09-02T20:42:13Z")
> [@Iggins](#): > > I’m terrible - all I can imagine is golf pencils and mine shafts. I think someone else described it as throwing a hot dog down a hallway. I wonder what labor would be like now? Jeez, I’m thinking one good sneeze late in her pregnancy would do it. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/31 "2009-09-02T20:43:48Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I wonder what labor would be like now? Jeez, I’m thinking one good sneeze late in her pregnancy would do it. Considering that some women get incontinent due to far less than 19 vaginal labors, I’m wondering what one good sneeze will do when she’s not pregnant. Does the whole uterus come out, complete with fallopian tubes? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/32 "2009-09-02T21:02:58Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Considering that some women get incontinent due to far less than 19 vaginal labors, I’m wondering what one good sneeze will do when she’s not pregnant. Does the whole uterus come out, complete with fallopian tubes? I’m not sure about the fallopian tubes, but my mom-in-law had a problem similar to what you describe. (I don’t have details. I didn’t ask for details. I don’t want details!) She had to have a minor surgery to correct it. And she only had 3 kids. Someone on another message board I go to suggested that the new baby be named Juterus. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/33 "2009-09-02T21:08:25Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I think someone else described it as throwing a hot dog down a hallway. It’s like feeding a tic tac to a whale. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/34 "2009-09-02T21:12:46Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > It’s like feeding a tic tac to a whale. There’s your name for the kid: Jonah! ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/35 "2009-09-02T21:19:16Z")
My greatest hope is that this kid will be obviously biracial. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/36 "2009-09-02T21:19:38Z")
> [@SaharaTea](#): > > If one of those kids announced he or she was gay, Considering they will have 19 kids, those odds are looking pretty good! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/37 "2009-09-02T21:19:54Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I’m not sure about the fallopian tubes, but my mom-in-law had a problem similar to what you describe. (I don’t have details. I didn’t ask for details. I don’t want details!) She had to have a minor surgery to correct it. And she only had 3 kids. > > Someone on another message board I go to suggested that the new baby be named Juterus. We-ell…I thought I was just exaggerating. About the whole thing! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/38 "2009-09-02T21:23:47Z")
I find the comments about Michelle Duggar’s vagina really uncalled for. BTW, there is no proven link between vaginal births and urinary incontinence (or between breast feeding and degree of breast sagging, while we’re on the subject of myths about natural body functions). There is a big link between urinary incontinence and pregnancy. It’s the hormones, not the means of delivery. Their kids are loved and well-provided for. The whole family seems content and they all have beautiful manners. Obviously they are an unusual family with unusual beliefs, and yeah, that is a CRAZY amount of kids for one man and one woman to have. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/39 "2009-09-02T21:35:06Z")
There was a family with 28 children in the county where I grew up. It was a yours/mine/ours situation, though the mother, who seemed clearly deranged and almost retarded when interviewed, did indeed have about 20 kids biologically (and her husband had more from previous marriages). They were often on the news each year at Christmas time, but unlike the Duggers they lived in dire poverty- a small house covered in roofing material (fairly frequent in rural Alabama) and had to receive government aid and private charity to eat. There was actually a lot scorn for them after each human interest segment they did. The Duggers of course are well to do, but if I’m not mistaken most of their money comes from a combo of their church, gifts, and the TV show. She’s currently 42 so she’s likely got a few “breedin’ years” ahead of her. If they ever lose the financial support of their church and their TV show I wonder if they have enough saved to make it. (Honestly if you had an income well into the six figures I don’t think it’d be possible to send them to college without assistance.) One of the most touching eps of the show was when her 12, 10, 9, 8, 6, and 5 year olds made that [statue of her](http://www.photoseek.com/99TURC-03-26_Cybele_Ionian-Artemis_Roman-Diana.jpg)in ceramics. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576/40 "2009-09-02T21:42:29Z")
**Sampiro** - I don’t think they actually belong to a church. They have a prayer-meeting/service on Sundays in their house, with maybe one or two other families. I’ve heard them say they they make their living in rental properties. Although I’m sure TLC now provides them a good income. But before they were doing a regular series for TLC, it took them about 5 years to build their house, doing a lot of the labor themselves. They bought used restaurant equipment for the kitchen, that sort of thing. I know way too much about these people. StG [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/18-kids-and-counting-becomes-19-kids-and-counting/508576.md?page=3)