Duggars make 17!

[MaryAnnDVC]

Exactly! A lot of cynical and insecure people.

Yes I feel sorry for those kids too. Just look at them! They are happy, articulate, well loved, well fed, and even joyful. Don’t even get me started on the skills they have developed. When I think about the time and effort those children must put forth in order to actually play an instrument, I get so upset. Look at them - they are engaged in life and art rather than video games, and not one of them is obese!

Sorry, but this just isn’t American. It just isn’t right. Why do we put up with this? Especially that mother who only has a high school education and a real estate license thinking she ought to homeschool her kids! What does she know? Did you notice she feeds her children fresh fruits and vegetables, teaches them to pray and work with others in the spirit of cooperation? Whoa, rein in that Michelle Duggar quick! And let’s donate a big screen TV and a cable subscription, especially MTV - that’ll fix the problem.

All kidding aside, with that many children, how can she NOT delegate to the older siblings to help with the younger ones? My 6 year old's chore chart already has "help your sisters" as a category. He takes pride in it! His 4 year old sister wants me to put it on her chart, too! Heaven forbid they learn to help one another and Mommy!

These children do appear to get socialization - they have a large network of homeschooling families that they are around, and after all, who here doesn't try and "pick" the kind of kids your children play with? My sister homeschools her three kids and that is pretty much who they play with - other homeschooled kids! They are very well-adjusted, social, and respectful. Sure, you run into some families that are a little bit more "odd" than others or have different beliefs, but don't you try and steer your children away from kids and other families that do not have the same beliefs/values as you? If you don't, you probably aren't doing the job as you should. ("Sure, little Jimmy, go play at Timmy's house - I know his Mom does drugs and his older brother is there with his girlfriend, but that's ok, he's your friend, I am just your mother!")

I must say also, that with that many children in one family, they do socialize with eachother - it isn't that much of a stretch to think these kids could actually get along and play together during the day, like normal kids play with one another at school/sports/daycare. I know that sometimes the only kids my kids play with are eachother and there's only 3 of them - so the Duggar's kids are probably a lot more socialized than mine!

I'm not saying that I know this family, by any means, but neither do any of the people on this thread and WHEW, the criticisms - harsh, people, harsh!

Their family motto is "Children are a blessing, not a burden," and it sounds like a lot of the people on this thread could take that message to heart.

I find the Duggars completely fascinating! Their kids are educated (last I heard the oldest was going to try to go to law school, and the older girls were interested in becoming nurses or teachers), helpful, kind, responsible, self-sufficient and unselfish. I say that the more kids in this world that learn those things, the better!

Excellent!

 

[JennyMominRI]

. Eating a healthy meal, staying healthy, .

mmmmm tater tot casserole

 

[1rockinmamato2]

mmmmm tater tot casserole

And here's the recipe for that oh-so-healthy meal taken from their website:

TATER TOT CASSEROLE
2 lb ground turkey cooked, seasoned, drained
3 2lb bags tater tots
2 cans cream of mushroom
2 cans evaporated milk
2 cans cream of chicken
Brown meat & place in large cass. dish.
Cover with tater tots. Mix soup & milk together.
Pour over top. Bake at 350 for 1 Hour.
(One of Daddy’s Favorites!) Makes 2- 9”X13” pans

 

[MrsPete]

I remember one of the older boys saying he didn't want to date until he met the woman he wanted to marry... SERIOUSLY????

I don't have a problem with most of this family's values and philosophies -- in fact, in some ways I think their kids'll be better off as adults than many of the pampered kids today who don't know how to make a sandwich or wash a load of clothes. I don't have any desire to copy their lifestyle, but they seem to be happy.

HOWEVER, I don't think they're realistic about their older kids dating. I mean, the comment that I quoted above shows that the boy thinks he will "know" his future wife when he sees her. I dated several guys whom I thought were perfect . . . until I got to know them better! I don't think that's unusual. If all the kids approach marriage with this same philosophy -- I'll know her when I see her, no need to date and get to know her, we'll just get married 'cause it'll be right -- I strongly suspect that they're going to end up divorced.

These kids are so sheltered that they aren't aware of other lifestyles, and the likelihood is that they'll either end up with spouses with much broader world views, or they'll end up unmarried. I'd predict that a couple of the kids will find spouses from the few like-minded families with whom the Duggars associate, and part of them'll end up copying mom/dad's lifestyle, building homes on mom/dad's land, etc. I'd guess that the other half who don't will end up feeling like failures.

The boys'll be better off; they'll go out to work, and they'll encounter other people -- they'll be better able to make up their minds. But the girls who don't marry right away will be shuffled into dead-end "temporary" jobs, which'll be suited to their "unique" education and social knowledge, and they'll be unlikely to meet good marriage material there.

 

[Heidict]

mmmmm tater tot casserole

Yup, not the healthiest but not the only thing they eat. I'm sure if we looked over the menu's of everyone on this thread we could find alot of unhealthy food.

None of the children are overweight, they seem active and healthy. You don't get that way by playing video games all day, sitting on the couch eating bags of doritos and packages of cookies like a lot of kids today do. And if the worst they are eating is tator tot casserole then they are doing pretty good!!

 

[MrsPete]

And here's the recipe for that oh-so-healthy meal taken from their website:

TATER TOT CASSEROLE
2 lb ground turkey cooked, seasoned, drained
3 2lb bags tater tots
2 cans cream of mushroom
2 cans evaporated milk
2 cans cream of chicken
Brown meat & place in large cass. dish.
Cover with tater tots. Mix soup & milk together.
Pour over top. Bake at 350 for 1 Hour.
(One of Daddy’s Favorites!) Makes 2- 9”X13” pans

See, I don't have a problem with this -- it's no worse than the fast food that many kids eat every day. Sure, it could be better -- way better -- but it's probably average for an American kid.

 

[chobie]

Yup, not the healthiest but not the only thing they eat. I'm sure if we looked over the menu's of everyone on this thread we could find alot of unhealthy food.

None of the children are overweight, they seem active and healthy. You don't get that way by playing video games all day, sitting on the couch eating bags of doritos and packages of cookies like a lot of kids today do. And if the worst they are eating is tator tot casserole then they are doing pretty good!!

No, the worst is not exposing/encouraging the girls to pursue careers other than midwife or teacher.

 

[DznyLvr2005]

Everyone's entitled to their own opinions and here's mine...
These kids arent' allowed to do anything un-churchlike. When they "grow up" they aren't going to know what it is to live in the real world. They can't have a TV, and all they read is Bibles. The girls have to wear PLAY DRESSES!! And have you seen they wear dresses to bed as well. They have to sew their own clothes and the mom can't even raise them! She assignes her kids the job of raising the younger ones.
Of course they look happy, but when they grow up, they aren't going to know what to do with themselves.
What's gonna happen when the parents die? oh that's right, they don't raise their kids anyway, so the older one's will take over as parents like they are already!
Children are a blessing.. but so is birth control!

 

[JennyMominRI]

See, I don't have a problem with this -- it's no worse than the fast food that many kids eat every day. Sure, it could be better -- way better -- but it's probably average for an American kid.

It's nothing I would call healthy food though..I admit I make my kids unhealthy food sometimes and we eat junk food too. I would never call it healthy eating though.. I don't think the Duggar's ever claimed to be health food nuts though

 

[MrsPete]

More subtle criticism to the stay at home moms. If the girls ended up not going to college or pursuing microbiology or physics or engineering and instead decided to marry and have a family, would that be bad?

I think you're looking for insult that isn't there. This woman isn't representative of SAHMs in general.

Speaking only for myself, I'm a working mom, and I expect my daughters to go to college and earn degrees in profitable fields that'll allow them to support their future families if they ever need/want to do so. Once they have those degrees (and hopefully a little bit of work experience to make them more valuable), if they and their future husbands decide that it's best for them to be SAHMs, I'd be nothing but supportive of them.

Things I would discourage in regards to my daughters becoming SAHMs:
1) Having children before completing their educations; it's just so much easier to complete college before taking on additional responsibilities.
2) Having more children than they could personally support if circumstances ever arose.

 

[ducklite]

No, the worst is not exposing/encouraging the girls to pursue careers other than midwife or teacher.

I agree. Rather than encouraging the girls to persue careers that they have an aptitude for, or a true interest in, they are sending them down a narrow path that allows them no options and basically indentures them to whatever man is chosen for them to marry.

I'm watching to see what will happen ten years from now, and waiting for a train wreck when a couple of those kids rebel, leave the nest, write a tell-all book, sell the movie rights, and expose the other side to that family. And I'm sure that there 's another very carefully hidden side.

Anne

 

[MrsPete]

No, the worst is not exposing/encouraging the girls to pursue careers other than midwife or teacher.

Being a certified nurse-midwife is a pretty good job. I'd be happy if one of my girls pursued that field.

 

[wendy46001]

Children are a blessing.. but so is birth control!

Oh i'm so using this next time my mother asks about grandkids...

 

[MrsPete]

I agree. Rather than encouraging the girls to persue careers that they have an aptitude for, or a true interest in, they are sending them down a narrow path that allows them no options and basically indentures them to whatever man is chosen for them to marry.

I'm watching to see what will happen ten years from now, and waiting for a train wreck when a couple of those kids rebel, leave the nest, write a tell-all book, sell the movie rights, and expose the other side to that family. And I'm sure that there 's another very carefully hidden side.

Anne

The older sibling who cracks first and writes the tell-all book will be in high cotton! And the younger siblings'll be able to earn college money by starring in the made-for-Lifetime-TV movie.

Just joking, folks!

 

[chobie]

Being a certified nurse-midwife is a pretty good job. I'd be happy if one of my girls pursued that field.

The key word was OTHER. I would be happy if my DD chose that as well, or teacher for that matter as her father is one. However, these girls don't really have any OTHER choice.

Are you only going to expose your girls to two or three career choices?

 

[Heidict]

See, I don't have a problem with this -- it's no worse than the fast food that many kids eat every day. Sure, it could be better -- way better -- but it's probably average for an American kid.

Actually, I would say it's better then a BigMac and fries.

For the recipe that was posted, I put down that it made 16 servings and here are the nutrional values.
355 calories
18 grams of fat
15 carbs

Here is the nutrional breakdown on some fast food
Big Mac
540 calories
29 grams of fat
45 carbs

cheeseburger
300 calories
12 grams of fat
33 carbs

small fry
250 calories
13 grams of fat
30 carbs


Now, the tater tot breakdown may be a bit off. I used an online thing and pulled info from a couple of sources. But I think it's pretty accurate (at least I hope it is ).

So, it's not that bad. Have some veggies or a salad with it and it is a heck of alot better then what alot of people eat for dinner at night.

 

[Heidict]

No, the worst is not exposing/encouraging the girls to pursue careers other than midwife or teacher.

I never got that impression. Granted I haven't watched every one of their shows so I may have missed something, but did they (the parents) ever say that? Or was it just that a couple of the girls said they wanted to do that?

 

[ducklite]

These kids are so sheltered that they aren't aware of other lifestyles

I couldn't agree more with this statement. I can understand why parents homeschool, and feel that those who are literate and intelligent can do a great job--BUT--and it's a BIG BUT, kids also need to learn socialization skills, outside of the hyper-structured family unit.

Thsoe kids don't play little league, take dance lessons, play on a soccer team, participate in a drama group, join scouts, play on a basketball team, or do anything that exposes them to people from other walks of life, other cultures, and other mindsets.

Getting along with your siblings when you all share the same regimented point of view is easy enough. Getting along with people who have very different philospophies is much different, and is a crucial skill that's part of the maturing process.

I truly believe that the Duggars are doing thier children a terrible disservice by keeping them confined to a very narrow group of people for socializing with, and in all honesty not allowing them to develop the critical thinking skills that they will need later in life--because frankly every single decision is made for them, without their say in the matter.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

Being a certified nurse-midwife is a pretty good job. I'd be happy if one of my girls pursued that field.

I'm not sure that they are being encouraged to actually go to nursing school--that would require them to leave the family unit. You can't get a BSN by taking online courses. And as far as I know, a certified nurse-midwife needs a BSN to begin with.

I'm under the impression that the mid-wifery they are talking about is all about "on-the-job training," more of a doula than a mid-wife. I could be wrong.

Anne

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I don't think they have ever said that the girls should/could only be teachers or midwives. I think that it what a couple of the girls decided.

They have mentioned the kids going into their court reporting business. I believe the oldest son already is.

I do think their family is different and not something I would want, but they are doing what they think is best. They do dress differently, but even small families do that (I went to school with a couple of very religious girls. They weren't allowed to wear anything but modest clothing- only skirts).

I hope that each kid does get time alone with the parents and time that they don't have to take care of a sibling.

As for them not paying taxes, it might not be ethical, but it is allowed by law (some would consider tham smart for figuring out loopholes).

I do worry about the health of Michelle.