Josie Brooklyn Duggar

[dreamer03]

I have been saying this forever!!! Why is it not okay for the kids to watch TV, yet they are fine with using it to make money?! I guess they look at it as a way to get their message out to the masses, but it still seems very hypocritical to me.

I also have an issue with the appearances they do. They take their kids into Walmarts (and other places) and have them sign books just like the parents do. This seems like very risky behavior to me. There are so many kids that you cannot possibly watch them all. Being at a public venue anyone can show up, I would be afraid of child molesters showing up to see my kids. I know this is a long shot, but it is a reality for the twisted world we live in.

I say it is okay to have your opionion of the shows that air on TLC but this post was all about a poor little baby born 4 months early. Now I dont care how angry you are that the family has a TV show and they are "hypocritical", keep your mind on the fact that that sweet little girl will need much love and many prayers to make it. That is what this post is all about.

 

[peyjax]

TLC has become nothing more than a Carnival sideshow!! It is nothing more than the sideshows that used to travel with the "freaks" in the days of the big traveling carnival. Look at how people looked down their noses at the carnivals as exploiting those poor people and what does TLC do but the same thing, and NOW it is Ok 'cause it is on TV and not in a tent?

I refuse to watch any of those shows, the large families,the "little people", the multiple birth families, the grossly obese, the addicted, the hoarders, the list goes on and on. It is a very poor reflection on our society as a whole that this is what is considered entertainment now. What no bearded lady?

The Duggars are nothing more than hypocrites making money off of what they claim to abhor. If the really were against TV they wouldn't be making their money off of it.

While i don't agree with all of your comments. The bolded part is a big eye opener. I had not thought of it like that before. TLC annoys me a lot, however I do like Discovery health.
They do stories on people, but it seems less sensationlized.

 

[MNdisneymom]

TLC has become nothing more than a Carnival sideshow!! It is nothing more than the sideshows that used to travel with the "freaks" in the days of the big traveling carnival. Look at how people looked down their noses at the carnivals as exploiting those poor people and what does TLC do but the same thing, and NOW it is Ok 'cause it is on TV and not in a tent? ...
The Duggars are nothing more than hypocrites making money off of what they claim to abhor. If the really were against TV they wouldn't be making their money off of it.

About the TLC as freakshow idea...I respectfully disagree. For a good many of these shows, it shows how normal these families are. Like Table for 12--yes they have lots of kids, one with a disability, life goes on. The Little Couple--yes, they're small, but they're starting out in married life, contemplating a family, house purchase, etc...The Duggars, as much as a lot of people don't like them, just put everything out there and say "This is who we are." I think they're a little nutty, but whatever works for them, that's their business. (And they don't completely eschew television--during one episode they watched the premiere of 18 Kids at his sister's house. During another, when they were traveling on the bus, one of the kids showed how they watched videos on the computer. TV simply isn't a big focus in their daily lives.) Little People Big World--they fight, their house is a mess, etc. The big exception to the "normal" thing would be the Jon and Kate fiasco--but I think that has a lot to do with their conflicting personalities, and not much else.

I don't watch all of these shows, but can see why they are interesting--a glimpse into somebody else's life that is different than my own experience. And who cares if that person is short/tall/thin/fat/huge family/small family/whatever....Wouldn't it be boring if everyone were the same?

{I have to give a big shoutout to the best show on TLC, Cake Boss--my 6 year old son' and I love it--and no weirdos in sight, unless you count some of Buddy's cake sculptures...}

 

[PixiePlanner]

{I have to give a big shoutout to the best show on TLC, Cake Boss--my 6 year old son' and I love it--and no weirdos in sight, unless you count some of Buddy's cake sculptures...}

Never thought I would be so fascinated by cereal treats and modeling chocolate! LOVE Buddy!

DS was in the NICU for 16 days. Not a premie, he had two blood clots in his brain. He looked like a GIANT compared to the little ones. Anyway, those premies are amazing. I am sure Josie is getting the best care available.

 

[jacksmomma]

I say it is okay to have your opionion of the shows that air on TLC but this post was all about a poor little baby born 4 months early. Now I dont care how angry you are that the family has a TV show and they are "hypocritical", keep your mind on the fact that that sweet little girl will need much love and many prayers to make it. That is what this post is all about.

My sister was born at 30 weeks in 1992; I was 13. She weighed 3 pounds and was the smallest kid ever to be born at that particular hospital at that time. I know all about the ups and downs of the NICU. I know all about seeing your parents on pins and needles and seeing your sister having a machine keep her alive. I know all about sanitizing every surface before entering the room and I remember all to fondly the rush of heat that your body gets when you hear the apnea monitor beep because a little one is not breathing. I know that she will need a lot of love and support and I know that she will get it, for a time. It still does not change the fact that her parents think more about growing their flock than any one member of said flock. You have to know that if you post something about a such controversial family you will get differing opinions.

 

[mamo-4-wdw]

I hope that Michelle and the baby are doing well. I actually watch this show every week and am amazed at how well the children behave.

 

[MomtoAlexnWilliam]

I hope baby Josie is doing well. My heart goes out for her and the whole family.

My thoughts on the other discussions going on in this thread:
1. Growing up in a Christian home doesn't equal a bad experience. I was raised in a Christian home and have a Christian home now. We encourage many things -- love for others, modesty, respect, and doing your best at whatever you do. I am a lawyer and encourage my daughter and my son to shoot for the moon! If you can dream it, you can do it!
2. While having 19 kids is not for me, I do respect the fact that they Duggars have made that choice and have not relied on public assistance for the raising of that family. (Someone said they were actively trying for this baby and I don't believe that is true. Michelle thought she was going through the change and found out she was pregnant instead.) I respect them way more than I do those who can't afford kids and yet still keep having them and using my tax dollars to fund their raising. That is irresponsible to me.
3. Those children are well behaved and intelligent -- this has been seen first hand. The girls (and boys) can do way more than count out change at the grocery store. They are loved by their parents and love their parents. Both parents work with/for their children. The parents' roles may be very traditional but that does not mean it is wrong or abusive. The children are respectful of each other and others outside their family. They are not muzzled but encouraged to speak with others.
4. Yes, the older children do help the younger ones and help with chores. But to say that Michelle is not involved at all is silly. And while I don't think I would put that much responsibility on either of my children, I also would not let my kids run the streets and get into trouble or just be plain lazy and not responsible like so many of teens today.
5. The Duggars choose to be on tv and therefore to open up their lives to public scrutiny. There will always be people who are supportive and those who are critical of their choices.

Back to sweet Josie....may she grow fast and no lasting health problems!

 

[JUJU814]

I hope baby Josie is doing well. My heart goes out for her and the whole family.

My thoughts on the other discussions going on in this thread:
1. Growing up in a Christian home doesn't equal a bad experience. I was raised in a Christian home and have a Christian home now. We encourage many things -- love for others, modesty, respect, and doing your best at whatever you do. I am a lawyer and encourage my daughter and my son to shoot for the moon! If you can dream it, you can do it!
2. While having 19 kids is not for me, I do respect the fact that they Duggars have made that choice and have not relied on public assistance for the raising of that family. (Someone said they were actively trying for this baby and I don't believe that is true. Michelle thought she was going through the change and found out she was pregnant instead.) I respect them way more than I do those who can't afford kids and yet still keep having them and using my tax dollars to fund their raising. That is irresponsible to me.
3. Those children are well behaved and intelligent -- this has been seen first hand. The girls (and boys) can do way more than count out change at the grocery store. They are loved by their parents and love their parents. Both parents work with/for their children. The parents' roles may be very traditional but that does not mean it is wrong or abusive. The children are respectful of each other and others outside their family. They are not muzzled but encouraged to speak with others.
4. Yes, the older children do help the younger ones and help with chores. But to say that Michelle is not involved at all is silly. And while I don't think I would put that much responsibility on either of my children, I also would not let my kids run the streets and get into trouble or just be plain lazy and not responsible like so many of teens today.
5. The Duggars choose to be on tv and therefore to open up their lives to public scrutiny. There will always be people who are supportive and those who are critical of their choices.

Back to sweet Josie....may she grow fast and no lasting health problems!

Very well said!!!

 

[maddiesmom0116]

I hope baby Josie is doing well. My heart goes out for her and the whole family.

My thoughts on the other discussions going on in this thread:
1. Growing up in a Christian home doesn't equal a bad experience. I was raised in a Christian home and have a Christian home now. We encourage many things -- love for others, modesty, respect, and doing your best at whatever you do. I am a lawyer and encourage my daughter and my son to shoot for the moon! If you can dream it, you can do it!
2. While having 19 kids is not for me, I do respect the fact that they Duggars have made that choice and have not relied on public assistance for the raising of that family. (Someone said they were actively trying for this baby and I don't believe that is true. Michelle thought she was going through the change and found out she was pregnant instead.) I respect them way more than I do those who can't afford kids and yet still keep having them and using my tax dollars to fund their raising. That is irresponsible to me.
3. Those children are well behaved and intelligent -- this has been seen first hand. The girls (and boys) can do way more than count out change at the grocery store. They are loved by their parents and love their parents. Both parents work with/for their children. The parents' roles may be very traditional but that does not mean it is wrong or abusive. The children are respectful of each other and others outside their family. They are not muzzled but encouraged to speak with others.
4. Yes, the older children do help the younger ones and help with chores. But to say that Michelle is not involved at all is silly. And while I don't think I would put that much responsibility on either of my children, I also would not let my kids run the streets and get into trouble or just be plain lazy and not responsible like so many of teens today.
5. The Duggars choose to be on tv and therefore to open up their lives to public scrutiny. There will always be people who are supportive and those who are critical of their choices.

Back to sweet Josie....may she grow fast and no lasting health problems!

I agree! for baby Josie

 

[ZanyToes]

I hope baby Josie is doing well. My heart goes out for her and the whole family.

My thoughts on the other discussions going on in this thread:
1. Growing up in a Christian home doesn't equal a bad experience. I was raised in a Christian home and have a Christian home now. We encourage many things -- love for others, modesty, respect, and doing your best at whatever you do. I am a lawyer and encourage my daughter and my son to shoot for the moon! If you can dream it, you can do it!
2. While having 19 kids is not for me, I do respect the fact that they Duggars have made that choice and have not relied on public assistance for the raising of that family. (Someone said they were actively trying for this baby and I don't believe that is true. Michelle thought she was going through the change and found out she was pregnant instead.) I respect them way more than I do those who can't afford kids and yet still keep having them and using my tax dollars to fund their raising. That is irresponsible to me.
3. Those children are well behaved and intelligent -- this has been seen first hand. The girls (and boys) can do way more than count out change at the grocery store. They are loved by their parents and love their parents. Both parents work with/for their children. The parents' roles may be very traditional but that does not mean it is wrong or abusive. The children are respectful of each other and others outside their family. They are not muzzled but encouraged to speak with others.
4. Yes, the older children do help the younger ones and help with chores. But to say that Michelle is not involved at all is silly. And while I don't think I would put that much responsibility on either of my children, I also would not let my kids run the streets and get into trouble or just be plain lazy and not responsible like so many of teens today.
5. The Duggars choose to be on tv and therefore to open up their lives to public scrutiny. There will always be people who are supportive and those who are critical of their choices.

Back to sweet Josie....may she grow fast and no lasting health problems!

Thank you for wording that better than I could have.

I do need to add a #6 real quick

6. The fact that they are homeschooling the children does not mean they are getting a poor education.

 

[princessmom29]

Thank you for wording that better than I could have.

I do need to add a #6 real quick

6. The fact that they are homeschooling the children does not mean they are getting a poor education.

It is not the fact that they are homeschooling, but the program they chose to use and the way in which they modify it. Many, many homeschoolers get wonderful educations, and I know some who have parents who bring in college professors so that their kids far surpass most of their public school peers. These children are not getting an adequate education because they are using a method that teaches that scientific inquiry is currupting, and no real science is ever included. The program is also very weak in math as nothing beoynd basic algebra is ever addressed. There is no literature program to speak of outside of reading the Bible, because secular literature is corrupting. The program also teaches unquestioning acceptance of everything being taught. There is no room for discussion or critical thinking. You are taught the "right" thing to think and that is it. I know people who were taught under the Gottard program, and they basically had to go back to school with some kind of intensive tutoring for at least a year, most more, before they could succeed in a real college, aka not a bible college geared to graduates of these type programs.

I have comments for the rest of the list as well, but all I am going to say is this: You see it one way, and I see it completely differently, as I have lived it. If you have never lived in that kind of repressive environment, it often looks very attractive from the outside. The children are so well behaved, and look competely normal on the surface, but if you scratch the surface at all you find a child completely bound by fear and intimidation. They are taught to appear as if nothing is wrong so as not to arouse suspicion, I know we were. Believe me, these children exhibit many of the classic behaviors of children that come from a repressive religious background. I seldom watch the show anymore because it huts too much to watch these children. It is obvious to me what is going on with them, and there nothing I can do to fix it. It is too hard to sit and watch and know I can do nothing to help them get out.

 

[ma2jr]

I hope that Michelle and the baby are doing well. I actually watch this show every week and am amazed at how well the children behave.

I know, I don't know how they do it! Hardly any temper tantrums... ever.

 

[disfan07]

I have known a couple of families where the kids never had tantrums and were always well behaved.....
there was usually a reason for that....and not a good one
for some reason i would not be surprised if there is some type of fear that goes along with actign out at all in that family....

I'm just saying, from my experience, no matter how well you rasie your kid, without threats or fear of some kind, no child is that well behaved

 

[adoptionmomma4]

It is not the fact that they are homeschooling, but the program they chose to use and the way in which they modify it. Many, many homeschoolers get wonderful educations, and I know some who have parents who bring in college professors so that their kids far surpass most of their public school peers. These children are not getting an adequate education because they are using a method that teaches that scientific inquiry is currupting, and no real science is ever included. The program is also very weak in math as nothing beoynd basic algebra is ever addressed. There is no literature program to speak of outside of reading the Bible, because secular literature is corrupting. The program also teaches unquestioning acceptance of everything being taught. There is no room for discussion or critical thinking. You are taught the "right" thing to think and that is it. I know people who were taught under the Gottard program, and they basically had to go back to school with some kind of intensive tutoring for at least a year, most more, before they could succeed in a real college, aka not a bible college geared to graduates of these type programs.

I have comments for the rest of the list as well, but all I am going to say is this: You see it one way, and I see it completely differently, as I have lived it. If you have never lived in that kind of repressive environment, it often looks very attractive from the outside. The children are so well behaved, and look competely normal on the surface, but if you scratch the surface at all you find a child completely bound by fear and intimidation. They are taught to appear as if nothing is wrong so as not to arouse suspicion, I know we were. Believe me, these children exhibit many of the classic behaviors of children that come from a repressive religious background. I seldom watch the show anymore because it huts too much to watch these children. It is obvious to me what is going on with them, and there nothing I can do to fix it. It is too hard to sit and watch and know I can do nothing to help them get out.

Actually the Duggers use Switched on School House as their homeschool curriculum. I do not use this particular program for my children. However, I have researched it and know several families who use it. This is a very advanced curriculum that covers far more than bible and algebra. In fact by 12th grade the students are doing Pre-cal and physics and have many electives available to them. My kids use a different version of this program called Lifepacs for Language Arts. There is far more information in one year than I remember covering in all four years of high school English. Just because it is taught at home doesn’t mean they are getting less than public or private schools.

 

[jodifla]

I know, I don't know how they do it! Hardly any temper tantrums... ever.

Or that's the image the TV show gives. Let's face it, none of us know the truth about the Duggars children, and how they feel about being basically indentured servants. We only know what is shown on the TV series, and that's carefully controlled for $$$ sake.

And the general public IS paying for the Duggars. They aren't supporting those kids with regular jobs....they are doing it by being TV "celebrities."

 

[jodifla]

Actually the Duggers use Switched on School House as their homeschool curriculum. I do not use this particular program for my children. However, I have researched it and know several families who use it. This is a very advanced curriculum that covers far more than bible and algebra. In fact by 12th grade the students are doing Pre-cal and physics and have many electives available to them. My kids use a different version of this program called Lifepacs for Language Arts. There is far more information in one year than I remember covering in all four years of high school English. Just because it is taught at home doesn’t mean they are getting less than public or private schools.

Doesn't make it better though, necessarily either. And the Duggars do enough thought control that I sincerely DOUBT these kids are getting a decent education.

 

[pixie921]

And the general public IS paying for the Duggars. They aren't supporting those kids with regular jobs....they are doing it by being TV "celebrities."

Seriously? You're equating getting paid to do a TV show to receiving public assistance?

The Duggars were supporting their family LONG before TLC came along and started doing a few shows on them from time to time. They're not "Jon & Kate" -- the show doesn't supply them with an income or all kinds of free gifts and trips. They're not trying to parlay their fame into a whole new lifestyle like those two.

Both parents are licensed real estate agents, they own at least one business, if not more, are debt-free, and do NOT rely on anyone to take care of them but themselves (and God, of course). That's a far cry from public support.

 

[disneymom3]

.

And the general public IS paying for the Duggars. They aren't supporting those kids with regular jobs....they are doing it by being TV "celebrities."

I will go with that advertisers are supporting them by paying TLC for commercial time. So, if you don't want to support them, boycott the products that have advertising on their show. Private companies do NOT equate to the general public at ALL.

 

[princessmom29]

Actually the Duggers use Switched on School House as their homeschool curriculum. I do not use this particular program for my children. However, I have researched it and know several families who use it. This is a very advanced curriculum that covers far more than bible and algebra. In fact by 12th grade the students are doing Pre-cal and physics and have many electives available to them. My kids use a different version of this program called Lifepacs for Language Arts. There is far more information in one year than I remember covering in all four years of high school English. Just because it is taught at home doesn’t mean they are getting less than public or private schools.

The last time I heard Michelle speak about their curric. they we going to a Gottard conference. The oldest met his wife at one of these. You cannot gain admission unless you are using their method so at one point they were using it. They may have switched at sometime after, but the older children would have gotten the majority of their schooling under the method I am talking about, and it does not include pre-cal or physics. As I said before it is not a bout being taught at home versus being taught at school at all. It is about getting an adequate education wherever you are schooled and the Gottard method just doesn't do it. There is not even a basic biology course included, much less pre-cal or physics. This is not about homeschool versus classroom at all, but about the specific curric. used and its very severe defecits. BTW I went to public school and finished caluclus, a year of college chemistry, a year of college physics, a year of college level English, 2 years of college level history. I had enough credits leaving high school to enter college as a sophmore, from a public high school. Both types of schooling have merit and neither is right for every child, but every child should be given the opportunity at an adequate education. These kids did not get it under the Gottard method. I hope that you are correct and they have found a better method!

 

[princessmom29]

Seriously? You're equating getting paid to do a TV show to receiving public assistance?

The Duggars were supporting their family LONG before TLC came along and started doing a few shows on them from time to time. They're not "Jon & Kate" -- the show doesn't supply them with an income or all kinds of free gifts and trips. They're not trying to parlay their fame into a whole new lifestyle like those two.

Both parents are licensed real estate agents, they own at least one business, if not more, are debt-free, and do NOT rely on anyone to take care of them but themselves (and God, of course). That's a far cry from public support.

they had 15 children is a 1300 square foot house with 1 bathroom before TLC came along. They were BARELY scraping by, just barely. They could barely afford to feed and clothe those kids.