The Duggar Family

[chimo2u]

It's really disheartening to see how many superior attitudes there are regarding this families choices about how many kids to have, how they choose to raise them, etc.... Who are we to decide what is right for anyone? As long as we aren't responsible as citizens to raise their family, then we have no say as to what they choose to do. This family supports themselves and seem very happy and loving. They work as a team...the older ones are NOT slaves, they joyfully give of themselves and their time to the family to help it run smooth! I don't see the older girls begrudging their time spent helping their siblings/parents. They have such helping attitudes and many hands make light work. Michelle is a wonderful mother to ALL her children, she is blessed to have a family that is so close knit and who really enjoy being a team unit and helping one another. She does not go off and eat bon bons by herself leaving the raising of her kids all to the oldest. I only see team work and everyone chipping in as much as they can (according to age/ability) to help the whole family unit! I only wish I could get my 2 kid/family unit to work as efficiently, LOL!

One thing I do agree with is, perhaps it is smart to think about stopping having so many kids and enjoy the ones they have been blessed with....if only to ensure the health and safety of Michelle and any further problems should there be another pregnancy. This medical trauma that they have gone through with Josie has been very complicated and harder than I think any of them could have imagined. Any other family would probably have been brought to the verge of bankruptcy by a medical emergency this large....

I do wonder how they will cope with the medical bills that must have been incurred by such a long time in ICU! Perhaps because they are a reality TV family and so well known, the doctors/hospital will "donate" the time and services that they have used....I can only imagine it must be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars by now! I just watched the season premiere tonight and was happy to see them finally prepare to go home and start to live a normal happy life again. I look forward to seeing what this year has in store for this very interesting and inspiring family!

 

[marie1203]

I am just so surprise that the only thing that people care about is that the state isn't supporting them, what about what the kids need emotionally from his/her parents? There is just no way she can provide that to that many kids! We will see how they will end up in a couple of years. I am not sure about how the state isn't supporting them (if what said above was right) since he did serve in state senate they pay their health insurance so after all it is coming from the government.

 

[neatokimmo]

I've only watched a couple shows. I remember watching one show where it seemed they bought hundreds of canned goods. That made me cringe, canned stuff is so inferior to fresh or frozen.

Then I kept seeing disposable diapers everywhere.

Think how low their budget would have been with a garden and a few dozen cloth dipes? They have the manpower to do both.

 

[chimo2u]

I am just so surprise that the only thing that people care about is that the state isn't supporting them, what about what the kids need emotionally from his/her parents? There is just no way she can provide that to that many kids! We will see how they will end up in a couple of years. I am not sure about how the state isn't supporting them (if what said above was right) since he did serve in state senate they pay their health insurance so after all it is coming from the government.

I don't know if you where referring to my post or not, but I only meant to say that thankfully, a family that large is not relying on welfare or government assistance....the family is supporting themselves and if a perk of working as a senator is paid health insurance, then more power to them! As for your comment that they may be suffering emotionally, this is the type of thing I was referring to when I said too many people where being very quick to judge. I love the Duggar Family.... I watch the show often, and from what I see, there is more than enough love and emotional stability to go around in that family. If more families where as involved, connected and as loving a family unit as the Duggars, there would be a lot less unhappy and dysfunctional families in the world. I think that unless you are living in their household/shoes you don't have the right to say that the family is lacking in any thing, be it parenting skills, emotionally, financially, spiritually or whatever. They seem to be very happy and well-adjusted members of society, causing no one any trouble. They deserve to live in peace without judgement from naysayers or holier-than-thou attitudes.

 

[DawnM]

Wow. I am a public school teacher, so do I tell people I am taking money from the government?

Dawn

I am just so surprise that the only thing that people care about is that the state isn't supporting them, what about what the kids need emotionally from his/her parents? There is just no way she can provide that to that many kids! We will see how they will end up in a couple of years. I am not sure about how the state isn't supporting them (if what said above was right) since he did serve in state senate they pay their health insurance so after all it is coming from the government.

 

[DawnM]

Kate Gosslin gets about 25K per episode.....I wonder if the Duggars come anywhere close to that?

Dawn

 

[cookies]

TLC pays the Duggars alot of money to do the show. All vacations are paid by TLC, all promotional visits to the Today Show , and any other TV show are paid for by the networks. They have also published many books. The father does speeches at homeschool and other Christian conferences. He is paid for all of this. Believe me, the family is far from poor.
Now on the topic of having 19 children, good for them. They seem to be raising them right. Should she have more, I would say no. That's my opinion.

 

[DawnM]

I agree and when you look at the amount of time the Duggars spend with their kids, 24/7, you have to wonder why people are so critical. Many of the critical folks have their kids in school from 8-3 and many times either after school activities/sports or after school care for up to 6pm. Then it is bed at 8pm or 9pm......where is the quality time there??????

Dawn

I don't know if you where referring to my post or not, but I only meant to say that thankfully, a family that large is not relying on welfare or government assistance....the family is supporting themselves and if a perk of working as a senator is paid health insurance, then more power to them! As for your comment that they may be suffering emotionally, this is the type of thing I was referring to when I said too many people where being very quick to judge. I love the Duggar Family.... I watch the show often, and from what I see, there is more than enough love and emotional stability to go around in that family. If more families where as involved, connected and as loving a family unit as the Duggars, there would be a lot less unhappy and dysfunctional families in the world. I think that unless you are living in their household/shoes you don't have the right to say that the family is lacking in any thing, be it parenting skills, emotionally, financially, spiritually or whatever. They seem to be very happy and well-adjusted members of society, causing no one any trouble. They deserve to live in peace without judgement from naysayers or holier-than-thou attitudes.

 

[princessmom29]

Apart from salvation, there is perhaps a way that the concept "God helps those who help themselves" is correct. As an example, if you asked me to help you move a piece of furniture, but then just watched me as I moved the furniture for you, I was not actually helping you. I would be doing the work for you. Many Christians fall into the trap of inactivity. Many Christians ask God for help, but then expect God to do everything Himself. They excuse this by pointing to the fact that God will provide according to His will and in His timing. However, this is not a reason for inactivity. As a specific example, if you are in need of a job, ask the Lord to help you find a job - but then be active in actually looking for a job. While it is in His power to do so, it is highly unlikely that God will cause employers to come looking for you

I kind of like this link that you posted. Especially the last few sentences.

this is exactly what I meant. I thought most people knew it was not a direct quote from the Bible so i didn't think I needed to point that out. I think we as christians have no right to just sit on our duff and expect God to take care of everything. We have a responsibility ot do everything in our power to be good stewards of what we are given, and that includes our bodies and our children. I think mom Duggar is forgetting that by being so reckless with both. She is endangering her life and the life of any child she concieves by ignoring the fact that she is at a huge risk of uterine rupture, eclampsia, premature delivery, and death. She has had at least 4 c-sections on top of all the other complications. That is huge amount of scar tissue to stretch every time she has a baby. No way should she be having any more and I cannot believe that there is still a doctor willing to treat her. She is going to end up leaving 19+ kids without a mother, and possibly taking one of those kids with her if she doesn't stop soon. I cannot see God asking that of anyone.

 

[C.Ann]

It's really disheartening to see how many superior attitudes there are regarding this families choices about how many kids to have, how they choose to raise them, etc.... Who are we to decide what is right for anyone? As long as we aren't responsible as citizens to raise their family, then we have no say as to what they choose to do. This family supports themselves and seem very happy and loving. They work as a team...the older ones are NOT slaves, they joyfully give of themselves and their time to the family to help it run smooth! I don't see the older girls begrudging their time spent helping their siblings/parents. They have such helping attitudes and many hands make light work. Michelle is a wonderful mother to ALL her children, she is blessed to have a family that is so close knit and who really enjoy being a team unit and helping one another. She does not go off and eat bon bons by herself leaving the raising of her kids all to the oldest. I only see team work and everyone chipping in as much as they can (according to age/ability) to help the whole family unit! I only wish I could get my 2 kid/family unit to work as efficiently, LOL!

I just watched the season premiere tonight and was happy to see them finally prepare to go home and start to live a normal happy life again. I look forward to seeing what this year has in store for this very interesting and inspiring family!

I don't know if you where referring to my post or not, but I only meant to say that thankfully, a family that large is not relying on welfare or government assistance....the family is supporting themselves and if a perk of working as a senator is paid health insurance, then more power to them! As for your comment that they may be suffering emotionally, this is the type of thing I was referring to when I said too many people where being very quick to judge. I love the Duggar Family.... I watch the show often, and from what I see, there is more than enough love and emotional stability to go around in that family. If more families where as involved, connected and as loving a family unit as the Duggars, there would be a lot less unhappy and dysfunctional families in the world. I think that unless you are living in their household/shoes you don't have the right to say that the family is lacking in any thing, be it parenting skills, emotionally, financially, spiritually or whatever. They seem to be very happy and well-adjusted members of society, causing no one any trouble. They deserve to live in peace without judgement from naysayers or holier-than-thou attitudes.

I agree and when you look at the amount of time the Duggars spend with their kids, 24/7, you have to wonder why people are so critical. Many of the critical folks have their kids in school from 8-3 and many times either after school activities/sports or after school care for up to 6pm. Then it is bed at 8pm or 9pm......where is the quality time there??????Dawn

-------------------------------------------------------------

From reading many of the negative posts here, it seems that many of the posters are of a younger generation - not the older generation of very large families.. My late DH had 14 siblings.. My grandmother on my father's side gave birth to 21 children.. One of my former neighbors had 12 children - the last one being born in her late 40's (a perfectly healthy full term baby girl).. Older children have always helped with younger children - the Duggar's did not "invent" this concept.. LOL..

When I see what a loving, supportive, happy family the Duggar's are - with such respectful, well-behaved, loving, happy, children - who all exhibit such strong moral ideals - I can't help but wish there were more families like this.. These children have been doing charity work and missionary work (both here and abroad) for many, many years and enjoy it immensely.. The "help" they freely give extends far beyond their siblings..

To crucify a family for only doing "good" is mind boggling to me.. Much of what I have quoted above pretty much sums up my feelings about the whole matter..

Oh - and one other thing.. Can someone please supply a reliable link to the fact that Michelle was aware of a pre-existing medical condition prior to becoming pregnant with Josie that would cause the complications she endured? That's certainly news to me.. I'm not even certain her age was a factor in all of this.. If it was, why was the baby born prior to Josie healthy? How about the one before that? And if we're going to go down the road about women no longer having children after they have had pre-eclampsia and/or a preemie, shouldn't that apply to every woman - regardless of age?

Rather than criticizing, perhaps this newer generation could actually learn something from viewing a loving, happy, devoted family that doesn't suffer from the "dysfunctional family syndrome" we so often see posted here on the DIS..

Just something to think about..

 

[princessmom29]

I agree and when you look at the amount of time the Duggars spend with their kids, 24/7, you have to wonder why people are so critical. Many of the critical folks have their kids in school from 8-3 and many times either after school activities/sports or after school care for up to 6pm. Then it is bed at 8pm or 9pm......where is the quality time there??????

Dawn

But they don't really spend that kind of time with them. Mostly, the little ones are taken care of by the older ones. Mom may be the homeschool director, but she is NOT indivdually instructing all of them. She has said that the older ones often teach the younger ones. Just running a household that big takes up a tremendous amount of time and energy, easily as much as a 9-5. Those kids are not getting constant Mommy and Daddy time, but are being left with what amounts to childcare. It just happens to be thier older siblings doing it.

I have 1 DD6 and we get plenty of quality time, even though I work full time and she has 3 days a week of dance because I go out of my way to make sure it happens. You don't have to be with your child all day every day to be an active and involved parent, and I believe it benefits her to get out an experience some of the world outside of our home far more than it would to be shut up away from the world the way the Duggar children are.

 

[marie1203]

I don't know if you where referring to my post or not, but I only meant to say that thankfully, a family that large is not relying on welfare or government assistance....the family is supporting themselves and if a perk of working as a senator is paid health insurance, then more power to them! As for your comment that they may be suffering emotionally, this is the type of thing I was referring to when I said too many people where being very quick to judge. I love the Duggar Family.... I watch the show often, and from what I see, there is more than enough love and emotional stability to go around in that family. If more families where as involved, connected and as loving a family unit as the Duggars, there would be a lot less unhappy and dysfunctional families in the world. I think that unless you are living in their household/shoes you don't have the right to say that the family is lacking in any thing, be it parenting skills, emotionally, financially, spiritually or whatever. They seem to be very happy and well-adjusted members of society, causing no one any trouble. They deserve to live in peace without judgement from naysayers or holier-than-thou attitudes.

I was not referring to anyone. But I find it funny how people here take so many things out of context.

Wow. I am a public school teacher, so do I tell people I am taking money from the government?

Dawn

I don't see what you wanted by this post. I was being ironic if you read my whole post and how most people were just saying about they didn't mind unless their tax money isn't being use on them I was pointing out. And being a teacher you can't work 5 years and get health insurance for the rest of your live so really your are comparing apples to meat.

 

[Evi]

I can see this going nowhere very fast...

 

[aceys_h0ney]

I love how the people who admit they don't watch the shows are quick to judge and condemn the family.
1st thing I want to point out I think it is horrible how many of you are saying perhaps this latest child is a message from God to stop, again if you knew anything about her you would know this is not her first time having pre eclampsia, she has also had a few c-sections as well. I just think it's pure mean to say a sick child should be a message from God to stop what you are doing.
The older children do not raise the younger ones. They have a well working system in place that keeps their house hold functioning. If you take the time to watch the family you don't see child slaves you see a loving family with mom and dad present and always helping. They coach their children through everything you guys make it sound like the older kids raise the kids and Michelle is kicked back eating bon bons watching Maury. Their 18 year old sons are more handy then most grown men I know and they learn this from their parents. I was amazed as I watched them fix one of the rental houses, they are all taught life skills that most of America do not possess. My older kids do chores and help watch my 2 year old. Much like the Duggar household only on a much smaller level obviously. I can assure you they have a wonderful childhood and will be self sufficient when they are adults.

Also they took these big vacations long before a show was around long before pay checks from books, they have always always worked hard and done very well for themselves. They probably get more for the land the cell tower is on then for the TV show. I forgot where I read it but I read they make between 25-50k and that they do pay when they go out even if the show is being taped.

Look at their son that is married, in like a year he has expanded his used car business, bought his family a home and done very well for himself. I expect that all the Duggar children will do the same. They are all very giving and have taken many trips out of the US to help other countries, I am sure they use their money from TLC for it so good for them! Two of their older children just left on another mission trip by themselves, several of their sons are volunteer fire fighters and one saved a child's live in an accident. He credited his parents for his quick action and knowing how to handle the situation. Man they sure are horrible parents....

 

[disneymama83]

-------------------------------------------------------------

From reading many of the negative posts here, it seems that many of the posters are of a younger generation - not the older generation of very large families.. My late DH had 14 siblings.. My grandmother on my father's side gave birth to 21 children.. One of my former neighbors had 12 children - the last one being born in her late 40's (a perfectly healthy full term baby girl).. Older children have always helped with younger children - the Duggar's did not "invent" this concept.. LOL..

When I see what a loving, supportive, happy family the Duggar's are - with such respectful, well-behaved, loving, happy, children - who all exhibit such strong moral ideals - I can't help but wish there were more families like this.. These children have been doing charity work and missionary work (both here and abroad) for many, many years and enjoy it immensely.. The "help" they freely give extends far beyond their siblings..

To crucify a family for only doing "good" is mind boggling to me.. Much of what I have quoted above pretty much sums up my feelings about the whole matter..

Oh - and one other thing.. Can someone please supply a reliable link to the fact that Michelle was aware of a pre-existing medical condition prior to becoming pregnant with Josie that would cause the complications she endured? That's certainly news to me.. I'm not even certain her age was a factor in all of this.. If it was, why was the baby born prior to Josie healthy? How about the one before that? And if we're going to go down the road about women no longer having children after they have had pre-eclampsia and/or a preemie, shouldn't that apply to every woman - regardless of age?

Rather than criticizing, perhaps this newer generation could actually learn something from viewing a loving, happy, devoted family that doesn't suffer from the "dysfunctional family syndrome" we so often see posted here on the DIS..

Just something to think about..

 

[disneymama83]

I love how the people who admit they don't watch the shows are quick to judge and condemn the family.
1st thing I want to point out I think it is horrible how many of you are saying perhaps this latest child is a message from God to stop, again if you knew anything about her you would know this is not her first time having pre eclampsia, she has also had a few c-sections as well. I just think it's pure mean to say a sick child should be a message from God to stop what you are doing.
The older children do not raise the younger ones. They have a well working system in place that keeps their house hold functioning. If you take the time to watch the family you don't see child slaves you see a loving family with mom and dad present and always helping. They coach their children through everything you guys make it sound like the older kids raise the kids and Michelle is kicked back eating bon bons watching Maury. Their 18 year old sons are more handy then most grown men I know and they learn this from their parents. I was amazed as I watched them fix one of the rental houses, they are all taught life skills that most of America do not possess. My older kids do chores and help watch my 2 year old. Much like the Duggar household only on a much smaller level obviously. I can assure you they have a wonderful childhood and will be self sufficient when they are adults.

Also they took these big vacations long before a show was around long before pay checks from books, they have always always worked hard and done very well for themselves. They probably get more for the land the cell tower is on then for the TV show. I forgot where I read it but I read they make between 25-50k and that they do pay when they go out even if the show is being taped.

Look at their son that is married, in like a year he has expanded his used car business, bought his family a home and done very well for himself. I expect that all the Duggar children will do the same. They are all very giving and have taken many trips out of the US to help other countries, I am sure they use their money from TLC for it so good for them! Two of their older children just left on another mission trip by themselves, several of their sons are volunteer fire fighters and one saved a child's live in an accident. He credited his parents for his quick action and knowing how to handle the situation. Man they sure are horrible parents....

AMEN!! You hit the hammer right on the nail!

 

[Family Fun Mom]

It seems to me the Duggars are raising healthy, happy, quality individuals who have already contributed more to society in their short lives than your average American does in an entire lifetime.

How many kids they have is their business, and theirs alone.

 

[badblackpug]

For the record I don't think it is a message from God, or Allah, or Buddha, or whomever. I think the message is from her own body telling her that it may be time to wrap up the childbearing. The fact that she is not new to preclampsia is an even bigger warning sign. I'm not sure what kind of mother she will be on dialysis, and I know she can't be a mother if she dies. ...and with a medically fragile baby, and maybe more if she continues to carry them, she will have even less time for the many she already has.

Yes, the children are all taken care of physically, and no one relies on government assistance, but are the emotional needs of these children being satisfied? I can't imagine that one gets a lot of attention and nurturing with 18 other siblings to compete with. ...and, yes, they all seem happy and content, but is that because they just don't know anything different? Are these kids going to grow up and go out into the world and realize that they have missed out on a large chunk of their childhood? What will happen to them if and when they do?

...and on the subject of going out into the world.... I will ask again. Are these children getting higher education? Are they going to college? Are they even encouraged to? Are the girls being taught skills or given an education that will prepare them to do anything other than run a household?

I don't think anyone suggested that the mother sits on her butt and eats bon-bons while the children slave away, but from what I have seen, I, I personally, think that the older children are expected to carry too much of the responsibility for raising the younger ones.

Shoot, even Brangelina question having or adopting more children because they don't want to have a larger family than they can provide for emotionally, and they would never have to worry about being distracted by anything. They are rich enough that they would never have to work again or lift a finger to do any type of household chore! They could, literally, spend 24/7 with their children.

 

[JoShan1719]

Yes, I agree, I often wonder how she had 19 and never really had a difficult pregnancy, KWIM, until Josie. I remember them saying they lost their first though and they felt it was from being on BC, which is why they went to quiverfull living.

They had their first (Josh) and then she went on BC because they wanted to wait to have more. She ended up pregnant even though she was on the BC. She stopped taking it but miscarried. In doing research they found that the miscarriage could have been due to the BC and they felt guilty.

 

[DawnM]

Well, I disagree that they are shutting their kids up and hiding them away, I mean, they are on a TV show for one thing, and every episode has them out and about.

The older ones do help with the younger ones, but Michelle Duggar is certainly very involved.

If you look at any school classroom there are at least 19 kids in there and there is no way the teacher gives each child ind. attention. Usually there are more. And yet, teachers often feel very close to their classroom kids.

It is a different way of living is all.

Dawn

But they don't really spend that kind of time with them. Mostly, the little ones are taken care of by the older ones. Mom may be the homeschool director, but she is NOT indivdually instructing all of them. She has said that the older ones often teach the younger ones. Just running a household that big takes up a tremendous amount of time and energy, easily as much as a 9-5. Those kids are not getting constant Mommy and Daddy time, but are being left with what amounts to childcare. It just happens to be thier older siblings doing it.

I have 1 DD6 and we get plenty of quality time, even though I work full time and she has 3 days a week of dance because I go out of my way to make sure it happens. You don't have to be with your child all day every day to be an active and involved parent, and I believe it benefits her to get out an experience some of the world outside of our home far more than it would to be shut up away from the world the way the Duggar children are.