The Duggars family TV show premieres this Sat.

[chobie]

Some do it because they have to.

Others do it because they want to go to Disney world.

Why you do it is irrelevant as they are no different than the average family.

Pouncing on their parenting skills for it---just looking for an easy way to attack the family IMHO.

Do we eat this way? Heck no. Would I? Heck no.

But there are people out their regardless of family size, regardless of reason who see nothing wrong with eating this way.

Who's to say they didn't eat this way when it was just the two of them?

Heck--some of my church potlucks.....man some of the stuff people bring I am left wondering when did the heck they think to mix these items together and think it was palatable let alone taste good.

My point is that we have no way of knowing if this eating lifestyle is this way b/c of the family size or just b/c they like it and economics is just a side benefit.

While my hubby's family doesn't do the tater tot casserole bit--their food is much to be desired....but aside from cost--they just think it tastes good. Many of their meals are monochromatic. BLEK!!!

One does not need to be a familiy of this size to eat crappy food--and picking on them for it is nothing more than grade school antics.

And FTR--the Duggar food choices are gross...but to attack their parenting and perceived "irresponsible" way of life for it....it is just mob mentality trying to stretch for another difference which isn't really all that different from most.

Your right, in the grand scheme of things their deplorable diet is not in itself reason to condmenn them as being irresponsible. However, combined with the cloisturing of the children, the unduly burdensome chores heaped upon them, the unsupervised and lack of safety devices while having children using power tools and the overall focus on fecundity as some kind of admirable quality does paint a picture of a creepy, irresponsible family.

There's no stretching needed to reach that conclusion.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I live in an area where many have large families. The difference here is that the kids got to school outside the home and the Grandparents and unmarried adult siblings help out with the younger ones. This way the kids are kids not adults at the age of 5.

 

[Steamboat Marti]

While I tend to vote along the creepy lines, I have one thought: whether you agree or disagree is ok: she's 39 and married at 17. They've been married 22 years, to the same person! That has to be somewhat impressive by today's average.

 

[graygables]

Your right, in the grand scheme of things their deplorable diet is not in itself reason to condmenn them as being irresponsible. However, combined with the cloisturing of the children, the unduly burdensome chores heaped upon them, the unsupervised and lack of safety devices while having children using power tools and the overall focus on fecundity as some kind of admirable quality does paint a picture of a creepy, irresponsible family.

There's no stretching needed to reach that conclusion.

WELL SAID!!!

Also, someone mentioned how you can make assumptions that they have problems based on a short TV show...my question would be, how can you make assumptions that they do NOT have problems based on a short TV show. (reiterate here that I am very conservative, Christian, and a homeschooler in case anyone needs a reminder of where I'm coming from): People like that hit their kids. It's in the Bible, they do it. Do we ever see them disciplined? Nope, but with that many kids, you can be sure they are at some point. And, I'm the one who mentioned the sadness in the eyes. If you look carefully, you will see that the older children *ALL* have that look...the look of being trapped and being a puppet and helplessness...even the oldest, who, I believe, is 18 now.

 

[aprilgail2]

While I tend to vote along the creepy lines, I have one thought: whether you agree or disagree is ok: she's 39 and married at 17. They've been married 22 years, to the same person! That has to be somewhat impressive by today's average.

I would bet my life that even if she was miserable in her marraige she would stay married and keep having babies anyway because their religion would not believe in divorce!
I think by now she may be able to deliver those babies in her sleep...they would just pop out unnoticed at night and when she woke up there would be a baby born...can't be much pushing needed by the 16th kid!!!

 

[ducklite]

I would bet my life that even if she was miserable in her marraige she would stay married and keep having babies anyway because their religion would not believe in divorce!
I think by now she may be able to deliver those babies in her sleep...they would just pop out unnoticed at night and when she woke up there would be a baby born...can't be much pushing needed by the 16th kid!!!

Anne

 

[taeja71]

Any way, I want that 3 minute dish washing machine!

 

[tevagirl]

I would bet my life that even if she was miserable in her marraige she would stay married and keep having babies anyway because their religion would not believe in divorce!
I think by now she may be able to deliver those babies in her sleep...they would just pop out unnoticed at night and when she woke up there would be a baby born...can't be much pushing needed by the 16th kid!!!

I have to cross my legs when I sneeze and I only had 3 children.

 

[A4Disney]

One other thought, who in the family is in charge of the baby not going down the two story slide? [/QUOTE]


And that stupid rope ladder in the boys bedroom was really bright to have with many toddlers running around!

 

[hentob]

And that stupid rope ladder in the boys bedroom was really bright to have with many toddlers running around!

And it was placed right by a top bunk, if I remember correctly. Imagine rolling out of bed in your sleep and getting your neck caught in that thing

Beds and rope...Not a good combination

 

[barkley]

what anoyed me was the emphasis the prior show took with their cash-only and "self-sustaining" lifestyle (prior show realy emphasized how they've never had to rely on charity or public assistance). in this show the dad touts how they bought all the industrial kitchen stuff at auction for 11k ("new it's worth over 100K"), and mom smiling sez "buy used and save the difference", but with the product placement (and ALL the "thank-you's" and company credits at the end of the show) you know that the bulk of the stuff was donated in exchange for advertising (all those washer/dryers got advertising credit at the end, the furniture companies, the decorator, the wall decorators-including mom's "good friend").

to me this is deceptive and hypocritical-publicly promoting that they are able to provide this type of a home for their kids "cash only"-but reliant on volunteer labor, donated furniture, appliances, bedding...and given the overwhealming number of food products by the same parent companies i suspect the food for the pantry was donated as well.

on a lighter note-i found it interesting that they installed a "soda bar" in the one kitchen yet on neither documentary did they ever show them purchase or consume much beyond water or tea (always thought it interesting their shopping trips never showed any milk purchased for the kids-when they did their home meals and "picnics" at the worksite it was jugs of powdered drink mix)-i wonder if "jim bob" had tried to swing an endorsement from a soda company to support this but it fell through? seems like soda would be the least expensive way to go (financialy and health wise) for that many kids.

i also noticed at the end of the show (actualy caught the end a second time when it re-ran later that night)-while the boys were wearing regular pj's from a store (albiet not with any "characters" on them) the girls went to bed in what appeared to be either their regular clothing or clothing identical to their day wear (they went to bed in jumpers with shirts underneath). don't know if this was a production error, or maybe since the girls might have to get up in the middle of the night to start another load of clothes or start breakfast, they just figure it's a time managment tool (i would assume their beliefs restrict what their father and brother's can observe them clothed in as well).

i still find the family dynamics odd, but i think we will continue to see documentaries on them (esp. since they produced this one according to the credits), and since they are so eager for grandkids-i imagine we will start seeing the compound grow (unless they plan on converting that "goodbye room" into a bridal suite ).

 

[crazyforgoofy]

And that stupid rope ladder in the boys bedroom was really bright to have with many toddlers running around![/QUOTE]

And it was placed right by a top bunk, if I remember correctly. Imagine rolling out of bed in your sleep and getting your neck caught in that thing

Beds and rope...Not a good combination [/QUOTE]

That's what I wondered too. Was that designer on crack?

 

[hentob]

While I tend to vote along the creepy lines, I have one thought: whether you agree or disagree is ok: she's 39 and married at 17. They've been married 22 years, to the same person! That has to be somewhat impressive by today's average.

Nah--Not that impressive Jim Bob is TERRIFIED of the child support payments

All kidding aside, they seem to be happy together. Why shouldn't they? They have none of the stress of taking care of their children (afterall, Jim Bob is Michele's "buddy") and she laughs at all of of his jokes like a good wife. He is fed and cleaned up after and he is the Master of the House.

Their website is creepy, but a WEALTH of information

 

[ducklite]

barkley,

When they were in ALDI's they showed them putting canned milk in the cart. But I agree, I didn't see the three or four gallons a day of fresh milk they should have been going through. I was one of seven kids, and we went though minimum a gallon a day--that was minimum--usually it was closer to two.

Anne

 

[hentob]

what anoyed me was the emphasis the prior show took with their cash-only and "self-sustaining" lifestyle .

Yet they did not own the home that they lived in for many years. Did that surprise anyone else? They kept calling it "The Rental".

They have been quoted as saying "Owe no man nothing, but your love...." or something Biblical like that. Well, they owed someone a rental payment each month, right

 

[ducklite]

Yet they did not own the home that they lived in for many years. Did that surprise anyone else? They kept calling it "The Rental".

They have been quoted as saying "Owe no man nothing, but your love...." or something Biblical like that. Well, they owed someone a rental payment each month, right

My guess is that they had to do this show and get all the donations (product placements) to afford to build the new place. Even with the kids supplying the labor, it wasn't cheap to put up.

Anne

 

[Steamboat Marti]

Nah--Not that impressive Jim Bob is TERRIFIED of the child support payments

All kidding aside, they seem to be happy together. Why shouldn't they? They have none of the stress of taking care of their children (afterall, Jim Bob is Michele's "buddy") and she laughs at all of of his jokes like a good wife. He is fed and cleaned up after and he is the Master of the House.

Their website is creepy, but a WEALTH of information

That's exactly what I was thinking: They can't get divorced - who could afford the child support!

 

[mickeyfan2]

Unless I miss them, it seemed they had no window treatments. I know they are 6 miles from town, but how o you dress in the morning without siblings in the yard looking in? The kids did not have a closet but two bathrooms, did they go downstairs, get clothes and then go upstairs to bathe? I believe I saw a closet in the romance bedroom. Was that for Jim Bob? What I hate is that the rules apply to the kids and Michelle, but not to Jim Bob.

 

[chobie]

Nah--Not that impressive Jim Bob is TERRIFIED of the child support payments

All kidding aside, they seem to be happy together. Why shouldn't they? They have none of the stress of taking care of their children (afterall, Jim Bob is Michele's "buddy") and she laughs at all of of his jokes like a good wife. He is fed and cleaned up after and he is the Master of the House.

Their website is creepy, but a WEALTH of information [/QUOT]

I have to admit --some of the recipes on their website looked pretty good.

 

[ducklite]

All the kids clothing was kept in a single large "community" closet.

One thing that skeeved me was that they had them on a schedule so each kid only got a bath or shower every two or three days. Nothing for nothing, but can you imagine being a teenager and not being allowed to bathe daily?

Anne