The Duggars family TV show premieres this Sat.

[Caleb's Mom]

I guess I was less concerned for the Duggar children when I watched their show on Sat. than I was for the 13 year old daughter on Wife Swap last night who didn't even know her own area code or how to use a telephone!!!

 

[monsterkitty]

Laugh... not for me it isn't... I buy all my meat there ... and usually paper products... not that I can't find them cheaper anywhere - it's just easier to have a stock pile of paper towels and toilet paper..

Then of course... books... and cereal ... and dog biscuits ... and CANNED VEGETABLES

LOL, me too! In fact, I'm happy to get our of the place for under $300! I do spend a lot on the tater tots and frozen veggies (not a can fan of anything but corn). Oh, and don't forget the frozen burritos. (I like the low fat brand they have there)

I would also like to change the name of Target to the $100 store because I can't seem to get out of that place without forking out at least $100.

 

[pamlet]

I would also like to change the name of Target to the $100 store because I can't seem to get out of that place without forking out at least $100.

That made me laugh... a few years ago I went to Japan on business... a the exchange rate was about 100 yen to 1.20 us dollars... they had a 100 yen store... too funny....

They didn't have any canned veggies or frozen burrito's tho.. I did get lots of nifty japanese candy tho' to take back to my son's class.. and I was going to buy a giant box of disposable chopsticks... but didn't have room in my suitcase...

As for Target... yep... 100 bucks is EASY to do! Especially if you're buying food at a super Target... they are PRICEY... I usually buy canned soup there tho' because their Campbell's is less than our local grocer.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

I guess I was less concerned for the Duggar children when I watched their show on Sat. than I was for the 13 year old daughter on Wife Swap last night who didn't even know her own area code or how to use a telephone!!!

I KNOW~~

That was like a train wreck I couldn't stop watching!

I also agree about Target...I go in for maxipads and papertowels and come out one less Benjamin!

 

[beckmrk04]

I watched the new show last night and I have to admit, as much as I wanted to think they were kooks, they have some amazingly well spoken, well behaved kids. I know if my dad told me that all my free time was going to be devoted to doing "jurisdictions" and mentoring my little bros and sisters...i would have NOT been happy!

They are very amazing

I was the same way. I thought- they have to be odd. BUT, after watching the show, I was amazed at how well the children behaved and interacted and pitched in!!

Maybe their lifestyle isn't for everyone, and having 16 kids certainly isn't, but they seem to be such a loving family, and they are supporting their children. Their kids will have life skills that many children/adults today don't even have.

I ended up being totally in awe of their family, and ashamed of myself for being so quick to judge.

 

[Virgo10]

Sorry, I haven't had time to read all 21 pages of this thread. I just saw the show (love that TIVO!) and I don't know how to feel. Well I do but I'll let this article speak for me.

16 kids

While I don't agree with everything in it, for the most part it had me doing this

 

[mickeyfan2]

Sorry, I haven't had time to read all 21 pages of this thread. I just saw the show (love that TIVO!) and I don't know how to feel. Well I do but I'll let this article speak for me.

16 kids

While I don't agree with everything in it, for the most part it had me doing this

Great article. I loved this quote "If God wanted you to have a massive pile of children, she'd have given your uterus a hydraulic pump and a revolving door. Stop it now."



BTW they are not supporting themselve, Maytag, Pepperage Farms, Cambells and the list goes on are supporting them, so in reality YOU are supporting them. They claim they take no Charity, what they mean is they take no State or Federal Welfare dollars. There are many forms of Charity.

 

[barkley]

Great article. I loved this quote "If God wanted you to have a massive pile of children, she'd have given your uterus a hydraulic pump and a revolving door. Stop it now."



BTW they are not supporting themselve, Maytag, Pepperage Farms, Cambells and the list goes on are supporting them, so in reality YOU are supporting them. They claim they take no Charity, what they mean is they take no State or Federal Welfare dollars. There are many forms of Charity.

i know he's run for office before (state level i believe) and plans to again-it would be interesting to see what his financial disclosure documents look like (given that the original documentary talked of his "self financed" campaign). when they mentioned all the businesses he owned in the original documentary i tended to wonder just what type of assetts they had.

 

[3princesses4us]

Great article. I loved this quote "If God wanted you to have a massive pile of children, she'd have given your uterus a hydraulic pump and a revolving door. Stop it now."

I remember hearing Dennis Miller say a year or two ago about this family "For goodness sake lady it's a ******, not a clown car." I almost wet myself laughing...

Okay I learned something new today~ you can't say the "v" word on here. How about uterus?

 

[graygables]

Sorry, I haven't had time to read all 21 pages of this thread. I just saw the show (love that TIVO!) and I don't know how to feel. Well I do but I'll let this article speak for me.

16 kids

While I don't agree with everything in it, for the most part it had me doing this

I consider myself part of the "Christian right" and I was and :yes: at most of that!

People still haven't gotten it through that for those kids to be *that* well behaved (on camera), they are also disciplined, which for folks like the Duggar's means hitting/spanking. I'm not saying they beat their kids, but they have manipulated their spirits and suppressed them until they are broken. Not a good thing.

 

[In a hurry]

You don't have to supress and beat a child for him to behave. Most of the larger families I know are very organized, relatively well-behaved and reasonably content. And in 44 years I've only known a couple to "go wild!" I wonder what the statistics are for smaller families.

 

[pamlet]

People still haven't gotten it through that for those kids to be *that* well behaved (on camera), they are also disciplined, which for folks like the Duggar's means hitting/spanking. I'm not saying they beat their kids, but they have manipulated their spirits and suppressed them until they are broken. Not a good thing.

Talk about a leap or two there? You've seen these kids a total of two hours on television and they have manipulated and suppressed these kids until they are broken?

 

[J/T Gramdma]

I haven't read all the pages but I have known friends from a large family. These children are raising children. Just the fact that when they went to the hospital they left 14 children to be supervised by a 16 yr old.with no other adult. I have aproblem with leaving all the children home alone. The 2 oldest girls do all the cooking with only a little supervision in the kitchen. These children are old before their time. Where is their childhood? They are being trained out of it. JMO
P.S, I think that the Dad ran out of money to finish the house and use the show to get free furnishings for the house. You can bet that the TV show donated the furnishing in exchange for doing the show.

 

[punkin]

Since these people prostituted themselves on national TV, they invited general commentary on their parenting methods. So here are my comments:
I do think that the stepford children are being neglected by their parents and forced to take on adult roles too early in their lives. They are also probably malnourished and under-educated. Their mother is not really capable of teaching anything more advanced than grade school material because she has been a baby making machine since her teens and is patently ignorant (see perpendicular/vertical/parallel discussion above).

The whole lot of them freaks me out.

 

[Steamboat Marti]

LOL, me too! In fact, I'm happy to get our of the place for under $300! I do spend a lot on the tater tots and frozen veggies (not a can fan of anything but corn). Oh, and don't forget the frozen burritos. (I like the low fat brand they have there)

I would also like to change the name of Target to the $100 store because I can't seem to get out of that place without forking out at least $100.

We no longer take a cart in Target because every time we do - we spend too much money!!! If we can't carry it - we don't need it!

 

[aprilgail2]

I KNOW~~

I also agree about Target...I go in for maxipads !

Well Mrs Duggar probably doesn't spend much money on these as she is pregnant more than she is not!!!

 

[disneymom3]

April--okay that was funny!!

I have to say that though I didn't watch the show it doesn't sound ALL that odd to me. Hey, when I was 6 weeks old, my parents went to Vegas for 4 days and left me with my 14 year sis in charge. (Had a 12, 10 and 5 yo sis at home too.) There was another sis around 18 but she worked two jobs so she wasn't around much. I love my sister dearly, but also had plenty of time with my parents and loved my mom with my whole heart. My older sibs did take care of us younger ones a lot but they were not assigned to all parenting jobs as it sounds like these kids might be.

I also highly restrict my kids viewing habits and what they read. There is a heck of a lot of garbage out there that IMO shouldn't be considered child friendly. They are never on the internet unless I am in the room. My 9 yo often reads to her 4 yo brother while I do math and phonics with her other brother. She also plays math games with the older one. I don't think she is doing their lessons with them but what I am getting here is that the Duggars are taking these things to extreme.

I am sad to say I also know what TaterTot casserole is. Never even heard of it til I came here for college. But to truly be a Minnesotan you have to call that TaterTot HOTDISH!!

 

[mannasn]

Okay, I'm glad I'm not the only one who found the whole thing sort of ... weird.

I mean, each kid has their own drill? Okay... ?

 

[beckmrk04]

I guess it just seemed more old fashioned to me than downright creepy, like others are suggesting. My great-grandma was one of 7 children, and they all quit school in the 8th grade- IF they made it that far, and they all did chores (NOTHING wrong with kids doing chores and helping take care of siblings, IMO)... So yeah- they're outdated. But who cares. Their kids aren't in jail or pregnant.

And the perpindicular thing- um, the stud was perpindicular to the ground, was it not?

And so what if they are taking crap from Maytag- I would too if I could get it. It's not like my taxes are supporting them- they aren't on welfare. They work and make do with awful clothes and bad haircuts, but, MAYBE there is more to life than great clothes and beautiful hair. Many people have both and still have made messes of their lives. And I don't know anything about their religious practices, and frankly, I couldn't care less. I just think they seemed like decent people. And to the people whohave commented about how unhealthy their food choices are- PUHLEASE. I'm glad no one is policing my pantry. Jeez. I saw them eating trays of fresh fruits, and they had some frozen burritos- BIG DEAL. They're cheap, and kinda tasty...

And their kids seem FINE. I don't think they were beaten into submission to behave on camera. I really don't. Honestly- with the "no attention" thing? I bet they wish they had no attention. Privacy, perhaps, would be nice.

I'm just not sure why everyone wants to hate them. Heck, even I wanted to. I just found it hard. I guess it's because they are so different and so out of the mainstream. I don't know... I don't want to run out and pop out 16 babies, and I certainly wouldn't want their lifestyle, but why is it SOO awful for some people to take in?

 

[Mom21]

I mean, each kid has their own drill? Okay... ?

My 9yo dd would be in heaven if Daddy would let her have her own drill. She has had her own tool box for years, with real tools, not toys. She loves going to the shed and building things. She has built a dog house (a rather large one) for her stuffed dogs, a stable for her horses, and a doll bed for her dolls, plus many other things. I guess if that makes us weird then you wouldn't want to hear what she just got her for birthday. Even I thought it was weird.