The thread on "How Much Debt Do You Have?" thread made me think of them... Yes, they have 16 biological children with two sets of twins.

They pay for everything with cash (including 7,000 square foot home and mini-bus vehicle) and do not have ANY debt. I think there is some money... The father ran for the Senate at some point. I think he is a dentist or a doctor???

If interested, you can read more about them on DiscoveryHealth.com or their family's website at: www.duggarfamily.com


I saw several Discovery Health shows on their family and I am amazed every time (by their debt-free living, not their lifestyle...)! Not my cup of tea at all. My tubes are tied after two.


Just amazing!

I don't get discovery health (at least I don't think so) but I saw a special on them when they went from their 3 bedroom rental home to their new home (that they built themselves from a kit). I personally think they are nuts (16 kids and they aren't done !!!) but you have to admire their no debt and love of family

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

By the end of the show, I think they had another baby -- making 17.

Sarah......mom to Jason & Devin

they to me seem VERY odd. 16 kids ? no way..The mom has some sort of bizarre way of talking..can't really put my finger on it. I say more power to them but it is certainly not my cup of tea.

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Live, Love, Laugh

I saw that show! I was wondering how rich they could be to build that gorgeous house..they are a bit odd though.

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" Even though life can be a very long, hard, stressful and never-ending journey, never lose hope in what you want the most."

it's not the fact that they have 16 kids that amazes me but the fact that they have 16 kids who all seem to like each other. How do they do that?

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I saw another show in which some of the kids' personalities came out and you could sense a little bit of 'friction' in the outtakes. A few of the girls seem like they could be a handful. They sure are cute kids!

They went on vacation to some sort of Pentecostal religious conference in an RV and had 5 or 6 carseats lined up in the seats with seatbelts. They ALL wore red so that they could find each other. Other families at the conference had huge families as well. I believe it was the same show where they moved into the BEAUTIFUL new home. They packed for weeks and the mom had everything so well organized that it *only* took them two hours to move! Wow. She homeschools them all and they start late in the day somehow... They seem well-educated as far as I can tell. They do not have a lot of the modern fashions in clothing or hair. I imagine that this keeps costs down enormously!

All very interesting to me at any rate!

Hey guys. I live in NW Arkansas, in a town over from where they (the Duggars) live. Discovery makes them out to be paupers, in the fact that they (Discovery) donated the playground equipment, etc., and highlighted that this family buys all of their clothing from a resale shop/thrift store. These people are wealthy. A few years ago the man ran for state senate (and lost) and it was reported in the papers here that he spent $100,000 of his own money towards the campaign! He is a "real estate investor" as he claims (don't know what else he might have a trade in though).

Their new house is on 17 acres or something like that in Springdale, Arkansas. To be able to purchase that kind of land up here--they are loaded. Land in Northwest Arkansas is pricey (say $50,000-$100,000 and up for a lot--much less acreage when you can actually find it.). Northwest Arkansas is not like other areas in Arkansas--this is the land of the rich basically and everything up here is catered to the elite. (Um exclude my family from that ha ha as we are not rich.). It's even pricier than Little Rock.

They have their kids at the clinic & hospital that I go to; my ultrasound tech (I just had our 4th baby) is the lady in the videos with them. She delivered a lot of their babies. They are very "well known" in this area, and they are rumored to be really nice people. I've seen them out but I don't know them personally. I think she's nuts to keep having that many kids too, especially since they have friends coming in all through the week just to help them keep the laundry, cleaning, etc. up. Plus each of their older kids has a "buddy" apparently and is somewhat responsible for this younger sibling. But then again I totally believe that if they can afford all of these kids, want them, and are good to them & can take care of them, then they have the right and if it makes them happy they should go for it.

I was told by someone that works at a very popular local restaurant that my family and I frequent that the Duggar family comes in on 'kids eat free nights' and they take up the entire restaurant! I didn't think to ask if the place really lets all of those kids eat for free or not! I really wonder how she stays sane though. I couldn't do it.

That's it!!! Real estate broker. I knew I had seen it somewhere! I KNEW there was wealth. It is very obvious.

I'd go insane but I feel as you do and if they can handle it and want it, then they are *the* right people for this!

I feel for the older kids. I think (no flames please) that it is wrong to make it the responsibility of an older child to help raise a younger sibling. Babysitting, helping them, playing, etc...all well and good but when an older sibling becomes the sub mom because mom is too busy....it's time to stop having kids. I have a friend who was a "buddy" to her younger sister and now she will never have kids. Her claim is that she already raised one and she's done

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I agree. And furthermore, does anyone think this is actually wrong? Are these parents doing a disservice to these kids? I mean, can they really be parents and nuture and provide guidance when they have 16 children? Aren't the majority of the kids going to fall through the cracks? Don't children need direct, quality time with their parents on a regular basis to have a chance of growing up without having issues as an adult? I don't have a opinion on this yet, I am just throwing these questions out wondering what others think. I mean, what is the point of having that many children if you aren't running a farm? Is it just because you can?

Looking forward to hearing opinions.

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Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

All the cool babies are wearing cloth!

I saw them and thought of my sil who has 6 and wants 10. I do think they are alittle nuts. My sil home schools, just don't knpw how you can do that with a baby. Plus school gives them a brake from each other!

I was thinking the same thing. It's great that they don't have any debt and can afford all their kids, but when the kids have to spend more time doing house work and taking care of the younger ones then they spend doing anything else because it's to much for the parents to do, it's time to stop having more.
It's one thing for the older kids to help out with the younger ones, but to spend their day playing Mom or Dad to the younger ones isn't right.

I just checked out their website. Their 13 year old daughter fixes lunch and their 14 year old daughter fixes dinner!

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Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

All the cool babies are wearing cloth!

It does seem amazing how well they get along and how well behaved they are. Also, the Mom was soooo calm and organized, plus she home schooled. She must have an amazing amount of patience, and energy!
It has been awhile since I have seen the show, but, if I remember correctly, they sort of left the door open for having more kids.

Ok.

Today is Friday. I haven't showered since yesterday morning, I have dried cherrios in my hair, spaghetti sauce on my shirt, 4 loads of laundry calling my name, a husband who just made his own dinner at 9pm, and a baby who keeps waking up every 20 mins and yelling "MAAAAAAAAAAAA MAAAAAAAAA."

I am ready to check myself in to a looney bin, just so I can rest. I haven't worn make-up since I went on vacation in March!!

And I have TWO Kids. One Two.

17??? I would be certifiable at 3. 17?? As Tony Soprano says- Fuggediaboutit.

tessa, I do think it is wrong to do this. My DH and I made a conscience decision to only have two children (please no flames!)... one to replace each of us when we pass away. Yes, with all of my amazement with their ability to live debt-free (even though I know that it is related in part to their wealth), I disagree with what they are doing. But, as I said in another post, I'd sure rather see them doing it then a set of parents who are drug-addicted and/or absentee or deadbeat in any other way.

I also do not agree that the oldest children have such heavy responsibilities... one of them in charge of helping mom with daily laundry, the meal prep as mentioned above, and so on. Someone on one of the shows voiced concern that the children do not have a social life outside of the family... sorry, but I don't remember their reply but that *should* concern the parents.

I think kids need to do some chores, but not have do everything like these kids have to!
Every lunch or every dinner is way too much!
I feel sorry for the kids!

I saw an article on the Dilley sextuplets and it said those kids do the housework and cooking.

CiCi, they seemed very (Beaver) Cleaver like.

I too, wore my baby, kid stains, went make up less (I still go make up less most days and my kids are in school), etc. I wore my baby/kid stains as a badge of honor...like a medal! We're the reality! After watching that show in amazement, I felt like a flunky with my 3 kids and being on the go all the time. I can't imagine having 17 how this woman is able to keep up(even with the older kids pitching in). Do these kids play sports? I guess if they did, now that they have some older children that they take the little ones around to their activities.

I guess I would have to disagree that it is wrong or harmful for the olders to care for the youngers in the way that they do.

My husband is one of 14, and they each had a buddy. They were a farm family, and got up to move irrigation at 5:30 so they could get back to the house, cleaned up, and have breakfast before the school bus came.

Each of them has a sense of responsibility, a work ethic, and an awareness of the needs of others that so many today - both kids and adults - don't seem to have.

His sisters look back and do wish they had had more alone time with their mother. At the same time, they are all very close, and if you asked them which sibling they'd forfeit so they could have gotten that, they'd be hard pressed to name anyone they wish they didn't have in the family.

Almost half of them have spent a significant amount of time (years) working in third world countries. The others are very good, solid, hard-working, selfless people who make a positive difference in the world.

I guess I would say their family "culture" was different than that of most people. His parents had focus in a way many parents don't. Their duty, in their eyes, was to spend 18 years training them to be solid, capable, resourceful adults. They didn't have a lot of "stuff" and did far more work at age six than I probably did at age eleven... but if I'm being honest about myself, I have to admit that I envy DH's ability to find satisfaction in a job completed, and his sense of duty. I credit the responsibilities placed upon him from the age he was first able to assume them for all those good things about him.

Why was I under the impression that Mr. Duggar had a car dealership?

I thought it was fascinating that they mostly built their house themselves.

I also was a bit relieved to see that they shopped at Aldi and bought chips and other junk food. I was really going to have to hate her if she had an organic garden and canned all their food. lol

Even though they all seem to get along I do feel sorry for the older kids. I think there are 2 big bedrooms for the children. One for the girls and one for the boys. Don't older children deserve their own space? How many teenagers would want to share their rooms with a bunch of other much younger children. These children also seem to be very sheltered. What is going to happen to them when they go our into the real world. Are they going to be prepared? They do have to leave home sometime.

I do think they seem to be sheltered from a lot of the bad things that happen in the world (sex, drugs, and rock and roll type stuff...). I don't think this makes them unprepared, per se, because I imagine that there are things they will be prepared for that many - if not most - kids today are not prepared for. I'll bet they can balance checkbooks, make grocery lists, avoid credit card balances, and a million other necessary life skills that your average 18 year old kid who has been cruising Main and worrying about their highlights growing out will master until she's 39.

I'd think that statistics would show that at least one or two of them is likely to rebel at some point. But overall, I'd bet that there will be less drug /alcohol abuse, unplanned teen pregnancies, and shoplifting issues from their 16 than most families today are able to accomplish.

Having so many doesn't remotely appeal to me. I don't have the organizational skills to pull it off! But... I know they aren't our cultural norm, but that doesn't mean their techniques won't effectively create responsible, happy adults. It's far from perfect, no matter how they showcase it on Discovery, because no doubt there are some emotional needs that aren't being met, etc... but that's life. It's true in every family in regards to *some* issue.

I was gonna add that on top of homeschooling the kids, she also sews a lot of the girls' dresses from what I hear (this is how they all have matching outfits). I grew up on a farm where we all shared the work and chores. I was ahead of most of my peers maturity wise as at age 7 I could wash clothes, cook meals for 6 of us from scratch (only 3 kids though--my grandfather lived w/us too), and I could sew very early too (as a teen I made some of my own clothes as we were not rich), etc. We grew a huge garden every year that was the size of a field, and then another 'small' one by our house that was double the size of most home lots today. I totally feel like I am a better person today for having lived like that. I am very domesticated and I also have two college degrees and have worked for Fortune 500 companies, etc. (I am a SAHM now). I feel more successful because I learned responsibility early on. I truly wish that I could move back to the country and raise my kids the way I grew up. We were never bored, didn't get into any sort of trouble in school or with police, never did drugs or even smoked, etc., like a lot of kids do now. While we had chores to do at home, we were never denied the opportunity to be with friends or any other activities; we were a normal family, we just lived by the ethic that you worked before you played. A lot of my friends/kids I grew up with were raised the same way on a farm and they feel the same about wishing they could raise their kids the same way/go back. Living in the city or even the suburbs is very different.

Can't speak for the Duggars of course, but I'd bet that they, as a family, are closer and spend more quality time together than most families do today. I don't know how in the world the woman does all of what she does daily, but I guess if she has people coming in weekly helping and teenage kids that are disciplined enough to actually help run the house, it's probably not that bad. I know I am well organized and 4 is all I can physically handle (by this I mean actually give quality time to each child and still get all of the other necessary housework, homework, running kids to after school activities, etc. accomplished. I'm 35 and I want to drop from exhaustion with just 4.). I wanted to also add that last year Parents magazine had an article on the Duggars. The mom, Michelle, stated that (not quoting word for word) 'the way they live is normal, having so many children and all, that most everyone in Arkansas lives this way, etc.'. Um, no we don't. I think that set us back a lot as a state, ha ha. We had almost gotten over the no shoes, country bumpkin stereotype too. I actually heard a lot of people in this area talking about that comment she made in the magazine. It actually offended many here that she said that. It does not portray our area correctly at all; most here have the normal 2-4 kids.

I do love watching whenever they do a new special. I guess whatever we think about them, they are very fascinating people to be able to pull off having such a huge family this day and age. They are in the paper here often and they do also want more children. Sorry to ramble on.

They are fascinating to me too. Their parenting, the amount of children they have, just their whole lifestyle.

I only have one child, and cannot imagine homeschooling (I admit it - I am not patient enough) and honestly cannot imagine having more than one child.

The thought of having 16 (or it is 17 now - right??) kids makes my ovaries hurt!!

NAH! Don't think that!!! I live in Arizona and it's far from what people perceive... ie cowboys and miners. Well, maybe it is that! LOL.


I do enjoy the ongoing saga. Not that I wish for that at all, it just really seems unfathomable to me and I am a very organized person. It just takes the right people with the right combo of personality and money and ??? in order to make this work.

The thought of having 16 (or it is 17 now - right??) kids makes my ovaries hurt!![/quote]

I can think of other areas that would hurt too! I just hated being pregnant, sick all the time, nerve damage to my leg and it would go numb...not a happy woman. Plus the doctor visits and I am not too good with peeing in the cup.

Has anyone done the math? The woman has been pregnant for 12 years!!! 12 TWELVE!

TWELVE! LOL I have 3 boys! I LOVE them to death, but 13 more? Only 9.75 more years to go.

Kelly