Ok I have watched all their tv specials and know that soon I believe she Michelle is due with # 18 on January 1st 2009, what do you think of this family, here are my personal views, I feel they have way too many children and they use their older kids to help with the smaller ones, now I am one for helping and doing chores nothing wrong with that, however have you seen the way they live they all have the kids their first names all start with a J, all the girls only wear home made clothing long skirts long tops so skin showing, they do not cut their hair its all long and braided, the boys all look the same as well. They are all home schooled and deeply reglious and only socialize with people or familied of the same kind. So here is my thoughts will any of these children ever have a unique individual personality life of their own, is it fair that they do so much work around the house, having to help their mom with all these babies, do they not want to wear other clothes watch tv and the parents Michelle and Jimbob have said they will not stop at having kids, I swear one single women was not made to give birth to so many children and so fast in between. Also Jimbob has never told anyone how he supports all those kids their food bills is outragous, ok there I vented feel better is it just me plmk and share your views or thoughts, final note I am one for a big happy healthy family but this family is gone to far. Peace Catherine

Um, actually, yes, her husband is very open about what he does for a living. I can't recall what it is - real estate? an auto dealership? - but he has a successful business and was also a state representative, so he's had a political career, as well.

I am married to a man from a very large family. There are fewer of them than there are Duggars, but not by very many! I can tell you that they had an upbringing very, very similar to what you see with the Duggars, sans homeschooling. Their mother made sure they all had music lessons and they are all very musical to this day (they range in age from 34 - 60). They actually had it harder than the Duggars do in that they had to get up and do two hours of farm work before the school bus came at 7:00 AM. The olders each had a younger for whom they were responsible. That essentially meant that they were responsible for making sure that child was dressed and ready to go to church, etc..

What I can tell you is that while they aren't perfect, they have a stronger work ethic than literally any other family I know. I really admire parents who make sure that their children know all about work - hard work - and I think we've become a socieity that wants our kids to have *fun* and *pleasure* and then we expect them to exhibit mature behaviors and solid decision-making when they leave the nest. I don't think we're doing our kids any great service when we do that.

I'd never, ever, ever have that many myself and don't share their religious beliefs about childbearing, but I think they are well within their rights to have as many kids as they think they should. The government isn't paying for them, so it's not my business.

Ilovelucy
I have seen this topic beaten to death on this site are you sure you want to go there with this ?

If so, Prepare yourself for a battle lol.

Here is a link to the last thread here at The Cafe about the Duggars:
Duggar Number 18!

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We went to a party last night given by one of my son's classmates as they all prepare to head off to college. The family giving the party has 7 children and one of the other families has 7 with one on the way. One of the families is wealthy, one is not (but still able to provide for their family). I can't even imagine doubling or nearly tripling that! While it would not work for me, I have to say that these families (with the 7 &8) are absolutely beautiful and offer their children an environment that is very loving and positive. Everyone pitches in to make sure the little ones are cared for, but the parents were also very involved...

As long as these familes are able to take care of their own both financially and emotionally, I am good with it. There's a lot more crazy baby making and irresponsible parenting out there for me to worry about.

cj/

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someone was talking about this the other day at the grocery store. wonder just how much their relief ck was. lol

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If they can afford it I see nothing whatsoever wrong with it.I'm sure living in a huge family has its disadvantages but I bet it has a lot of advnatages too.
You are never lonely and there is ALWAYS someone to play with.

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every year this is brought up geesh :-(

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I could never do it- i have 4 and sometimes that is more than I can handle. But that's me. I love the system they have for the older children helping with the younger ones. They will grow to be responsible, hard-working people. If any family should have that many kids, it's them. I think they are very organized and that is how it works for them. A friend of mine has 6 and her brother is expecting their14th! I think to each his own.

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Reminds me of that old movie.. Yours, Mine and Ours. OP you should know that movie.. Lucy played in it

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How dare they?
How dare they make love and have kids?
How dare they name their kids what they want and all the names begin with J.
How dare they sew and make clothes, they even built their own home.
How dare they keep the children sparkling clean and the house clean?
How dare they practice religion and music?
How dare they pay cash for everything they buy?
How dare they all have the same parents?
How dare they take family trips and associate with other families that are just like them!
They are all paid for their appearances on the show and there is a law concerning puttting the money away for children so each of them have money in their own right.
HOW DARE YOU!

I think if they can afford to have the kids and pay for everything and not use any state assistance as in the form of food stamps, WIC, day care assistance, state medical assistance, free lunch programs, etc. then I think they should be able to have all the kids they want as long as they are able to support them. I do believe they are able to support them all, they homeschool from what I understand and do not use any type of public assistance, there is nothing wrong with homeschooling. I saw a tv show on them once about the building of their home and how all the older boys were helping, apparantly the dad has a good job and does support them all. Their lifestyle would not be "my cup of tea" but then again neither would many other lifestyle choices, all of us are different. I have 3 girls and that was enough for me.

The people I have problems with are the ones that have large families, but use all kinds of public assistance but that's a whole other thread.

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That'd be because she has a baby every year...! lol

i think the topic only gets brought up when Ma Duggar is pregnant again
definately not a life for me, but we do live in America. As long as my tax dollars are not funding them, its really non of my beeswax

Toonces -- hysterical!!!!!

icansavedaily -- well said.

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"We must love them both--those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in the finding of it."
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Selfish wack-jobs

Whatever rocks your boat!!!

WELL SAID!! Sweep your own doorstep OP before you sweep those of others!

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Awesome post!!!! I would rather see this family than a single mom with two kids with two different dads who is living on welfare!! Not bashing welfare moms just pointing out that the Duggars take care of themselves so more power to them!!! My friends have 9 and they are the nicest, most loving people I know. (She's had 9 miscarriages too!)

Its thier life. As long as im not paying for them i don't care if she has 18 more. I have 4 kids and i think that is more then enough i can't imagine having any more.

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I think over all they are fine family, the only thing that i dont understand is making the older kids watch the younger ones. I was brought up with you decided to have kids they are yours to look after. And they even said in one of their specials that when the first 4 i think were small that michelle was very overwhelemed. I figured that is b/c she actually had to raise the first 4 and then after that she was able to give the next baby to one of the kids to deal with. but other then that to each its own and if they are happy and not hurting anybody then they can have as many babies as they want. however she does seem alittle stunned when you hear her talk....lol. I figure she is just numb...lol

steph

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From a person who has a baby a year for the past three years (and made the decision to be done!) all I can say is more power to her - I know my body and I know if I asked it to continue bareing children (and so close together) that it would give up.

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Wow some very angry posts and to caddy lisa yes the movie about yours mind and ours with lucille ball and henry fonda she was the nurse and then they dated and moved in and got married and had one more together who i was doing again was speaking my thoughts on the subject why does so many of your ladies have to jump down my throat can i not have my own views on the suject, just because I do not pay for it , i can still have a voice sheesh you ladies need to take a chill pill and relax, ok next your going to tell me the texas story with all those kids who live and all have the same father and the man marry and father girls as young as 13 and the men have numerous wifes is ok also, if you really look at it what is the difference between them and the duggars they all look the same with the hair and clothes and religion I am sorry but its not normal for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! simple view of my own got it!!!!!!!!!! there my vent Wow I guess i have to ask permission to decide whaT i feel I want to discuss, the site is called the tc talk among yourself I cannot do that cause it seems everyone except for a few totally jumped all over me, Is this not America where we can voice freedom of speech and please do not tell me I asked for it, I can start a subject anytime just like you ladies can. Catherine

Your post is really hard to read,. It would be easier if you ended a sentence and started another one.

Anywho, I don't care how many children she has, better her than me. My body still has not recovered after two children and that was 20 years ago

I agree there are some angry posts, but you need to expect that. After all everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Enough said.

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OH PLEASE---learn some basic writing skills! Punctuation rules and paragraph formation would be a good start.

Jim Bob Duggar was a state representative for a while, and engages in real estate investment. The area of Northwest Arkansas that they live in is exploding with growth--real estate business is booming. So, that answers the issue of what he does for a living.

The Duggars are members of a group called Quiverful. Yes, it is a religious based belief. And you'll have to look it up if you want more info....I've forgotten most everything about it.

Personally? I don't agree with the Duggars or the believers who follow the Quiverful way. But, in the grand scheme of things, they are not hurting me or my loved ones....thus, my opinions do not matter.

Oh, and the statement of how the Duggars resemble the FLDS(polygamist group in Texas) is as ignorant as they come. Judging someone and/or their beliefs based on their looks is so very wrong!

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[quote=mrswright;3029204]Your post is really hard to read,. It would be easier if you ended a sentence and started another one.

Anywho, I don't care how many children she has, better her than me. My body still has not recovered after two children and that was 20 years ago

I agree there are some angry posts, but you need to expect that. After all everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Enough said.[/QUOTE




I agree, I cant read it cause it all runs together.

I dont care how many kids they have. I just wonder what the older kids think about being assigned a little kid to take care and basically raise.
did anyone see the show where the dad hooked the pull along camper to the motor home and was going to take them on a long camping trip ? it took them like 2 hrs to go 40 miles! lol. they had loaded the pull along down with so much stuff that the motor home couldnt pull it any faster. Finally the grampa brought the van and one of the older sons hooked the pull along to the van so they could finally " get out of town" Even I know you can pull a pull along loaded to the max with the motor home. We had a huge motor home and it didnt climb the mts around here very well so I knew they were in for trouble when they loaded it down then hooked it to the motor home.

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Three pregnancies and births in three years seems like WAY too many to me -- but having my first baby went badly enough that I'm considering stopping there. No mere mortal is supposed to give birth eighteen times, but I suppose some women are physically better able to handle birth than others. So I'm more in awe than anything, since I'm very much at the other end of the spectrum.

Catherine,

You've started many excellent discussion topics on these boards in the last several days. Please don't feel as if your right to do that has been challenged here. You have EVERY right.

One poster very rudely commented on your posting style. While she could have been way more tactful, it would be easier for readers if you used punctuation. I have seen some of your posts where you do use periods and commas, so I know you don't have to "learn some basic writing skills!" But if you wouldn't mind using punctuation and starting new sentences, your posts would definitely be more reader-friendly.

We did cover this topic pretty recently - as soon as the Duggars announced that they were pregnant with #18. It was heated then, too, and many of us probably weren't ready to revisit the topic. That doesn't mean you can't bring it up, though!

Lastly, you are absolutely entitled to your opinion on any of the hot topics. But watch how you word things - if you say things that sound extreme, your words put other posters on the defense very quickly. You can make your same point without being excessively blunt.

Like I said, you've started some great threads. Don't give up, just think about how you want to come across. Just take that for what it's worth. I often enjoy your topics!

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I personally don't believe in birth control. I feel that God chose the Duggers to have all those children for a reason and we shouldn't be judging them, they are following God's will. We might not understand it, but God has his reasons for everything.

I was only blessed with one child and have really struggled with it, since I always envisioned having a large family. But I know God has his reasons and I have to accept it.

Jenn

Guess for me, it bothers me at the rude way people put things towards friends of my family. I dont know them but still

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I love that movie, it's one of my favorites.

As long as they're not on welfare I don't care how many children they have. I've never heard anything said, however, Michelle would have to have something done to her insides or they'd be falling out after 17 births.
The only issue that I'm curious about is the two, possibly three, oldest children are approaching 20 yrs old. Are they not going to college at some point?
Nobody has mentioned the money that the family gets for making the TV specials. I'm sure it's nothing to sneeze at.

*snort* like that's the first time I've been called rude or tactless! LOL
Posting style? OMG! No capitalization, no punctuation, run-on sentences is a posting style?? Now that's funny.

I am extremely observant of writing skills--those skills get me through the day. I find it disrespectful to the reading audience when words are consistently misspelled, proper nouns aren't capitalized, sentences only have a beginning and no end, and there is absolutely no punctuation.

I'm very understanding is English is not the writer's native language. That can create diffficulties. But, you say you've seen posts where the OP has used punctuation and proper writing skills. That leads me to believe that the OP was either lazy or just didn't care when she posted.

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Ok Marilynk since you have such a problem with the way I write, then why do not simply skip over my posts???. In the scheme of things, worrying about the way I write is so so trival to even bring up that subject. If the way i write upsets you that much then you have the problem not me, life it too short for a worry like that. Now as far as the FLDS in texas and comparing the two families, I was referring to how they all dress alike all the girls wear only dresses, no pants ever. Also their hair is never cut and always in braids, if you seem the women at the FLDS compound they are look the same. Can you honestly tell me that those kids at the FLDS are happy to be forced to marry and have sex at 13 years of age and then bare children at such young ages. I am not saying this is the case with the Duggar family however they way they are raising their children and the way, they all dress and their appearence is very similar, I was merely stating a fact and it is a fact. I have watched many of the Duggar family specials and you cannot tell me , they are not receiving alot of money for their shows. As far as how they live their life is ok with me because I am not living it. I started this post to get some thoughts on the subject, but it seems like too many ladies are jumping all over me. Do you honestly think it is fair for the Duggar kids to have so much resposiblity at such young ages, I do not however again , its my personal point of view. Peace Catherine.

Marilynk, you find my writing disrespectful are you serious honestly again you need to find something worth more important then my handwriting to cause you so much upset and to say its disrespectful, you are being disrespectul in writing that. Catherine

QuiverFull .com

The TL;DR version is: Babies are a gift from God, and the bigger the family the more powerful. Therefore, you should let God determine your family size, rather than using birth control.

Susiecat posted about the Lucille Ball movie...I didn't...sorry, wrong person. In fact, I didn't post at all. I'm afraid to post on any thread that you start for fear that you are going to go off at me! Anyway, as for my take on the whole thing...I don't care what the heck these people do. As long as they can afford to take care of them and raise them well, it's no concern of mine. ~Lisa

(Are you for real? I just don't think you can be. I think you are messing with us now. Hee hee...)

Caddylisa are you asking me if I am for real, that i am nessing with you guys, are you serious, can you kindly explain that one to me and so sorry if I mistook you as the person who knew about the movie. Also why are you so afarid to post into my posts, you seemed fine when we were talking about the alcoholic thread????. Also Lisa when you finally admitted you had a past with alcohol now I see why you became so upset and too it personal, I am however sincerely happy to were able to get better. Catherine

Thank you...But yes, I'm serious...are you a real person? Or is this all some kind of act? I'm as serious as a heart attack right now... I just find this all too bizarre to be authentic. If you aren't real, I'll give you a nice shiny quarter if you'll go away. How's that sound? LOL... ~Lisa

Am i a real person are you a real person, what is wrong with you, why in the world would you be asking this and for your information, I have been a ultimate member of mycoupons.com since 1999 and to date have the most wonderful positive trader feedback go and take a look. Could all these people be trading with someone who is not real, are you serious, omg what a thread. Catherine

Catherine - I like your posts and find them interesting. Everyone seems to take a turn at getting flamed; apparently it is some sort of cyberspace initiation.

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The part about the kids having too much responsibilty....

When I was 11 years old, I was babysitting 3 kids. 5, 2 and newborn. While I babysat them, I made them dinner, washed the dishes, bathed them and got them to sleep.

I think I turned out fine.. I hope! :O

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the only difference is you got to go home, they werent with you 24/7. When i was 11 I also babysat, twin 1 yr old sisters. I watch them all day during the summer while their mom worked, anf then when i was done I got to go home and hang out with my friends.

steph

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My concerns would be that the older ones have to take care of the younger;
That with so many children in the family there is not enough time for each one to get special attention;
That the cost of raising these children will cause financial hardships for the family in general and for the children individually out in the world;
That there is no privacy for the children;
The resources and waste;
That they do not get the academic help and attention they need.

That being said this is a free country and I guess you could have as many children as you want however there are many children already born that could use good loving homes.
That is just my personal opinion. I had only one child and sometimes it was very difficult I can't imagine how stressful and frustrating it could be to have 18.

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Yikes - I think you're assuming an awful lot here.

My gut tells me that they have more academic help and attention than my children do in our public school system.

I don't ever wish to homeschool, but to offer up an example, my homeschooling friend tells me that it's a commonly accepted goal among homeschoolers that by the end of the elementary school years the children will be completely independent learners. Obviously, parents help if they have a problem, but generally the students are self-directed. I know her kids do several courses online, where an instructor presents the lesson either live or through a CD. This differs from a public school experience in that the parents have a hand in choosing the instructor and / or presentation style or method their child experiences, as opposed to my kids, who get teachers by luck of the draw (and not all of them are good!)

They had their oldest - as a freshman - take the ACT last year just to see if they were doing alright giving her what she needed academically. She scored a 28!

My 5th grader will have 23 students in his classroom this year, so Mrs. Duggar actually has fewer students in her 'classroom'. I would assume two or three of hers are older than 18 and three or four are not yet school age, so probably just 10 or 11 of them are being homeschooled right now.

When they say each older child is responsible for a younger, I have a much different image of that than it seems many of you have. Maybe I'm off-base, but at least in my husband's family, that didn't mean an older and younger were tied at the hip 24/7. It meant when it was time to leave the older had to help one other sibling (a specific one) tie their shoes and zip their coats. On laundry day it meant they helped them hang up their clothes. It wasn't remotely like they were on duty babysitting from morning until night.

Something tells me those children will NEVER be a financial hardship for 'the world'. From what I've seen, they are rather anti-assistance and are probably teaching their children the same mindset. I assume the boys will grow up to have a strong work ethic and sense of pride in providing for their own, and the girls will marry men with similar values.

Sorry that this is a bit off topic but I saw recently that one of the boys ( must be the oldest one?) is engaged. Her name is Anna and people were joking that once they're married, she'll have to change it to Janna.

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This is a very heated post, and i don't understand why,
everyone has there opinions, but everyone should at least be nice about it.. Life is
to short, to get upset and get into a heated conversation about someone with 18 kids.


I only have one child , and thats enough.

I don't agree with the duggers religious beliefs (i am not going to wear a dress everyday of my life) and i wouldn't homeschool, because I would never make a good teacher to homeschool.

i think Eventually her body will have to stop producing kids, she is wearing her body out. So eventually i think she will be having a hysterctomy because her body will have enough.

I had a horrible child birth and i almost had a hysterctomy at 24.

Yes, I find your posting style disrespectful to the reader. It appears that you can't be bothered to punctuate, capitalize, form coherent and succinct sentences. When you, as the writer, fail to do these things it means the reader has to decipher what you are trying to say and then figure out what you mean. If you want to present a point, and have it taken seriously it is to your benefit to proofread and edit your posts.

I compose correspondence all day long to attorneys, physicians, insurance comanies and claimants--It is ingrained in the fiber of my person to pick apart the written word.

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Cathrine, what I've noticed when I read your posts is that I 'hear' you as though you are a person on some heavy duty drugs. While there is a lot of inflection we miss while reading the written word without the benefit of auditory queues, punctuation, episodes of 'all caps', and the beginning of a paragraph are signals to the reader that bring a post to life.

Without that 'life', what I hear in my head is one long sentence in monotone.... like someone is stoned. It makes it a lot more difficult for me to take the post seriously... and the "peace' at the end of your posts makes me feel like I just read something someone straight out of the 60's wrote after a long day at Woodstock.

That probably sounded meaner than I intend it to be. That's not my intent. I just think you'd do well to present your words in a way that lets readers comprehend your intent at as high a level as possible. I think you'll be taken more seriously if you harness the power of punctuation and paragraphs. You do yourself a huge disservice when you don't observe those rules.