Eighteen is Enough
By Glinda
Unless you were drinking too much eggnog over the holidays, you are probably aware that the Duggar family of Arkansas gave birth to their 18th child.
Ok, I get it.
I get it that each child is a miracle, each child brings joy to the family, I agree with all that. I am certainly not one to say that an 18th child has any less value than the first, or even the 10th.
However, I am curious to know how they find the time to parent all of the children.
Or maybe they don’t, and that’s the secret of their success.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never watched their show on TLC, nor do I plan to. I’ve never understood people with their own kids who fanatically watch shows about someone else’s kids. I mean, my own child is plenty of entertainment, I don’t need a stranger’s offspring to provide it for me.
But really, is it the older kids who parent the ones in the middle, whilst mom deals with the newborns and toddlers? And it seems that there have been a lot of newborns in there, so I imagine the older kids are quite busy.
Oh, and did I mention they homeschool all of the kids? And that they declared their house was a church so they would not have to pay taxes on it? Or that the older girls cook the meals and wear only dresses? Not to mention the fact that they have a waaaay nicer kitchen than mine.
Dang, maybe there is some logic to this whole two-dozen kid thing after all.
December 30th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
No. There is NO logic. Only an insane ferver to populate the country with fanatical Christians.
But, that is the glory of America … if they want to, they can do that and I guess I am not one to judge. But I will shake my head in bewilderment.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
How could any two people have the time to give adequate parental attention to eighteen separate individuals, PLUS run an 18-student school, plus hold down at least one job between them?
I understand some people are morally opposed to birth control, but as far as I can tell that’s not the case here. This would come under the heading of “Lifestyle choice” rather than anything else.
At certain point it becomes a bit ridiculous. As Fark said, it’s a vagina, not a clown car.
December 31st, 2008 at 12:18 am
Sure, the older kids help raise the younger kids, but what about when that first batch were all young, and she had a boatload of under-sixes running around?
To each their own, I guess. But you’d think that at SOME point she’d get a little tired of being perpetually pregnant.
And the clown car comment? Win.
December 31st, 2008 at 1:06 am
I actually watched the show several times (kind of like watching a car wreck in slow motion-you want to look away but can’t.) They LIKE this!!! Each older child has a younger child that they “sponsor”?!… Her oldest son said something like “I should have figured it out, it’s been 9 months since the last baby.” when they revealed Mrs. Duggar was preggers again. They can have however many babies they want (this is America!). What I can’t forgive is the mommy mullet and bad prairie clothes that have been inflicted on the girls. THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!
December 31st, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Actually, the oldest kids get the babies.
My mom is the second-oldest of seven. When her twin brothers (the youngest kids) were born, my mom was 12 and her sister was 13. They each got a baby. Both (actually, all the kids) the babies turned out great — one is a captain at Delta, the other is a doctah.
The Duggers don’t bother me because they are not asking for my money to raise their kids. (Although this church tax deduction thing is questionable.) Not my cup of tea, but they’re not bugging me.