the duggar family

[Rapunzel]

It's a good thing that those of us with a lot of kids aren't as sensitive as those who don't have any yet... :>

The people on the Discovery Channel messageboard who had the most venemous things to say about the Duggers were... self-proclaimed unmarried and without children!

[alison]

I'm married without kids, and I was one of the ones not upset/offended about the parenting threads

17 is a whole lot of kids, whether you have them or not, and when somewhere around 2 is the average.

[kaseymarie]

I know TLC or whoever payed for the decorations for the house, but I still don't understand how they paid for that house on one income. They also have quite a bit of land with the house. I remember watching one episode where they said they wanted enough land that each of their children could build a house on the land and start their own families there.

They were building it as they went, and it was taking years longer than expected - largely due to the expense. I believe TLC also helped w/the completion of the house as well as the decorating.

As far as the land ... not to be snide ... it's in Arkansas. Not exactly prime real-estate. They were renting their original house from a church, and it was TINY, so they probably stashed some away there.

I'm not minimizing the accomplishment of supporting a family - any family on one income and debt free ... just shining some light on the facets I know about. Allowing cameras in so that we can gawk at their family is not an entirely altruistic thing. They definitely benefit.

[DCJenn]

Ok- don't we have some grant writers or real life editors- come on, how about you PhDs-

someone write a treatise on why this is a good idea and submit it.

We've been submitted to Oprah and I've been tempted to submit us to the entire HGTV or Style channels- they can fix up our houses, sell them, landscape our yards, decorate our living rooms, make-over those of us who want it. Heck, we'd make a great week on TLC don't you think? Our guys alone could be great interviews. we've got the impending weddings, births, reunions. We've got racial, religious, political and shoe diversity. Come ON. We're money in the bank. Of course we'd totally implode the whole Stepford Dawkter wife thing.

Jenn

I don't think I would be up for cameras in my house, no matter how much I was paid. I don't need people seeing me bitchy- which is oh, 95% of the time

As far as the Duggars go - I could care less how many kids they have, as long as they are properly cared for, and without government welfare. I am without kids, and am still undecided about having any, but still harbor no ill will towards the Duggars.

[medpedspouse]

As far as the Duggars go - I could care less how many kids they have, as long as they are properly cared for, and without government welfare.

ITA. They all looked happy too. Would not be my choice though.

[Vishenka69]

shoe diversity

One of the medical couples we know was selected for the Wedding Story on TLC, but they ended up not doing it. They were told that TLC will own the footage and will have all rights to it and can air it however, whenever they want to. They decided it wasn't worth it and paid for the wedding themselves. I wouldn't want to end up edited out like Bridezillas or any other reality show.

[madeintaiwan]

They decided it wasn't worth it and paid for the wedding themselves. I wouldn't want to end up edited out like Bridezillas or any other reality show.

This happened to DH's family when they did Trading Spouses: Meet your new mommy last season. They didn't do it for the money, thought it would be a good experience. They said they learned a lot about how tv shows are "made." But viewing the critizisms on the fox boards was really hard bc they weren't allowed to comment/defend/correct.

[Cumberland]

The Duggars believe in having as many kids as God blesses them with, which is known as a Quiverful http://quiverfull.com/

I admire them for being debt free, and for being a loving and devoted family.

She only nurses her babies for a few months then gets pg right away. I wonder if she doesnt nurse very long so she can get pregnant or bc she just doesnt want to nurse. I am far from a Bible scholar but I would think in Biblical times women had a quiverful, but nursed for a longer time out of necessity, and therefore filled up their quiver over a longer period of time.

They remind me of the McCaughey septuplets- they said they didnt believe in a selective reduction bc it was God's will for them to have all of the babies. But was in God's will for her to have her eggs and sperm joined in a lab and artificially implanted in her? Or was it God's will that she just have only their older child and not be able to have any more?

Was that too harsh?

They remind me of the McCaughey septuplets- they said they didnt believe in a selective reduction bc it was God's will for them to have all of the babies. But was in God's will for her to have her eggs and sperm joined in a lab and artificially implanted in her? Or was it God's will that she just have only their older child and not be able to have any more?

Was that too harsh?

If it was too harsh you're not alone. I've often had that thought. God is invoked in so many arguements over medical intervention, but it often seems selective.

[alison]

They remind me of the McCaughey septuplets- they said they didnt believe in a selective reduction bc it was God's will for them to have all of the babies. But was in God's will for her to have her eggs and sperm joined in a lab and artificially implanted in her? Or was it God's will that she just have only their older child and not be able to have any more?

Was that too harsh?

If it was too harsh you're not alone. I've often had that thought. God is invoked in so many arguements over medical intervention, but it often seems selective.

ITA. I had never thought of this angle before!

[SuzySunshine]

I stared at my computer for several minutes before I decided if I was going to answer this...

Is it God's will that some of us never get to be parents then?

Granted we haven't had to make the IVF decision yet but we could still have multiples due to the drugs that we are on. Is that God's will? I don't know but I do know that its a decision each person should have the right to make IMO.

[PrincessFiona]

Actually, I think they were agreeing, Cheri?

I personally never bought into the God's will stuff...Is it God's *will* that children die in Tsunami's, mom's die of cancer...no...but IMO God is there to catch us when we hit a low point.

kris