satrunrose

As relieved as I am that she's not pregnant, who announces a medical issue (albeit minor) with their baby in a sparkly social media post???

Honestly, Jonathan has always seemed like the one person on earth who buys into Jilldo's "Wholesome Hijinx for Jebus" messaging, including the Rodlets (see the expressions when they don't know the cameras on). My question is why. He's the headship and the proud owner of an organ that's supposed to make him more important than his MIL. There's no indication that his family is any nuttier than the average fundie, so why is he grinning like he's at Disney while folding DBD's recycling fodder?

If it was anyone else, I'd say trying to grab something to catch themselves when they fell down from the upstairs attic, but it's Jill, so I think she just forgot what lies she told in the first place.

Interesting, the sibs look genuinely pleased about the (ugh) soul winning outing while Jon and Kaylee look like they're in a hostage video. It's funny, now that Kaylee is constantly on social media portraying herself as mommy's perfect little clone, we've caught her looking unhappy a lot more often. I'm also so genuinely curious about the kinds of people that respond to this evangelism crap. I'm a (culturally) liberal Christian with family members who enjoy engaging JWs in theological debate, but I cannot for the life of me imagine switching religions because the likes of Jill Rod shoved a pamphlet in my face while I was grocery shopping. Do Lord Daniel and Co really follow through and become regular church-goers (and more importantly, tithers) or do people just fake convert to get the crazy lady out of their faces?

Man, what is it with fundie couples and taking out the garbage? (See Anna Keller-Duggar lording it over us singletons because she had JInmate to take out the trash). I'm in the same boat, Salacious Kitty, but to give some small bit of sympathy to Alyssa, when you consider how frikken little these manly fundie men are expected to contribute (including actually working and earning a living) I can see how the garbage does become more of a thing.

Yeah, I agree that parenting is an impossible job and it can be a hard line to draw between what's loving and supportive and what's spoiling rotten. The fact that Amy seems to be going hardcore into no limits or boundaries, though (and no external influence that can give some structure if A and her husband won't) and that Dax seems to have an inclination to aggression is worrying, to say the least.

So, Amy, did you say "No capri sun or tv until after school/you get dressed?" I'm betting no. It's not harmful or the equivalent of the awful instant obedience game to start teaching about consequences. As much as I think home-schooling for religious/political reasons is abhorrent (I feel differently about other motivations), some primary teacher somewhere in Arkansas has seriously lucked out.

Okay, are they wearing actual bathing suits under all of those clothes? If not, with the way fabric balloons and bunches in water, Renee (?) could give someone a much bigger eyeful than she would in a one-piece.

I think part of it is their attempt to square the circle where they are expected to be meek, obedient and tending to the home, but in reality they're the ones hustling on social media.

Honestly, I'm not optimistic about this. I was really glad to see that Jon and Kaylee visited the in-laws for Christmas, because there have been very few references to them otherwise. Maybe they're involved and super private, but I try to picture what kind of home life would make the Rods look attractive to Jon and the mind, she boggles. Originally, I hoped that Jon was playing the long con to get Kaylee out of there, but she's dutifully following the Mahmo model and Jon seems to be going along happily enough. I wonder what it would take for him to put his foot down. It sure wasn't the $250 per month plexus bill.

And count down to Amy's rant about how mean and judgey everyone is about her very awesome parenting choices on social media in 3...2...1..

One of the frustrating things for me about this crew is that I am generally a big believer in the boots analogy. If you want to set me off on my soapbox rant about structural inequality and class, please get yourself a comfy chair and a beverage of choice...but then there's the Rods. I hate that they bring out the "ugh, get a (better) job already" in me, but I can't help feeling like the whole "Jesus doesn't want me to have a paying job" "Jesus does want me to have more kids than I can feed" and "Plexus = a sound investment" are all choices that weren't forced on them (well, maybe they were on the Rodlets, that's a whole n'other question).

Honestly, the educational standards for all of these kids are so low, I don't know if you would ever know that there was something wrong as long as they can talk, walk, do chores and handle self-care.

Actually, if the Rodlets can't read the KJV, it makes sense why their delightful parents are so picky about the version used by the churches they grace with their presence. I mean, if you're a literate person you can see that there's no significant change in meaning between New Revised Standard 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: Good News 10 but the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. KJV 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. The KJV sounds fancier (which, let's face it, is enough for Jill) and is harder to push back against if you don't know the difference between chaste and chased.

I mean, I guess it matters to Gid and the umpteen that will follow whether Kaylee is by nature mean and selfish or just a try hard (I suppose it matters to Jonathan too, but he's such a non-entity it's hard to say). My problem is, I'm not sure whether it matters to the wider word whether Kaylee is or is not like her mother. The long-suffering nurses at the hospital still had to sit through Kaylee's diatribe on her breast-feeding method, which I'm going to guess was Jill, not hospital approved. I can't see a hospital these days pushing formula without a good reason, but Jill and Kaylee have both made holier-than-thou breast feeding posts. There's also the whole mess of the twins. It's bad enough to say that to grieving parents, but to make it part of your "Yay Jesus!" marketing material shows a complete lack of empathy. Of course, whether a narcissist or not, our Sunshine Girl learned that from the best.

I tend to be non-judgey about spelling mistakes, but I agree, if Kaylee girl has been protected from 'worldly' social media and only exposed to the KJV, chaste should not be a spelling challenge.

Does that mean you should make a love offering of lotion?

*Crosses Gideon off the list of fundie grandkids I had some hope for and sighs.* I'm not sure that this is about the jeans thing. It sounds to me more like Kiki stumbled across some sort of ex-fundie folks and got her knickers in a twist (or Jilldo did). I would expect that her recent shilling and Yay Mamhmo, ma man, me and Jesus (in that order) posts have poked her into a world where not everyone believes in the cult of Jildo the sainted martyr. On the off chance that the place she has stumbled on is here. Kaylee, your parents are not God, nor do they have a direct line to Him (that's sneaking close to idolatry btw). They want you to believe that so they can control you, not to bring you closer to your creator. There are a lot of ways to be a Christian and the vast majority of those ways consider your parents' "protection" outright abuse.

I think most of the Duggars have slid to fundy lite over the past decade (ie, their beliefs are still awful, but the obvious signs of fundamentalism (the denim skirts, the home perms, the anti-Santa/tree business) have been left by the wayside).

How much would Gideon's birth have set the two of them back?

I never thought I'd approve of Jill's "rules only apply when I can use them to judge others and they definitely don't apply to me when I'm chasing down a Social Media post." policy, but if it protects that poor exhausted kid for getting punished for falling asleep in church, I guess it's okay.

I'm glad Gid has a way to self-soothe with Jill clone and the Yes Man for parents, but isn't he a little old to just have figured out thumb-sucking? I thought that came earlier. PS: Kaylee is officially added to my list of "Fundie kiddults I don't know how to deal with. I want to be kind because the Rodlets got some of the worst of a bad bunch of parents and that's not their fault but they're having a whole new generation fueled by plexus, grifting and misery and there needs to be some accountability or attempt to do better.

I suspect the waif chorus is what gets people to make regular donations through the clearinghouse. We know Dave has a very limited range of products and isn't even willing to expand to print his wife's vanity projects. I kind of doubt the Rods would be the first that comes to mind if someone feels moved to use or donate to a print ministry...unless you know that you might be saving some godly waifs in the process. Jill's SM, where the family seems to be rolling in it (yes, I know the rv is bust, but the Plexus Queen is still "feeding" 10-odd kids, remodeling the house, rolling in new hoodie blouses, taking monthly vacations and, allegedly, going to Punta Cana) isn't going to drum up any pity donors.

Do people (other than the die-hard leg humpers) care enough to appreciate the suspense, though? I have been vaguely interested in the sexes of the first couple kids to see how they're set up for future sister-momming, but other than that I really don't care.

Yeah, I think you're probably right, but I also wonder if there is a lot of posturing over who Mahmo loves best in that case ie. "Well I'm part of Mahmo's amazing business," "Well I'm pregnant,"