BitterApple

minx, the big difference I see between the way Bill and Jen interact with the kids is Bill strikes a better balance between maintaining control yet allowing the kids an appropriate measure of freedom and choice. I don't mean this as a slam to Jen, but sometimes she dictates too much. Like when they were doing arts and crafts, "No, no Zoe, put the letter this way, it goes right here, put it right here!" I think Jen's lightened up a lot, but has to work at turning off her doctor persona a little more.

auntl, I believe that's more of an urban legend. Some had questioned whether the Duggars pay taxes since they use their home as a church. Boob at one point stated they do pay regular income and propery taxes. I just had another thought, isn't Jordyn Jessa's buddy? If so why is Jill forced to share a bed with her?

Veronique Bette, absolutely. If one of the results of doing the show is Bill and Jen feel more comfortable in their skin, then more power to them. It's never easy being different.

ZoloftBlob and Everh, I agree 100%. Even though I don't think Will is working the logic in his head, he's quickly learning that pouting, crying and fussing gets him what he wants. I want to see a scene where Bill and Jen say "No Will, no treats today" and see what happens. Not "no cake, but you can have cookies" or "take a picture and you can have ice cream." Just flat-out tell the kid no and let him deal with it.

Where I think the show could hurt the kids early on is if the producers encourage Will and Zoe to "act up" for the sake of drama. "Hey kids! Let's head into the store and go crazy! Start throwing stuff around!" If a scenario emerges where the kids have one set of rules for filming and a different set off-camera, there's going to be a lot of confusion and mixed messages.

HeyNow, my blood pressure skyrockets when I see the Duggars using all that disposable dinnerware. I've never seen them use real dishes/flatware nor have I ever seen recycling bins outside their house. If they did it once in a blue moon, okay, but they use disposable for every single meal. It's so wasteful.

bigskygirl, oh no you didn't! You blame the Duggars for TFDW?! The closeted Fundie who twirled and pranced his way right into our hearts? The man who mud wrestled Joshie and gave us gems like "I kissed a girl on the LIPS!" I'm sentencing you to ten minutes of jazz hands and high kicks in honor of David's fabulosity!

ZoloftBlob, I agree, but it's hard to sell any criticism of this couple. I think Bill and Jen could stab puppies and there'd be people who'd find some justification for it. "They've had a really tough year you know..." I think they do the show because they like it and like the extra income to cushion their lifestyle. Perfectly okay, if the opportunity is there by all means take it. Their real test will come if the show starts hurting the kids and they have to make the decision to stop or continue.

True, but millions of other working moms and dads do the same with a lot less outside help. I don't see Bill or Jen as special or unique in that regard. I think they're great parents but I don't give them a medal for spending time with their children on a day one of them had to work. It's called Life.

Lola16, I agree Bill likes the fame. Jen is on my radar because I was taken aback when she made a big deal over her compromised immune system yet had no problem jetting off to San Fran and NYC to do appearances. She couldn't stand close to a colleague to take a picture but sitting on an airplane (which is a cesspool of bacteria) for hours was okay. Ego-stroking apparently can trump health concerns.

How was the soap on the clothes? Did it fade or damage the fabric at all? I saw the PW epi where she did the chicken-etti and I thought it looked equally as horrible as the slop Anna made. The absolute worst was Anna's green bean casserole which consisted of a handful of green beans drowning in a cream of sodium soup mixture. For women who pride themselves on their domestic skills, the Duggars are painfully shitastic cooks.

Oh boy, I could right a dissertation on this one. I hate the way they turn normal things like dancing, art, attraction and physical contact into something sinful and dirty. My mom used to take me to the ballet as a child. I certainly didn't have impure thoughts when I saw dancers in skin-tight costumes. The idea that I could defraud my brother by giving him a real hug makes me feel pervy. BTW, great idea for a thread!

I think Will might have a rocky start when he goes to pre-school but he'll adjust quickly. It would be a little intrusive to film him in that setting, but I'm eager to see the improvements he makes. I think Zoe is more typical for her age and will probably have an easier transition. Zoe is on the mature side of 2 whereas Will is on the babyish side of 4. I do think kids generally even out in the end though.

I don't think they want out. Jen especially seems to like the attention and celebrity of being a reality star. I'm already cringeing over next week's episode. Poorly scripted vow renewals are usually the shark-jumping moment for most reality shows. In the preview Jen was doing a bad job of pretending to act surprised.

I think if they had worded the bulimia question in a clinical manner "a disorder characterized by bingeing and purging" it wouldn't have been offensive. But the snarky phrasing followed by Alex's cheeky delivery left a bad taste in my mouth. Chronic illness is so much fun y'all!

Yeah, the French fans have been beyond rude this whole tournament. I have no problem with a crowd trying to pump up a player who's down or rooting for the underdog. What I do have a problem with is spectators yelling out right as a player is about to serve, being disruptive or refusing to settle down even after the umpire's tenth request. The obnoxiousness during the Muguruza match was one of the worst displays I've ever seen in my 20+ years of following tennis.

I hope all the money goes to the artist, but we're talking about the Duggars here. I could see Boob making sure Derick got some sort of writing or production credit so he and Jill could profit.

I'm going to forever curse the word "abacus" for taking our Julia away! I can't believe an editor gave the approval for the bulimia question. They shouldn't have even gone there. What's next, a snarky clue about HIV or suicide? Just incredibly poor taste.

I'm curious to see what will happen once the novelty of the kids wears off, ratings are down and their contract is up. Will Jen and Bill engage in shlocky scripted fare to keep the show going? Or will they call it quits? I'd like to hope for the latter, but fame is a hell of a drug.

Good Lord, could tonight's FJ question have been any more of a creampuff? My dog could have answered that one correctly and he's really not much of a history buff! Did anyone else think the wording of the bulimia question was a tad insensitive?

You could also make the argument that allowing a child to negotiate gives him the opportunity to decide which orders are worth following and which aren't. If there's nothing in it for Will, is he going to bother to listen? Or will he only cooperate if Jen offers up a treat? I think it's a slippery slope. My mother had an interesting point about the egg-dipper. She commented that since the kids were decorating the eggs in their high chairs and they associate high chairs with eating, maybe Will thought the dipper was a food utensil and that's why he kept putting it in his mouth. I never thought about it from that angle.

I do believe reality stars or their PR people follow the forums to get an idea of what people are saying about the show. That way the editing and content can be tailored accordingly. Anyone who has followed the Duggars for any length of time can attest to this. When Will got his sorbet Jen kept repeating "ok, this will be your ONLY sweet for today, OK?" I felt like she was saying it more to convince the audience than to make a point to Will. I didn't have an issue with Will getting an ice cream. I did have an issue with Jen using ice cream as a bribe to get a stupid picture taken. I would have made Will wait until after they picked the berries, but Will isn't my kid.

Ljohnson1987, please tell me you're playing a friendly joke at your fellow posters' expense. Please tell me the Duggars did not put that song up for sale on iTunes. Right now my hand is poised to start rhythmically slapping myself in the face a la Josie to make the insanity stop. This family is driving me straight into a padded cell. Their famewhoring and shameless greed knows no bounds.

I think "the jokes write themselves" should be the sub-title of any forum related to the Duggars. I never caught Derick saying "he felt a release," how did I miss such a gem? Between that, "the bulge in his pants," and the hand sex, I feel like I'm watching soft-core porn!

Is it possible the once a week appointments were just a starting point to get him acclimated to the therapy? If they started out the gate with three appointments a week I can see where a four year-old would grow restless and bored very quickly. I'm assuming (and admitting I'm assuming) that the speech pathologist sets the protocol for treatment and adjusts as necessary.