Sweet Fellowship: Duggars and Friends (aka the Bates Family and Other Featured Families Thread)

[Sew Sumi]

17 minutes ago, farmgal4 said:

I can’t believe that he managed to get accepted!

I think they take anyone who can pay the tuition. They don't seem to be that picky.

[Zella]

I also suspect he was admitted with the school's expectation he would be in remedial classes, especially for math and English, and that he may not have been able to handle even that coursework. 

Edited November 23, 2019 by Zella

[awaken]

It must be quite a shock for Timothy to be mixing with the regular people at community college after being so severely sheltered. Even just seeing different types of people and ideas must be overwhelming with that level of insular upbringing. 

[MaryAnneSpier]

I really don't mean this in a mean-spirited way, but the way Timmy speaks, he sounds a little mentally challenged. Do you suppose that's the case? Nurie speaks immaturely and awkwardly, but she doesn't strike me as having medical mental problems, just more of a naive and sheltered 11-yr-old. 

[Tigregirl]

How in the world is Timmy handling a public college?  Women wearing shorts and tank tops when the weather is warm, students using swear words in every day conversations, hearing ideas and viewpoints that differ from his in his courses, women preparing for careers outside of baby making, etc.  I live in WI and plenty of people here enjoy a good beer - does Tim offer to pray for their salvation every time he sees someone with a beer or overhears a story about a night of drinking?  Does he hide out with his Bible between classes? No way was he prepared to go to a non-religious school.   I watched just a few minutes of the homeschooling video.  Those poor brainwashed kids.

[Zella]

9 minutes ago, Tigregirl said:

How in the world is Timmy handling a public college?  Women wearing shorts and tank tops when the weather is warm, students using swear words in every day conversations, hearing ideas and viewpoints that differ from his in his courses, women preparing for careers outside of baby making, etc.  I live in WI and plenty of people here enjoy a good beer - does Tim offer to pray for their salvation every time he sees someone with a beer or overhears a story about a night of drinking?  Does he hide out with his Bible between classes? No way was he prepared to go to a non-religious school.   I watched just a few minutes of the homeschooling video.  Those poor brainwashed kids.

If he's anything like the super sheltered homeschoolers I met even on a Christian college campus, his head probably explodes on a daily basis. 

[Tigregirl]

1 minute ago, Zella said:

If he's anything like the super sheltered homeschoolers I met even on a Christian college campus, his head probably explodes on a daily basis. 

And then he probably calls his SWEET Mama to tell her how SEVERELY persecuted he is and that us Wisconsinites are all HEATHEN SINNERS,  especially us sluttish ones who don’t wear dresses.  

[queenanne]

9 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

Dear God.  And people thought 70's era hippies living off the grid in buses were crazy?  I'm old enough to remember those days.

That sad video takes it to an insane level.  I am sorry I watched it.  It would be nice if it had been a parody.  So awful for those robotic brainwashed kids.  

I had such profound secondhand embarrassment for Nurie that I didn't make it past Nurie.  Now everybody can see why I was rooting so hard for Timmy to stay at Moody.  I mean... Nurie clearly doesn't even know what the "bad schools/kids" do that is so bad; or is too mortified a little mouse to say bad things like "using ungodly language" - because her crippling parents are so determined to keep them ignorant "until [Nurie] is ready" for these things.  (That being the point in time where I wanted to stand up and scream at the "parents", "You idiots, that's the point.  None of these kids will ever be "ready" for anything, because you won't even have had them slowly walk from the shallow end to the portion of the pool where their feet start to give way.") 

For anybody who thought that no real family could possibly live like the Flanders', the Rodrigues kids are literally like Rod and Tod.  I'm surprised people haven't come upon them falling to their knocking knees in the middle of a shopping mall/parking lot/grocery store quavering out prayers.  Nurie would make a terrible witness to any heathen; as she literally doesn't know how to frame anything about her upbringing in a positive light.  (Paraphrase:  "Well, it's much better to be homeschooled because then we can all run on Rodrigues time, and never have to worry about being anywhere at any given time, and will never learn anything necessary about meeting disciplinary markers or milestones in life, or functioning as productive members of society making the trains run on time; because nobody cares what we do.  They certainly don't care about what we girls do outside of slaving away at chores and landing a man; and it's even pretty questionable that they care if the boys do anything with their lives.") 

[GeeGolly]

18 minutes ago, queenanne said:

I had such profound secondhand embarrassment for Nurie that I didn't make it past Nurie.  Now everybody can see why I was rooting so hard for Timmy to stay at Moody.  I mean... Nurie clearly doesn't even know what the "bad schools/kids" do that is so bad; or is too mortified a little mouse to say bad things like "using ungodly language" - because her crippling parents are so determined to keep them ignorant "until [Nurie] is ready" for these things.  (That being the point in time where I wanted to stand up and scream at the "parents", "You idiots, that's the point.  None of these kids will ever be "ready" for anything, because you won't even have had them slowly walk from the shallow end to the portion of the pool where their feet start to give way.") 

For anybody who thought that no real family could possibly live like the Flanders', the Rodrigues kids are literally like Rod and Tod.  I'm surprised people haven't come upon them falling to their knocking knees in the middle of a shopping mall/parking lot/grocery store quavering out prayers.  Nurie would make a terrible witness to any heathen; as she literally doesn't know how to frame anything about her upbringing in a positive light.  (Paraphrase:  "Well, it's much better to be homeschooled because then we can all run on Rodrigues time, and never have to worry about being anywhere at any given time, and will never learn anything necessary about meeting disciplinary markers or milestones in life, or functioning as productive members of society making the trains run on time; because nobody cares what we do.  They certainly don't care about what we girls do outside of slaving away at chores and landing a man; and it's even pretty questionable that they care if the boys do anything with their lives.") 

And there but the grace of TLC, would have been the Duggars.

[BetyBee]

Watching that Rodrigues video was eye opening. A couple of observations are that they have a couple of southpaws on their "team".  Good to know that JRod doesn't beat that out of them! Also, the boys seem more likely to score a desk, while most of the girls have "lapdesks".  Every one of them stayed on script or did a redo if they forgot to be thankful for being blessed to have Mama teaching them or to say how horrible public school is....though of course, they've never been!  Nurie & Timothy are beyond hopelessly indoctrinated. I thought there was possibly some hope for the next two girls. They seemed to still have some spirit, but that was in 2016. They are likely beyond hope too, by now. 😥

[crazy8s]

3 hours ago, BetyBee said:

Good to know that JRod doesn't beat that out of them!

as someone who had being left handed beaten out of them, I give JRod credit for that.

there was no way as a kid I was getting left handed scissors etc. It was become right handed or suffer. I became right handed.

for the record - I went back to being predominately left handed later in life.

[Aunt Catfish]

On 11/11/2019 at 5:22 AM, GeeGolly said:

1. Wedding dress for Nuri. 2. Mother of the bride dress for JillR. 3. Bridesmaid dress. 4. Flower Girl dress.

Number 3 knocked my socks off!  A modest version of Pnina Tornay.  Quick!!!!  Get my Bedazzler!!!!

[Zella]

57 minutes ago, crazy8s said:

as someone who had being left handed beaten out of them, I give JRod credit for that.

there was no way as a kid I was getting left handed scissors etc. It was become right handed or suffer. I became right handed.

for the record - I went back to being predominately left handed later in life.

You and me both! My mom did that to me in the 90s. I still write right handed--and have the world's shittiest penmanship--but am a lefty for pretty much everything else.

I wonder if Jill is too checked out to notice she has sinister-handed kids. Even if that is the case, I'm glad she left them alone in that respect. 

Edited November 23, 2019 by Zella

[BradandJanet]

I watched the Rod's homeschooling video, bits and pieces of it anyway. I thought it was a satire too until I saw the boys. Not for one minute do I think those kids study anything in an organized, regular way. Jill's bragging about the chore charts was a mistake because it's obvious what those kids do all day, especially the girls. The payoff was David walking in with his heaping plate of snacks not knowing she had a camera running. I bet fixing David's evening snacks is on the chore chart. It's almost out of Dickens. 

Jill is as dumb as a fence post. Her blessings have no chance. I'm quite sure Tim struggled at Moody and isn't doing well now unless he's getting some kind of waiver. He's too immature and too undereducated to get through any real college material, and I suspect he has to show some level of competence to be a pilot. There are licenses involved. I wonder how long he'll be able to stick it out. 

[becca3891]

On 11/22/2019 at 5:19 PM, JoanArc said:

The same reason Cathy Dillard hands out shirts to her sons about being hit with wooden spoons -  validation of life choices. 

I missed that! Yikes. I was paddled with a wooden board by fundie parents who justified it with the bible. People sometimes forget that wearing pants like Cathy Dillard doesn't mean you aren't a fundie. (Plenty of non-Christians use corporal punishment, I realize, but thankfully the numbers are dwindling.)

On 11/22/2019 at 5:26 PM, Churchhoney said:

I remember seeing this back when it was first done. 

It's heartbreaking. 

Anybody who thinks the Rodrigui should just get over it and move on once they've magically passed the age of 18 or whatever and that they should be held accountable for saying and writing Christian-judgmental sounding things and so on because they're adults now should watch it beginning to end and ask themselves how easily anyone would get past the level of brainwashing that's obviously been practiced on these kids. 

Yes. They're SEVERELY (as Jill would say) brainwashed. I do hope one of them breaks free, which would embolden more of them to do the same, but as far gone as they are, it wouldn't be easy. As dysfunctional as it is, it's the only life they've ever known and for all their faults, I do think the Rods love their children. They're just badly, badly misguided.

I'm not sure I agree that Timothy  is slow. I think they all talk so strangely because they just keep feeding off each other and so rarely hear anyone outside the family speak.

[Westiepeach]

On 11/22/2019 at 10:23 AM, Westiepeach said:

OMG. Those kids... They really hate public schools don't they? Actually they are not too fond of Christian schools either. Thank God they are so blessed that they don't have to associate with those ungodly public school heathens. Sheesh. My opinion of that whole family even fell lower than it already was. Jesus Christ... *shake my head*

Quoting myself to correct myself. It’s JillR that hates public school and Christian school. Those poor kids were just parroting what Mama told them to say. They don’t know any different. 😢

[Rabbittron]

Will Jilly ever admit that Timmy Wimmy flunked out?

[galaxygirl76]

1 hour ago, Rabbittron said:

Will Jilly ever admit that Timmy Wimmy flunked out?

No, it's going to be everyone else's fault. 

[MunichNark]

He got wonged out😂😂

I was stupid enough to watch the Hiyeeeeeee byeeeeeee Homeschooling video that's been floating around again. Wish I hadnt - now I feel even more depressed than i already do.

Jill and Fugly Fatboy are hands down one of the most despiccable people ever. He shovels food down his gob when his own children are malnourished. Jill slaps tart's makeup on her daughters and makes them look horrid Neither equips them with any kind of thinking skills or education.

There's another video with a tour of their then house - all the children are scuttling out of her way whenever she lays eyes on them. It's terrifying. Take note of one of the smaller lads whose face quickly grimaces into a grin when she puts the camera on him.

[Zahdii]

2 hours ago, Rabbittron said:

Will Jilly ever admit that Timmy Wimmy flunked out?

Surely you jest.  I don't KNOW that Tim flunked out, or dropped out as soon as he realized that he was way out of his league, but Mama Jill would never admit to that.

The answer is NO.  Jill will not ever admit her precious little boy has a second or third grade education, at best.  Because JILL taught him.  Jill is a frickin' genius with a direct line to God.  She does nothing wrong.  Her children are almost as good as she is, they are an extension of her, and they are similarly perfect.  If they fail, she fails, and Jill never fails.

Her children almost always do nothing wrong, but when they do, Jill's right on it.  She has an arsenal of weapons at her disposal.  There's 'correcting' their behavior when they're small; but as they get older she has Bible versus, peer pressure from their siblings, and the always popular "You need to fast and pray to God for guidance."  By the next day, the kids have realized that Jill is right.  She's always right, and they're grateful that she's their mother and can show them the way to maybe be as good as she.  

David stands in the background eating that extra chicken leg and hopes that Jill's latest victory won't get her excited enough to wear her infamous bathing suit into the bedroom and another R kid will soon be on the way.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Zahdii

[MunichNark]

Arsenal of weapons is giving me mental images I can't cope with right now😱

I actually think David is every bit as abusive as Jilly bits. I remember the infamous coconut video where he was VERY short with a little girl - his voice was rather scary then. I'd say he's just as happily into beating the fuck out of those poor waifs as Jill

[Temperance]

Jill R and her allies seeming to be worrying Chick-Fil-A if they made the right choice. It seems likely they'll go back to their old ways just to appease their base. 

Also the Plath daughter who was rumored to be living in Minnesota, is back with her family. She may leave when she turns 18?

[galaxychaser]

Jill R is raising sheep and keeping them dumb on purpose. Basically next generation will need a calculator to count 2+2. What horrible parents.

[BradandJanet]

On 11/24/2019 at 4:41 PM, galaxychaser said:

Jill R is raising sheep and keeping them dumb on purpose. Basically next generation will need a calculator to count 2+2. What horrible parents.

Unlike the Duggars, the Rods can't support the family they have much less the next generation. Neither the girls nor the boys have an education (as @Zahdiinotes, second or third grade at most), and the kids don't have parents with a work ethic as models. Combine that with terror of mingling with outsiders, I can't imagine how this will work out. Maybe some of the girls can find decent husbands in their tiny world, but how will the boys manage their defined roles? While the Rods do teach the kids how to beg, lie, and steal, it's not a sustainable model as their own numbers expand and the bubble of potential griftees doesn't. 

Jilly and David may think they're doing god's word, but they're simply living out their own narcissism through their children. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by BradandJanet
punctuation

[sondraK]

Jill's parents weren't as strict w her,were they? I know she went to school for awhile,bf being home schooled,and her mom works,right? It seems like Jill just took things to an extreme,in order to prove to the rest of the world how much better she is?

Edited November 26, 2019 by sondraK

[louannems]

22 minutes ago, sondraK said:

Jill's parents weren't as strict w her,were they? I know she went to school for awhile,bf being home schooled,and her mom works,right? It seems like Jill just took things to an extreme,in order to prove to the rest of the world how much better she is?

Jill has also bragged that she insisted that her sisters and mother only wear skirts, after Jill was convicted of it.  They were not raised skirts only.

[Temperance]

The Maxwells had a family day, where all the family (married children, their spouses, the grandchildren, the unmarrieds, Steve, Teri, Gigi) ate food outdoors and played games. It looked like fun. 

[louannems]

8 hours ago, Temperance said:

The Maxwells had a family day, where all the family (married children, their spouses, the grandchildren, the unmarrieds, Steve, Teri, Gigi) ate food outdoors and played games. It looked like fun. 

It would be fun except that is all the Maxwell's EVER do.  Get together with family, on a strict schedule of course.  Every Sunday, after church in the nursing home, they eat bean burritos. They clean up their yards together, on a schedule.  The unmarried aunties play with the hordes of neices and nephews on a schedule.  Picnics in the backyard, picnics at the park, jogging and excersising, endless bible times, stuffing shoe boxes with crap, cleaning each other's houses, mass cooking and freezing sessions, painting faces and blowing up balloons at the fair, door to door evangelism an singing.  Every single thing is done only with family, all on a strict, spreadsheet schedule.

But I guess it's fun?

[Barb23]

Even tho I snark on the Maxwells,  I do think the Maxwell Institute of Learning turned out better graduates than the Duggar Academy  (aka SOTDRT) and the Rodrigues School of the Bus.  (I know the bar is low.) Maybe it is due to the better education of the elder Maxwells but I  think alot of it is due to their strict scheduling & how their school ran.  No 'Duggar Time' or 'Late Bates' for Steve.  It seemed like the kids had more rigorous assignments & curriculum than the other families incl a senior paper that had to be done before graduating.   Also think it has to do with the number of students & the Maxwells had an age gap too. I read on their blog they were part of a home schooling network (not sure if religion oriented  but  definitely not Gothard related.) I hope the next home-schooled Maxwell generation is educated the same or better than their parents.

ETA:  I did like reading about Terri's dislike of the non-conservative background music that played while they were filling the  Feed My Starving Children Christmas boxes at a local church.  I would love to know what songs they played.

[queenanne]

4 minutes ago, Barb23 said:

ETA:  I did like reading about Terri's dislike of the non-conservative background music that played while they were filling the  Feed My Starving Children Christmas boxes at a local church.  I would love to know what songs they played.

Probably Switchfoot, or anything similar the Duggars object to because it has a beat.  Outside possibility that someone failed to groom all their CDs of every occurrence of ‘Here Comes Santa Claus”, etc.

[queenanne]

12 hours ago, louannems said:

Jill has also bragged that she insisted that her sisters and mother only wear skirts, after Jill was convicted of it.  They were not raised skirts only.

So, Jill is the family bully everyone is afraid of?  Sounds about right...

[lianau]

14 hours ago, Temperance said:

The Maxwells had a family day, where all the family (married children, their spouses, the grandchildren, the unmarrieds, Steve, Teri, Gigi) ate food outdoors and played games. It looked like fun. 

And has God send down the next plagues  to punish them for it ?

[Sew Sumi]

15 hours ago, Temperance said:

The Maxwells had a family day, where all the family (married children, their spouses, the grandchildren, the unmarrieds, Steve, Teri, Gigi) ate food outdoors and played games. It looked like fun. 

Actually, that's "f*n" to Steve. 

[Temperance]

7 hours ago, louannems said:

It would be fun except that is all the Maxwell's EVER do.  Get together with family, on a strict schedule of course.  Every Sunday, after church in the nursing home, they eat bean burritos. They clean up their yards together, on a schedule.  The unmarried aunties play with the hordes of neices and nephews on a schedule.  Picnics in the backyard, picnics at the park, jogging and excersising, endless bible times, stuffing shoe boxes with crap, cleaning each other's houses, mass cooking and freezing sessions, painting faces and blowing up balloons at the fair, door to door evangelism an singing.  Every single thing is done only with family, all on a strict, spreadsheet schedule.

But I guess it's fun?

Actually they did a game/games and an obstacle course and it looked like more fun than usual for them. It was different for them. I agree they don't have much fun in their lives. The above schedule is pretty accurate for what the Maxwells do normally.  

I'm surprised Steve let them have a day like this. Either he's getting slightly less rigid in his old age or he's worried he's losing control over some of them (probably his married kids) as they look beyond the family to find things to fill their lives. 

Edited November 26, 2019 by Temperance

[lianau]

My favourite part of that Maxwell Family Day blog post is this sentence 

"We started out with some activities such as corn hole (loved watching Grandpa and Grandma do that with the kids)"

I know he means the game but I've got  to admit I giggled like a stupid teenager reading that . 

Edited November 27, 2019 by lianau

[Sew Sumi]

Erin has whelped again. 

https://people.com/parents/bringing-up-bates-erin-paine-chad-paine-welcome-daughter-holland-exclusive/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=peoplemag&xid=socialflow_facebook_peoplemag

[galaxychaser]

Baby is so tiny!

Nice to know baby is a chapter not a new human.

[PikaScrewChu]

This "chapter" was born at 35 weeks and 4 days.

Another fundie kid born into the Borg. 

[Sew Sumi]

All of Erin's kids have been born between 35-37 weeks. Her due date for this one was 12/27. Everyone knew she would be lucky to make it to Thanksgiving. However, this is the earliest and smallest one yet. She's really flirting with babies who require a NICU stay.

[sondraK]

Is the Dr inducing Erin early,to keep the babies small? I know w Carson,Erin had placenta previa,and he came early.Not sure about the others.I think there is a chance she could bleed to death if she loses too much blood during delivery,due to her clotting issue.

Erin said they may not have a lot of kids,due to that,but she sure is on track to have a lot! She's beaten out Alyssa n Whitney so far

[Sew Sumi]

I actually asked Erin after Brooklyn was born if she went into labor naturally or was induced. She replied and said she went into labor naturally. I'm assuming that's the case with the last two. 

Edited November 28, 2019 by Sew Sumi

[Zella]

20 minutes ago, Sew Sumi said:

I actually asked Erin after Brooklyn was born of she went into labor naturally or was induced. She replied and said she went into labor naturally. I'm assuming that's the case with the last two. 

So, sounds like she maybe just naturally tends to have them early? I chat with a lady online on another website, and she has mentioned that out of her 6 kids, only 1 was born full-term. The other 5 were between 27 and 34 weeks. 

Edited November 28, 2019 by Zella

[Sew Sumi]

I know she also went into labor naturally with Carson (the placental abrubtion birth). That was the labor/delivery that went so fast that there was no time for an epidural.

[charmed1]

On 10/21/2019 at 11:50 AM, AUgirl said:

I can’t get over the fact that Jill graduated from high school in 1997. I graduated in 1992 and she looks so much older than me. 

Yes. I’m so fascinated by how she manages to look so much older than what she is. I can’t decide if she looks like a currently sixty year old woman or a 41 year old woman in 1992. I had an English teacher in 1993 who looked just like what Jill looks like now. I can’t believe she makes her kids look like little Tammy Faye clones. 

[PikaScrewChu]

7 hours ago, Zella said:

So, sounds like she maybe just naturally tends to have them early? I chat with a lady online on another website, and she has mentioned that out of her 6 kids, only 1 was born full-term. The other 5 were between 27 and 34 weeks. 

It depends on the clotting disorder Erin has. Erin and Carlin are at high risk for preterm delivery and stillbirth if they have the particular one I'm thinking of. 

I've mentioned before my mom has a clotting disorder. It's very likely I do too. They won't find out if I have it until I try to get pregnant, which is why I was surprised the other daughters were tested. In Erin and Carlin's shoes I'd be one and done. The NICU is no joke, especially when you have multiple children at home. Blood thinners are no fun. Nope. No way, no how. 

The Paines strike me as people who are one medical emergency away from bankruptcy. But God will provide and all that...

[galaxychaser]

Nothing from the Rods for days. Are they planning a Xmas wedding?

I bet mama and papa are going out to eat. While the kids will fast at home.

[PradaKitty]

Probably hiding from CPS...

[Westiepeach]

I'm surprised the bridal grifting season has not yet begun. We need to have a "Pamper Mama Bridal Shower" so JillR can get her Kitchen Aid mixer. We all know any shower items that Nurie, you know... the BRIDE... receives... will be handed over to Mama.

[Albanyguy]

Quote

3 hours ago, Westiepeach said:

I'm surprised the bridal grifting season has not yet begun. We need to have a "Pamper Mama Bridal Shower" so JillR can get her Kitchen Aid mixer. We all know any shower items that Nurie, you know... the BRIDE... receives... will be handed over to Mama.

"I was absolutely shocked when Nurie came to me and said that instead of having a shower for herself, she wanted it to be a shower for ME, because she feels that I am responsible for raising her to be the modest, Godly young woman that Nathan fell in love with and wanted to marry! I am so blessed!"

[SMama]

The problem here is I doubt Nathan makes enough to set up a household.  They really need a bridal shower. Unless they move into the Keller pop up camper.