Past Seasons Talk: 7 Seasons and Counting

[mimionthebeach]

So, according to the SYTTD episode, the dress J'chelle wore at her wedding was handed down from Mary Duggar and this was the one on display at Jill's wedding. I guess it makes it just a smidge less All About Me(chelle) since it had been in the family a bit longer. Funny they never mentioned the provenance of the dress on display...

[graefin]

I found the feeding of Jordyn flat on her back with her head almost hanging of the edge of the sofa odd. Is this a thing somewhere? I would think if you want the food to go down, makes sense to have the child oriented so the alimentary canal is working with gravity. 

I think if you don't want to risk aspiration (food going down the trachea and potentially blocking the airway or causing later pneumonia), it makes sense not to feed a child in a horizontal position. Clearly the Duggars are extremely ignorant.

[juneday]

I think if you don't want to risk aspiration (food going down the trachea and potentially blocking the airway or causing later pneumonia), it makes sense not to feed a child in a horizontal position. Clearly the Duggars are extremely ignorant.

I'm not sure how old Jordyn was in that segment, but I've never had a baby and I know that you have to support a baby's head for a long while. So just laying her down on the couch didn't give her much support, plus feeding her lying down was stupid.

[truthtalk2014]

I guess it makes it just a smidge less All About Me(chelle)    

 

Thank you- I think the name is much more befitting than J'Chelle - as I have been referring to her. The bitch will now be referred to as Me(chelle) by ME!  Thank you!

[juneday]

I guess it makes it just a smidge less All About Me(chelle)

Thank you- I think the name is much more befitting than J'Chelle - as I have been referring to her. The bitch will now be referred to as Me(chelle) by ME! Thank you!

Me(chelle) pretty much sums up her disposition.

[mimionthebeach]

I guess it makes it just a smidge less All About Me(chelle)

Thank you- I think the name is much more befitting than J'Chelle - as I have been referring to her. The bitch will now be referred to as Me(chelle) by ME! Thank you!

In keeping with something Jana said in an old episode I saw today, my pleasure. :-)

[alegtostandon]

We are vacationing in Kauai & the condo we are staying in has intermittent cable...was able to see about 10 minutes of an older episode where the Duggars were invited to meet Dolly Patten. Some rep of pigeon fork (?) says something like `...we are so small & safe here, people don't even lock their doors!". My first thought was.not a good idea to announce that on national television...

[Absolom]

Dolly Parton at Pigeon Forge?

[leighroda]

I'm totally 12, but I am watching the one where josh and anna are packing up to move to DC, and Anna just said "the vibrator does not go in the truck" in reference to where things are packed. I know she was talking about a baby vibrating seat... But I still laughed.

[Barb23]

I have to laugh that one of the commercials that always runs on 19K&C is the Gerber Grow Up Life College Savings Plan. I also saw one for some type of medicine for menopausal women. I guess these are products that the Duggars won't endorse/acknowledge.

Watching the episode where Derick comes home from Nepal. When Cathy tells Derick about hoping they (him & Jill) have time to talk, the look on her face says "so you can talk & come to the realization you don't want to join this circus of a family." I'm sure she didn't have one of the Duggar girls in mind when she thought about what type of girl Derick would marry.

This is also the Dinner Theater episode. Producers had to give the kids the idea because what do the Duggars know about a dinner theater. I was surprised Jana was leader but I guess since Jill WAS COURTING she didn't have the time.

I know its been said before but Jill's excitement/giddiness over preparing for Derick's arrival is totally opposite of what she preaches. But, once again, why does this surprise me?

[Absolom]

I'm over halfway through their book and it's as if Jill forgot 90% of what they wrote the minute she began considering Derick even semi-seriously.  It makes me wonder how much of the book was written or dictated by Michelle and Jim Bob.

[floridamom]

jodo: I agree that this IS NOT a position in which to feed anyone, baby, child OR adult. Choking is probable here. Did you also notice that large tablespoon she was shoveling that goop in her little mouth with? I would think that after 19 Kids, and she gave birth to every one of them, that Michelle would have a proper baby spoon with a protective soft part in which to feed her so the metal edge of the spoon wouldn't cut the baby's gums and would be the correct SMALL amount of food...That really disturbed me. I hope Anna doesn't do the same thing with her brood. One eats sitting mostly 'UP".....duhhh. Mother of the Year?????

[floridamom]

I agree that Jill did NOT act anywhere near where she preached in her book, interviews, and prepared for her whole life. She lost her heart at the very first moment that a guy was allowed to Hi to her. She acted like a giddy 5th grader. You don't say "I love you" to someone that you are not losing your heart to. If you do, and make it a casual statement, it loses it's value and this family holds on to their hearts and bodies for dear life as all emotional displays are sinful until after marriage... so, what's up with this? Her silly behavior preparing to meet him at the airport was painful to watch, especially having the whole family descend upon that poor guy and his mother after such a long trip. What if Derick brought all of his missionary team with him to the airport in Nepal when Jill and JB arrived? Would they have appreciated that? I don't think so. To sum it up, this family, 2 generations of it is full of bull-loney, IMO.

[Barb23]

jodo: I agree that this IS NOT a position in which to feed anyone, baby, child OR adult. Choking is probable here. Did you also notice that large tablespoon she was shoveling that goop in her little mouth with? I would think that after 19 Kids, and she gave birth to every one of them, that Michelle would have a proper baby spoon with a protective soft part in which to feed her so the metal edge of the spoon wouldn't cut the baby's gums and would be the correct SMALL amount of food...That really disturbed me. I hope Anna doesn't do the same thing with her brood. One eats sitting mostly 'UP".....duhhh. Mother of the Year?????

Maybe the J'slaves hid the baby spoons from her.

[Barb23]

I'm watching the episode where Jill baysits Miracle Josie while the others went to the Passion Play. Jill is telling us since Josie is a preemie, they have to keep her away from crowds, germs, etc. As she is saying this, Josie is lying on the rug on the floor (not even on a blanket) with toys around her putting her hands in her mouth. I don't want to imagine what germs she is picking up after all the Duggars have walked on that floor. YUK!!!

[riverblue22]

I don't want to imagine what germs she is picking up after all the Duggars have walked on that floor. YUK!!!

 

 

But those are good, modest, Christian germs!  The right kind of Christian, of course!

[juneday]

Not heathen germs! Those are the kind that will get you sick!

[GEML]

You hate to think it, but there really is a way of thinking out there that if you're doing "righteous" things you'll be protected from accidents and illness and things like that. And if course, you can imagine the corollary. It's a horrible message for a child to grow up under who isn't strong or healthy.

[flyingdi]

Jill and Josie were allowed to stay alone while they went to the Passion Play. By their own rules, shouldn't an older kid be required to stay home too?

[Straycat80]

Maybe Grandma Duggar stayed home too. I didn't see her with the rest of the clan at the play.

[Barb23]

Jill and Josie were allowed to stay alone while they went to the Passion Play. By their own rules, shouldn't an older kid be required to stay home too?

Jill is one of the older girls. She didn't go to the play because she had to study for midwifery so she offered to stay w/Josie so Michelle could go.

[Quof]

 

You hate to think it, but there really is a way of thinking out there that if you're doing "righteous" things you'll be protected from accidents and illness and things like that.

God takes care of children and idiots.

[GEML]

Except that real life isn't that tidy. I've known several people killed in automobile accidents on their way to church, or people who came to church so sick and all they did was spread their germs to everyone else.

The idea isn't even Biblical. But then, so many people (Duggars included) claim so many beliefs that aren't. Makes you realize they've never actually read the Bible for themselves, just had people like Bill Gothard telling them what it means.

[mimionthebeach]

Jill is one of the older girls. She didn't go to the play because she had to study for midwifery so she offered to stay w/Josie so Michelle could go.

But Josie's too young to be an accountability partner. Who was there to make sure Jill didn't invite people over or Google something????

[leighroda]

But Josie's too young to be an accountability partner. Who was there to make sure Jill didn't invite people over or Google something????

Maybe that's when she googled derickdillard.

[truthtalk2014]

I just watched the episode where the Miracle Baby had her first birthday.  THey really went all out for the little brat.  I'm sure the other children were extremely jealous because they never get a big deal made of their birthdays. Oh wait, the one got to go to the hospital and eat cafeteria food and pick out a gift from the hospital gift shop.  

 

Also during the birthday episode, does anyone remember when Miracle popped in her outfit and it was all over her stockings and just nasty.  MEchelle made some comment about it being her birthday and she could poop if she wanted to. So she picks up Miracle and sits her on the kitchen countertop!  OMG.  Ben better watch out eating at that house if he is a germaphobic as he seems.  Just nasty.  

 

It also bugged me that MEchelle has all these children, but when the family took their trip to central America- she had Anna's sister stay there for two weeks to do everything for her so she could sit around holding Miracle. That was one time that the girls hair looked really nice- because the sister obviously brushed it.  

 

The other episode that REALLY pissed me off is "Duggars Deliver"  where Josh and Anna made the big production of announcing the gender of baby 2. So MEchelle is the only one that knows  the gender and is sitting on the sofa while Jim Bob tries to get her to tell. Of course she is holding Miracle in her lap.

 

At the same time, poor Jordyn crawls up next to her non existent mother- with what I think was a book in her hand- and tries desperately to get MEchelles attention.  They even had to pan the camera off of poor Jordyn but you could hear her calling out "mama".  The selfish bitch never even turned to look at her.  

 

It really annoys me that MEchelle spent every waking hour at that hospital with Miracle - who had plenty of care 24/7 from qualified nurses- and at the same time left Jordyn and Jennifer home alone all the time.  

Edited October 3, 2014 by truthtalk2014

[GEML]

There is a lot of praise for Jill and Jana and their ability to care for small children (and deservedly so) but one of the nicest Jessa moments in the show was when Michelle had pretty much abandoned the family to sit with Josie and little Jenny was learning to walk and you could see how excited and proud Jessa was for her, and how she gently encouraged and praised her.

It is going to be very hard on these little girls to have these big sisters leave.

[GleamingMist]

It really annoys me that MEchelle spent every waking hour at that hospital with Miracle - who had plenty of care 24/7 from qualified nurses- and at the same time left Jordyn and Jennifer home alone all the time.  

 

THIS!  So much.  My son was born with a lung infection so he spent his first week in the NICU.  I also had a 4 year old at the time so it was hard to juggle time with both kids, but my daughter needed to make sure she wasn't abandoned too.  Our NICU nurses were awesome so we were very confident leaving him.  Michelle had 18 other children who needed their mother too - several of them being very small and not having a total grasp of what was wrong with Josie.  (I know my daughter didn't really understand why her brother was there so that made her act out a bit).  Seeing Michelle almost do a complete hands off with her other kids during that time infuriated me.  Obviously they needed/wanted to be with Josie too but there has to be a balance.  It all goes back to MEchelle (and damn, whoever came up with that is a genius) not giving two shits about her kids once they are past that newborn stage.

[lottiedottie]

Today there was an older episode on, one where one of the boys (I think it was either Jed or Joseph) tried to play a prank on one of the TLC crew. He was holding a doll wrapped in a baby blanket and pretended to drop it (oh, how hilarious. *eyeroll*) but the TLC person was an Asian guy--is he the crew guy people were shipping Jana with? I thought in a previous conversation, someone mentioned Frank (I think that was his name) was Asian? 

[leighroda]

Today there was an older episode on, one where one of the boys (I think it was either Jed or Joseph) tried to play a prank on one of the TLC crew. He was holding a doll wrapped in a baby blanket and pretended to drop it (oh, how hilarious. *eyeroll*) but the TLC person was an Asian guy--is he the crew guy people were shipping Jana with? I thought in a previous conversation, someone mentioned Frank (I think that was his name) was Asian?

I know what you are talking about, but I don't think that was their normal camera crew, I think it was a crew from People, that's how they I introduced it, but I wouldn't be shocked if they were trying to pass their crew off for a People crew.

Another episode was on today where Jim Bob and MEchelle went to Costa Rica to talk about adoption laws or something and and she was saying "we're leaving Jana, Jill, Jinger, and Jessa in charge" and I was wondering how that is different than any other day at their house.

The other thing that bothered me in that episode is when josie had the fever and she was on the phone and she just kept saying "high fever" when she first said it I have her a pass because I thought that maybe she hadn't been through first responder training yet, but then later they said she had... In that situation you need to say what the temp is... "High fever" is a somewhat objective term in which can mean different things to different people. To some 102 is high, others it's 104.

[Barb23]

I also noted in the episode where they (?jill) calls 911 about Josie she said something like "we have a little one here" but never says her age nor does 911 operator ask. Age definitely matters in this situation & where I live, the operators always ask (know this by first hand experience unfortunately.)

I, too, saw MEchelle putting poopy Josie on the counter. Yuck & yuck !! Also during this episode, MEchelle told us it was Josie's one "yearS" birthday. This coming from the teacher of the SOTDRT.

[GEML]

One of the episodes that really bothers me is the one where Josie goes into respiratory distress on her first release from the hospital, and Michelle had JILL making the 911 call. First off, the mother had spent MONTHS with this little baby and would have been the best person to explain what was happening to the person, and could have even been stayed on the line with the dispatcher so the EMTs would have been fully prepared the moment they stepped in.

Second, that is NOT the type of responsibility you pass on to your teenage daughter when you worry that your other daughter is dying. YOU, the mother, make that call, on the tiny chance so etching happens so your daughter doesn't feel it was her fault.

Reminds me of the miscarriage episode where Michelle wasn't really getting medical attention and to this day there isn't clear dating accuracy. But she told us that Jill was "monitoring" her as a sort of "midwife in training." You could see the utter devastation on Jill's face when she learned of the miscarriage, and if either Michelle or JB took to time to reassure her that this wasn't her fault, I don't remember that moment on camera.

I can't help but think Michelle needs someone to blame in these situations. It's pretty clear that their lives went off the deep end after the first miscarriage cAnd you know, it's not that I don't understand that. Misplaced grief is actually pretty human. But that she would place any of this on her DAUGHTER is pretty frightening to contemplate.

[Mrsjumbo]

I was watching an older episode today- Josie was about 1, I think. JBob was taking the kids to clean out yet another property. Jill was left home in charge of the "littles". Michelle had a previously - made appointment. So she said. I can imagine Michelle would do anything rather than be stuck at home with the young kids without the help of the J'slaves. She probably was sitting at Starbucks, reading a book.

[HeyNow]

I was watching, on Netflix, an episode from season one, where Michelle takes a bunch of the boys to the thrift store for shoes.  I can't get over how different her nose looks......... is it just me?

[BitterApple]

I think Michelle spent all her time at the hospital because a) all the attention fed her narcissism and b) it gave her a good excuse to get out of dealing with her other children. 

 

Another thing I also found funny: When Josie first came home to Springdale, I think they were having some sort of graduation party for one of the kids. Michelle made a HUGE deal about Josie needing to remain in her room and kept away from germs, then she brings a whole parade of people, including small children, into her bedroom to see the Miracle Baby. It made no sense.

[WTFFF]

I'm not sure if this should go here, in the "things that get on your nerves" thread or where, but I'm curious: did any of you have a tipping point where the Duggars went from curiosity to roll your eyes at to people you genuinely disliked?

 

I ask because I had so many incidents when I thought to myself "these people disgust me, and I'm officially done with them."  And yet I kept coming back and the negative emotions would cool off and I'd just go back to "eh, well, I loathe the parents, but hey, the kids are likeable, I can just tune out Michelle's baby voice and JimBob's jackass laugh."

 

I made it through eleven year old Joy's jurisdiction being protecting the boys' purity.  I made it through Grandpa Duggar's on-camera decline.  I made it through Josie being put on display, and I made it through Michelle shoving that bow on that poor distressed baby's head (although that was the moment I thought to myself "This bitch isn't just weird, she's legitimately insane.")  I even made it through the sheer reckless stupidity of getting pregnant yet again and thought "I really can't stand them at this point, but they make cute kids, so..."

 

But then there was the Jubilee fiasco, and I was just unable to come back from that.  i still boil with rage when I think about it; all of it.  The hypocrisy of her claiming that she now had "20 children, 19 here and one in Heaven," conveniently forgetting about J'Caleb - and then rerecording the "open letter to Jubilee" and pretending she'd included him all along.  Burying her in a fucking ammo box.  If you truly believe that life begins at conception, then that was *your child* and you buried her in a fucking ammo box.  Turning the funeral into a massive televised spectacle at a megachurch.  Making the kids smile and pose for pictures around what I hope to God was just a box in the room and not the actual "coffin."  Either way it's fucking sick, but if that was actually what they were standing around in those photos...that's just beyond words.  Oh, and constantly fudging the conception date until she made it seem like she'd been 20 weeks pregnant when she'd been saying, I think it was 18, might have been 17, until critics of the show pointed out that this was a miscarriage, not a stillbirth.  Then suddenly she was 20 weeks pregnant. 

 

And I've never come back from that.  Every time I look at Michelle Duggar, I think of what she put her kids through in the name of an embryo that she didn't even treat with the reverence or respect you would think a "dead child" would warrant. 

 

So, am I the only one, or does anyone else have a particular moment where you went from "what a bunch of weirdos" to "what a horrible group of people?"

[kassygreene]

I discovered the Duggars during a time when I had too much time and inferior OnDemand programming.  I had trouble believing what I was seeing, went online to TWOP and confirmed that yes, this is "for real", and decided to view wrestling instead.

 

I still don't watch, but I read this forum.  I guess I'm not a nice person, but I believe I am waiting for the ginormous train wreck when one or more of these kids breaks away.

 

Gosh, I'm an optimist.

[truthtalk2014]

I'm not sure if this should go here, in the "things that get on your nerves" thread or where, but I'm curious: did any of you have a tipping point where the Duggars went from curiosity to roll your eyes at to people you genuinely disliked?

 

I ask because I had so many incidents when I thought to myself "these people disgust me, and I'm officially done with them."  And yet I kept coming back and the negative emotions would cool off and I'd just go back to "eh, well, I loathe the parents, but hey, the kids are likeable, I can just tune out Michelle's baby voice and JimBob's jackass laugh."

 

I made it through eleven year old Joy's jurisdiction being protecting the boys' purity.  I made it through Grandpa Duggar's on-camera decline.  I made it through Josie being put on display, and I made it through Michelle shoving that bow on that poor distressed baby's head (although that was the moment I thought to myself "This bitch isn't just weird, she's legitimately insane.")  I even made it through the sheer reckless stupidity of getting pregnant yet again and thought "I really can't stand them at this point, but they make cute kids, so..."

 

But then there was the Jubilee fiasco, and I was just unable to come back from that.  i still boil with rage when I think about it; all of it.  The hypocrisy of her claiming that she now had "20 children, 19 here and one in Heaven," conveniently forgetting about J'Caleb - and then rerecording the "open letter to Jubilee" and pretending she'd included him all along.  Burying her in a fucking ammo box.  If you truly believe that life begins at conception, then that was *your child* and you buried her in a fucking ammo box.  Turning the funeral into a massive televised spectacle at a megachurch.  Making the kids smile and pose for pictures around what I hope to God was just a box in the room and not the actual "coffin."  Either way it's fucking sick, but if that was actually what they were standing around in those photos...that's just beyond words.  Oh, and constantly fudging the conception date until she made it seem like she'd been 20 weeks pregnant when she'd been saying, I think it was 18, might have been 17, until critics of the show pointed out that this was a miscarriage, not a stillbirth.  Then suddenly she was 20 weeks pregnant. 

 

And I've never come back from that.  Every time I look at Michelle Duggar, I think of what she put her kids through in the name of an embryo that she didn't even treat with the reverence or respect you would think a "dead child" would warrant. 

 

So, am I the only one, or does anyone else have a particular moment where you went from "what a bunch of weirdos" to "what a horrible group of people?"

Wow- what a great question.  I am probably unusual in that I only started watching this horse and pony show in the past year.  I think I initially started watching because of sleep issues.  I would wake at like 4am and be desperate to find something to watch.  And honestly, I was a closet watcher.  I would never let my husband see me watching this show because I was honestly embarrassed.  

 

It goes against almost everything we believe but it's like that horror show you can't stop watching to save your life.  I still NEVER watch with hubby- OMG. He would be yelling out stuff all the time.  But, I watch.  

 

And yes, there have been so many times that I am shocked an appalled by the BS.  I am not sure if I can pinpoint one.  But, if I had to think off the top of my head, it would be Mullet getting pregnant after having Miracle and the BS she put all the children and family through because of Miracle.  

 

I've been to funerals as a child and they are frightening.  There is no way in hell those children should have been put through a miscarriage labeled as a stillborn- buried in an ammo box- and all that weeping.  That is traumatic for children.  The poor "littles"  didn't have a clue what was going on- only that everyone was so sad.  

 

IF MEchelle was any sort of mother, I think she should have told them that the pregnancy didn't work out and leave it at that- not go into that big ass production at the church.  That is so uncalled for.  Now, I'm sure all the fundies that ever have a miscarriage will they they have to have a big burial ceremony.  SICK. 

[juneday]

Who is J'Caleb? (I feel like I should know, but I can't remember.)

I do agree that having that big ass ceremony was completely uncalled for. What ever happened to mourning privately with just yourself and your SO and telling the kids IN PRIVATE and helping them to understand & not making a huge spectacle out of it. I think MeChelle just enjoyed the attention. That sounds horrible to say, I know, but really...she has other children besides Jubilee and she put them through a lot.

[Barb23]

WTFF - this family is like a train wreck for me. Even tho my good angel tells me not to watch, my bad angel always takes over & I continue watching. I think I continue just to see "what else can this circus of a family do?" I've watched since the beginning but didn't realize there were blogs about them til last year while I was recuperating from a broken leg & needed to pass time. The blogs really opened my eyes. For example: Even tho I knew the older girls took care of the littles, I didn't realize how much til I read about it. Also learning about Gothard really explained why they do what they do.

On the Jubilee episode, one thing that upsets me is MEchelle delivering her at home with what I think most if not all of the older girls in attendance. Was it their choice? I understand Jill being there as a student midwife but the poor thing was probably ravaged with guilt. Does anyone know if an actual medical professional was there or was it a free for all like Anna's births? As I said before, this family just amazes me in their stupidity & so I continue watching.

[Barb23]

Caleb is what they named the first miscarriage even tho they didn't know sex of the embryo. This was before they started with the J names. We just add the J to his name so he'll be like the others.

[juneday]

Caleb is what they named the first miscarriage even tho they didn't know sex of the embryo. This was before they started with the J names. We just add the J to his name so he'll be like the others.

Ahh okay, thank you.

How weird is it to name a miscarriage when you didn't even know the gender?

[GEML]

Well, I'm not someone who thinks they are some kind of terrible family. I grew up in some cultures pretty much like theirs, but not QUITE so extreme, so to me it's not scary or horrifying. I never found funerals scary as a child. I didn't think Jessa was laughing at Jana when she told the story about the jewelry box. The fact that they shoot guns a lot doesn't phase me. A lot of the time I think people who really are fully distant from a religious, fundamentalist, southern, red neck, suddenly got some money and fame....I see a lot of motives and intentions ascribed to them that tell me as much about the viewers as I do the Duggars.

That said, I started watching with my son because I left most all of that world behind me and I left for a lot of reasons. But I wanted him to see that it wasn't only his family and family friends, but part of an American subculture. And I also wanted him to know that I wasn't ashamed or embarrassed or afraid to call upon that history or part of our family's past and there were a lot of good qualities that come out of it too, that many people admire and even wish they had.

So it's more ambivalent for me.

(And I do think that Michelle has issues all her own and that has played a major role in this family in particular that says nothing about anyone or any particular aspect or culture except that living with someone with a personality disorder is difficult, and even destructive, but hard to see when inside of it.)

[Mrsjumbo]

I was mildly interested in them because many years ago we moved here from the Midwest. We saw the Duggars at a 4th of July parade (I think Jim Holt? was running for something) & they were all dressed in red polos/ jeans or denim skirts. Jessa handed me a flyer.

I had a benign view of them but didn't really watch the show when it started. I thought she was a kooky religious lady that had a lot of kids. And being Catholic, I know plenty of families that had 13 or 14 kids & didn't believe in birth control, so that wasn't all that odd to me.

But after Josie & her apparent delays I started to get angry. I have an autistic boy, & I tried to get answers for his delays (therapists & dr's kept telling me he was fine & would catch up). I would have a LOT more respect if she had voiced concerns & showed Josie having speech , physical & occupational therapies. Instead they just try to insist everything is fine.

And after all of that... She got pg again. Was she really expecting a good outcome after Josie was so early? It was just so irresponsible!

I watch only occasionally but through these boards have learned so much more. I like to watch to see the background areas (there's our square! I went to that restaurant!). If it was not local I'm sure I even wouldn't bother watching.

[andromeda331]

I'm curious: did any of you have a tipping point where the Duggars went from curiosity to roll your eyes at to people you genuinely disliked?

 

 

Mine was fairly early on, I remember read articles about the family when and caught my first episode was the one when Jordyn was born. I thought it was a cute show and a cute family, the family piling in names for the new baby and buying new bedding. I remember thinking it was kind of nice that at on the eighteenth kid they bought something new. Then I went back to watch the first very first special of 14 Kids and Counting,that one kind of was the one that opened my eyes, the Mom admitting she hands off her six month old to her which ever daughter's turn it was. As if that was eye-opening enough the scenes of the girls doing just that everything brushing their hair to feeding them. That was when my dislike started.Each episode afterwards the amount of work all the girls did continued to down the road of dislike. At one point I wondered how many episodes it would take before I saw Michelle actually doing her job as a mother. Or if I would ever see an episode where Jana gets to do something other then work. Or if I would ever see an episode that explains where all their fans comments of what a great family they are and what great Mother Michelle is comes from. I lost count on how many examples of being bad parents JimBob and Michelle are. I know every parent makes mistakes but when your child goes missing and your daughter ends up comforting him. That's being a bad mom. When your son falls and could have seriously injured himself you don't take pictures with your camera. After Josie's very early delivery, and I do agree it is a miracle that girl is still alive. JimBob and Michelle still learned nothing from it. Their purposely under educating their children and only want their daughters to be mothers. Women have fought for centuries to get and in some countries still are fighting for the right to chose what ever life they want whether it be a lawyer, a doctor, who they want to marry and how many children they want to have. Or even decide marriage and children isn't for them. Why would you want to limit your daughters when they live in era where women can finally do or be anyone they want to be? The same with education, there's so many ways to get a good education why limit your kids? 

[leighroda]

Today the one where they are in the lake and Mechelle is wake boarding and showed her knees and she asked production to black them out was on... Too bad earlier in the show it showed her straddling Jim Bob on a jet ski and I saw her knees... Yup I saw her knee... Basically it has turned me lesbian and I'm making arrangements to move to Arkansas to live closer to my precious.

[floridamom]

During the "vow removal" ceremony for JB and Michelle which re-aired recently,, Michelle was asked to recount the births of her children. I noticed that all the babies from Jackson on down were beginning to have birth position issues, etc...and finally to Josie and Jubilee...who weren't born when that episode aired. (Jchelle was expecting Josie, I think). Anyhow, didn't she notice that issue, combining that with her advancing age for babies, and multiple births, maybe the Lord was trying to tell her something back then and she wasn't listening? Stubborn woman, as one of her sisters indicated....the more her parents told her "no", the more she pushed for what she wanted...a spoiled brat even then.

[Jellybeans]

I see several references to Narcissism. As a daughter of a Narcissistic mother, I sorta see some traits. But a Narcissistic Mother always has a "Golden Child", one who can do no wrong. Who is that child? Who is the "scapegoat child" the one who can never do anything right?

Just asking the long-term watchers of the show...

[zenme]

I see several references to Narcissism. As a daughter of a Narcissistic mother, I sorta see some traits. But a Narcissistic Mother always has a "Golden Child", one who can do no wrong. Who is that child? Who is the "scapegoat child" the one who can never do anything right?

 

Hmm...that's a tough one because we don't see her really interact with anyone other than Jim Bob, but I would have to say the Golden Child could be Josie.  I think her old fave was Josh until he left and cleaved.  Scapegoat kid?  Hmm...I have to think about it.

[Jellybeans]

Hmm...that's a tough one because we don't see her really interact with anyone other than Jim Bob, but I would have to say the Golden Child could be Josie.  I think her old fave was Josh until he left and cleaved.  Scapegoat kid?  Hmm...I have to think about it.

Thanks. If you read about Narcissism, it is associated with the "golden child/scapegoat child" interplay. It is rough stuff to deal with. I believe Michelle is mentally ill but I am not so sure it is Narcissism. She is rather consistent with the kids from what I see. Again, I am new to the series and this is my firs mystifying season.