Jessa, Ben and Their Brood: Making a (Diaper) Mountain out of a Mold House

[Tikichick]

4 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

She's using an Instagram filter.  She would have been better off actually putting on makeup instead of relying on a filter.  Filters are supposed to enhance your image or distort it, not make you look worse.

Ah, that makes sense.   I've recognized the filter several of her sisters are fond that makes skin look like enameled porcelain, as in literally ready to audition for a K-Pop group.

[SMama]

12 hours ago, crazy8s said:

but why that big slide in the living room is not outside is beyond me...

 

Because it will require Jessa Blessa to be outside actively supervising her children. SBaby had a small play structure with a slide. We had a small back yard area, so it went on the large front yard. That meant I was out there with her. But when the temperature was over 90 we would sometimes bring it inside. Or we would put her plastic pool at the end of the slide to help her (and us) cool off. Having children requires work. Jessa doesn’t do work.

[SMama]

13 minutes ago, SMama said:

Because it will require Jessa Blessa to be outside actively supervising her children. SBaby had a small play structure with a slide. We had a small back yard patio with cement so it went on the large front yard. That meant I was out there with her. But when the temperature was over 90 we would sometimes bring it inside. Or we would put her plastic pool at the end of the slide to help her (and us) cool off. Having children requires work. Jessa doesn’t do work.

 

[JoanArc]

1 hour ago, SMama said:

Because it will require Jessa Blessa to be outside actively supervising her children. SBaby had a small play structure with a slide. We had a small back yard area, so it went on the large front yard. That meant I was out there with her. But when the temperature was over 90 we would sometimes bring it inside. Or we would put her plastic pool at the end of the slide to help her (and us) cool off. Having children requires work. Jessa doesn’t do work.

 She can just have Ben supervise them?

[SMama]

1 minute ago, JoanArc said:

 She can just have Ben supervise them?

Bin is busy doing time at the TTH as an indentured servant. His free time is probably spent writing sermons for his sweet church. BTW, totally agree he has equal responsibility for his children. 

[JoanArc]

1 minute ago, SMama said:

Bin is busy

😄 I’ll stop you right there! 

[crazy8s]

the boys are old enough to play outside, in their own yard without a parent in constant attendance.

but easier for Jessa to film and take pics if they are all crammed in the living room to play all day.

 

[GeeGolly]

Jessa has said she has "such sweet memories" of having a slide indoors.

However if I were to imagine a young Jessa playing with her siblings on a slide, I'd picture her playing King of the Mountain and using it as an excuse to terrorize her siblings.

[cmr2014]

27 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Jessa has said she has "such sweet memories" of having a slide indoors.

However if I were to imagine a young Jessa playing with her siblings on a slide, I'd picture her playing King of the Mountain and using it as an excuse to terrorize her siblings.

Isn't there a slide in the playroom at the TTH? If that's the slide, then her "sweet memories" are of watching her siblings play on it -- 10 is pretty old for a slide, and certainly too old for someone with sister-mom duties.

[GeeGolly]

30 minutes ago, cmr2014 said:

Isn't there a slide in the playroom at the TTH? If that's the slide, then her "sweet memories" are of watching her siblings play on it -- 10 is pretty old for a slide, and certainly too old for someone with sister-mom duties.

The slide in the TTH starts in the boys room, down into the playroom. I think she was talking about from before the TTH. 

[JoanArc]

Quote

Jessa has said she has "such sweet memories" of having a slide indoors.

It's how she got away with throwing her brothers downstairs!

[Jeeves]

18 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

The slide in the TTH starts in the boys room, down into the playroom. I think she was talking about from before the TTH. 

I thought they were jammed in a small house before the TTH. Would there have been room for an indoor slide? Maybe it was somewhere else.

[GeeGolly]

34 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

I thought they were jammed in a small house before the TTH. Would there have been room for an indoor slide? Maybe it was somewhere else.

I think they lived in three homes before the TTH. I very tiny one, then one on church property and then a short term loaner. @emmawoodhousemight know better.

I believe this is the house they were in when they began filming. Who knows where a slide would fit.

Edited April 29, 2021 by GeeGolly

[SMama]

58 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

The slide in the TTH starts in the boys room, down into the playroom. I think she was talking about from before the TTH. 

That always bothered me, slide for the boys. If they couldn’t add one for the girls then do what many fast food places do in their playgrounds. 

[Churchhoney]

2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Jessa has said she has "such sweet memories" of having a slide indoors.

However if I were to imagine a young Jessa playing with her siblings on a slide, I'd picture her playing King of the Mountain and using it as an excuse to terrorize her siblings.

Are you suggesting that Jessa would not consider those sweet memories??? 😁

[cmr2014]

2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

The slide in the TTH starts in the boys room, down into the playroom. I think she was talking about from before the TTH. 

It seems unlikely to me that they had a slide in any of the smaller houses. I think they moved in one of the specials to a house that was "much bigger" but still 3BR (I think this one had 2 baths, and we saw the bathroom chart in that special). All of those houses were small for that many people and the point behind the specials always seemed to be having them explain how they crammed so many people into such a tiny space. Maybe they had a plastic slide like that when Jessa was really small and there weren't eleventy-billion kids, and there was room for actual toys, and it was a good memory for her.

From my own personal experience as a child, I believe that slides are fun in proportion to drop. The tiny plastic slide that Jessa has in her living room is really too small to be much fun. Maybe fun for Ivy, but I think even Henry is too big for that.

On a related note, I wonder sometimes about the state of the TTH. Does that slide still exist? Is it even remotely safe? The house was built by children 15 years ago and has been beat on by 20+ people every day, all day, for every minute of it. I don't for one minute believe that they do any maintenance on the house, and it just seems likely to me that it's really beat up at this point.

[GeeGolly]

Not to belabor the point ...

https://people.com/home/pregnant-jessa-seewald-home-minimalist-makeover/

“Such a blessing. The boys play on it all the time, and it’s great when the weather is rainy or bad as a way for them to get their energy out indoors. (Got this idea from my mom, as we had a similar slide in our living room growing up. 😉).”

 

 

[crazy8s]

8 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Not to belabor the point ...

https://people.com/home/pregnant-jessa-seewald-home-minimalist-makeover/

“Such a blessing. The boys play on it all the time, and it’s great when the weather is rainy or bad as a way for them to get their energy out indoors. (Got this idea from my mom, as we had a similar slide in our living room growing up. 😉).”

this is helpful for context - I have never heard that and I always think you have a small house and 3 kids, a large yard why wouldn't that thing be outside.

then I remember duggar children shown on scooters, etc in the TTH house I think maybe they never learned to play outside.

also on getting energy out - there is always the obedience game......

[Churchhoney]

All I know is that I feel bad for the Seewald kids whenever I see that teensy slide. I've never known -- or been -- a kid whose interest in sliding boards wasn't speed and speed alone.  

Only a ping pong ball could get the thrill of speed out of that tiny hunk of near-horizontal plastic. 

[BigBingerBro]

21 minutes ago, crazy8s said:

 

then I remember duggar children shown on scooters, etc in the TTH house I think maybe they never learned to play outside.

I remember one episode where they taped off the floor and played 4-square in the house with Grandma Mary.  Like WTF?

[GeeGolly]

31 minutes ago, Churchhoney said:

All I know is that I feel bad for the Seewald kids whenever I see that teensy slide. I've never known -- or been -- a kid whose interest in sliding boards wasn't speed and speed alone.  

Only a ping pong ball could get the thrill of speed out of that tiny hunk of near-horizontal plastic. 

They are fun when kids are allowed to get creative. Racing Matchboxes, rolling Superballs up the slide, etc. But yea, little plastic slides quickly become a very boring toy. 

[Churchhoney]

48 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

They are fun when kids are allowed to get creative. Racing Matchboxes, rolling Superballs up the slide, etc. But yea, little plastic slides quickly become a very boring toy. 

Yeah, I figure they must use it to run cars on and such .....

But Jessa's claims that Spurge and Henry have used it in the past couple years to work off their outdoor energy -- uh, nope. It hasn't been an exercise toy for the boys for a long time.🙃

[thehorseofpower]

11 hours ago, Tikichick said:

I had noticed Jessa didn't look great in the photo and thought maybe she's going through a rough patch in her pregnancy, which may be true.  Then I realized the color of her hair seemed very off.   I don't understand the technical details, but when I look at the picture it seems that most of the red/pink type tones are missing.   I wonder if the picture was color corrected if it might impact the way we all perceive the way she looks?   The hair color definitely reads late 40s, early 50s to me.

I thought the same thing - her hair looks gray or frosted. Definitely not flattering color tones for her.

[JoanArc]

3 hours ago, thehorseofpower said:

I thought the same thing - her hair looks gray or frosted. Definitely not flattering color tones for her.

 Her hair will be pure white tomorrow!

[cmr2014]

36 minutes ago, JoanArc said:

 Her hair will be pure white tomorrow!

I've read this before, and I've seen it myself, people don't age linearly, big traumatic events can age people overnight.

I'd like to see JB and J'chelle with white hair and haggard faces. I don't think that will happen since I don't think they're capable of acknowledging any wrong-doing on their part. I don't think it will happen to Jessa either -- Jesus knows who the true believers are, and he won't let anything happen to her, right?

[JoanArc]

4 minutes ago, cmr2014 said:

I'd like to see JB and J'chelle with white hair and haggard faces. I don't think that will happen since I don't think they're capable of acknowledging any wrong-doing on their part.

 I agree, if anything they have 18 other donor bodies of life force to suck out.  But I do wish it would happen. It will if/when the empire crumbles.

[Nysha]

6 minutes ago, cmr2014 said:

I'd like to see JB and J'chelle with white hair and haggard faces. I don't think that will happen since I don't think they're capable of acknowledging any wrong-doing on their part. I don't think it will happen to Jessa either -- Jesus knows who the true believers are, and he won't let anything happen to her, right?

I agree that they will never in a million years acknowledge any wrong-doing, but I bet all three of them are stressing out big time about the possibility of the show being canceled or permanently delayed because of Josh's arrest.

I think not being on the show would be the best thing to happen to Ben & their kids. I'm sure Ben gets a small salary from his church and without any money from TLC/JB, he would definitely have to get a real job. Real jobs usually come with real self-respect, something he very badly needs.

[GeeGolly]

Jessa's personal profile on her resume -

Famous Duggar and author looking for employment in any field, 15 years experience on television, author at age 20, extensive experience walking through seasons of life with Jesus, specialties include packing copious amounts of luggage and building perpendicular things. I have never filed for bankruptcy. 

[iwantcookies]

Wonder if she will drop Duggar as her name when working at Burger King... Assuming they even hire her...

 

 

[iwantcookies]

Huh bet Jess is done selling necklaces/etc online for a LONG time. 

[GeeGolly]

I apologize for my earlier post. To me it was much funnier before the charges were known.

[JoanArc]

1 minute ago, GeeGolly said:

I apologize for my earlier post. To me it was much funnier before the charges were known.

By her own public admission her abuse was no big deal. There should be no big deal either, right? It’s OK for, the bite some people in the ass.

[Slakkie]

54 minutes ago, JoanArc said:

By her own public admission her abuse was no big deal. There should be no big deal either, right? It’s OK for, the bite some people in the ass.

I don't think that is fair - these girls have been abused not only by Josh but by their PARENTS.  We need to be kind to them - they were victims.  

[satrunrose]

If TLC pulls the plug, I have some hope for Jessa and Ben. Despite how much we rag on Jessa for her lazy and sloppy ways, they do have a pretty low-cost lifestyle. Ben has a degree and Jessa has shown at least some hints of hustle. 

[Tikichick]

6 hours ago, Slakkie said:

I don't think that is fair - these girls have been abused not only by Josh but by their PARENTS.  We need to be kind to them - they were victims.  

I feel for her, especially being pregnant.   I don't hold any statements against her that she made under duress, never having received treatment and support when she needed it, instead being made to accept culpability for being abused.

I hope she makes it through her pregnancy in good health and is able to find peace in her heart during so much family turbulence and uncertainty.  

[Churchhoney]

6 hours ago, Slakkie said:

I don't think that is fair - these girls have been abused not only by Josh but by their PARENTS.  We need to be kind to them - they were victims.  

And it's one thing to be in a situation where you're convinced to downplay something that's happened to you. She accepted an interpretation that made her parents happier and let her brother off the hook. She wasn't lacking in empathy in doing that. She was going along to get along and make the family happier, minimizing what it seems to me had to be her own confusion, at the very least.

Her parents, however.....How they could see something like this happen to their young daughters -- and then push everybody to downplay it....is really hard to understand....

That is a lack of empathy -- a very hard one to forgive when you're thinking of a mother and father and their little girls, seems to me --  it's horrifying. 

....Also horrifying is that they dismissed in a similar way what was going on with Josh.....They swept all the kids under the rug in one way or another, for the sake of their image and because they accept a version of the world that doesn't take children, among others, seriously....

 

Edited May 1, 2021 by Churchhoney

[CrazyInAlabama]

In my personal view, the only ones that the Duggar parents and family care about are the sons, and only if they do everything the parents tell them to do.   The daughters are just house servants, baby sitters, and to pop out the next generation.   They don't care about their daughters at all.    

[Slakkie]

4 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

In my personal view, the only ones that the Duggar parents and family care about are the sons, and only if they do everything the parents tell them to do.   The daughters are just house servants, baby sitters, and to pop out the next generation.   They don't care about their daughters at all.    

I think it is worse than that.  I think they only care about THEM and so if Josh is not a vile pervert then they can continue to say they are great parents.  I do agree the MEN of the family are important but more important is what great parents they are and how well they have raised their kids.

[satrunrose]

3 hours ago, Slakkie said:

I think it is worse than that.  I think they only care about THEM and so if Josh is not a vile pervert then they can continue to say they are great parents.  I do agree the MEN of the family are important but more important is what great parents they are and how well they have raised their kids.

I agree, and you can see it in how they treat their daughters. Remember that Jessa got publicly complimented for bringing thousands of young women to Christ.

Not Jinger, a preacher's wife whose major hobby is said to be god-bothering people on planes.

Not Jana, who has lived an exemplary victorian spinster life and has never even threatened (publicly, at least) to go live a very normal independent life as a single woman.

Not Joy, who posts the most Jesus stuff and never seemed to even consider slowing down the baby train after one bad (Giddy) and one tragic (Annabelle) pregnancy. 

Not Jenny, Jordan or Johanna who look neglected and almost never smile

Not Josie who was a literal poster child for pro-birth.

And not Jill, who was a freakin' missionary! 

Nope, it's Jessa, married to a bit of a dishrag and whose social media posts constantly show the failures of the Duggar approach to learning (She can't keep house or cook worth a damn and her diy projects all have major corners cut), but she is the big family apologist and the one who gives tongue baths to her parents so she's the one who wins the Best Christian Daughter prize. It's messed up.

Edited May 1, 2021 by satrunrose

[Slakkie]

Well Jessa and Ben both posted and I think TTH is going to have less visitors.  Maybe this will be the wakeup call and the kids can get therapy.

[BigBingerBro]

Just now, Slakkie said:

and the kids can get therapy.

Therapy and real jobs.  It would do them all a world of good.

[Slakkie]

Just now, BigBingerBro said:

Therapy and real jobs.  It would do them all a world of good.

at this point I will start with therapy.  I think then actually working for a living would be a step.  I actually really REALLY feel bad for the Duggar family other than the perv and the enablers.  I have to believe that this has to be devastating but I do hope that they will seek help and get away from the abuse

[Jeeves]

Just now, Slakkie said:

at this point I will start with therapy.  I think then actually working for a living would be a step.  I actually really REALLY feel bad for the Duggar family other than the perv and the enablers.  I have to believe that this has to be devastating but I do hope that they will seek help and get away from the abuse

I don't see Jessa doing anything other than what her parents dictate. I see her parents just doubling down on the insane bullshit Bill Gothard doctrines that they have been profitably espousing for decades now. Those doctrines would not allow for therapy for anyone, would place the blame for Josh's misbehavior on Anna, and would view any sexual assualts on children as opportunities for the victims to get closer to God. If you doubt that's what Gothard says and the Duggars teach? Look at this: https://www.facebook.com/ThrivingForwardBlog/posts/157539799705930 

I can't imagine Ben bucking the Duggar power structure and his wife by doing or saying anything out of line with what JB and Michelle dictate. 

[satrunrose]

It's possible they might come down harder because of the porn angle, but given what Gothard teaches about the way you should regard your own four-year-old child in the aftermath of assault (spoiler tagged 'cause very, very disturbing), I'm not convinced family mouthpiece Jessa is going to do anything other than parrot her parents. If Jessa couldn't condemn Josh for attacking her and her sisters, I doubt she's going to for kids that she doesn't know and won't ever meet (empathy not being in the Duggar play book at all. 

Spoiler

Short version: little kid brought it on himself by a variety of sins, including not screaming for help and it'll be good for him spiritually in the long run. 

 

[Temperance]

Jessa's and Ben's statement is close to the statements made by JB and Michelle. I doubt that will affect her relationship with her parents. 

I wish Jessa would see a therapist if she's not already.

[cmr2014]

1 hour ago, Temperance said:

Jessa's and Ben's statement is close to the statements made by JB and Michelle. I doubt that will affect her relationship with her parents. 

I wish Jessa would see a therapist if she's not already.

Jessa's post reminded me of some conversations that went on about the time of the first scandal. Within their cult, sin is sin, so masterbation and rape are both sins and there's no reali differentiation between them.

In Jessa's statement, she references "porn" which is a sin to her, and it may not be relevant to her that it's "child porn." I wonder if she's really able to wrap her head around the idea that this is much more serious than the Ashley Madison scandal or Josh's alleged "porn addiction." She has children, so I would expect her to feel a general sort of desire to protect children, but their beliefs are very clear that children are sinners and children can "temp" adults to sin.

[emmawoodhouse]

By that logic, unsaved 10 year old Jessa (I think she was saved at 12) tempted her older brother to sin. That's beyond twisted. 

[MsJamieDornan]

14 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

By that logic, unsaved 10 year old Jessa (I think she was saved at 12) tempted her older brother to sin. That's beyond twisted. 

Not in JBoogers mind.

[GeeGolly]

Jessa did a congratulatory IG Story for the Vuolo's book launch.

Is there a reason she doesn't just post and shut off the comment section?

[GeeGolly]

Josh will be making headlines again for the next few days, then likely nothing until July. I doubt Jessa will stay off SM for the next couple of months. I wonder if her content will change or if it will be SOP.