Jill, Derick & the Kids: Moving On!!

[Madtown]

I'm thinking that if Derick had passed any exams, Jill would've been all over SM with it. She had quite a few Insta-stories last month about being stressed out. I wonder if that's when they found out he didn't pass?

[Minivanessa]

2 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

Lots of people (some I know, who are family, have law degrees, and work at high paying jobs without passing the bar.  it was never their intention.  But having a law degree comes in handy.  Several popular journalists have law degrees but are on the teevee.  I don't know if they took/passed the Bar.  One of them said he never had any intention of working in "the law" but wanted that background for whatever he decided to do.

I think people who went for the JD degree without intending to practice, and to use it in a different career path, were wise. Because there was a huge oversupply JD degrees being cranked out over the last couple of decades compared to the need for practicing lawyers. This article suggests it's not as bad now as it was a few years ago - but there's still probably an oversupply of newly minted JD's out there IMO.

At least Derick graduated from the state university's law school in his state of residence, vs. one of the bottom-tier private law schools with horrendously low employment stats for its graduates. He also I'm sure has connections around the area that a new resident wouldn't have. His accounting degree could be a good asset depending on what he wants to do, since he knows lots of useful stuff that, for instance, a lawyer with a history undergrad major probably wouldn't. 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Jeeves

[Scarlett45]

I am sorry Derrick did not pass. The Bar Exam is STRESSFUL ENOUGH, even for the most prepared, efficient hard working test takers. I know some people that failed due to pure anxiety, but were able to pass the second time around and have promising careers. 

I think the biggest issue is the mental block of "I failed once, I may fail again." But he can pass it if he recognizes where/when he went wrong with his prep and commits to taking it again in Feb. Many Bar Prep courses (like Barbri) will give you another session of prep for free if you fail the first time.

 

Edited to Add-  I dont blame Jill at all. It could be anything to "Derrick didnt prep enough." to "Derrick was mentally exhausted and just missed by a few points." to "Derrick is an awful test taker full of anxiety and he didnt finish and that is why he failed."

[SMama]

1 hour ago, Madtown said:

I'm thinking that if Derick had passed any exams, Jill would've been all over SM with it. She had quite a few Insta-stories last month about being stressed out. I wonder if that's when they found out he didn't pass?

I thought the list just came out, testing was July 27/28.

[Ohiopirate02]

20 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I am sorry Derrick did not pass. The Bar Exam is STRESSFUL ENOUGH, even for the most prepared, efficient hard working test takers. I know some people that failed due to pure anxiety, but were able to pass the second time around and have promising careers. 

I think the biggest issue is the mental block of "I failed once, I may fail again." But he can pass it if he recognizes where/when he went wrong with his prep and commits to taking it again in Feb. Many Bar Prep courses (like Barbri) will give you another session of prep for free if you fail the first time.

 

Edited to Add-  I dont blame Jill at all. It could be anything to "Derrick didnt prep enough." to "Derrick was mentally exhausted and just missed by a few points." to "Derrick is an awful test taker full of anxiety and he didnt finish and that is why he failed."

I agree.  Also, attempting to study at home with a wife and two kids is difficult.  I'm not blaming Jill here, really any family is liable to be a distraction in the best of times.  And, 2021 is not the best of times.  I don't know about Arkansas, but in my area, the libraries are not open for studying.  We are open, but only for people to get in and get out.  It is very possible that Derick did not have the choice of going to the library to sit and study for 4+ hours on a daily basis.  And even if Jill did take the boys out of the house on a daily basis, where could she take them for more than an hour or two on their budget?  

[Zella]

I think every library board is setting its own policies. In mine, people can come in and browse, but they are capped on the amount of time they can spend. No more than an hour. We have had people go nuclear over that, especially since some of them are used to staying all day, but it definitely would prevent anyone from doing extensive studying like you would need for the bar exam.

[Nysha]

My college library has occupancy limits and is currently not open to the public, but they were open to students. Derek did a lot of studying at school his first year, so I would think he could have gone there to study. 

[Rootbeer]

1 hour ago, Jeeves said:

I think people who went for the JD degree without intending to practice, and to use it in a different career path, were wise. Because there was a huge oversupply JD degrees being cranked out over the last couple of decades compared to the need for practicing lawyers. This article suggests it's not as bad now as it was a few years ago - but there's still probably an oversupply of newly minted JD's out there IMO.

At least Derick graduated from the state university's law school in his state of residence, vs. one of the bottom-tier private law schools with horrendously low employment stats for its graduates. He also I'm sure has connections around the area that a new resident wouldn't have. His accounting degree could be a good asset depending on what he wants to do, since he knows lots of useful stuff that, for instance, a lawyer with a history undergrad major probably wouldn't. 

My sister, who has an accounting degree, also has a law degree.  She never intended to practice law, she felt it would be useful in any business setting and it has been.  She did pass the bar on her second try and does keep her license current, but she's never practiced law in the traditional sense and has no plans to ever change that.  She also worked full time while attending law school.

Considering what a big emphasis Jill and Derick made on his attending law school, the fact that Derick hasn't been gainfully employed in accounting in many years and Derick's own pronouncement that he was becoming a lawyer to help the downtrodden; I think it is a safe bet that Derick really did plan to become a practicing attorney.  I hope he's able to pass the bar at some point and work as it doesn't seem like he's got a backup plan.

[Ohiopirate02]

3 minutes ago, Nysha said:

My college library has occupancy limits and is currently not open to the public, but they were open to students. Derek did a lot of studying at school his first year, so I would think he could have gone there to study. 

It really depends on the school.  Once Derick graduated, he was no longer a student of U of A and may have lost library privileges.  This pandemic really sucks for many reasons.  Before March 2020, almost every university library was open to the public, but it's a different story now.  

[Minivanessa]

Oh, I agree that from what they've said on SM, Derick probably intends to practice law. I was just noting that his accounting background gives him some knowledge and skills that may be useful depending on the type of work involved with his law practice. 

[Zella]

At the U of A in normal times, you can still have library privileges if you join the alumni association. It was my primary motivation for doing so. Lol but I have no clue what their pandemic policies have been. The law library is also its own separate thing. It had quite an air of exclusivity to it, which is one reason my friends and I delighted in crashing their coffee shop. Have no clue if we would have ever been removed for not being law students, but we fancied ourselves as very naughty adventurers for doing so. In any event, I would assume law students who are alumni members would normally still have the same library privileges I enjoy but not sure if they'd have access during the pandemic. 

[AryasMum]

On 8/26/2021 at 11:29 AM, Absolom said:

In Jill's current world of SBC it's absolutely allowed as long as Derick goes along with it.  Jill has skipped out on quite a bit of Gothardism.  

Agreed. And I see plenty of educated people exclaiming “viola”, which makes me giggle. 

[Lady Whistleup]

I want Derick to pass the bar not because I like him or anything, but because I feel like a stable financial future would be best for Izzy and Sam. I feel like both are bright boys, and I want them to have the kind of education that Jill never got. 

[SMama]

1 hour ago, Rootbeer said:

 I hope he's able to pass the bar at some point and work as it doesn't seem like he's got a backup plan.

He doesn’t need one, the Lord will lead him in whatever shiny direction. 

[iwantcookies]

24 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I want Derick to pass the bar not because I like him or anything, but because I feel like a stable financial future would be best for Izzy and Sam. I feel like both are bright boys, and I want them to have the kind of education that Jill never got. 

Same. Supporting a family of 4 is expensive.

11 minutes ago, SMama said:

He doesn’t need one, the Lord will lead him in whatever shiny direction. 

I can’t even predict Dereck’s new passion after law school.

If he doesn’t pass the bar what will he do?

 

[Westiepeach]

2 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

Same. Supporting a family of 4 is expensive.

I can’t even predict Dereck’s new passion after law school.

If he doesn’t pass the bar what will he do?

 

What’s left? Medical school?

[Heathen]

9 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

What’s left? Medical school?

Master's or another doctorate. But I predict he'll take the bar exam again, and pass it. It's not like he was the only law graduate in the country or even in his class who didn't pass. 

[ginger90]

3 hours ago, Zella said:

At the U of A in normal times, you can still have library privileges if you join the alumni association. It was my primary motivation for doing so. Lol but I have no clue what their pandemic policies have been. The law library is also its own separate thing. It had quite an air of exclusivity to it, which is one reason my friends and I delighted in crashing their coffee shop. Have no clue if we would have ever been removed for not being law students, but we fancied ourselves as very naughty adventurers for doing so. In any event, I would assume law students who are alumni members would normally still have the same library privileges I enjoy but not sure if they'd have access during the pandemic. 

Found this for the library:

[Scarlett45]

3 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

Same. Supporting a family of 4 is expensive.

I can’t even predict Dereck’s new passion after law school.

If he doesn’t pass the bar what will he do?

 

I know a few people who never passed the bar that work as office managers for law firms and/or a paralegal.

Licensed or not he will be able to find a job. I could see someone hiring him to do admin/paralegal work while he waited for the results of the February exam. 

[iwantcookies]

4 hours ago, Westiepeach said:

What’s left? Medical school?

Vegan chef 😂

[MsJamieDornan]

9 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

I can’t even predict Dereck’s new passion after law school.

Interpretive dance ?

[charmed1]

If Derek grew back that man-bun, he’d fit right in as an associate at the Apple store in my town.

Edited September 4, 2021 by charmed1

[floridamom]

I hope Derick tries again. Many people do not pass on the first try. Derick's results are public, I'm sorry for that. Many people don't pass "in private'. He should have known that for the most part, all other aspects of your life "stop" when studying for the Bar. He should spend a great deal of his study prep-time at the university library. Only there, will he have the quiet and focus he needs. 

[sheshark]

18 hours ago, AryasMum said:

Agreed. And I see plenty of educated people exclaiming “viola”, which makes me giggle. 

Better than Jessa’s “walla”. Maybe Derick will apply to the FBI now.

[BigBingerBro]

[Rootbeer]

25 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

How would 10 outfits per person cut down on laundry?  Do they wear each outfit until it is so filthy it falls off?  Presuming her kids are typical kids, they would usually need a fresh outfit daily no matter how many clothes they have.  I do get the idea of not giving kids access to every piece of clothing they own so as not to see them in swim suits in January or have them wear 6 different outfits a day.  In Jessa's case, she forgets to mention that she and Bin and 4 kids are living in a 4 room house which precludes owning a lot of clothing.

As for the 'living out of the laundry basket', I actually did that for a bit while younger when I didn't have a dresser.  First rule: FOLD the dam* clothes and smooth out the wrinkles when placing them in the basket, dummy!  The goal for most people is to NOT look like they're living out of a laundry basket.

Edited September 4, 2021 by Rootbeer

[BitterApple]

Capsule wardrobe usually means 10 pieces of clothing per person, not ten complete outfits. Either Jessa misspoke or she's a complete idiot and has no clue what the concept is really about.

Edited September 4, 2021 by BitterApple

[Rootbeer]

1 minute ago, BitterApple said:

Capsule wardrobe usually means 10 pieces of clothing per person, not ten complete outfits. Either Jessa misspoke or she's a complete idiot and has no clue what the concept is really about.

Can I vote for both options?  I understand capsule wardrobes for work or vacation, etc for adults.  I don't see how it works with young kids, especially kids still in diapers or newly potty trained.  I can live with just 3 pairs of pants, most toddlers cannot.

[lookeyloo]

We did “capsule” I guess when the kids were tiny and we were poor. I did have access to laundry facilities. Hung out on a clothes line including cloth diapers because Pampers weren’t a thing yet and we couldn’t afford them anyway. Sometimes less is more. Maybe Jill could watch “the minimalist mom” on you tube 

[BigBingerBro]

I have done the living out of the laudry basket thing many many times in my life.  But not to discredit anyone, but what exactly is going on with them (her) that she can't keep up with the laundry?  It seems the structure they appeared to have previously has momentarily lapsed.

[iwantcookies]

I doubt Jessa ever folds/puts away laundry. It’s probably always in a pile in a corner.

[GeeGolly]

I see capsule wardrobes as serving two purposes. One it forces you to do laundry more often so you don't end up with three weeks of dirty laundry for a family of 4 or 6.

For teenagers or working adults, it minimizes choices and changing an outfit four times before you leave the door.

I think Jessa is doing the first one. She can't get behind with the laundry if they run out of clean clothes in a week to 10 days.

[ginger90]

Realizing that post is for engagement, it still makes me roll my eyes. With the exception of Fenna, there’s no reason anyone in that house can’t put their own laundry away. Kids can also fold laundry, start with washcloths, hand towels. One of my grandsons mentions his “Mum laundry training” every now and then, which started at 2, and he’s going to be 13 soon. Good grief. Mine were doing laundry start to finish around second grade. I had a dryer you could program names in. They each had their own “cycle “. 
I know nothing about the capsule wardrobes though.

Edited September 4, 2021 by ginger90

[Absolom]

9 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

I see capsule wardrobes as serving two purposes. One it forces you to do laundry more often so you don't end up with three weeks of dirty laundry for a family of 4 or 6.

For teenagers or working adults, it minimizes choices and changing an outfit four times before you leave the door.

I think Jessa is doing the first one. She can't get behind with the laundry if they run out of clean clothes in a week to 10 days.

I'm on Jessa's side on this one even if she's using 10 outfits instead of 10 pieces.  My mantra is the fewer the clothes, the shorter Mt. Washmore grows. 

[GeeGolly]

2 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

Realizing that post is for engagement, it still makes me roll my eyes. With the exception of Fenna, there’s no reason anyone in that house can’t put their own laundry away. Kids can also fold laundry, start with washcloths, hand towels. One of my grandsons mentions his “Mum” laundry training every now and then, which started at 2, and he’s going to be 13 soon. Good grief. Mine were doing laundry start to finish around second grade. I had a dryer you could program names in. They each had their own “cycle “. 
I know nothing about the capsule wardrobes though.

So true! Matching socks, folding washcloths and towels is fun for young ones. I gave my kids their own laundry baskets at 13 and said, you're on your own now, with the exception of their schools uniforms. Before that they put away their own clothes, unless I felt like it, because I stayed home for the first 10 years.

Jill really has nothing getting in her way of doing laundry. She basically hangs with Sammy (and possibly Derick) each day. What does she do from 6 or 7 in the morning until 10 or 11 at night?

[Marshmallow Mollie]

Five outfits per person here. When my twins were Sam’s age, we were so very poor and it was three outfits per kid. I0 per person is a lot! I read Jessa’s comment as smug. She’s hardly the person I would look to for advice. 

[lookeyloo]

Right now I have a laundry basket full of clean folded clothes and there are towels in the dryer. Not my favorite task. I am retired and have plenty of time. I guess I have no excuse!!

[Westiepeach]

I am one of those unicorns that do laundry, fold it, and put it away immediately. I take the sheets off the bed, wash, dry, and put it right back on the bed. The other stuff (our clothes) is washed, dried, folded, and put away by 1:00-ish on Saturday. I am a creature of habit.

[Absolom]

18 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

I am one of those unicorns that do laundry, fold it, and put it away immediately. I take the sheets off the bed, wash, dry, and put it right back on the bed. The other stuff (our clothes) is washed, dried, folded, and put away by 1:00-ish on Saturday. I am a creature of habit.

I must be another unicorn.  I don't mind laundry and it's soothing to me to do it.  I did do one Duggar thing when the kids were little.  We lived in a two story townhouse and it had a big closet under the stairs.  Saturday morning the kiddie clothes were washed, dried, and hung by outfit in that closet with everything ready for the next week.  It was so convenient to have their school or daycare clothes downstairs and ready to easily pull to dress them.

Edited September 4, 2021 by Absolom

[GeeGolly]

2 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

Right now I have a laundry basket full of clean folded clothes and there are towels in the dryer. Not my favorite task. I am retired and have plenty of time. I guess I have no excuse!!

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

I must be another unicorn.  I don't mind laundry and it's soothing to me to do it.  I did do one Duggar thing when the kids were little.  We lived in a two story townhouse and it had a big closet under the stairs.  Saturday morning the kiddie clothes were washed, dried, and hung by outfit in that closet with everything ready for the next week.  It was so convenient to have their school or daycare clothes downstairs and ready to easily pull to dress them.

Our laundry is never finished. We may have a folded basket that sits for a day before they're put away, or clothes that stay in the dryer over night. I'm okay with that, I just don't like seeing a mound of laundry that needs to be done.

When our kids were in school, I washed their uniforms and hung them in the basement right out of the dryer and that's where they stayed. The kids would run down and grab them, or sometimes even change into them in the basement, lol.

The TTH and that huge closet and laundry room would have me running. Just thinking about it makes me squirm. They had enough clothes to stock an entire Goodwill. You'd think Jill would think her laundry is easy peasy.

 

Edited September 4, 2021 by GeeGolly

[lookeyloo]

1 hour ago, Westiepeach said:

I am one of those unicorns that do laundry, fold it, and put it away immediately. I take the sheets off the bed, wash, dry, and put it right back on the bed. The other stuff (our clothes) is washed, dried, folded, and put away by 1:00-ish on Saturday. I am a creature of habit.

I also put the sheets back on the bed, because there is only one set of summer sheets, flannel sheets for fall, and fleece sheets for winter. I hate getting into a cold bed.

[ozziemom]

Maybe laundry was never Jill’s jurisdiction so she thinks a huge pile is normal? My laundry room is essentially the hallway to the garage so I can’t have piles of dirty clothes everywhere. But a full basket of clean clothes can sit on a chair in the bedroom for a few days. I took Jessa’s comment as smug too. Just like her minimalist home decor, lol.

[Dirndl]

This topic is funny to me. In my part of the world many, many people don't use dryers because of environmental and financial reasons. I'm one of them. And when I lived in North America friends always wondered why because according to them doing laundry with a dryer is soo easy and not much work. Well, apparently not for every one :D. That bring said, I have to admit that there are occassions where I have to look in the laundry basket (or even on the clothing reck (?)) while searching for clean clothes. So, I'm with Jill in that case. 

[JoanArc]

6 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

Jill, visit Jessa in a couple years, when she's working as a sandwich artist, mention this post. Don't leave a tip. Complain to the manager about the service.

[MsJamieDornan]

4 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

What does she do from 6 or 7 in the morning until 10 or 11 at night?

Cook beige food ??

[Rootbeer]

4 hours ago, Marshmallow Mollie said:

Five outfits per person here. When my twins were Sam’s age, we were so very poor and it was three outfits per kid. I0 per person is a lot! I read Jessa’s comment as smug. She’s hardly the person I would look to for advice. 

I agree, 10 outfits per child is quite a bit of clothing unless she means 5 summer and 5 winter outfits. It's also quite a lot for a stay at home mom and a father who doesn't need to dress for work.   I went to Catholic schools and wore a uniform every day.  My siblings and I all had about 4 sets of 'play clothes' per season to wear after school and on weekends.  My mom also made it clear that an outfit worn after school was to be worn more than once before hitting the laundry.  We each had around 3 or 4 skirts and dresses for church, too, (dress shirts for my brother), but God forbid we ever wore them if we didn't need to dress up, we'd have been sent right back upstairs to change.

However, Jessa claims this strategy cuts back on laundry and that is the part I don't understand.  You have fewer outfits, you do the laundry more often than if you have more.  But, in the end, presumably, the laundry needs to be done and everyone ends up using clean clothes at the same rate no matter how much each individual piece is worn.

In college, one of my major life goals was to accumulate enough underwear that I wouldn't need to do laundry but once every 3 weeks.  It was a glorious day when I made it!

Edited September 4, 2021 by Rootbeer

[Cinnabon]

6 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

I agree, 10 outfits per child is quite a bit of clothing unless she means 5 summer and 5 winter outfits. It's also quite a lot for a stay at home mom and a father who doesn't need to dress for work.   I went to Catholic schools and wore a uniform every day.  My siblings and I all had about 4 sets of 'play clothes' per season to wear after school and on weekends.  My mom also made it clear that an outfit worn after school was to be worn more than once before hitting the laundry.  We each had around 3 or 4 skirts and dresses for church, too, (dress shirts for my brother), but God forbid we ever wore them if we didn't need to dress up, we'd have been sent right back upstairs to change.

However, Jessa claims this strategy cuts back on laundry and that is the part I don't understand.  You have fewer outfits, you do the laundry more often than if you have more.  But, in the end, presumably, the laundry needs to be done and everyone ends up using clean clothes at the same rate no matter how much each individual piece is worn.

In college, one of my major life goals was to accumulate enough underwear that I wouldn't need to do laundry but once every 3 weeks.  It was a glorious day when I made it!

I was once at a laundromat and the woman next to me said she could tell I didn’t have kids. I asked her how she knew that. She said she knew because I was washing so many pairs of underwear at once!

Edited September 4, 2021 by Cinnabon

[iwantcookies]

19 hours ago, MsJamieDornan said:

Interpretive dance ?

I’d pay $ to see D flail around “dancing”

[Absolom]

Ten outfits seems OK to me.  You get five regular weekday sets, one dressy set, and four sets comprising play/paint clothes and a weekday replacement/backup.  That allows for only needing to wash once a week and for kids who go to school no repeats during the week which was a big thing when my kids were in school.  Of course, the Duggars could probably get by with one nice set and four sets of play clothes.  

[Westiepeach]

24 minutes ago, iwantcookies said:

I’d pay $ to see D flail around “dancing”

No. Just no. There is no amount of money anyone could pay me to see that…