The Duggars and Their World: Fashion, Food, Finance, Schoolin’ and Child Rearin'

[galax-arena]

If you have to homeschool, why not go for that?

Doesn't sound Jesus-approved to me. 

[Julia]

Doesn't sound Jesus-approved to me.

Actually, that's what Rick Santorum did with his kids. There was a scandal over it, as it turned out that he was only eligible for public education in his "home state" based on a three-bedroom rental property he and his family of nine officially live in (as opposed to the DC-area McMansion where they actually reside).

[sometimesy]

Doesn't sound Jesus-approved to me. 

 

It seems like good Gothardites have to follow his homeschooling. Religious freedom is one thing, but why can't his curriculum be mandated to follow some basic educational requirements; math, mixed in with the Bankruptcy and Colour me Beautiful chapters.

[3girlsforus]

The kind of homeschooling I can get behind is online homeschooling. It worked very well for me. I had to leave during the middle of my junior year of high school because of severe bullying issues and a death/school shooting threat that wasn't handled appropriately at all by the administration, but did so under the guise of my health. (I mean, I was missing a lot of school because of all of my health issues and hospitalizations.) The school was accredited, it sent a computer to our house that had Microsoft Office on it and the internet so we could do our work and chat with our teachers via a webcam. It was made specifically for people like me: sick kids, pregnant teens/teen moms who didn't want to drop out and get their GED. There was oversight, true lesson plans, deadlines, and I got a real diploma at the end. A diploma that has been, get this, accepted at accredited colleges! That kind of homeschooling is fine. You also did group projects with your classmates via a chat, but you could probably just skype that now. We had our core classes, foreign languages, intro to sociology, intro to psychology, AP classes, you name it. It served the entire state of Ohio, and our graduation was at this really nice hall in Columbus, which is when I met my teachers in person for the first time. And to top it off, it was free. If you have to homeschool, why not go for that?

Because not everyone who homeschool wants to just move public school home onto a computer. I have no problem with those who do but it's not the only way to properly homeschool. You do not have to do an online accredited program to get into real colleges. My 16 year old is going to graduate a year early from high school and already has offers to universities with scholarships. She's done all of her work either with me or more recently with a 4 year accredited university. My oldest is in her 3 year at a real university, again with significant scholarships. They aren't just 'religious' universities either. They were both accepted to public and private schools that are fully mainstream. 

[Churchhoney]

I think they do, but not due to any genuine theological convictions. IMO it goes hand in hand with their overall assholishness. Of course they want to spawn that sort of far-reaching, long-lasting dynasty, it feeds into their narcissism and bloated self-importance. It's purely masturbatory.

 

Jim Bob probably wants to become the upright Christian version of that evil heathen Genghis Khan.

 

 

Yeah, I would agree that their narcissism knows no bounds!

[Churchhoney]

It is fascinating to me that children can be left behind, because their parents right to teach overrides a right to a solid education. Why doesn't the Department of Education test students each year to make sure they are progressing? Eg. My friends 16 year old got credit for flying lessons and for taking a air land and sea first aid course. He also worked on the ski slopes as a rescue person. He also received credit for that. His brother had credit for the same things as well as sailing on a large sailboat. They had a lot of free time to pursue interests because of their flexible schedule. Also note, they had to provide physical activity element (they play hockey and soccer) BUT, she taught them basic subjects at home... English, Social Studies, 2 Sciences and Math. The subjects she is weak in herself, she had tutored. The boys have testing in the spring to make sure they are on target. For the last years of school, for the youngest, she has decided to put them in (an expensive) prep school. They sent in their documentation and went in for testing and interview and were accepted. That kind of homeschooling, I can get behind.

 

Me, too. And there's a lot of it.

 

Unfortunately, there's so much that's not good, too. Your heart really goes out to the Duggar kids, who are being deprived of so much in terms of potential opportunities and are kept so isolated that they don't have any idea it's happening.

 

And parents in this country have long held the right to remove their kids from the public-school system and all its elements and states' power to squelch that freedom of choice is limited. The Supreme Court established that back in the early 20th century when white Anglo-Saxon Protestants were trying to squelch Catholic education and thus damage Catholic and immigrant cultures and national influence with one blow. And then in the past 30 years, HSLDA and others have fought hard to keep the government from establishing any particular rights of children to receive schooling or rights of state governments to check up on homeschooling situations for health, educational standards or safety issues. They've successfully battled over and over in favor of upholding that old parents' right to make all the schooling choices. It's been a long long time since anybody's successfully implemented increased regulation for home schooling, and I wouldn't bet on anybody being successful for a long time to come, given how loud the whole "freedom of religion" crowd is being lately.

 You also did group projects with your classmates via a chat, but you could probably just skype that now. We had our core classes, foreign languages, intro to sociology, intro to psychology, AP classes, you name it. It served the entire state of Ohio, and our graduation was at this really nice hall in Columbus, which is when I met my teachers in person for the first time. And to top it off, it was free. If you have to homeschool, why not go for that?

 

Well, from the Duggs' point of view, that would be just turning your kids over to more potentially heathen influences!

 

I'm pretty sure their school rule is -- If it sounds intelligent, thoughtful and mind-broadening, run from it as fast as you can. That pretty much leaves out all sensible homeschooling setups, online or otherwise.

Edited September 11, 2015 by Churchhoney

[BitterApple]

I think there's more than one way to educate your kid, but the Duggars' brand of homeschooling is failing miserably. When your 8 year-old admits he can't read and your 12 year-old is just starting multiplication tables, it's time to rethink the game plan. I think the older group of kids got the best of Michelle's efforts and their education is probably 8th grade at best. The younger kids likely dabble in schoolwork when they feel like it, but nobody is consistently testing them or teaching lessons.

Edited September 11, 2015 by BitterApple

[Jucifer]

While we can all agree that Duggar diet is known to be pretty awful, I was under the impression that the older girls still cooked these gross dishes. However, as I have re-watched some old episodes that showcase Jana in the kitchen, it is apparent that even these unhealthy meals aren't really prepared by them. In one episode, Jana dumps out some bagged salad and serves what appears to be nuked frozen lasagna. She even rolls her eyes and shakes her head 'no' when asked if she made it. 

 

As someone who hates to cook but can easily make lasagna from scratch, I am confused about what actual skills the older girls have to prepare them for life. I always thought, at the very least, they had domestic skills. However, I'm not sure about that anymore. Opening bags and cans, and microwaving frozen meals is not cooking.

 

If you are raising your daughters to be housewives, why not prepare them with domestic skills? 

 

[Jucifer]

 

First post here, so please be gentle ;)

 

Reading about the Duggar's diet and the recipes they have 'shared' makes me sad.

 

I have a theory about this.  Some time ago, possibly when Michelle had her laundry room breakdown and finally checked out as a parent, the work of feeding that army fell to the oldest girls.  They were children faced with a task most grownups could not handle without frozen, pre-prepared food at the ready.  So therefore came all the packaged processed stuff.

 

Aside from the frozen stuff, the TT casserole, chickenetti-type stuff makes me think 'kiddie cooking'.  It  *seems* like a real grownup dinner, but on a skill level manageable by kids.

 

The TT casserole was probably one of grandma Mary's 'recipes'.  She had probably checked out of all that domestic stuff long before Michelle did...

Edited September 11, 2015 by Jucifer

[louannems]

You forgot sad Jenni! Then there's James, Justin, Jason and I am guessing the twin boys are done with homefoolin!

[Julia]

Aside from the frozen stuff, the TT casserole, chickenetti-type stuff makes me think 'kiddie cooking'.  It  *seems* like a real grownup dinner, but on a skill level manageable by kids.

 

The TT casserole was probably one of grandma Mary's 'recipes'.  She had probably checked out of all that domestic stuff long before Michelle did...

I think there's probably a lot to that. I think most kids' maiden efforts at feeding themselves run to the kind of food college students make when they're wasted. Although I have to think Michelle would be doubled over with osteoporosis at this point if she actually ate the kind of food she says she feeds the kids. I wonder if perhaps the reason Michelle and Jim Bob are OK with the poor quality of the food was that they weren't eating it.

I've also always wondered why a family which makes its own detergent buys storebought bread, but that way lies madness.

Edited September 11, 2015 by Julia

[SometimesBites]

Welcome to the party, Jucifer. I'm sure there's a lot of truth in your observation. I was appalled from day one when I saw how these people eat. I came in with the absolutely wrong assumption that they would be practicing healthy thrift in their food habits, such as meals made from scratch, vegetable gardening and food preservation. When I got a load of the food they were actually eating, even the little kids, my stomach turned. Candy and soda up the wazoo, too--and IMAGINE: the kids all needed major (on-camera) dental work. Their ignorance, stupidity, and hypocrisy are thick as dog hair on a blanket.

[GeeGolly]

 

 

First post here, so please be gentle ;)

 

Reading about the Duggar's diet and the recipes they have 'shared' makes me sad.

 

I have a theory about this.  Some time ago, possibly when Michelle had her laundry room breakdown and finally checked out as a parent, the work of feeding that army fell to the oldest girls.  They were children faced with a task most grownups could not handle without frozen, pre-prepared food at the ready.  So therefore came all the packaged processed stuff.

 

Aside from the frozen stuff, the TT casserole, chickenetti-type stuff makes me think 'kiddie cooking'.  It  *seems* like a real grownup dinner, but on a skill level manageable by kids.

 

The TT casserole was probably one of grandma Mary's 'recipes'.  She had probably checked out of all that domestic stuff long before Michelle did...

 

That explains the younger years, But it does not explain why as the kids got older their meals didn't progress with their ability. It's not like they were busy studying or out with their friends. Cooking is essentially a large part of their expected jobs, shit school was already at the dining table, it wouldn't have been a reach to include proper nutrition and recipes.

[kokapetl]

Michelle used to eat handfuls of nutritional supplement pills each morning, probably still does.

I never believed them about (routinely) making their own bread, doesn't that take some level of expertise?

Edited September 11, 2015 by Kokapetl

[BitterApple]

For a woman who's middle aged and had so many pregnancies, Michelle has maintained pretty well weight-wise. This leads me to believe she's eating a separate diet from the crap she feeds her kids. If she was living off of sodium and processed carbs for the past twenty years, she'd be a heavy woman right now, especially given that she's likely peri-menopausal.

Edited September 11, 2015 by BitterApple

[3girlsforus]

That explains the younger years, But it does not explain why as the kids got older their meals didn't progress with their ability. It's not like they were busy studying or out with their friends. Cooking is essentially a large part of their expected jobs, shit school was already at the dining table, it wouldn't have been a reach to include proper nutrition and recipes.

 

I think it's because they didn't have anyone to model cooking. If the meals, recipes, and nutrition were going to improve it was going to have to come from Michele or maybe Grandma. The girls wouldn't feel comfortable saying 'hey Mom let's buy better food and try these new things' even if they wanted to. Since Michele didn't care, things stayed that way. 

[MyPeopleAreNordic]

That explains the younger years, But it does not explain why as the kids got older their meals didn't progress with their ability. It's not like they were busy studying or out with their friends. Cooking is essentially a large part of their expected jobs, shit school was already at the dining table, it wouldn't have been a reach to include proper nutrition and recipes.

It's also strange to me because trying new recipes or new things in the kitchen seems like one way that the kids who were cooking would have (possibly) had an outlet for some creativity. I don't like to cook, but my husband does. He likes to try new recipes, invent his own, tweak old recipes, add fresh veggies to stuff, etc. Since the kids have so little outlet to express themselves creatively, I'd think one of them would have ended up experimenting in the kitchen.

But perhaps JimBob couldn't handle any of them having a creative outlet, didn't want to spend the money for anything but the cheap food, or he's just so much of a control freak that he wouldn't let them try anything new. And I guess it's also possible he thought one of the boys might see a cookbook by Giada or Rachel Ray and be defrauded by their pictures on the cover or something.

[Guest]

For a woman who's middle aged and had so many pregnancies, Michelle has maintained pretty well weight-wise. This leads me to believe she's eating a separate diet from the crap she feeds her kids. If she was living off of sodium and processed carbs for the past twenty years, she'd be a heavy woman right now, especially given that she's likely peri-menopausal.

 

You are probably right that Michelle eats differently than her children -- not healthy, per se, but better.

 

I have noticed Jana on a couple of occasions discretely eating a salad when the other children were chowing down on pizza. It's probably not a coincidence that Jana has the clearest skin of all the older children...

Edited September 12, 2015 by Guest

[JenCarroll]

I never believed them about (routinely) making their own bread, doesn't that take some level of expertise?

It's pretty simple, really, (flour, water, salt, sugar, yeast) but with that number of people I feel like you'd be doing it pretty much continuously. It's not like they have better/more important things to do with their time, though -- they might as well make bread.

For a woman who's middle aged and had so many pregnancies, Michelle has maintained pretty well weight-wise. This leads me to believe she's eating a separate diet from the crap she feeds her kids. If she was living off of sodium and processed carbs for the past twenty years, she'd be a heavy woman right now, especially given that she's likely peri-menopausal.

Her weight is fine but she seems to be getting shorter. I suspect osteoporosis. Honestly, after carrying and nursing that many babies, I'd be surprised if she didn't have bone density issues, especially since her diet is not exactly nutrient-rich. Hopefully whatever supplements she takes have been making up some of the difference. Edited September 12, 2015 by JenCarroll

[Julia]

It's pretty simple, really, (flour, water, salt, sugar, yeast) but with that number of people I feel like you'd be doing it pretty much continuously. It's not like they have better/more important things to do with their time, though -- they might as well make bread.

 

It's really not hard. The yeast mostly does the work for you, with the exception of some kneading. I'm going to guess, though, that they know a few children they could impose upon to punch things.

 

Also, it costs pennies a loaf. Which if you're someone who supposedly makes your own laundry detergent, seems as if it should be an incentive.

[JoanArc]

Gothard demands that women bake bread. Really.

[Jucifer]

 

Thanks for replying, Julia, SometimesBites, and others...  I'm computer phobic and doing the best I can to keep up here.  I'm not the best at quoting posts by others. ;)

 

"That explains the younger years, But it does not explain why as the kids got older their meals didn't progress with their ability. It's not like they were busy studying or out with their friends. Cooking is essentially a large part of their expected jobs, shit school was already at the dining table, it wouldn't have been a reach to include proper nutrition and recipes."

 

I'm a member of a foodie website and we recently had a discussion about this.  It turned out that most of us like adventurous food. ;)  Some of our 'extended family members' have 'midwestern tastes' as far as we could figure out.  It boiled down to bland, ect and

YMMV,  but there are people who 'live to eat' vs people who 'eat to live'.  

 

I was raised fundie but I love to cook.  My mom was a dyed in the wool fundie but also a believer in the post WW2 50s 'better living through science' thing, that included frozen and/or pre-prepared food served out of plastic pouches.  Our family of 6 kids survived on instant mashed potatoes and TV dinners until I was old enough to cook- it was a skill born of self-defense. ;)  The Joy of Cooking cookbook was one of my first and very much cherished links to the outside world.  :)

Edited September 12, 2015 by Jucifer

[Julia]

Gothard demands that women bake bread. Really.

 

The kind of bread I prefer has the kind of crust you need a brick oven to achieve, but it's hard to argue with otherwise. I guess it's one of those even a blind pig gets an acorn occasionally situations.

[3girlsforus]

It's also strange to me because trying new recipes or new things in the kitchen seems like one way that the kids who were cooking would have (possibly) had an outlet for some creativity. I don't like to cook, but my husband does. He likes to try new recipes, invent his own, tweak old recipes, add fresh veggies to stuff, etc. Since the kids have so little outlet to express themselves creatively, I'd think one of them would have ended up experimenting in the kitchen.

But perhaps JimBob couldn't handle any of them having a creative outlet, didn't want to spend the money for anything but the cheap food, or he's just so much of a control freak that he wouldn't let them try anything new. And I guess it's also possible he thought one of the boys might see a cookbook by Giada or Rachel Ray and be defrauded by their pictures on the cover or something.

 

It would be pretty hard to avoid being defrauded by Giada LOL

[Julia]

It would be pretty hard to avoid being defrauded by Giada LOL

 

Wow, really? I feel awful about her personal tragedy, but she generally strikes me as a manicured chihuahua, all nerves and grooming and not restful at all.

[3girlsforus]

Wow, really? I feel awful about her personal tragedy, but she generally strikes me as a manicured chihuahua, all nerves and grooming and not restful at all.

I hope I didn't step into something here. I didn't know she had a personal tragedy. I was just referring to the idea that every time I see her even on her TV show her boobs are spilling out all over the place so I can see it would be hard for the Duggars to learn to cook from Giada without having to yell Nike every thirty seconds.

[Julia]

I hope I didn't step into something here. I didn't know she had a personal tragedy. I was just referring to the idea that every time I see her even on her TV show her boobs are spilling out all over the place so I can see it would be hard for the Duggars to learn to cook from Giada without having to yell Nike every thirty seconds.

 

No, I didn't mean it that way. You're right, she very much does sexualize herself. Unfortunately, so did her dad.

[BitterApple]

The boobs and orgasm-face Giada makes every time she tastes one of her creations would definitely make her taboo in the Duggar household.

[3girlsforus]

No, I didn't mean it that way. You're right, she very much does sexualize herself. Unfortunately, so did her dad.

Oh wow - I had no idea. How awful. 

[Churchhoney]

It's also strange to me because trying new recipes or new things in the kitchen seems like one way that the kids who were cooking would have (possibly) had an outlet for some creativity. I don't like to cook, but my husband does. He likes to try new recipes, invent his own, tweak old recipes, add fresh veggies to stuff, etc. Since the kids have so little outlet to express themselves creatively, I'd think one of them would have ended up experimenting in the kitchen.

But perhaps JimBob couldn't handle any of them having a creative outlet, didn't want to spend the money for anything but the cheap food, or he's just so much of a control freak that he wouldn't let them try anything new. And I guess it's also possible he thought one of the boys might see a cookbook by Giada or Rachel Ray and be defrauded by their pictures on the cover or something.

 

All of this. And then we're also back to the perpetual mystery of why this whole darned family seems to be so bloody boring. You'd expect a reader, an artist, a gardener, a cook, a snappy wardrobe-overhauling dresser, a gadget inventor -- something -- among all those kids. You'd think that just sheer bloody boredom would drive them to it. But there doesn't seem to be much, if any, evidence of creative, analytical or enterprising thought in the whole lot thus far.

Edited September 12, 2015 by Churchhoney

[kokapetl]

It's pretty simple, really, (flour, water, salt, sugar, yeast) but with that number of people I feel like you'd be doing it pretty much continuously. It's not like they have better/more important things to do with their time, though -- they might as well make bread.

I just can't picture any of them getting up early each day to make bread for lunchtime. I don't think bread is actually in their diet at all, we never saw anyone eat a piece of toast or anything did we?

[BradandJanet]

My younger son dropped out of high school at 16 because of bullying and boredom. I insisted he get a job (fast food) and take his GED test, which he passed easily. I schooled him in art, literature, music, history, debate, and the other liberal arts studies I knew. He went to a good college and graduated with honors. In his twenties, he now earns twice the salary I've ever earned and his happy in his career. He also has good critical thinking and communications skills and is my intellectual sparing partner. My job has been done--well, intellectual development should alway be a work in progress.

 

My heart physically aches for the Duggar children as it would for any neglected and abused children. There are people in the world who risk their lives to educate their children. The Duggar parents have selfishly and intentionally abandoned their responsibility. Who could have one good word for these "parents"? I can't. They could have been dedicated to fulfilling their children's needs; instead they focused entirely on themselves. What kind of narcissistic religion is this? My contempt for J-Boob and Mechelle and their selfish beliefs is beyond words. 

[cmr2014]

I think a lot of this has to do with the food that they buy. I remember them doing shopping trips to Aldi and making a big deal out of all the food that they bought. I haven't shopped at Aldi in many years, but I recall the food being dirt cheap -- even cheaper than making it at home. I also remember Aldi as a store full of packaged food: cans, boxed pasta, frozen pizza, etc. That's also what I recall seeing them pull out of the car: flats of canned whatever.

 

The pantry is also stocked with hundreds and hundreds of cans -- there are no barrels of potatoes, bags of carrots, not even a flour bin. I don't think that there are any "ingredients" in the house to make much of anything. Hundreds of cans of chicken and stars soup isn't really going to spark the imagination of a young cook.

Edited September 12, 2015 by cmr2014

[3girlsforus]

I don't understand how as parents JB and Michele don't want more for their kids. As parents, aren't we supposed to want our kids to have every opportunity to become amazing, happy human beings? I'm going through my second child's 'Senior year' this year. A year of 'last times' and tons of kleenex. I am already getting the eye rolls from her every time I tear up at the least little thing knowing that next year she leaves and it really is never the same. But I wouldn't want it any other way. She's got an amazing future. She's bright, driven, beautiful inside and out. I am enormously proud. 

 

How can they not want that for their kids? Even if it doesn't mean college for all of them. With 19 kids it's likely someone would be better off with trade school or other training. But how can they not want them to reach their potential? The greatest joy of being a parent is watching them grow into amazing adults even though it means they leave.

[dillpickles]

All of this. And then we're also back to the perpetual mystery of why this whole darned family seems to be so bloody boring. You'd expect a reader, an artist, a gardener, a cook, a snappy wardrobe-overhauling dresser, a gadget inventor -- something -- among all those kids. You'd think that just sheer bloody boredom would drive them to it. But there doesn't seem to be much, if any, evidence of creative, analytical or enterprising thought in the whole lot thus far.

John David has his planes, Jill has her "midwifery", Jinger (hopefully) has photography, I believe one of the Duggar boys was into chess, there still is the cringy Duggar Studios production. And, Jessa seems to be into cosmology.

They do have interests, its just that Jim Bob and Michelle don't seem to foster them. I mean, sure... they bought John David his plane and Jinger her camera, but they don't seem to be encouraging these things.

It's like they allow their kids to have interests, but aren't necessarily proud of them. I mean, they have 2 sons that are flying planes... and they'd rather talk about babies. Shits odd.

Edited September 12, 2015 by dillpickles

[SometimesBites]

John David has his planes, Jill has her "midwifery", Jinger (hopefully) has photography, I believe one of the Duggar boys was into chess, there still is the cringy Duggar Studios production. And, Jessa seems to be into cosmology.

I have a hunch you meant cosmetology? But that's okay--putting the words "Jessa" and "cosmology" in the same sentence is perfectly delightful.

[Guest]

I have a hunch you meant cosmetology? But that's okay--putting the words "Jessa" and "cosmology" in the same sentence is perfectly delightful.

 

Well, Jessa does want to be a star. #CosmologyJokeFail

[Churchhoney]

John David has his planes, Jill has her "midwifery", Jinger (hopefully) has photography, I believe one of the Duggar boys was into chess, there still is the cringy Duggar Studios production. And, Jessa seems to be into cosmology.

They do have interests, its just that Jim Bob and Michelle don't seem to foster them. I mean, sure... they bought John David his plane and Jinger her camera, but they don't seem to be encouraging these things.

It's like they allow their kids to have interests, but aren't necessarily proud of them. I mean, they have 2 sons that are flying planes... and they'd rather talk about babies. Shits odd.

 

Yeah, I agree. I still think that in a group of normal people with this many kids there'd be more of it, though. And that somebody would have really taken a ball and run with it to pursue something very seriously. Hell, they don't have much else to do, since "school" doesn't appear to be more than a few hours a day, at most. Looking at Jinger's supposed love for photography, for example, I kind of get the feeling that she was just handed the camera because every fundie family is "supposed" to have somebody recording their golden moments on film and she was the one elected since her child-care duties could be lighter. In my experience, when somebody really loves photography, you can't pry the camera out of their hands, and they're not only documenting weddings and graduations, they're photographing bugs and buildings and strangers, trying out pinhole cameras, reading books on the joys of f-stops, and pushing their photos to new heights and into experimental territory all the time. And plenty of people even do that without having their parents really support the hobby. But you don't see that with Jinger.

 

John David impresses me most in this way. Seems to me he's shown the most drive with his hobby. Unfortunately for him, though, he's likely to end up as only a hobby pilot, since I don't see Jim Bob ponying up for him to get the extra training and pricey experience he'd need to get a commercial license. .... And it's great to be a hobby pilot if you have something else significant as your vocation, but I don't see that happening either.

 

Worse, I think, is that what we're looking at now is the older kids -- into whom you'd think JB and M would have poured the most energy, since they were younger and less kid-burdened as they were growing up. I can't even imagine the levels of neglect that the younger kids are experiencing.

Edited September 12, 2015 by Churchhoney

[Cherrio]

John David does not have the education to ever be accepted into a real course for pilots. He would also never pass imo any psychological test they gave.

        He is a pretend policeman, Why didn't he enter a police academy?  I suspect he might of tried but was rejected for the same reasons he could never ever be a real pilot.

 

BradandJanet's post summed it up perfectly for me.

[BradandJanet]

[snip]

Her weight is fine but she seems to be getting shorter. I suspect osteoporosis. Honestly, after carrying and nursing that many babies, I'd be surprised if she didn't have bone density issues, especially since her diet is not exactly nutrient-rich. Hopefully whatever supplements she takes have been making up some of the difference.

 

I'm not sure valium supplements work for osteoporosis but they sure keep her countenance steady.

[Almost 3000]

The kind of homeschooling I can get behind is online homeschooling. It worked very well for me. I had to leave during the middle of my junior year of high school because of severe bullying issues and a death/school shooting threat that wasn't handled appropriately at all by the administration, but did so under the guise of my health. (I mean, I was missing a lot of school because of all of my health issues and hospitalizations.) The school was accredited, it sent a computer to our house that had Microsoft Office on it and the internet so we could do our work and chat with our teachers via a webcam. It was made specifically for people like me: sick kids, pregnant teens/teen moms who didn't want to drop out and get their GED. There was oversight, true lesson plans, deadlines, and I got a real diploma at the end. A diploma that has been, get this, accepted at accredited colleges! That kind of homeschooling is fine. You also did group projects with your classmates via a chat, but you could probably just skype that now. We had our core classes, foreign languages, intro to sociology, intro to psychology, AP classes, you name it. It served the entire state of Ohio, and our graduation was at this really nice hall in Columbus, which is when I met my teachers in person for the first time. And to top it off, it was free. If you have to homeschool, why not go for that?

Years ago I did Big Brothers and had a little sister. She did the on-line schooling because of truancy and other things but since she didn't really care and the mom was to stressed to care it didn't work out very well. I do think its a great option for many though. Hard to force education on kids like my little sister or families like the Duggars if no one cares.

[zenme]

Years ago I did Big Brothers and had a little sister. She did the on-line schooling because of truancy and other things but since she didn't really care and the mom was to stressed to care it didn't work out very well. I do think its a great option for many though. Hard to force education on kids like my little sister or families like the Duggars if no one cares

 

Yes.  One must be self-motivated or at least have someone there to keep them accountable and on top of schoolwork.  Clearly, the Duggars don't prioritize school. 

[neural-plasticity]

Honestly, I don't even see Jessa as being interested in cosmetology. I just think she's really worried about her own looks. I know a lot of people who really care about their looks but aren't interested in fixing up others' looks. I really have no idea what Jessa could be interested in... I really don't. I used to like her during the earlier seasons, but these later seasons I felt like she just settled for Bin to get out of the house, and then she got bored sitting by herself so she got pregnant. But I have no idea what she really enjoys doing... sometimes I don't even feel like she likes being around Bin! & she dropped Jinger real quick, so there's that

[kokapetl]

John David does not have the education to ever be accepted into a real course for pilots. He would also never pass imo any psychological test they gave.

He is a pretend policeman, Why didn't he enter a police academy? I suspect he might of tried but was rejected for the same reasons he could never ever be a real pilot.

BradandJanet's post summed it up perfectly for me.

Pilots really just need to have the applicable airman ratings/endorsements/training, and anyone who is prepared to pay for private training can get those, so it is doable for John David. America's military spending is more than every other nation combined, and in those nations, self (or parent) funded pilots are quite common. John David seems to be doing the best he can with his limited education. Edited September 12, 2015 by Kokapetl

[JenCarroll]

John David does not have the education to ever be accepted into a real course for pilots. He would also never pass imo any psychological test they gave.

        He is a pretend policeman, Why didn't he enter a police academy?  I suspect he might of tried but was rejected for the same reasons he could never ever be a real pilot.

 

They let FEMALES into the Police Academy. Also, it's possible some of his instructors could be non-believers and/or (again) FEMALE. He wouldn't have been permitted to enter this type of environment, and even if he had been, he'd have had to take one of his brothers along as an accountability partner; I don't see the Academy going along with that.

I'd like to say they could all break away if they wanted to, but I think it's more complicated than that. And they don't seem to want to.

[Cherrio]

They let FEMALES into the Police Academy. Also, it's possible some of his instructors could be non-believers and/or (again) FEMALE. He wouldn't have been permitted to enter this type of environment, and even if he had been, he'd have had to take one of his brothers along as an accountability partner; I don't see the Academy going along with that.

I'd like to say they could all break away if they wanted to, but I think it's more complicated than that. And they don't seem to want to.

Good points.    Its sad because he probably really wanted to be a cop.    The kids probably all have or had secret dreams of careers and the lives they have nad glimpses of other people living.

[bigskygirl]

For JD to become a law enforcement officer he would need to have excellent people skills, communication skills, and be able to put aside his brainwashed sexist thoughts about how women are second class citizens and deserve the rough treatment they get at the hands of their male counterparts. And lets face it, imo, none of the Duggars have execellent people or communications skills. Plus he would need to be able to handle any situation, be quick on his feet, and be respectful (trashing a honeymoon car and laughing about it would not win points with the higher ranking law enforcement personnel and the general public.)

 

Also Joshgate 1 and 2 and his parents threatening to sue law enforcement over the so-called illegal leak of legal documents would not help his case to become a law enforcement officer either. Most law enforcement departments want a potential candidate to have a two or four year college degree, and the writing/general law enforcement knowledge/psychological testing is hard. Some smaller town departments may take a chance with him, but he would probably be sent to a law enforcement academy. He could not depend on others to hold his hand for him aka his sisters going with him on volunteer fire department calls so he is not tempted by a female heathen hussy. Domestic calls would not be easy for him because he would need to defuse the situation and protect a possible female victim or even deal with a female suspect. I am not saying it could not happen, but in his case, I cannot see it in his future.

[MarysWetBar]

For JD to become a law enforcement officer he would need to have excellent people skills, communication skills, and be able to put aside his brainwashed sexist thoughts about how women are second class citizens and deserve the rough treatment they get at the hands of their male counterparts. And lets face it, imo, none of the Duggars have execellent people or communications skills. Plus he would need to be able to handle any situation, be quick on his feet, and be respectful (trashing a honeymoon car and laughing about it would not win points with the higher ranking law enforcement personnel and the general public.)

Also Joshgate 1 and 2 and his parents threatening to sue law enforcement over the so-called illegal leak of legal documents would not help his case to become a law enforcement officer either. Most law enforcement departments want a potential candidate to have a two or four year college degree, and the writing/general law enforcement knowledge/psychological testing is hard. Some smaller town departments may take a chance with him, but he would probably be sent to a law enforcement academy. He could not depend on others to hold his hand for him aka his sisters going with him on volunteer department calls so he is not tempted by a female heathen hussy. Domestic calls would not be easy for him because he would need to defuse the situation and protect a possible female victim or even deal with a female suspect. I am not saying it could not happen, but in his case, I cannot see it in his future.

Thanks for this informative post!

[Churchhoney]

FHe could not depend on others to hold his hand for him aka his sisters going with him on volunteer department calls so he is not tempted by a female heathen hussy. Domestic calls would not be easy for him because he would need to defuse the situation and protect a possible female victim or even deal with a female suspect.

 

It's scary to imagine the degree to which this "keep everybody away from the opposite sex" thing may play in to the lack of job, education and career options for all the Duggars. Scary because it's insane.

[Churchhoney]

John David does not have the education to ever be accepted into a real course for pilots.

 

Not entirely sure. Could be. But I have several commercial pilots in my family, and a couple of them don't have college educations, aren't ex-military, have a fair amount of emotional fragility and are, in my opinion, fairly frequent drunks. But they got the training and passed all the tests and have worked for years. They aren't airline pilots, but there are other jobs. So I actually think it's remotely possible for John David. After all, he did get his instrument rating, apparently, and that's a fairly challenging mental task. And, since he's a Duggar, I'm really pretty impressed that he managed that. I have no idea what he's actually like psychologically. I would kind of imagine, though, that he's sort of like the guys in my family -- perhaps minus the alcohol (or not) -- and, as I say, they're working professional pilots. What I am sure of, though, is that Jim Bob wouldn't help him pay for the training that's required. I don't think he'd ever help a kid get a job that would give her or him a life and a schedule that moved that kid out of range of JB's perpetual beck and call. So, it ain't gonna happen, in any case.

Edited September 12, 2015 by Churchhoney