OT: The Duggars are doin' it again

 When I read their news this morning, I know its rude but that Monty Pythin skit about the catholic woman standing at the sink jumped into my mind. I have 4 (16 year old girls,15 boy and 13 boy)....Most days I want to lock myself in a cave and never be heard of again, I understand the older children are in fact raising the younger ones but still the noise alone!

Some people really cherish large families. To each their own.

And, to be honest, I do watch the show and am COMPLETELY impressed with how polite, intelligent and well-adjusted all of the children seem to be.  In fact, I always wanted a large family (well, certainly not 20!) myself.  My main concern is for the unborn child and for Michelle - she is at least my age, her last child was born extremely early with multiple problems.  I'm all for large, happy families - but I somehow don't feel it's fair to the older girls to constantly have to mother the younger ones.  And NO, I don't think it's wrong that they help, and help ALOT, but they seem not to have time for themselves and the chance to truly grow as young women - not babysitters.

I think it is crazy to put you and a baby at risk. Maybe with the older kids having to look after the young ones and do so much work maybe they will not follow there parents and have small families.  I just hope that her and the baby come through this ok. Would not be fair to the kids if they lose there mother.

Barb, I so agree!  My worry is for the health and safety of Michelle and the unborn child.

They will keep having kids until she dies or she hits menopause. The Quiverfull movement places a potential child's life over the mother's life, so risk to her isn't even in their mindset when they try to get her pregnant yet again.

My biggest concern is that they have the older children raising the younger children. I'd be interested in whether an investigation by Family Services would find that the Duggars are deprieving their older children of a normal childhood or violating child labour laws by requiring them to take on full-time childcare duties without compensation. It's got to be a child labour and/or abuse issue.

interesting take on it - however I do feel that children today have way to much freedom and way too little responsibilities, and it's getting them in trouble. This family is back to the old traditions of having the young girls learn to cook and look after the children at a young age. I think its good for them, as long as they get a balance of playtime and social time as well.

hehe
You're preaching to the choir, sista! I completely agree with you re. freedom and lack of responsibility.  I believe you hit the nail on the head when you said "balance" - right on!  That seems to be lacking.

Despite my feelings about this pregnancy and the willful obligation of the older female children, I in no way feel that this is an abusive situation.  This is their way of life.  As I said a moment ago, my concern is that the older girls seem not to have the opportunity to learn and grow into the successful young women they could be.  It will be interesting to see if any of the children attend college or university and equally as interesting to see if the girls will be able to attend should they choose to do so.

Sure, they're not abused in that they aren't being beaten, but they are being deprieved of a normal childhood! I'd be interested to know what the social lives, extra-curriculars, etc of the older girls are? I would guess non-existent. I just hate to see children being brainwashed in this way with little opportunity for balancing from the outside world. They are home schooled, including online college courses for the older children and have restricted access to the internet and no television. They are not allowed to date and the family prescribes how they must keep their hair. They take music lessons at home. It does not appear that they have regular contact with the outside world aside from running errands and attending church. This is NOT a normal family or upbringing.