a) That macro will never get old.
b) There’s the part of me that goes “remember self, pro-choice means pro-choice, she chose to have lots, you chose none” but they still remind me of the people I home-schooled with a bit too much for comfort.

Actually, not to be ugly, but in December she gave birth to a very premature number 19. The baby girl was born at only 25 weeks, weighing 1 pound and 6 ounces. If she survives, chances are very high that she will have at least one form of development problem. Very sad for the child and family.

And now, their oldest son Josh is married; they had their first a while back. It’s only a matter of time before their family starts expanding. (Maybe.)
In all seriousness, though, I do feel for Baby Josie (Duggar #19) et al.

Last I checked, we lived in the USA and have freedom, including the freedom to not use birth control. Many couples make the decision to not use birth control. Why is it that people don’t get judgemental when a couple not using birth control winds up with one or no children?

I fail to see the relationship between homeschooling and large families, first. Second, a moment’s reflection will reveal that the attention needed for each child in a large family is passed down not only from the parents in an organic, sweeping fashion, but also to each child in a particular fashion just as much as in a small family. Third, the older children help to take care of the younger children, so no-one is wanting for proper socialization, or nurturing.
I’m not sure who the Duggars are, personally. I’m also not sure how religion factors into any of this beyond a titular mention, in which case it’s an ad hominem insult, really. Overall, I think this article, while intended for sarcasm and a lark, is really just superficial and poorly thought-out.

I just hope Jim Bob doesn’t run off with hoochie and Mary doesn’t a lesbian haircut.

And just what does Jim Bob do to feed and clothe these kids? He must have a ton of money???? Or does God provide money too?
Maybe the premature #19 might be a clue to Michelle/ Jim that enough is enough…condoms anyone? (or vasectomy/tubes tied?)
Guess they find the words “Be fruitful and multiply” a requirement for being “good Christians.”
Wonder if son Josh’s wife can keep up with her mother-in-law!

@Kane Augustus : The reason why SCCL tags homeschooling and makes comments about Christianity in this post is that 1) the entire reason why the Duggars reproduce so fruitfully is because they are “glorifying God” by doing so, and 2) they homeschool every single one of their children, and SCCL is making a reference to one of her earlier posts about how CC loves to homeschool. Perhaps before you jump on Steph for making ad hominem insults (which she didn’t), you should check out http://www.duggarfamily.com

I am INCREDIBLY creeped out by their family website. It’s not a family so much as a society, and like any society, its rules (love your neighbor as yourself, in particular) serve to make it run smoothly. In this kind of a unit, I don’t see how individuality can avoid getting lost. The parents have to keep checklists to be able to see “at a glance” how their kids are doing. Their #1 home rule is “J-O-Y: Jesus first, Others next, Yourself last.” The whole paradigm of the household is designed to minimalize individuality – even their FAQ response to the question of how they focus on their children’s individuality completely obfuscated the question. They talked about praising Character Qualities (that the whole family memorizes) and gave examples of praise (You went potty all by yourself, You took out the trash without being asked) that subjugate personality for societal role. The only individual I see on the website is the patriarch. “Bible Time with Daddy,” “Daddy Days,” Daddy’s designation of the checklist system, the financial guide for Men…it’s like Daddy is God. Michelle only seems to speak up with her own “voice” when the topic is her vagina. The rest of the first person narrative centers on Daddy.
I’m disturbed by the marked absence of the voices of any of the children at first glance through the website. What do these kids think of this? Have they ever had a chance to think for themselves, or do they think in accordance with The Unit, having never been allowed, of necessity, to spend much time alone? On the website they’re treated as a Whole Passle, and not as a group of individuals with individual perspectives, needs and experiences. Their names are mentioned in lists. There are no examples, or mention, of who these young people are.
In addition to the lack of individualization (of socialization, I would agree, these kids get plenty), I would imagine that the rearing of the younger children by the older children puts unhealthy pressure on the lot of them. And then there’s the increased risk (and I want to be VERY clear that I am in no way accusing the Duggars of this; I am observing a situational risk), in large and largely unsupervised families with an enormous age range between the oldest and youngest children, and with heavy patriarchal domination, reduced parental involvement and siblings raising siblings, of sibling sexual abuse. It happens, and in much smaller families than this one.
Further, their educational system – and this kind of homeschooling is indigenous to Christian culture – again seems more focused on social control than on real learning. There’s a depth that seems to be missing when you learn science and history from “Wisdom Booklets” designed to focus your education on Christian culture’s version of God. The ATI program apparently trains kids to make “life decisions,” rather than trains them to think for themselves or develops their intellects.
And perhaps these parents went for years and years on frugality, but really, I’m sure the television show, interviews and book have all kind of helped. The best way to have a novel huge family and get enough money to support it is to be noticed.
But in the end, it’s not the largeness that is so troublesome as the overtly bizarre dynamics of this unit. I got this little sick feeling from reading the website that I can’t shake.

The biggest problem facing mankind is over population. To put it bluntly this planet isn’t big enough to support an ever increasing number of people and for that reason my wife and I decided that having more than 2 children (excepting multiple births.) If we in the affluent west have big families it drains even more resources away from the developing world and, as Christians, we thought that was something we wouldn’t do.
Taking “Be fruitful and multiply” as a command is as relevant to a Christian as not eating pork – it is cherry picking an Old Testament text to justify doing what you want.

Oh No – the verification text just included ’666′ – I’m forever doomed!!!!!

This is evangelism via the large family. If enough people have large, Christian family, they will, in time become a larger % of the population. The larger the population the more power (political and social) at their disposal.
This evangelism via the large family is happening at a rapid pace in Europe. Muslims are encouraged to have large families. In some places the Muslim population is reaching a critical mass where non-Muslims may soon become the minority. I make no judgment as to whether this is good or bad…..just an observation.
Make no mistake about the Duggar’s theology calls for world domination one child at a time, all in the name of their sovereign king, Jesus.

I fail to see the relationship between homeschooling and large families
The concept that links all elements of this phenomenon at on a psychological level is egotism (or its collective form, tribalism). We’re supposed to ignore or even celebrate certain kinds of it by convention. But people like the Duggars present us with a case where many people hit cognitive dissonance or finally recognize the dilemma.
Theologically the Duggars illustrate fertility cultism, which in conservative Christianity is considered Biblically justified/demanded.

The “J” thing creeps me out. Not sure exactly why. They’re at the point where they have to make up new “J” names, unless they nut up and name their next daughter Jezebel.

Daddy’s name starts with J…

they seem like a sweet couple and their family seems nice enough, but the whole thing is just so strange…

I feel bad for kids raised in an environment like this, if it’s a bajillion kids or four. They’re basically brainwashed–they believe what they believe not because they made a choice to, but because they’ve been presented with no other alternatives. There’s this impulse in Christian culture to shield children from all outside worldly influences and imprison them in a Christian bubble.
What is everyone so afraid of? That little Johnny will bring home his boyfriend, Jack? That little Jenny will become an agnostic? Or just that if they relinquish control, they might eventually have children that disagree with them and Daddy can’t satisfy his God complex?
Or is it just that they have no trust whatsoever in the God they serve? “God provides”, but only so far as the parents can micromanage and control their childrens’ every whim.
I take pride in the fact that any children I have will be able to make their own decisions, and I will never threaten to stop loving them because they chose another religion, social stratus, or lifestyle. Even if I’m not the best parent ever, at least I won’t be a bloody tyrant…

I think the duggars are a great family! I think it’s great to have so many kids….a real blessing from God

Hats off to the Duggars; it is refreshing to see such a happy, well behaved, well scrubbed family in this Godless age. The light of God seems to emanate from their faces. Michelle in particular is nothing short of a saint, reprimanding her kids so sweetly, never losing her temper, etc. I heard their latest child was born a micro preemie, and my heart goes out to them. Perhaps they WERE pushing the envelope a bit in regards to the babymaking.

I’ve known a few kids from 10+ kid families. It’s child abuse, plain and simple. The kids end up raising each other, with no real attention from their parents.

For the readers here that are interested in more information about the
Quiverfull/Patriarchal movement (which the Duggers say they’re not a part of) you might check out the blog http://nolongerquivering.com/ which is run by a woman, Vyckie, who was part of the movement for many years and even owned her own conservative, christian newspaper (The Nebraska Family TImes) that promoted the lifestyle. Vyckie wrote for Above Rubies and many other of the magazines that promote all of this and is in the process of writing a book about her life as a Quiverfull mom (she has 7 kids) and why she walked away from it. There’s a marvelous group of ladies that regularly comment on her forum http://nolongerquivering.proboards.com/index.cgi many who have come out of similarly abusive religious systems.
John

Look at them, they are the most boring looking people I’ve ever seen. Blandy McBlandtwon USA! I can’t imagine what would happen if one of those kids starts dressing “goth”, gets a lip ring or grows their hair too long. Actually, I can imagine what would happen, and it involves a burning stake.

I still remember at my wedding my pastor saying be fruitful and multiply despite the fact that many times during pre-wedding counseling we expressed we did not even want children (and still don’t). Though any time I see him now – that is the first question he asks, “When are you having kids?”. *SIGH* Yes, I’m christian and no I do not wish to be a baby-machine.
I’ve never seen this family before… how in the world do they support that many children?

I know a LOT of Christians who ask the questions that you say they don’t. Just sayin’!

Hi Steph, Love your site. So funny, I was actually going to write in a request of sorts for you to cover the Duggars/Quiverfull/homeschooling scene as: 1) I’m too lazy to start my own blog, and 2) You would do a much better job than me. But, as fate would have it, I clicked on your site, and to my delight, there were the Duggars.
I definitely have some concerns about the Duggars as well. I respect their freedom to live as they choose, but I don’t agree this is Biblical. So I don’t think anyone should feel any less “Christian” if they don’t have a brood of children. If you’re single and childless or married and childless, you can use your talents and skills in other ways to serve the Lord.
I’ve watched a couple of episodes of the Duggars show and some things were definitely of a concern for me. Many have been mentioned already, so I won’t repeat them. But here’s some stuff that stood out for me. First, the girls all share one big bedroom and the boys all share another big bedroom. There is no seperation and privacy for the older siblings. I assume this is so they can be there to take care of the young ones in the middle of the night, but this just seems so unfair. The older kids deserve their own physical and mental space, even if it has to mean sharing a space with one other older sibling. It can’t be that difficult to put up a few extra walls. Second, the scheduling. Do they ever get a chance to just go out for a walk by themselves and chill? I would go mental with all those people around me all the time. Third, when asked why all the girls have the same long hair, one girl answered something along the lines that their dad likes it that way. That struck me as odd. I can understand dad saying something like “No, young lady, you may not give yourself a brush cut and die the stubble green”, but this was just weird to me. Their hair is none of his business. Indeed this whole thing just panders to these demi-god parents and their personal ideology. Christians are not supposed to hide from the world. They’re are supposed to be an example for the world.
Okay, Steph. Here’s a request. I would love it if you would tackle “Christianese”. God has laid it on my heart that your gifting would be most appreciated so as to strengthen our online fellowship. Blessings. (For you secular folk, I just said: I would really appreciate it if you could cover the topic of “Christianese” as your insight and writing style would lead to the creation of an awesome blog entry for the rest of us to read. Thanks.)

Individuality is overrated and a burden most individualists fail to bear.
I know nothing of these Duggars but I do know that America alone has a natality rate that sustains it’s population. All other Western nations are headed for demographic collapse. Maybe we should send a preemptive Thank You to the Duggars for paying our Social Security.
When in doubt, choose life.

Along with the other comments (like Sarah’s), I’d like to add that… the sheer financial weight of proper healthcare for all the kids + their mom has got to be staggering. And Michelle D. – with all those pregnancies – probably has some scary health problems herself.
or maybe none of the kids are getting proper healthcare? or ditto for their mom?
It scares me to think that there might *not* be decent input her from a good ob/gyn, among other things. (A lot of the women who were part of the Quiverfull movement have talked about this stuff – see links above, in comments.)

Ugh, I could go on all day about these idiots.
On their website, they explain that she used to be on the Pill, then had a miscarriage. They felt that God was pissed at them for using birth control, so off they went having a new baby every 9 months.
Michelle Duggar is plain mentally ill. She is having babies like crazy to somehow atone for a miscarriage, which they felt the Pill caused… when there are ZILLIONS of reasons why a miscarriage happens, and most of them have nothing to do with what the mother did or didn’t do.
My dad was #5 out of 6 kids. There is a reason he and all his siblings just had two kids apiece, especially the older ones. The older siblings bailed from home by the time they were 19, because they’d given up so much of their lives taking care of the younger siblings.
I bet when some of those Duggar kids go crazy, or get addicted to drugs, or turn gay (gasp!!), ol’ Jim Bob and Michelle will have no idea what went wrong.

Just a few more cents, regarding the Quiverfull movement as much as the Duggars…
1. “Be fruitful and multiply” was spoken by God to Adam and Eve as the prototypes, and therefore the representatives, of the entire human race. It is not a mandate to each couple, nor to one religion over another. As others have already noted, the human race, planetwide, is doing a pretty good job of being fruitful and multiplying.
2. Children are undoubtedly a blessing. At the same time, the Quiverfull movement operates from the error that happens when cultural trends are misconstrued as timeless divine ordinance. In the nomadic and tribal culture, and then later the more agrarian but still war-riddled culture that dominates the Old Testament, many children were necessary primarily because tribes needed warriors, and warriors tend to die in battle, and so a great brood of children was necessary to fill the holes in the ranks left by slain older brothers. (The reference to sons as “a quiver full of arrows” in the Psalms was not a fanciful metaphor. Sons were weapons in the endless tribal warfare that threatened the families of that era.) Take further into account the many hands needed to manage livestock and crops, the high infant mortality rate and the practice of child sacrifice (which was done although abhorred by God), and you have a demand for a high reproductive rate (bolstered primarily by polygamy, which the Quiverfullers seem to have ignored). Men like Jacob and David aren’t, where family is concerned, examples to be followed so much as examples of what the culture of that time required in the bearing and rearing of children.
3. The ancient Hebrews counted their immortality through lineage and descendants, not through the afterlife of the individual immortal soul (as I understand it, the theology of the immortal soul as we know it didn’t make its way into Jewish theology until the Hebrews’ exposure to the Greeks at Alexandria). To Abraham, God’s promise to bless all nations through his seed was tantamount to a promise of immortality. If you wanted to live forever, you made your name live forever, through your descendants. So you wanted to hedge your bets and have as many children as possible so that no matter what, your name wouldn’t be wiped from the earth.
All of those practices are clearly outdated in the contemporary United States, as well as in reasonable interpretations of Scripture. If you want lots of kids, great; but from the Bible’s example, we’re just as wise to observe some of the necessities and trends of our own times, where overpopulation is a planetary risk, where Western medicine ensures the survival of most borne children, where most families don’t need children to run their farms and fight their invading neighbors, and where kids (again, according to Christianity) don’t gain you salvific points in heaven, but instead can be enjoyed for their own sake. The question of how much love and nurturing parents can give to their children is a principle that, for the love of Christ, should factor heavily into a couple’s decision as to whether to have children, and how many.

By the Duggar logic I should have 2 wives, 2 of their servant women, and more than a few of my own servant girls concurrently in my harem by now, and they should all consider it a blessing from God that I choose to allow them to serve my needs. Guys c’mon, if you’re going to build a strict religious lifestyle based on Old Testament social traditions from thousands of years ago, at least go for the nuclear option.

In as much as I understand the Pro-Choice application as it is used by a previous commentor, (she chose many, you chose none). This whole thing still pretty well creeps me out. I am a father of two and don’t feel like I have the time and logistical abilities to keep the ship running on alot of days? How does it work here? Quality time? Parental interaction? Who out there is from a large family and thinks that it was beneficial? And by large I mean this size. Curious how these kids have developed intellectually as well.

Probability suggests 1-2 of the children will be homosexual, which I find hilarious.

i feel like the Duggers are doing a great job raising their family of soon to be 19 on their own without any help from welfare or food stamps or any other charitable organization. i know people who have three maybe four or five kids that can’t even do that. they are independant and have raised their children with good work ethics and a belief in god. if they want to have 30 kids that is their business. they educate their children and rely on no one’s help which i find remarkable in this day and time. don’t judge people until you know more about them. try reading their book and watching their tv show, you might learn something. i lived part of my life next door to a family of 12 and they had no problem either. it amazes me.

I have the greatest respect for Discovery Health, but when we get a Duggars Marathon, I want to throw the remote at the TV screen! What does having 19 kids and raising them according to a religious sect called “Full Quiver”

I’d just like to point out that the whole “Christian” in this isn’t necessarily accurate. The Duggards are not Christian, but Mormon, which is very very very very different from Christian (any denomination, really). I know that the Mormon collective will refer to themselves as ‘Christian’ but they aren’t. So, this is actually ‘Mormons Love…”
That is all.

I’m sorry Lexxie, but you are misinformed, the Duggars are NOT Mormon. Why does everybody always assume a family is Mormon if they have a lot of kids. Catholics, Muslims, Amish & conservative Evangelicals also have many large families within their ranks. The Duggars happen to be conservative evangelicals. So no this is not “Mormons Love”. This is a conservative Evangelical Christian family who do not believe in birth control.
Now, that is really all.

I’m sorry Lexxie, but you are misinformed, the Duggars are NOT Mormon. Why does everybody always assume a family is Mormon if they have a lot of kids. Catholics, Muslims, Amish & conservative Evangelicals also have many large families within their ranks.
Hee hee! If we lived anywhere but the rural west, people would automatically assume we were Catholic, having eight. (In fact, we are.) But the first thing people say when they see our tribe is “Oh, you must be Mormon.”
Honestly, after you’ve got two or three, the numbers don’t matter all that much. The big adjustment is going from childless people to parents. Currently we have six at home (seven in the summer) and it’s a little crowded, but if we had another it wouldn’t change the dynamic of our household all that much.
You get used to buying groceries on sale and driving a van. Not that big a deal.
What’s funny is the reactions from Evangelicals. Sure, they think the Duggars with their 19 are a wonderful witness, but I think that’s easier to do because they don’t seem real. But when I tell someone that I have eight, they look at me like I’m nuts. Theory versus practice, I suppose. Even other Catholics find it weird that we would take our beliefs seriously to actually live them out.
One of my favorite things is when some yahoo says, “Don’t you know what causes that?” I leer, waggle my eyebrows like Groucho Marx and say, “Damn right I do!” It stops them in their tracks every time.

Ugh. (Over)Breeders don’t get it. It’s not about whether you can provide the money or attention. I don’t care about your religion, race or income — it’s about having too many damn kids! This world is already over-populated. The oceans are over-fished, there are more cars on the road than ever, there’s a huge pile of junk in the Pacific, and I already wait long enough in lines! Having a bunch of kids strains the world’s already overused resources. People who have a more than 2 or 3 kids are selfish individuals who don’t give a damn how it affects the rest of us.
I do have one thought on the Duggars, who claim god wants them to have so many kids — would god want 19 kids to have no mother if Michelle dies while trying to deliver another child?

Okay, so she keeps on having babies. The Duggars believe that having these children are a gift from God. Well, surprise surprise….there is something you do to get pregnant! Just don’t do it so much and she won’t get pregant. Putting this on tv only seems to reinforce to our teens it is okay to keep having babies. No wonder there are so many people on welfare. Lucky these people are not; however, I am sure they are getting paid pretty good for being on tv and exploiting the fact that she is what 43 and still getting pregant….not good for her body and not good for her babies! Time to stop producing Mr. and Mrs. Duggar. Enough is enough

They are not Mormans. They are part of an evangelical christian movement called Quiverfull. Look it up.

The Duggars are like a breath of fresh air if you ask me. In this godless age when so many children are neglected and abused it’s positively refreshing to see such a well scrubbed, well behaved Christian family. MORE POWER TO THEM!

Hi Roy,
that is exactly why Christian culture loves the Duggars: because they see their family as well-scrubbed, well-behaved, and without neglect or abuse.
I’m asking is if it is possible that having so many children actually promotes neglect, which is a form of abuse. And however wonderful a family appear on the outside, you never know what is actually going on behind closed doors, or in the Duggars’ case, when the cameras are off. Abuse is very common in Christian families, and this needs to be brought to light and talked about.

Hi Steph,
You’re right, one never knows what goes on behind closed doors. I can’t imagine the mother being anything less than angelic 24-7, but the dad.. he can seem a little creepy at times lol. I think time will tell. We’ll see how many of the brood turn to drugs, sexual immorality, crime, and other forms of rebellion as they enter adulthood. Their first born Josh seems like a perfect son, and I just love the old-fashioned way he courted his girlfriend, refusing to so much as KISS until their wedding day. Can u imagine? Now he is happily married to the girl and, in true Duggar fashion, she’s had 1 baby already (think they’re making up for lost time.)

this is unbelievable…

If you read the bible. I don’t think you do cause your a nonbeliever….so what your a scientolgist am i close?????????????????
You mock others to form a blog no one is interrested in.That is funny I think I should write a blog on your blog and how lame it is..how distasteful it is for small child to read profanity on your site when doing projects for school on large families……and this is how i found this site

Hi Jennifer,
Sorry, I think I’ve misunderstood you:
“how distasteful it is for small child to read profanity on your site when doing projects for school on large families……and this is how i found this site”
Are you, yourself, a small child? Or are you saying that small children doing a similar project might stumble across this site?
Also, where is the profanity in this post? Is it “vagina”? I hope not, but that’s the best I could come up with. I hate to break it to you, but with a name like Jennifer, you most likely have a “profanity” in your jean shorts, darlin!
Perhaps you poked around a bit after you got here, and found profanity somewhere else on this blog. By your logic, a small child could do the same thing. This is why small children should not be allowed online without supervision. Welcome to the way the entire internet works!
Also, the fact that you found this blog as a result of a search for data on large families shows, by the amount of traffic figured into any generic search engine algorithm, that there are, indeed, many people interested in this blog.

Is anyone who doesn’t think the Duggars are awesome a Scientologist?

The Duggars DO have people helping them–I read in an interview where Michelle said they have (hire?) two ladies to come in and help her do the enormous amounts of laundry such a family requires 2-4 times a week. And while they did build their own 7,000 sf house, according to the Wikipedia entry, “The painting, decorating, furnishings, appliances and other finishing touches, such as a stocked pantry, were provided by Discovery Networks and corporate sponsors as part of the one-hour television special [on the Duggars moving in].”
In other words, all the things that make a house more than just an empty shell were provided by the Discovery Network.
So while it is admirable that this family doesn’t have any debts, it is not true that they are raising 19+ children entirely without assistance in the form of freebies and hired help. Most large families aren’t independently wealthy like the Duggars (they own several properties) and don’t have TV Networks furnishing their homes.
While I have nothing against large families personally–my first roommate in college was the oldest of 10, and she was a downright saint–I do think Jim Bob in particular is creepy, with all the rigid rules, all the children having a “J” name (what, no “M” names for Michelle?), and as others have mentioned, the older children pretty much being the primary care giver to the younger ones. While the older children may turn out fine, as they most likely received more individual attention from their actual PARENTS during their most formative years, I do wonder if the younger ones especially will have a tougher time in life due to being raised by older siblings in such a large family where they aren’t given as much attention by their parents and certainly are not treated as having a separate identity apart from the group.

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