The Duggers and the 17 children-Christian household, home schooled...impressions of this???

Question

I have spent a few years following these people, ever since the Discovery channel started show casing them...at first I would get so upset I would scream all throughout the show...I called everyone I knew and yelled at them to watch the show too...finally my Mother pointed out that my Great Grandma had 13 children herself and that put it in the rhelm of reality a little for me...so I am used to these people now...but my question...besides the stated one (that they love kids) what is the motivation for these people having endless numbers of children? Because think about it...they get a lot of publicity, endorcements, etc...the husband has run for public office...people do things for this family for free...so any comments?

http://health.discovery.com/convergence/duggars/duggarfamily.html

Answer 1

I've not seen the family on tv, but in reference to your grandmother having 13 children--keep in mind that the infant mortality rate used to be much higher and birth control was not widely practiced. I am always inspired by huge families that grow by adopting handicapped or unwanted children. It sounds like the family you reference has 17 children of their own. I would tend to agree that if the decision were based solely on Christian traditions, they would not accept publicity and freebies.

Answer 2

I sincerely doubt they are having children for any gain other than loving children. Why is it wrong for a family to be large if they are able to support themselves, and are being good to the kids?

We don't have any kids, but I know lots of people who came from very large families, including my Mother and Father. My Great Grandmother had 19 kids back in the early 1900's, and in our little midwestern county, just about everyone is somewhat related by marriages or births if you go back 4 or 5 generations.

As for it being responsible to have a large family when so many are starving or being mistreated somewhere else in the world, would you also say that the people who have children born in poverty are wrong and should be criticized? If this family has used the American system of getting a few endorsements in order to raise their kids, how is that different than a sports star or movie star? At least they are spending time with their family!

It really gets me when people get all fired up about how wrong home schooling is. My Dad taught us to read, write, do basic math and be social with other kids before we ever started public school, and many of the smartest and most well developed people I know had the benefit of parents who took their childrens education personally. Why would that be worse than dumping a kid off at a public school to be raised and taught by paid strangers? Do you realize how much time, effort, dedication, money and sacrifice it takes to home school? Not to mention that putting 17 kids in public school at about $5k a year for 13 years would cost the taxpayers over $1,100,000 in todays money. Don't you think maybe homeschooling is a more responsible after all???????????????????

Answer 3

There is a difference between this family and families from generations ago. The three major differences are 1.) birth control, 2.) infant mortality and 3.) family structure and economics.

1.) Before birth control, women were tied to domestic life. If they performed their wifely duties then they could become pregnant whether they liked it or not. Thanks to the control over their reproductive status, they have since become contributors to the economy and moved outside of the kitchen.

2.) Depending on how far back you go, children frequently didn't survive to adulthood. Death during labor, illness at a young age or the dangers of a more rigorous lifestyle all contributed to this.

3.) When you live an agrarian life, children are a source of labor and can increase your wealth. They are a commodity. When you migrate to the city, space is a premium and children aren't as able to contribute to contribute to the fortunes of the family. They become a mouth to feed and therefore a liability.

Of course it's a free country and I would never endorse a compulsory population control program, but every couple that has more than two children contributes to the largest threat to the human species--overpopulation.

Answer 4

Why not?? Do we have to provide answers for all that we do? I appreciate the fact that this family are raising kids with their convicitons. Nobody was forced to vote for him (Dad Duggar). No one is forced to give them endorsements. No one is forced to give them publicity. I think it is awesome! I hope you keep following this family for years to come. I think you will be amazed, as will I, at what their kids do in the future and for this country. Go Duggars!!

Answer 5

What they do is their business, but at the same time we all have a responsibility to keep the over population to a minimum. Large families used to be necessary. Mortality was high and it took several family members to work the farm or whatever your business was. Today is different. It is irresponsible to have so many children that it takes the community to support them. It is selfish. Children are our most precious members of society. They kind of get lost in too large a family. Especially today. To each their own, but let's do it responsibly.

Answer 6

It always amazes me that the same people who uphold "a woman's right to choose" as the be-all and end-all get offended when a woman has a large family, which is also HER reproductive choice and no one's business but her own. Kind of hypocritical of them, really, to assert a "right" on one hand and then not support it at all on the other when someone's "choice" is different than theirs.

Answer 7

If someone can afford and has the disposition to raise and care for that many children...I say go for it if that is what they wish to do. Life is filled with different types of people. If a couple can decide to not have ANY children, and people think it is a good thing...why should we get upset if someone decides to have lots of children??

Answer 8

I do think they are happy and they are probably very nice people, but I have a visceral negative reaction to them. I think, in all honesty, my reaction is likely more related to their conservative politics than the choice to have 17 children, but seeing those girls all in their dresses kind of makes me sad for them. It's like their whole lives are decided for them... they won't be doctors or lawyers of writers or dancers or teacher. they'll be baby machines.

And home schooling? That always makes me concerned. The two people I know who were home schooled are very different, but one was extremely intelligent, but as an adult had no concept of how to interract with people. The other is just poorly educated - she actually tried to convince me that mudras (hand positions in yoga) can stop a heart attack. these kids probably have similar religion-inspired falsehoods taught to them.

Answer 9

They most certainly are not doing this to get things from people. Listen to the way they speak about their faith and that just might give you clue, about their motivation for a large family.

Answer 10

"people do things for this family for free..." enough said. In my opinion, I think it's absolutely absurd to keep popping out kids like that. How do they support the children? They DONT. The government does. How are these children going to attend college? Simple: by government grants, and donations from other people. How are they paying for diapers, and food? Again, they aren't. The government is doing it, and they are getting money from other groups that have shown an interest.

I think it is highly irresponsible for a couple to have more kids than their private income can support. It's irresponsible to the children. How do you suppose these children will feel when they are all grown up, with the media following them their entire lives? No privacy. No morals. It is sickening to me.