Erika Shupe *glower pout* Large Families on Purpose Part 5

[apandaaries]

11 hours ago, Anonymousguest said:

Some of my kids are really small, I mean really really small, 2 of then were not even on the growth chart until they were in the double digits

So maybe this is just a touchy subject for me. But seriously, you cannot make a medical diagnosis by seeing a few pictures on a blog. 

If you're referring to a growth chart, then it's fair to assume that a doctor was involved in their upbringing, right?  Someone else was also aware of their size and talking to you about adequate food intake, yes?  And someone asked if they were getting adequate exercise? IF there had been a problem, you would have had a trained medical professional to help diagnose any potential issues, whether they be from nature or nurture.

 I know, as others do, that some kids are just smaller, but Erika, ASAIK, has only referred to taking the kids to a chiropractor/nutritionist, not a doctor.  According to  the charts and schedules she's posted, the kids barely get any exercise or outdoor time, either.  Then there's Bob, a pretty big guy, and half of the DNA of those kids.  

I'm not a doctor, and I don't even play one on the Internet, but I am concerned for those kids, and not without cause, so far as I can tell.  The lack of exercise alone (especially for the then-3-year-old, whose indoor climbing she complained about) is incredibly disturbing.  She boasts about Trim, Healthy Mama techniques, and seems to have put her whole family on a diet which worked for her, in the name of streamlining and simplifying their many busy lives.  But what works for her is going to be different from what works for a developing, growing kid.

To be clear, I'm not saying that Erika is an intentionally malicious witch who withholds food from her children out of spite -- I think her head is so far up her bum that she doesn't even realize that she could be harming them while pursuing her own personal religious ideals,which include being frugal, being neat & clean, being slim, and being controlling (but all in the name of Jesus!).  That's why I really wish we had just a few simple lines about the kids seeing doctors, but there is just a void there.  Sometimes another pair of eyes and an additional brain can be really helpful when raising kids; sometimes people are trained to see what we don't or can't recognize.  

Now about her withholding water from Happy to simplify her life -- that there is an evil bitch move.  

[Hisey]

32 minutes ago, amandaaries said:

 

Now about her withholding water from Happy to simplify her life -- that there is an evil bitch move.  

Really? I think it's just as evil to withhold food from her kids. 

My daughter was also off the growth charts, for much of her childhood, and -- just to be on the same side -- we eventually took her to a specialist who said she was fine and healthy, just small. He did suggest we try to increase her calorie intake. We had always offered her plenty of food, of course, but she just never found food that interesting. After the visit, we made a specific effort to offer her high-calorie yet nutritious food (which my husband and I, with our middle-aged metabolism, could only look at longingly). She had heard what the doctor said, so she made more of an effort to eat well. Now, as an adolescent, she has reached a conventional height and weight.

I think if Erika took her kids to that same specialist, he would be shocked at the low calorie intake of those children, and urge her to give them more. I initally thought she did this because of cost, and she has mentioned that this is a reason. But chicken is cheap, so is tofu and beans. I wonder if she wants to keep them slim, because she is very looks conscious. Plus, I've never seen her serve fruit, which puts those kids in danger of rickets.

[apandaaries]

 

Now about her withholding water from Happy to simplify her life -- that there is an evil bitch move.  

Really? I think it's just as evil to withhold food from her kids. br />

I think she doesn't realize that she's harming her kids, at least potentially (I do believe her head is firmly up her bum), but everyone should know that mammals need unrestricted access to water. But since she's Erika, she's always right.

[Black Aliss]

On 2/8/2016 at 0:25 PM, lawlifelgbt said:

People don't leave in college because they go astray. It's because their needs and ideas change. Trust me, there would be a lot more college Christians if there were programs like mine. It's not hard. Instead of judging, just feed them and listen to them.

This. My mother always blamed the "Communists" at the University for my leaving the church. In reality, the church had effectively pushed me out years earlier. It was only out of respect for my parents (or fear of, really) that had me going through the motions throughout my teenage years. I looked into the Christian Fellowship organization on campus but they were just as nasty as the Christians I've left behind in my hometown.

[THERetroGamerNY]

Communists at the university?

How retro-McCarthy of her.

[SunnyAndrsn]

On 2/9/2016 at 10:18 AM, formergothardite said:

1 leek, 2 celery stalks and 4 carrots? I would be ashamed to call that a veggie soup for 11 people. More like a hint of veggies. 

I had more than that for lunch.  WTF?

[pnwgypsy]

8 hours ago, amandaaries said:

If you're referring to a growth chart, then it's fair to assume that a doctor was involved in their upbringing, right?  Someone else was also aware of their size and talking to you about adequate food intake, yes?  And someone asked if they were getting adequate exercise? IF there had been a problem, you would have had a trained medical professional to help diagnose any potential issues, whether they be from nature or nurture.

 I know, as others do, that some kids are just smaller, but Erika, ASAIK, has only referred to taking the kids to a chiropractor/nutritionist, not a doctor.  According to  the charts and schedules she's posted, the kids barely get any exercise or outdoor time, either.  Then there's Bob, a pretty big guy, and half of the DNA of those kids.  

I'm not a doctor, and I don't even play one on the Internet, but I am concerned for those kids, and not without cause, so far as I can tell.  The lack of exercise alone (especially for the then-3-year-old, whose indoor climbing she complained about) is incredibly disturbing.  She boasts about Trim, Healthy Mama techniques, and seems to have put her whole family on a diet which worked for her, in the name of streamlining and simplifying their many busy lives.  But what works for her is going to be different from what works for a developing, growing kid.

To be clear, I'm not saying that Erika is an intentionally malicious witch who withholds food from her children out of spite -- I think her head is so far up her bum that she doesn't even realize that she could be harming them while pursuing her own personal religious ideals,which include being frugal, being neat & clean, being slim, and being controlling (but all in the name of Jesus!).  That's why I really wish we had just a few simple lines about the kids seeing doctors, but there is just a void there.  Sometimes another pair of eyes and an additional brain can be really helpful when raising kids; sometimes people are trained to see what we don't or can't recognize.  

Now about her withholding water from Happy to simplify her life -- that there is an evil bitch move.  

Remember that one of the younger boys fell & jabbed something into their soft pallet.  Much bleeding.  She took them to the chiro, not urgent care, ER or his regular doctor.  So yeah, pretty sure the kids have not seen a real doctor.

[apandaaries]

1 hour ago, pnwgypsy said:

Remember that one of the younger boys fell & jabbed something into their soft pallet.  Much bleeding.  She took them to the chiro, not urgent care, ER or his regular doctor.  So yeah, pretty sure the kids have not seen a real doctor.

 This is just not okay.  It's the same problem with homeschooling: lack of oversight/other sight.  Sometimes it's just better to have more people involved, for another viewpoint, another set of ideas, another realm of experiences from which to draw. Isolated children very rarely thrive.  There need to be more points of intervention. 

[Guest]

I think the kids could use a little more variety in their diets. Salads for lunch are okay but I wish she would give them a half of a sandwich or a cup of soup with the salad.  I do wonder if they get enough calories and fat, which they need for brain development.  Of course, since Erika is teaching them it might not matter anyway, unfortunately.  I would feel much better if they saw a pediatrician once a year instead of just the chiropractors.  I remember when one of the little boys injured his soft "pallet" and I didn't realize at the time that she took him to their chiropractors, I thought she took him to the ER.  Wow.

[Clementine]

I don't think the kids get enough protein and fats with Erika's diet. The younger ones look like when you see photos of poor families from the 1800's where the kids are pale, thin and with dark circles under the eyes.

And no way that Bob eats only smoothie for breakfast and salad for lunch. He should be scrawny on that diet and he is the only one who is overweight in the family. I'm sure he sneaks away to the nearest fast food restaurant as soon as he is out of Erika's sight.

[elliha]

2 hours ago, Clementine said:

I don't think the kids get enough protein and fats with Erika's diet. The younger ones look like when you see photos of poor families from the 1800's where the kids are pale, thin and with dark circles under the eyes.

And no way that Bob eats only smoothie for breakfast and salad for lunch. He should be scrawny on that diet and he is the only one who is overweight in the family. I'm sure he sneaks away to the nearest fast food restaurant as soon as he is out of Erika's sight.

That he does and I can see him sitting there chewing his burger with a big smile on his face. "Sure I ate salad darling (with bread, burger and fries)"

[Clementine]

15 minutes ago, elliha said:

That he does and I can see him sitting there chewing his burger with a big smile on his face. "Sure I ate salad darling (with bread, burger and fries)"

I'm sure he binges to make up for the diet at home: fast food, fries, donuts... Erika should feed him some lean protein and a lot of filling veggies instead of her ridiculous smoothies and salads every day. I can't imagine living in the cold climate in Washington, have a physically demandig job and have to eat a raw salad for lunch every day.

[samira_catlover]

For the sake of the Dear Eternal: I *like* food, REALLY do, and it sure likes me (woman of SUBSTANCE, with sufficient gravity, over here)!  I can really dig not wanting to have wayyyy overweight kids because pounds and bad eating habits take years to remove, but for crying out loud:

Just HOW fat are growing kids going to get on a pint (better: a quart) of dairy/soy/almond/rice milk a day, plus all the veggies they can eat, and lots of nice fruit, and solid grains/legumes (whole wheat pita, corn tortillas, rye/multigrain bread, brown rice, lentils, LOTS of all kinds of beans), and maybe 3-4 eggs a week, and maybe a pound of fish/chicken/meat/tofu per week?

[ILoveJellybeans]

8 hours ago, Clementine said:

I'm sure he binges to make up for the diet at home: fast food, fries, donuts... Erika should feed him some lean protein and a lot of filling veggies instead of her ridiculous smoothies and salads every day. I can't imagine living in the cold climate in Washington, have a physically demandig job and have to eat a raw salad for lunch every day.

I know I would if I had to live like that. If I had to live under Erika's diet rules, I would be out at McDonalds every second I got the chance, and buying massive piles of candy every time I went to the store.

[THERetroGamerNY]

6 minutes ago, ILoveJellybeans said:

I know I would if I had to live like that. If I had to live under Erika's diet rules, I would be out at McDonalds every second I got the chance, and buying massive piles of candy every time I went to the store.

 

[December]

9 hours ago, Clementine said:

I'm sure he binges to make up for the diet at home: fast food, fries, donuts... Erika should feed him some lean protein and a lot of filling veggies instead of her ridiculous smoothies and salads every day. I can't imagine living in the cold climate in Washington, have a physically demandig job and have to eat a raw salad for lunch every day.

She lives in the Puget Sound area IIRC, so it's definitely not super cold and snowy or anything.

That said, both children and adults need protein, healthy fats and an occasional treat. And some sort of variety! Low-calorie, bland meals 3x a day must sap your energy and enthusiasm. And without choices, you can't exactly learn portion control, or how to plan and cook your own tasty, balanced meals. 

[Koala]

18 hours ago, pnwgypsy said:

Remember that one of the younger boys fell & jabbed something into their soft pallet.  Much bleeding.  She took them to the chiro, not urgent care, ER or his regular doctor.  So yeah, pretty sure the kids have not seen a real doctor.

Do whaaa???  What on earth would a chiropractor know about something like that?

I wonder if they are purposefully trying to keep doctors from seeing those children...that's the only thing I can think of.  Maybe they have found some nut job chiropractor who agrees with them?

[iweartanktops]

18 hours ago, pnwgypsy said:

Remember that one of the younger boys fell & jabbed something into their soft pallet.  Much bleeding.  She took them to the chiro, not urgent care, ER or his regular doctor.  So yeah, pretty sure the kids have not seen a real doctor.

What?! Do you have a link to the post? I absolutely believe you, I just have to see this! Erika makes me mad. 

[samira_catlover]

Folks, can I go off on a major cyberbinge over here about basic healthcare providers? Pretty please?

Chiropractors MAY have some usefulness regarding neck/back problems (and that's phrased pretty generally--don't have any faith in subluxations and such).  The same for osteopaths (although a few might be able to do good things). 

Is it a total surrender to BigPharma and Organized Medicine to actually take the kids (or even adults) to a reasonably competent physician's assistant, a licensed nurse practitioner (FWIW, our choice for basic health care), or even a RealDoctor?

Look: I firmly believe in some real basic herbs to temporarily relieve VERY simple symptoms. (Have made a WHOLE lot of Menstrual Tea for people, not to mention stomach-soothing brews and stuff for Cranky Teething Babies, and plenty of chamomile/skullcap tea for nice sleep.) But that does not address the basic issues, and for endometriosis and similar, that's WAYYYY working above my pay grade.

We have lots of very skilled providers (here in the USA): why not use them?  Are they ALL in the Thrall of Big Pharma, and never have kinfolk who can use the latest and best that (*whimper*) Organized Medicine might provide?

[pnwgypsy]

Remember that one of the younger boys fell & jabbed something into their soft pallet.  Much bleeding.  She took them to the chiro, not urgent care, ER or his regular doctor.  So yeah, pretty sure the kids have not seen a real doctor.

What?! Do you have a link to the post? I absolutely believe you, I just have to see this! Erika makes me mad. 

It's on her public personal facebook page from a few years ago. The chiro used a cool laser (or something) to promote healing.

I've also recently read thru Bob's public personal page. Found some interesting things. Apparently concealed carries (a gun) as he listed a concealed carry holster as part of his favorite outfit. He's taken Karen shooting a 10/22 (small rifle). It sounds like he used to drive a lot for a previous job, so plenty of time for fast food. Most peculiar was a post on his wall from a woman he called mom who was talking about what his brothers were up to. Said woman has a different last name & is (still) facebook friends with Erika & Bob.

[StepMonsterInLA]

Cold enough for yummy hot meals to me. 

[pnwgypsy]

29 minutes ago, StepMonsterInLA said:

Cold enough for yummy hot meals to me. 

I'm sitting here with the patio door wide open listening to it rain

[StepMonsterInLA]

3 minutes ago, pnwgypsy said:

I'm sitting here with the patio door wide open listening to it rain

Thanks for the laugh. I am looking forward to 80 degrees this weekend and 50 and raining every day is fuh-reezing!  Perspective!  

[mango_fandango]

9 hours ago, StepMonsterInLA said:

Thanks for the laugh. I am looking forward to 80 degrees this weekend and 50 and raining every day is fuh-reezing!  Perspective!  

It's always so weird to see you guys using Fahrenheit for temperature. I'm so used to using Celsius... every time I see you talking about 50 degrees or whatever I have to remind myself that it's Fahrenheit or else I picture you guys all roasting!

[defraudingjezebel]

19 hours ago, iweartanktops6 said:

What?! Do you have a link to the post? I absolutely believe you, I just have to see this! Erika makes me mad. 

 

 

I totally wanted to procrastinate writing a paper, so I went through her old public posts (luckily there weren't many!) and found it. I was curious too. I can't believe a chiropractor would treat such an injury... To me, that's like going to an allergist for a sprained ankle! 

On another note, I noticed Erika has her ears triple pierced. What a rebel!!! I didn't realize multiple piercings in one's ear are permissible to fundies.