Arndt Man Boys & Mary-Elizabeth living out their own unique stories

[0 kids n not countin]

From Daddy Arndt's Diary on their anniversary day (April 28):

 

Quote

I am grateful to God that Cathy and I have been blessed with 37 years of marriage.  It was His goodness — His timing and precision — that caused us to meet each other in the spring of 1973.  It will be fascinating to see the guys and Mary-Elizabeth live out their own unique stories!

Just reading this makes me so angry.  We all pretty much can guess how their "unique stories" will unfold no thanks to Mommy and Daddy Arndt. 

[Snarfblatt]

You know I haven't been active on FJ in forever and part of me was hoping that one of the Arndt Manboys had actually moved out. 

[libriatrix]

What a cruel statement. He knows perfectly well that if any of his offspring were going to live out their own unique story, some of them would have started by now!!

[Naga Viper]

2 hours ago, Snarfblatt said:

You know I haven't been active on FJ in forever and part of me was hoping that one of the Arndt Manboys had actually moved out. 

Hope you didn't get any ideas about Sarah Maxwell getting married either!

[Grimalkin]

3 hours ago, Snarfblatt said:

You know I haven't been active on FJ in forever and part of me was hoping that one of the Arndt Manboys had actually moved out. 

You need to post more because your user name cracks me up!

[socalrules]

I misread the title and became excited that there were Arndts now living on their own. I guess I become delusional around bedtime. 

[Apricot]

4 hours ago, socalrules said:

I misread the title and became excited that there were Arndts now living on their own. I guess I become delusional around bedtime. 

I was thinking the same.  Was only thinking yesterday I couldn't find anything recent on the Arndts.  They just get odder and odder.

[formergothardite]

I wonder if the Dad is in this delusional world where his children are perpetually children and he doesn't realize that they all grew up and live the exact same lives. There are no unique lives in that house. 

This is one of the strangest families we discuss on FJ. 

[Cleopatra7]

46 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

I wonder if the Dad is in this delusional world where his children are perpetually children and he doesn't realize that they all grew up and live the exact same lives. There are no unique lives in that house. 

This is one of the strangest families we discuss on FJ. 

It doesn't seem like any of the families we discuss what their children to have "unique lives." The script is to be homeschooled until sixteen or so, be a indentured servant for mom and dad, court, marry, have a Quiverfull, rinse and repeat. Everyone's life story has already been written from the moment they are born. The only thing that distinguishes the Arndts is the sheer number of unmarried kidults at home, but I think this is a logical conclusion when families practice such extreme sheltering, because it removes any incentive to leave home.

[Eternalbluepearl]

10 hours ago, EscapedCardinal said:

Hope you didn't get any ideas about Sarah Maxwell getting married either!

Stop it! I can't handle this truth! 

I wonder if Steve Maxwell and Daddy Arndt would be friends?

[refugee]

3 hours ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

Stop it! I can't handle this truth! 

I wonder if Steve Maxwell and Daddy Arndt would be friends?

I doubt it. They'd pick holes in each other's theology, I'm sure. "Mine is the only true way..."

[Dandruff]

5 hours ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

Stop it! I can't handle this truth! 

I wonder if Steve Maxwell and Daddy Arndt would be friends?

Mommy Arndt wears shorts, no way.

[December]

22 hours ago, 0 kids n not countin said:

It will be fascinating to see the guys and Mary-Elizabeth live out their own unique stories!

What a depressing statement. Is there no sort of cut-off age where they'll admit their children aren't ever leaving home?

Even in non-religious circles, when people get to be a certain age or so and don't have a significant other or children it's usually assumed they don't have an interest.

[hollyandivy]

and i thought they had collectively left home.....

[16strong]

6 hours ago, Dandruff said:

Mommy Arndt wears shorts, no way.

Steve and Daddy Arndt are both control freaks in their own right. They would butt heads. Plus, Daddy Arndt plays softball.

[FloraKitty35]

The only "unique stories" occurring at the Ardnts involve what the stuffed penguins get up to when the humans are asleep. 

[OodOnTheLoo]

I corresponded with one of the older boys, encouraging him to get out and meet lots of women.  His reply was basically that he is resigned to bachelorhood and okay with it.  Crushing.  At least these guys seem to be gentlemen and kind.  For the most part they seem to enjoy the young kids.  It's not right they didn't get a chance to have their wives and children (lives).

[EyeQueue]

19 hours ago, Cleopatra7 said:

It doesn't seem like any of the families we discuss what their children to have "unique lives." The script is to be homeschooled until sixteen or so, be a indentured servant for mom and dad, court, marry, have a Quiverfull, rinse and repeat. Everyone's life story has already been written from the moment they are born. The only thing that distinguishes the Arndts is the sheer number of unmarried kidults at home, but I think this is a logical conclusion when families practice such extreme sheltering, because it removes any incentive to leave home.

At least the Arndt man-boys have legit unchaperoned jobs outside the home where I would assume they come into contact with regular people, so aren't completely sheltered and on-script like most of the other families.

The oddness is that they still seem to drink the Kool-aid and haven't made any moves to lave--even within the "Godly" confines of a courtship.

And what @OodOnTheLoo points out below is just sad: that that young man appears resigned to just staying there for the rest of his life and not having more to his own life.

[CelticGoddess]

I always wonder what is going to happen to them once Mommy and Daddy die. They are going to be totally lost.  I suspect they'll keep going to work and coming home but will be lost.  It's sad.

[nausicaa]

8 hours ago, OodOnTheLoo said:

I corresponded with one of the older boys, encouraging him to get out and meet lots of women.  His reply was basically that he is resigned to bachelorhood and okay with it.  

 Wow. Rick and Cathy have a lot to answer for. 

And if you don't mind my asking, did he say why he couldn't/wouldn't go out and meet women? Socializing with the opposite sex doesn't seem to be against their beliefs, and they're able bodied men who seem fairly gregarious. I'm not talking going clubbing, but joining a 20s/30s Meetup group (they even have Christian ones) or a co-ed sports league (again, there are Christian ones). 

I wonder how they justify to themselves their refusal to socialize outside the family. 

[eightykatie]

You think they'd set a bunch of them up in their own house, just to give them a taste of living "alone".  So far their "unique" lives seem to be entirely the same!

[Naga Viper]

7 hours ago, CelticGoddess said:

I always wonder what is going to happen to them once Mommy and Daddy die. They are going to be totally lost.  I suspect they'll keep going to work and coming home but will be lost.  It's sad.

Whoa, thought I'd stumbled into a Maxwell thread for a second. Or a Botkinettes thread. Or...

[Elegant Mess]

11 hours ago, OodOnTheLoo said:

I corresponded with one of the older boys, encouraging him to get out and meet lots of women.  His reply was basically that he is resigned to bachelorhood and okay with it.  Crushing.  At least these guys seem to be gentlemen and kind.  For the most part they seem to enjoy the young kids.  It's not right they didn't get a chance to have their wives and children (lives).

And it's not just the lack of marriages that is unfortunate, either.  These guys seem intelligent enough that they could have forged out on their own to get jobs outside of court reporting or photography, say to start new businesses, ministries, artistic endeavors, etc.  Yet we see none of that at all.  Such wasted potential.   

[ScreamingIzzy]

I watched all the Arndt videos on YouTube. I have a soft spot for the manboys. They are capable, friendly, fun-loving, athletic guys. They should be out, living life on their own terms.

But then I wonder: what if the life they have is the life they want?

[Elegant Mess]

7 minutes ago, ScreamingIzzy said:

I watched all the Arndt videos on YouTube. I have a soft spot for the manboys. They are capable, friendly, fun-loving, athletic guys. They should be out, living life on their own terms.

But then I wonder: what if the life they have is the life they want?

If, indeed, they've taken a look around at the options available to them and really do want to remain "safe at home", then I'll sit back and shut up.  In the meantime, statistically speaking, I have a hard time believing this is true of all of the ones who have already reached adulthood.  

Come on Arndt guys!  Who wants to be the first to impress me by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro!  Or, better yet, who can help Rick finally finish Vine Valley this year!