Katie (Bates) and Travis Clark are having a boy. They uploaded the gender reveal.

1 hour ago, hoipolloi said:

Shoshanna has spent the last 1-2 years parentifying Jeremiah in a very icky way. Whatever went down with the divorce, Shoshanna is the one who is publicly criticizing her ex, her kidsʻ father. In any case, Jeremiah is now 18 so he doesn't have to see James unless he wants to do so.

Re: school. The only "homeschooling" that shows up on Shoshannaʻs SM is her reading her father's crappy books to the younger kids. If they are doing other things -- math, ABEKA, whatever -- neither Shoshanna nor Lauren has bothered to document it. So, yeah, public school might be a step up in the younger kidsʻ lives. Meanwhile, thereʻs Jeremiah, engaged at 18, with no visible means of support for himself or his future spouse. 🤷‍♂️

I agree with the icky parentifying of Jeremiah. Coupled with a good bit of emotional incest it seems. It's beyond gross how she groomed him to be a child-husband while simultaneously ending her own marriage that she entered into similarly when she was young and naive. I looked through the fiance's IG and I worry that she's developing very codependent feelings --- or was picked because she's already codependent and easily molded to fit the family empire. Maybe it's just teenage angsty feelings (she IS only 17!), but writing poems about how her boyfriend fixed her is not a sign of a healthy relationship. I wouldn't be surprised if she was required to read Grandma Debi's helpmeet book.

50 minutes ago, neuroticcat said:

Abbie has done several videos kind of showcasing the new kitchen. I am kind of wondering if it was an arrangement with the cabinet makers or something to do social media promo. Do influencers do that? Is that normal?

Yes, some do. It wouldn’t surprise me if the cabinet makers either gave her a discount for advertisement. I don’t think they would install them for free. But they could have charged for labor but not materials if she advertised them a certain amount of times. Karissa Collins just got an enormous play set that probably costs $30,000 for free because she’s been advertising the hell out of them on her social media. She has 1 million followers so she gets tons of free stuff she advertises. She got a very expensive trampoline too. Plus tons of clothing all for free.

44 minutes ago, neuroticcat said:

Yes. There are always reasons for if it didn't work out. The people involved are blamed as the problem not the cult-like teaching.

The pearls have 2 children out of 5 divorced. That’s 40% of their children. I guess they are pretty bad at teaching their own children how to have a long and successful marriage. 
 

ETA: unfortunately one of their daughters could be a single mom in the future but not because of divorce. But because of cancer. Her husband is doing expensive woo instead of chemo and it’s very sad. 

10 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Because he will totally spin it in a way that makes him seem so knowledgeable and godly. That’s what all these men are good at. Manipulation. 

Yes. There are always reasons for if it didn't work out. The people involved are blamed as the problem not the cult-like teaching.