Season 6 of 19 Kids and Counting. God help us all!

[Witsec5]

Yes it seems like TLC's new strategy is to keep the Duggars at home (they didn't pay for the Japanese documentary) and throw us tidbits of Duggar family chaos and Michelle's insanity. I am sure the estimate of 70 loads of laundry for Grandma to wash was an overestimate. At any rate it is an abuse of the highest order that even the most loyal leghumpers cannot overlook. I can see TLC using Duggar math as a way to make the Duggars look really terrible.

Calculate the number of plastic forks and paper plates used per year for example. Let's see counting Grandma and Josh's family-- 25 paper plates times 3 meals per day is 75 plates a day. 75 per day x 365 days in a year = 27375 paper plates per year and I haven't even calculated the plastic utensils and cups. In ten years 273,750 paper plates and an equivalent number of plastic utensils.

[Becket70]

After all these years, what is the point of this show? That is what TLC is going to have to decide. At first, it was interesting to see the day-to-day functioning of a family of 14. That was then. Now the kids are older and it's not cute anymore. Someone said that on one of their recent shows, one of the kids asked Jim Bob what moss was and that Jim Bob replied that is was God's Carpet. Not good enough. You take that child to a computer and you look up MOSS and go from there. There are infinite learning possibilities just starting with the word "Moss". If that is really how Jim Bob replied to the question about moss, they are a sad excuse for a reality show.

[lilwriter85]

I think TLC has been slowly throwing the Duggars under the bus over the past year. Even the World Tour episodes, showed a few tidbits of Duggars not being likable people. Boob's conversation with the atheist or agnostic street performer in Scotland, the high tea parts in England are examples. I think the "kittens in the pitcher" incident was another one. Somebody in the crew could have went to a pet store and bought a cage and a cat bed for those tiny kittens and it would have made the Duggars look good that they were taking good care of kittens. Instead, they didn't do that and continued filming Mullet keeping the kittens in that plastic pitcher.

[Witsec5]

After all these years, what is the point of this show? That is what TLC is going to have to decide. At first, it was interesting to see the day-to-day functioning of a family of 14. That was then. Now the kids are older and it's not cute anymore. Someone said that on one of their recent shows, one of the kids asked Jim Bob what moss was and that Jim Bob replied that is was God's Carpet. Not good enough. You take that child to a computer and you look up MOSS and go from there. There are infinite learning possibilities just starting with the word "Moss". If that is really how Jim Bob replied to the question about moss, they are a sad excuse for a reality show.

Becket70--Since I don't watch the show anymore I was unaware of the moss question. OMG! I guess if Jim Bob doesn't know that answer than his kids don't need to know the answer either. It's scary to think that Jim Bob was a legislator and that he is grooming at least one of his boys for a political life. And yes that was definately throwing the Duggars under the bus in a way that Jim Bob would not recognize.

[lilwriter85]

Another incident in which TLC threw the Duggars under the bus is when Boob and Mullet said in one of the Q&A episodes that "overpopulation is a myth". I think a lot of people on staff at TLC would disagree with Boob and Mullet on that and a lot of viewers called out Boob and Mullet for stupidity on the "world could fit into Jacksonville, FL explanation". Many people realize that overpopulation has nothing to do with land, but it has to do with resources. Boob and Mullet probably don't realize that some resources are limited.

[Shasta ODonegal]

FormerlyFundie, ACE's headquarters are located in a building that used to be a hospital. It is located four blocks away from one of the many megachruches here.

[Coconut Flan]

TLC still doesn't have a title and description for next Tuesday's lone episode. Those cutting room scraps must not be fitting together very well. :lol: :dance:

This is looking more and more like the end of Kate with allowing so much stupid or wacko through along the delayed titles and shuffled episodes.

[formerlyfundie]

FormerlyFundie, ACE's headquarters are located in a building that used to be a hospital. It is located four blocks away from one of the many megachruches here.

Well that's interesting...also looking at the ACE website they appear like one step down from ATI (they are all about CHARACTER too)- they apparently do work with Lighthouse which is literally 10 minutes from me, and I have relatives that have kids there :? WEIRD.

After all these years, what is the point of this show? That is what TLC is going to have to decide. At first, it was interesting to see the day-to-day functioning of a family of 14. That was then. Now the kids are older and it's not cute anymore.

That is THE question. I was thinking the same thing after watching the last two episodes and then went back to watch the good ole 17 and 18 kids episodes to remind me why they even have a show. Back in the day they were seriously intriguing, they were kind of kooky and different which was really interesting to watch, and is exactly what reality TV feeds off of. But now that things have slowed down, the kids are growing up and aren't such a cute little novelty, there are no major events to chronicle (another baby for J&M or J&A would not really even be news honestly.) , and everyone is literally just getting old and doing nothing particularly unique or special (no college or careers as documented on the show at least)...what is there to watch? Them cleaning up debris from a run down property? More photoshoots? More Josie being "doing well?" More sit downs with the "girls" talking about how content they are? Whoop de doo.

The WORST thing TLC did as far as throwing them under the bus is allowing the Bates to have their little show which allowed people to compare and contrast the families and also say "WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THESE FAMILIES."

[luckystone]

Have caught up to episode 13.

When they were renovating the house and Boob asked Grandma if she'd like to move in, she sarcastically asked if it had a washer and dryer. He took her seriously.

I don't understand why J'chelle said it was great for Josiah, as a guy, to be sensitive about the cats. If your other sons don't care about protecting defenceless baby animals, you are doing something wrong!!!

It really annoyed me when John David took scrap metal to be recycled and Boob said "we try and recycle everything we can". Ummmm no you don't, only metal if you make money, they chuck everything else out! So many paper plates yuck. And seeing the kids with that giant skip made it pretty clear they are a HUGE waste family.

[Buzzard]

It really annoyed me when John David took scrap metal to be recycled and Boob said "we try and recycle everything we can". Ummmm no you don't, only metal if you make money, they chuck everything else out! So many paper plates yuck. And seeing the kids with that giant skip made it pretty clear they are a HUGE waste family.

I thought that was interesting as well. I'm curious how much they spend annually on disposable cups/cutlery/plates. Unless they got some form of an endorsement and they have a lifetime supply, the amount must add up to A LOT more than the $400 they saved recycling metal. I hope they're up to date on tetanus shots!

[NjoyingNsanity]

Have caught up to episode 13.

When they were renovating the house and Boob asked Grandma if she'd like to move in, she sarcastically asked if it had a washer and dryer. He took her seriously.

I don't understand why J'chelle said it was great for Josiah, as a guy, to be sensitive about the cats. If your other sons don't care about protecting defenceless baby animals, you are doing something wrong!!!

It really annoyed me when John David took scrap metal to be recycled and Boob said "we try and recycle everything we can". Ummmm no you don't, only metal if you make money, they chuck everything else out! So many paper plates yuck. And seeing the kids with that giant skip made it pretty clear they are a HUGE waste family.

I kind of sounds like TLC doesn't even have to throw Jim Boob under the bus his own mother is so fed up with his crap she's willing to do it for them. I kind of wonder if she has her "Where did I go wrong moments?" when watching Jim Bob strut around like a peacock in all his delusional, patriarchal glory while every non Gothard brainwashed person in the room is thinking to themselves "What a douche".

[patsymae]

Yeah, the show is a big bore now.

I do wonder if there will be any more visits with the Bates. Do you think Gil and JBoob are still best buddies?

[RPW]

Tuesday night show are:

First Grandson Turns 1: Josh's son, Michael, turns 1, and Anna decides to bake a fancy cake for his birthday party. New (CC)

Thrill Seeking Duggars: The Duggars go to an amusement park in Branson, Mo. Also: a dinner party with the Vanderhoffs; Jill's 21st birthday. New (CC)

Snooz!

[Sister Mozz]

Well that's interesting...also looking at the ACE website they appear like one step down from ATI (they are all about CHARACTER too)- they apparently do work with Lighthouse which is literally 10 minutes from me, and I have relatives that have kids there :? WEIRD.

Being familiar with both, I would personally say there's quite a bit of difference between ATI and ACE. ACE is a curriculum, and extremely comprehensive compared to the lax homeschooling we see in a lot of these families. ATI is more of a lifestyle and doesn't put much stock in actual education. That's why, as demonstrated by the Duggars, you teach a roomful of students no matter what their age about bankruptcy and all things perpendicular. That's not going to do your first graders very much good. First grade in ACE, by contrast, includes individual work that is age-appropriate. Plus, I would say ATI is inherently abusive, while ACE in and of itself is not. Given the two different mindsets (ATI = whole family involved in everything, ACE = individual approach to each child) I can't see them mixing in the same crowd.

Edited to fix quote.

[Maude]

Being familiar with both, I would personally say there's quite a bit of difference between ATI and ACE. ACE is a curriculum, and extremely comprehensive compared to the lax homeschooling we see in a lot of these families. ATI is more of a lifestyle and doesn't put much stock in actual education. That's why, as demonstrated by the Duggars, you teach a roomful of students no matter what their age about bankruptcy and all things perpendicular. That's not going to do your first graders very much good. First grade in ACE, by contrast, includes individual work that is age-appropriate. Plus, I would say ATI is inherently abusive, while ACE in and of itself is not. Given the two different mindsets (ATI = whole family involved in everything, ACE = individual approach to each child) I can't see them mixing in the same crowd.

Edited to fix quote.

The Duggars endorse ACE on their website though, and I think I've heard them mention it before, so there's obviously some over-lap. I know they also use Switched On Schoolhouse. I think any curriculum is okay, so long as it's 'Christian.'

[Sister Mozz]

The Duggars endorse ACE on their website though, and I think I've heard them mention it before, so there's obviously some over-lap. I know they also use Switched On Schoolhouse. I think any curriculum is okay, so long as it's 'Christian.'

Ah, you are right! I'd never seen/noticed that link on there before. The difference in people I know who have been through ACE versus ATI is quite something. The former tend to be engaged and purposeful, while ATI tends to produce withdrawn adults who... well, resemble the Duggars and Arndts and Maxwell young adults. Those are anecdotal surmisings, however, from my own experience.

[DarkAnts]

The Duggars endorse ACE on their website though, and I think I've heard them mention it before, so there's obviously some over-lap. I know they also use Switched On Schoolhouse. I think any curriculum is okay, so long as it's 'Christian.'

I think that the Duggars use ACE for the older children and ATI for the younger children. They would probably still be using ATI for all of the kids if it was not for TLC.

I am looking forward to this weeks snooze fest. Realiety TV somehow makes me feel better about myself. I have to wash lots of glassware at work. Every time I get frustrated, I just remind myself that at least I am not Grandma Duggar. Besides, it provides background noise for when I clean my rabbits cage and knit.

[TeaELSee]

Have the Duggars ever announced how many kids earned or passed a GED exam? I recall the 3 oldest, but I wasn't paying attention. Follow up question: Is a GED test based on the state you live in, a federal standard or can a paricular cirriculum (ACE, ATL) administer their own exam?

[formerlyfundie]

I think that the Duggars use ACE for the older children and ATI for the younger children. They would probably still be using ATI for all of the kids if it was not for TLC.

Okay, someone with some insight help me out here. As far as ATI goes, I've only ever seen their character based "learning" materials talked about or scanned, wisdom booklets or worksheets. Do they have like an actual curriculum to follow for each subject that actually engages and promotes learning and isn't purely behavior/lifestyle based? As in one for math, English...literature? (Hell, what do they do for science?!)

And I asked around and I actually have a friend who did ACE as her main homeschool program and she's completely normal aka not Duggarish and is in college and everything. I misinterpreted ACE a bit I guess from the website (which definitely needs an update. It looks like it is stuck in time.).

[Sister Mozz]

Okay, someone with some insight help me out here. As far as ATI goes, I've only ever seen their character based "learning" materials talked about or scanned, wisdom booklets or worksheets. Do they have like an actual curriculum to follow for each subject that actually engages and promotes learning and isn't purely behavior/lifestyle based? As in one for math, English...literature? (Hell, what do they do for science?!)

And I asked around and I actually have a friend who did ACE as her main homeschool program and she's completely normal aka not Duggarish and is in college and everything. I misinterpreted ACE a bit I guess from the website (which definitely needs an update. It looks like it is stuck in time.).

Unless things have changed since my family was in ATI (which thankfully we were only for a few years), the answer is no, there is no curriculum aside from the Wisdom Booklets. You have to teach the basics in supplemental form... if you're not overrun with so many babies that there's no time for that kind of thing.

ACE is fully accredited and has all the specific core subjects. It is strongly Christian, which might not be your cup of tea, but being very familiar with a bunch of different curriculums, it's by far the most educationally sound and user-friendly that I have come across. I agree that their website does need a major overhaul!

[slickcat79]

Okay, someone with some insight help me out here. As far as ATI goes, I've only ever seen their character based "learning" materials talked about or scanned, wisdom booklets or worksheets. Do they have like an actual curriculum to follow for each subject that actually engages and promotes learning and isn't purely behavior/lifestyle based? As in one for math, English...literature? (Hell, what do they do for science?!)

And I asked around and I actually have a friend who did ACE as her main homeschool program and she's completely normal aka not Duggarish and is in college and everything. I misinterpreted ACE a bit I guess from the website (which definitely needs an update. It looks like it is stuck in time.).

You can actually get a pretty good overview of the wisdom booklets from the IBLP website. They seem to be split into 6 main "subjects": language, history/geography, science, law/government, medicine, and of course character development. It seems to be very much observation-based rather than structured to encourage learning. I would also be extremely skeptical of any program that encourages 6-year-olds to learn medicine and law but not math and reading :?

Have the Duggars ever announced how many kids earned or passed a GED exam? I recall the 3 oldest, but I wasn't paying attention. Follow up question: Is a GED test based on the state you live in, a federal standard or can a paricular cirriculum (ACE, ATL) administer their own exam?

I only ever remember them saying that Josh had gotten a GED, but I haven't paid much attention the last couple of years either. GED is federal, but the specific content may vary by location.

In the grand scheme of things it's not that important to have a GED. There are other exams that are more useful in terms of college admission/college prep, but we all know the Duggars are not likely to go to college. Even if they wanted to, they would have to do a staggering amount of remedial work to overcome their education up to this point.

[JenniferJuniper]

Have the Duggars ever announced how many kids earned or passed a GED exam? I recall the 3 oldest, but I wasn't paying attention. Follow up question: Is a GED test based on the state you live in, a federal standard or can a paricular cirriculum (ACE, ATL) administer their own exam?

They had a graduation party for Jinger and Joe at the compound earlier this year. Photos were posted on someone's instagram. I assumed it was for getting their GED's since given their ages, (Jinger is 19 this year, I think) they likely ended their dining room instruction a year or two ago at the latest.

[3 is enough]

Another episode where we see how little the Duggars care for anyone that isn't them:

Tonight they are going to an amusement park where they will brave the rides despite their well-known tendencies towards motion sickness! Yay! Vomiting! But hey, they don't have to clean up their messes. Let the park workers take care of that! Anyhow, it's DUGGAR VOMIT, so it's a privilege to clean it up!

Sigh. Is this the best they can come up with?

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

Is it some kind of biblical amusement park, like the one Ned Flanders had on The Simpsons?

I suppose the whole family will have to ride every ride TOGETHER. God forbid the older ones get to go off and have fun while Jim Bob and Michelle take the little ones on the teacups or whatever.

[silverspoons]

Is it some kind of biblical amusement park, like the one Ned Flanders had on The Simpsons?

I suppose the whole family will have to ride every ride TOGETHER. God forbid the older ones get to go off and have fun while Jim Bob and Michelle take the little ones on the teacups or whatever.

I think it is the same one in Branson that we have seen on several other episodes.

TLC seems to be trying really hard to save the Duggars. They gave them Abby and Brittany to start the season and now the extreme cheapskates to end the season. Both shows seem like very popular shows that most vieweers would at least try out one episode. I know I was curious about Abby and Brittany and watched a few shows. Even my kids saw the preview of the person eating out of the dumpster and asked about the extreme cheapskates show so it is not like the Duggars are getting old rerun or unpopular shows around theirs and they still can;t pull in much over 1 million if that.

This season have we gotten one full episode about one event? It seems like each episode has 3 segements all unrelated. It used to be an entire episode about a birthday or a trip.