While we're on the subject of homes... Shupe house tour

[sparkles]

I give her props for her organizational skills and I understand the need to keep on top of clutter, especially with a large family, but that house is utterly devoid of life and personality. You'd hardly think that ONE person lived there, let alone a family with kids ranging from toddlers to teens. It's creepy.

[Nobodysdoormat]

If you're gonna breed like rabbits and have a house that small... I reckon that's probably a good way to do it. I wonder how the kids will reflect on their childhoods. At least they probably weren't beat too badly as they couldn't train them to stop doing this and that.i hope they're happy in their own way... I don't follow them so don't know their style, except for the obvious OCD.

I can't imagine anything other than boredom would possess someone to post pictures of their house, especially with all that detail. Maybe a need for praise? I'd feel so violated , to each his own.

[browngrl]

I rather like small well decorated, well edited spaces. In fact I prefer them to the huge homes that many other people in North America seem to favour. For example - see some of the lovely but very small spaces featured in the "small spaces" issues of magazines or sites like apartment therapy (apartmenttherapy.com/categories/small_spaces). I also love things to be organized and have the label maker to prove it. I hate clutter and have no tchotkes anywhere. I do like clean places and have been known to be unduly excited about new cleaning products.

So I don't have a problem with Erika's small space or organization or neatness. The absolute lack of colour and art and personality could be easily remedied. Frame some of the children's art, add some colourful accents, add a few flowers or plants and the entire look would be changed.

The problem for me is that it is not just that they have a small physical space - it is that they also have only a small mental space. The older girls get only a few hours each day to study for their own purposes. There is no freedom for any of the children to explore anything beyond their backyard (and that too is only in a directed and regimented fashion) The information/ideas that the children have access to is just as tightly controlled as Erika can manage. There is not one aspect of those children's lives that is not managed to the nth degree. The control, the patriarchal environment, the forced submissiveness, the lack of individual personality, the lack of freedom and opportunity are the things I have a problem with.

[Sumeri]

I rather like small well decorated, well edited spaces. In fact I prefer them to the huge homes that many other people in North America seem to favour. For example - see some of the lovely but very small spaces featured in the "small spaces" issues of magazines or sites like apartment therapy (apartmenttherapy.com/categories/small_spaces). I also love things to be organized and have the label maker to prove it. I hate clutter and have no tchotkes anywhere. I do like clean places and have been known to be unduly excited about new cleaning products.

So I don't have a problem with Erika's small space or organization or neatness. The absolute lack of colour and art and personality could be easily remedied. Frame some of the children's art, add some colourful accents, add a few flowers or plants and the entire look would be changed.

The problem for me is that it is not just that they have a small physical space - it is that they also have only a small mental space. The older girls get only a few hours each day to study for their own purposes. There is no freedom for any of the children to explore anything beyond their backyard (and that too is only in a directed and regimented fashion) The information/ideas that the children have access to is just as tightly controlled as Erika can manage. There is not one aspect of those children's lives that is not managed to the nth degree. The control, the patriarchal environment, the forced submissiveness, the lack of individual personality, the lack of freedom and opportunity are the things I have a problem with.

Exactly. I think her house is actually quite pretty, but I grew up with a hoarder for a mother. So I'll always, always choose a small, clean, uncluttered space.

What worries me, also, is fire safety stuff. Those beds have GOT to be illegal, there's no way out of that girls room in case of fire. I think she also said there's an additional trundle under the bed - if anyone had to get out of that room in the middle of the night they would have no choice but to step on someone's face getting to the door! Given the floor plans she posted it wouldn't take much for them to put an addition on the back of the house, even a few more square feet would make those kids' bedrooms so much safer!

[sparkles]

I much prefer small spaces too (We bought the smallest house we looked at and still don't use two out of the five rooms) but the Shupe's house is beyond small for the number of people living in it. Even prisoners have more space and more privacy...and more freedom. And neatness (we're not very) is a good thing too. But there's neatness and then there's pathological control freakishness, and given the fact that Erica is wound tighter than a spring, she's the latter. Yeah, she COULD paint and put up artwork, but it's pretty clear she won't. And again, the organization is taken to an extreme. They're not living in a home here, it's more like the stockroom at Walmart. Boxes and storage bins as far as the eye can see, no attempt whatsoever to hide anything to make it look warm and inviting. There's something almost unhealthy about it, IMO. Like she's so caught up in this sick game of proving what a wonder she is, that she'll go to any lengths to it make things work, even at the expense of her children's safety and well-being. Ugh, she creeps me out even more that Steve Maxwell does. *shudder*

We had a friend who was a pathological neat freak to the point that if you were at his house and he offered you a drink, you'd have to keep a death grip on it because if you put it down for a second, he'd whisk it away and start cleaning the spot where it rested. Furniture was covered, house keys were kept hidden in teeny cupboard by the door, there was nothing on the plain white walls, nothing on the kitchen counters, not one thing that said "a living, breathing person lives here." His apartment is exactly what I think of when I look at Erica's pictures.

[daisyjane1234]

I also like the house. I am impressed with the way they have organized their small space to provide the maximum amount of family floor space for activities vs. sleeping. I agree that there isn't much space for 11 people, but I do feel that she has worked hard to make it as efficient as possible. I have to admire her for making it cozy and pleasant on what I assume is a rather modest budget. I also agree that the windows should be free of obstructions, so the beds should at least be moved away from the windows a foot or so. Do-able, but it would break up the room symmetry and reduce the "walkable" floor space.

I actually find the decor pleasant. I agree it is organized and neat to the extreme but I assumed that it looked that way for the pictures. Deep down I actually envy her organizational skills. I would love for my house to be that organized.

[Luisainlondon1]

I wonder how the children are supposed to do their school work on that "work stations" She obviously put away the chairs for the photos to make it look better. But once you image that there must be some office chairs you wonder where to put the legs when sitting there. There's hardly enough room between the chairs and the boxes which are stored under the table.

[Seven Severn]

I find it a little interesting that most (all?) of Erica's recent posts have been reposts. Is she out of original ideas or, heaven forbid, just being a little lazy?

[mrs]

The house is clean and well organized but, it probably has to be with so many people living there. Imagine a few people in each photo, the room would most likely look smaller and cramped.

I hope all the kids are extroverts because that crowded house would be hard to live in for an introvert (with dozen + family members).

[snarkykitty]

The children's rooms scare the hell out of me because there is no way they'd be able to use the windows as an emergency exit. The one "positive" paranoia I inherited from my mother (who was afraid of everything) is the need to immediately seek out an additional exit from any room or place I walk into.

It chaps my hide that people claim to love children so much, yet put them in situations where they have little chance to escape during an emergency. Ten bucks they've never had a fire drill or instructed their kids on what to do. Makes me sick to my stomach.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

Holy crap, I know others have said it but I can't get over how much this house looks like the Maxwells'! Wow!

[infooverload]

I can't say I was too suprised by the cramped quarters. These families all seem so similar though it really is kind or weird in a way. The one thing which suprised me was this type of fundie crazy is in Bellingham, WA. I went to WWU. The campus and environment is very liberal at least it was when I was there 12 years ago. Religious folks while present on campus were seens more as the annoying underground we put up with when they tried to preach on campus. When they preached they were usually shouted at or people would come up with creative protest. The best was a male co-ed stripping down to his tightie whities in the middle of winter with a sign pointing at the street preacher saying "This man gave me a great blow job last night." :lol: People were taking pictures of the guy and buying him coffee to warm up. I still think it would be great if this forum had a map where you could keep up with the local fundie families in your state. Does anyone else think this is a good idea?

[Bookworm]

I find it a little interesting that most (all?) of Erica's recent posts have been reposts. Is she out of original ideas or, heaven forbid, just being a little lazy?

Maybe she's pregnant again...

I still think it would be great if this forum had a map where you could keep up with the local fundie families in your state. Does anyone else think this is a good idea?

My fundie inner child shrinks in abject horror at the idea.

[TurtleBelly]

I find it a little interesting that most (all?) of Erica's recent posts have been reposts. Is she out of original ideas or, heaven forbid, just being a little lazy?

Back in December, she mentioned: "The second reason that I've not written as frequently is simply the fact that our children are three years older now which brings us into the teen age years with our older ones, and our youngest "babies" turning three years old this past November 2013. This means more children are homeschooling with curriculum, the curriculum is more advanced including highschool, and much more life issues need to be dealt with as our older ones begin dipping their toes in to more real life."

As a public school teacher, I empathize. Most of us try our best to differentiate for different learning styles within a classroom of same-age students. That can be hard enough; I can't imagine effectively coming up with that many lesson plans every day for such a variety of ages.

I wonder what "real world" opportunities the older girls get?

[lilah]

s a public school teacher, I empathize. Most of us try our best to differentiate for different learning styles within a classroom of same-age students. That can be hard enough; I can't imagine effectively coming up with that many lesson plans every day for such a variety of ages.

I imagine that more often than not there isn't great lessons planned for children in that situation. We aren't talking for the most part about people with any training in lesson planning. pedagogy etc. They just want to keep their kids out of evil secular schools and if their kids don't really get a quality education that's okay because they love Jesus.

Erika Shupe's writing style drives me nuts with her *smile* and such. ughhghghg. She seems like she is so controlling for her children. They have no privacy, no free time everything is super regimented. I hope the Shupe kids rebel big time.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Back in December, she mentioned: "The second reason that I've not written as frequently is simply the fact that our children are three years older now which brings us into the teen age years with our older ones, and our youngest "babies" turning three years old this past November 2013. This means more children are homeschooling with curriculum, the curriculum is more advanced including highschool, and much more life issues need to be dealt with as our older ones begin dipping their toes in to more real life."

As a public school teacher, I empathize. Most of us try our best to differentiate for different learning styles within a classroom of same-age students. That can be hard enough; I can't imagine effectively coming up with that many lesson plans every day for such a variety of ages.

I wonder what "real world" opportunities the older girls get?

How can it be that hard for her. Her teenagers have about two hours of school.

[carebear]

Maybe she's pregnant again...

*smiles* *chuckles* :angry-banghead:

[Queen Of Hearts]

Don't think she's pregnant. She posted something awhile back on Facebook alluding to hot flashes.

My favorite part of this (re)post is where she actually admits she does not have full control over her kids. Admitting she can't train them not to climb up on the half wall is the first time I have ever heard her admit loss of control.

[lemondrop]

Did anyone notice the birdcage in the living room? Because that's all the house needs in addition to the constant din of a dozen people: the incessant high-pitched shrieking of overwhelmed birds.

(A childhood friend had birds, and whenever there were humans talking, they'd try to drown out the noise with ear-piercing whistles. I'd always leave with a headache. I can't imagine being trapped there all day with not even school to escape to. It's a lovely house otherwise; great layout. I'd love it for our family of 4.)

[crocodale]

Wow, is this woman a clone of Kimberley from Raising Olives? Right down to the whole family eating Cobb salad for lunch every single weekday.

[daniee]

I'm not gonna lie, I would love for my house to be that organized. Once you get it that way, I think it would be pretty easy to maintain. They actually live in the county just north of mine... in fact, I was born in that county. Wonder if she lives in the city I was born in. I should email her and say I'm a homeschooling mom who loves her organization (which is true) and go visit them!

Me too! I wish my house was that organized and clean. Other then the beds being in front of the windows, I think they did a good job with the space for 11 people. I am amazed that the white carpet is still WHITE with 11 people!!!

[16strong]

Maybe I'm being inappropriate in saying this, but I think that house is a recipe for a murder-suicide. Children packed like sardines, no personal or alone time allowed, neurotic mother who dictates every last detail of the house and the way its occupants live. Someone's gonna blow and it won't be pretty.

[Soldevi]

She seems like she is so controlling for her children. They have no privacy, no free time everything is super regimented. I hope the Shupe kids rebel big time.

She is. There is a post including a time chart and her own schedule is divided in to 30 minute sections. 8-8:30 pm talk w/ Bobby. Uh. Older children waking up 6:30 and studying and cleaning for 2 hours before breakfast...

[sparkles]

Yeah, her house is incredibly well-organized and spotlessly clean. But at what cost? And I don't mean financial. Erica's not your typical organized mom. She's a tightly-wound control freak. Thanks, but I'll take some clutter and a few dust bunnies any day.

[docmom]

Where's the 4th bedroom? She says it's a 4 bed, 3 bath house. I can only count 3 bedrooms- master, girls cell, boys cell. I'm an introvert. Living in that house would drive me mad.