Anna Duggar - Merge

[bluebird]

Having a bunch of kids close to one another in age was pretty common 50 yrs ago...especially if you were catholic and is really not outrageously uncommon nowadays. She will cope like other mothers have past, present and future. My mom had 4 in 6 yrs. My sister and I are 11 months apart in age. Life will be busy and she will have some rough patches for sure but also many lovely ones while raising her kids. Anna truly enjoys being a wife and mother. Granted, we are watching a scripted non reality reality t.v. Show that is heavily edited but I have never gotten the feel that she was anything other than emotionally stable. Her life choices and viewpoints may not be congruent with mine or others here but that certainly does not mean that she is heading towards a "meltdown". If I was in the mood to project I would have far more concerns about a few of the Dug's developing mental health issues/meltdowns after popping out 4 kids in rapid succession over Anna any day.

[Furslippers15]

Just because people are home schooled doesn't equate to stupidity. Many people non- funnies homeschool their children,because of issues in mainstream schools. I am not sure what education quality is in homeschooling. If there are state guidelines for GED.

As a result of giving birth to so many children there surely must be physical conditions that plague these women. Dropping of uterus and bladder for one thing can call for surgery. This happens to women that have delivered only one child. Can you imagine or maybe you don't?

[lilith]

Anna isn't entirely uneducated - she has a degree in early childhood education from a Christian university, earned by correspondence.

Now I'm in no way vouching for the quality of that degree, but the fact that she chose to complete it says that she was interested in furthering her education and preparing to be the best mother she could be, and she must have learnt something. She's certainly more educated than her husband.

[BrownieMomma]

Actually, I think she would have a breakdown if they moved back BECAUSE she would be isolated. Homeschooling in/near a big city is so much different than homeschooling back in Arkansas. And, we see very little of their lives. I would be surprised if Anna didn't have a support network of friends turned family out there. If she went back to Arkansas, she pretty much only has Josh's family.

I heartily agree with this. When I first started homeschooling I was married and lived near a major metropolitan area. Homeschool opportunities and support abounded. There was a local group of some pretty great people. Classes, actual go to classes of all sorts of things. Cooperatives.

Moved to where I live now, post-divorce for me to attend university. NOTHING. One very tightknight Christian group of some very uprighteous people. None of the kinds of support and opportunities as near the city. It completely changed our homeschool experience.

That could be a big loss for Anna depending on the kind of homeschool atmosphere in Arkansas.

[Jana814]

I don't really know if she is heading for a meltdown, but I was kind of hopping living in the DC area would make her realize that maybe having child after child was a bad idea.

[lascuba]

I'm highly amused at the idea that the US education system is at all competent at teaching critical thinking. It's more accurate to say they fail at both critical thinking and rote teaching.

[Cleopatra7]

Having a bunch of kids close to one another in age was pretty common 50 yrs ago...especially if you were catholic and is really not outrageously uncommon nowadays. She will cope like other mothers have past, present and future. My mom had 4 in 6 yrs. My sister and I are 11 months apart in age. Life will be busy and she will have some rough patches for sure but also many lovely ones while raising her kids. Anna truly enjoys being a wife and mother. Granted, we are watching a scripted non reality reality t.v. Show that is heavily edited but I have never gotten the feel that she was anything other than emotionally stable. Her life choices and viewpoints may not be congruent with mine or others here but that certainly does not mean that she is heading towards a "meltdown". If I was in the mood to project I would have far more concerns about a few of the Dug's developing mental health issues/meltdowns after popping out 4 kids in rapid succession over Anna any day.

The difference between Anna and women who had large families in the past is the isolation factor. Fifty years ago, the Catholic mom with eleven kids would have most of them in Catholic school all day, freeing her to take care of the youngest, run errands, or do something besides being around all eleven kids 24/7. Women with large families used to have the support of extended family and friends, whereas today the ideal is to have a bunker - like family where the mother does everything and then some without relying on outside help. This was another problem Andrea Yates had, as the isolation, the lack of support, and "simple living" saddled her with more responsibilities than she could handle.

[BrownieMomma]

Anna isn't entirely uneducated - she has a degree in early childhood education from a Christian university, earned by correspondence.

Now I'm in no way vouching for the quality of that degree, but the fact that she chose to complete it says that she was interested in furthering her education and preparing to be the best mother she could be, and she must have learnt something. She's certainly more educated than her husband.

I was all prepared to be impressed by Anna and her parents, but there is no mention of this on Josh and Anna's personal website. Unless maybe this isn't actually their official website?

http://ja20.com/ourstory/

I would so like this to be true.

[HereticHick]

Thank you amandaaries. There is NO comparison between East Asian students and Duggarlings. We have little or no evidence that Duggarlings work hard (or long) at their schoolwork. As far as I can tell, they put in a fraction of the study hours that the average East Asian student does. They seem to have little or no accountability or testing, and when they travel (which is a not insignificant portion of their year) or are busy with family events like weddings, I believe all pretense of learning goes out the window.

[SassyPants]

The problem with procreating soldiers for Gothard is these couples believe that there is NO choice. It's birth an Army or go to hell. The lack of critical thinking skills D/T a lack of education does not allow them to see that there are other options. If Josh looked at his own family and parents, and if he had any independent thinking or reasoning skills, he'd realize that living in Duggarville was HELL.

Can he not see that his parents did not do a particularly good or even decent job raising all these kids? Does he want Mack and Mike to become what he and Jana lived? Does he want them fighting for food and running to the bathroom to finish their meals?

Can he honestly not see how his parents basically existed and did the minimum in the parenting dept? Can he not see that after a certain number, it's all about just surviving?

Maybe his plan is to get to a large but manageable number (8) and just stop. Anna will have no say. Let's all hope one of them realizes that there are other options that do not include eternal damnation.

Why would God want you to have children that will be underfed, undereducated and basically ignored? Why is that seen as a good, decent or moral thing to do?

[calimojo]

The problem with procreating soldiers for Gothard is these couples believe that there is NO choice. It's birth an Army or go to hell. The lack of critical thinking skills D/T a lack of education does not allow them to see that there are other options. If Josh looked at his own family and parents, and if he had any independent thinking or reasoning skills, he'd realize that living in Duggarville was HELL.

Can he not see that his parents did not do a particularly good or even decent job raising all these kids? Does he want Mack and Mike to become what he and Jana lived? Does he want them fighting for food and running to the bathroom to finish their meals?

Can he honestly not see how his parents basically existed and did the minimum in the parenting dept? Can he not see that after a certain number, it's all about just surviving?

Maybe his plan is to get to a large but manageable number (8) and just stop. Anna will have no say. Let's all hope one of them realizes that there are other options that do not include eternal damnation.

Why would God want you to have children that will be underfed, undereducated and basically ignored? Why is that seen as a good, decent or moral thing to do?

Exactly. They are living how they were taught to live. It doesn't feel like a choice to them it is just what the know and what is expected.

I had hoped that being so far away, that Josh would start to have an inkling that all was not right in his upbringing. Maybe he is and that is why he seems conflicted and unhappy at times. Going through an evaluation of all he has known, and recognizing it's deficiencies must be a terribly painful thing to experience.

And he is so trapped now. If he openly rejects the lifestyle, he will lose his income from the show, lose the support from his family, and possibly lose his job. Then how is he supposed to support his own growing family?

And I think the ratings show that Josh and Anna, don't generate near the interest than the girls do, so even if he decided to go a different path, I am not sure people would pay as much attention.

I think that his life is very limited and sad when you really think about it. His parents left him with so few options and even his attempt to be somewhat independent landed him in a job where his only real usefulness is through being "josh duggar". Unless he is a great saver and money manager, if he broke free he would be strapped for cash. Living in DC is very expensive. He might be able to make some "tell all" money, but there is something essentially off putting about both he and Anna, so I think that would only be a short term burst of money, and not sustaining, unless he were to have a completely new personality after leaving the cult.

[bunnybunz]

I'm saying something totally off-topic, sorry, but we just got rid of our cable. Does anyone know where you can watch 19 kids and Counting online? Its not on Hulu or Amazon :violin:

[princessmahina]

I'm saying something totally off-topic, sorry, but we just got rid of our cable. Does anyone know where you can watch 19 kids and Counting online? Its not on Hulu or Amazon :violin:

It's on Amazon streaming. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TSP ... select_s15

You have to pay for it though.

[bunnybunz]

It's on Amazon streaming. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TSP ... select_s15

You have to pay for it though.

Thanks, I don't know how I missed that :pink-shock:

I really don't want to pay for it though, I guess I'm going to have to quit my Duggar fix cold turkey. :pull-hair:

[SassyPants]

I'm saying something totally off-topic, sorry, but we just got rid of our cable. Does anyone know where you can watch 19 kids and Counting online? Its not on Hulu or Amazon :violin:

I rarely watch unless it's through a re-run.

I just read Buzzard's acct and it's really all I need to know.

I have good intentions but usually within a couple of minutes I start channel surfing from shear boredom.

[bluebird]

My great grandmother who lived on a farm with 9 kids was isolated, not so much for Anna.

[Maggie Mae]

My great grandmother who lived on a farm with 9 kids was isolated, not so much for Anna.

I have to disagree. One can live in huge cites and feel completely isolated. It's much easier to ignore strangers in large cities. And I think it's difficult to make friends. It's an actual documented issue in several cities -- people are very friendly, but it takes a long time to establish a solid social net.

[Nic]

If Joshieboy were still sitting around his taco car lot, then yeah maybe consider college & law school route, but now? I don't see the point unless he still really really wants to actually practice law. He's 26 yo and the 2nd in command of FRC. People his same age are in entry-level positions of PACs. I don't see him stopping the momentum. People get degrees to have better shots at a job he already has.

If this job were to end he could go to another PAC, he could be hired to work for a politician, he could run for office himself. I don't see him disappearing off into obscurity and hitting the car auctions again.

[BrownieMomma]

If Joshieboy were still sitting around his taco car lot, then yeah maybe consider college & law school route, but now? I don't see the point unless he still really really wants to actually practice law. He's 26 yo and the 2nd in command of FRC. People his same age are in entry-level positions of PACs. I don't see him stopping the momentum. People get degrees to have better shots at a job he already has.

If this job were to end he could go to another PAC, he could be hired to work for a politician, he could run for office himself. I don't see him disappearing off into obscurity and hitting the car auctions again.

Even if he did go back to selling cars, he would probably do pretty well at it if he goes back to Arkansas. People are going to trust him because they think he's a good Christian guy. And maybe he would be trustworthy.

I do think Josh will be able to springboard from FRC unless he does something scandously stupid.

[jarona]

I was all prepared to be impressed by Anna and her parents, but there is no mention of this on Josh and Anna's personal website. Unless maybe this isn't actually their official website?

http://ja20.com/ourstory/

I would so like this to be true.

Why do I feel the "Our Story" page on ja20 is not sincere? It reads more like Jesus PR than anything else. I get the strong feeling that these people are using Jesus for their own self-agenda and don't really give two s*its about anyone else.

[jarona]

The difference between Anna and women who had large families in the past is the isolation factor. Fifty years ago, the Catholic mom with eleven kids would have most of them in Catholic school all day, freeing her to take care of the youngest, run errands, or do something besides being around all eleven kids 24/7. Women with large families used to have the support of extended family and friends, whereas today the ideal is to have a bunker - like family where the mother does everything and then some without relying on outside help. This was another problem Andrea Yates had, as the isolation, the lack of support, and "simple living" saddled her with more responsibilities than she could handle.

I have to agree with this. While we kids were in Catholic school fearing the nuns, my mother was home tending to housework, running errands AND spending time with my aunts and my mom's friends. She also did a lot of volunteer work in the school we attended as well as iron the altar linens for our Parish. (she loved to iron--what can I say? It's a thing in my family--all the girls love to iron!). We had five kids in our family and we were one of the SMALLEST families. The average was around 7 or 8 kids..some more. That all being said, we kids were extremely normal--involved in sports, all sorts of activities and even getting caught drinking and smoking when we were teens. We're all going to Hell!

[twinmama]

And he is so trapped now. If he openly rejects the lifestyle, he will lose his income from the show, lose the support from his family, and possibly lose his job. Then how is he supposed to support his own growing family?

If he was savvy enough, he could easily leave the family and negotiate his own show on TLC. Like one of those "I was Amish and now I'm living the high life in NYC" shows. Anna wearing pants, the kids going to school, Josh getting a Bachelor's at a state college. He could also easily STOP having kids at 4. It IS possible to do it without the Duggar fundie machine behind him, but I don't think he even wants to break free. He seems content to be a clueless fundie spokesperson and fake educated person.

[Feberin]

I think even in the past it was still hard we just look back at it and don't realize it. My grandmother raised seven children including having her first four children in four years. She was an extremely patient person (she watched me while my parents worked every day) and I think somebody who truly loved children and being a mom. However even she admitted she wished she hadn't had so many kids so she could have given them more individualized attention. And they were well off enough that she had a housekeeper to help with the cleaning and she didn't homeschool.

[BrownieMomma]

Why do I feel the "Our Story" page on ja20 is not sincere? It reads more like Jesus PR than anything else. I get the strong feeling that these people are using Jesus for their own self-agenda and don't really give two s*its about anyone else.

Because insincerity is a Duggar trait.

I think if Anna had gotten that education, she would for darn sure publicizing it. Unless she doesn't want to look "above" Josh or something... GAH... I could see Anna doing that... conveniently forgetting she'd gotten some kind of verifiable education credential so Josh won't look bad.

[lilith]

Because insincerity is a Duggar trait.

I think if Anna had gotten that education, she would for darn sure publicizing it. Unless she doesn't want to look "above" Josh or something... GAH... I could see Anna doing that... conveniently forgetting she'd gotten some kind of verifiable education credential so Josh won't look bad.

I'll have to find where I read it - it may have been in a Duggar book or early episode. It's definitely not just a rumour though.