Jana's future

[roddma]

I think Jana is one who could be married if she wanted to. Maybe she is secretly glad she isnt in her mid 20s with 4 kids and a cheating husband. I hope she stays strong and doest succumb to the pressure to marry an procreate fast. It's sad the only way to leave is marriage.

I dont think Derick would have made the cut with GIl Bates. As far as the Bates kids having a personality, Jessa showed hers during the wedding. Only the adult Bates kids have shown slight departures from ATI and it's still not impressive

[Ave Maria]

As far as I know she handles all the incoming mail and correspondence. I'm sure she has seen quite a few letters from interested young men but it's likely that she and JB really don't take them seriously. I doubt JB would consider anyone outside the ATI Fundie world. I'm also not sure if she would open mail addressed directly to her father. As Jim Bob is such a controlling man I'm sure they have strict rules surrounding what Jana can and can't open. Heaven forbid she opens something from the evil secular world. Oh my!

I'm a bit surprised they would let their kids open any mail, to be honest. People have been known to send really CREEPY stuff to celebs (including the icky sort of sexual stuff), so I'd be a bit unwilling to let my kids read any fan mail if I were in their situation.

[Hot Dog Fingers]

That's definitely a skirt with a seam running down the front.

If I didn't know better I'd think her eyes were tattooed. Completely bare face but still with the eyeliner.

I've noticed the increasingly heavy eyeliner on the girls. Is there a reason they wear it daily and so thick? Does JimBob care that they wear it so heavily or is it encouraged to draw attention to the face and not the body?

[Cactus]

I've noticed the increasingly heavy eyeliner on the girls. Is there a reason they wear it daily and so thick? Does JimBob care that they wear it so heavily or is it encouraged to draw attention to the face and not the body?

Possibly it's one of the only aspects of their lives they have any control over. If it helps them at all, go nuts.

[jqlgoblue]

One of the rules is to draw attention away from your body to highlight your face (b/c guys don't get defrauded by faces). In this vein many, but not all, probably view make up as OK. As for eyeliner specifically, a friend of mine said "eyeliner is the lipstick of our generation".

I have also noticed that both the Duggar girls and Anna wear dangly earrings (sometimes large ones). Jana's are quite small and unnoticeable in this photo, but dangly earrings are technically a no-no.

ETA: kids marrying late is actually a real problem in ATI, one they've tried to solve with Verity College and presumably Crown College as well. I'm sure Jana could be married, but likely not to a guy she actually likes.

[nastyhobbitses]

I'm a bit surprised they would let their kids open any mail, to be honest. People have been known to send really CREEPY stuff to celebs (including the icky sort of sexual stuff), so I'd be a bit unwilling to let my kids read any fan mail if I were in their situation.

Yeah, I think if I had a child who had a high public profile (though I'd NEVER put my kid on a reality TV show), I would screen all correspondence that didn't come from someone known to the family. Too many creeps out there, and sometimes the letters can go beyond just weirdo "I'm in love with you" stuff; the singer Bjork ended up moving out of the UK and completely changing her image after the police intercepted a letterbomb mailed to her by a crazed fan in 1996.

So yes, Jim Bob is a controlling, awful dad, but at the same time, I think it's pretty reasonable to make sure that mail from strangers addressed to your fairly well-known daughter isn't potentially dangerous/threatening.

[SavageMom]

I've always envisioned their mail being pre-screened by a PR person or something like that. So the crazy / crude letters are sorted out, and Jana just gets to deal with Christmas cards, fan mail from kids and that kind of thing. I doubt that she's seeing everything sent to them. Probably part of her responsibility is responding to those letters.

[roddma]

Yeah, I think if I had a child who had a high public profile (though I'd NEVER put my kid on a reality TV show), I would screen all correspondence that didn't come from someone known to the family. Too many creeps out there, and sometimes the letters can go beyond just weirdo "I'm in love with you" stuff; the singer Bjork ended up moving out of the UK and completely changing her image after the police intercepted a letterbomb mailed to her by a crazed fan in 1996.

So yes, Jim Bob is a controlling, awful dad, but at the same time, I think it's pretty reasonable to make sure that mail from strangers addressed to your fairly well-known daughter isn't potentially dangerous/threatening.

I didnt know that about Bjork. Fans can get downright crazy and even dangerous.like the Rebbecca Shaffer case, the "My Sister Sam' actress who got shot by a crazed fan. I think the random woman who visited the DUggar home and stole Jinger's diary taught them a lesson.

[Ave Maria]

I've always envisioned their mail being pre-screened by a PR person or something like that. So the crazy / crude letters are sorted out, and Jana just gets to deal with Christmas cards, fan mail from kids and that kind of thing. I doubt that she's seeing everything sent to them. Probably part of her responsibility is responding to those letters.

Of course, I wonder what kind of PR people (if any) they still have now that the gravy train is off the track, so to speak.

I certainly hope that the mail Jana deals with is pre-screened, though.

[19 cats and counting]

QUick thought (and I apologize if this was covered in another thread). Does anyone know where Anna and the M kids are living? With Jana holding Meredith at Amy's wedding, do you think that the M kids were possibly added to J slaves buddy teams?

[missegeno]

I think that's a discussion for the Free Anna thread.

[Ave Maria]

QUick thought (and I apologize if this was covered in another thread). Does anyone know where Anna and the M kids are living? With Jana holding Meredith at Amy's wedding, do you think that the M kids were possibly added to J slaves buddy teams?

That seems like a leap -- it isn't impossible, of course, but how many people have held a relative's baby at a wedding or whatever, even without those relatives living with you? Holding your sister-in-law's baby is a pretty normal thing and I don't think it means much of anything.

[MatthewDuggar]

I wouldn't doubt it if Jana or one or more of the others are not staying at Anna's home just to help out with the kids.

[Exposedknees]

That seems like a leap -- it isn't impossible, of course, but how many people have held a relative's baby at a wedding or whatever, even without those relatives living with you? Holding your sister-in-law's baby is a pretty normal thing and I don't think it means much of anything.

Jana could've been baby holding because Mackynzie was in the wedding...there are potential hair and wardrobe malfunctions with kiddos. Or Anna might have wanted to take pictures.

I think Anna's at the TTH. How can she live alone without a man to reign over her? JB probably brought her into camp right away so he can control who has access to her as well.

[clueliss]

The photo in the media of Anna next to JB with the scowling face showed what looked like Marcus in her arms. Hard to tend the infant if you have a clingy 2 year old wanting attention. Probably easier to hand Meredith off to Jana and deal with said possibly clingy child.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

I wouldn't doubt it if Jana or one or more of the others are not staying at Anna's home just to help out with the kids.

I'm sure she'd want some company IF she actually likes them. Military wives cope with all kinds of alone-time as parents so I'm sure Anna could do the same. But time to actually BE alone and think might be [can't resist using the word] "precious" in its best sense.

[EmCatlyn]

The photo in the media of Anna next to JB with the scowling face showed what looked like Marcus in her arms. Hard to tend the infant if you have a clingy 2 year old wanting attention. Probably easier to hand Meredith off to Jana and deal with said possibly clingy child.

Yes!

Anna has four children. I have held many babies and entertained many little kids so that their Mom could deal with their siblings or maybe even eat. I did not take responisibility for them afterwards. (Though the last one was so cute that I was tempted to kidnap... ;) )

All this speculation about how Jana may be burdened with the M-kids, or (in another thread) how maybe Anna is failing to bond with the baby, simply based on Jana's holding Meredith at Amy's wedding, seems like "reaching " for signs of something that may not be there.

I don't doubt that Jana and Jinger or even Joy are helping with the m-kids, but it doesn't have to be any different from how any other woman with four kids would be helped by extended family while going through a rough period. It doesn't mean that Anna is going to pull a Michelle and hand all her kids over to the j-slaves.

Jana may be overburdened by the care of siblings and nieces and nephews in general, but in this instance she was only doing what anyone would have done for a busy mother of four.

[Lewy]

While Jana has spent her entire life raising other people's kids, Anna DOES have 4 of them. She can't hold them all at once.

[Hera]

I have no kids and want no kids and certainly take care of no kids, and yet, I routinely hold other people's kids at family events or other large get togethers. In my experience, if you're the able hands when the kid needs holding, you generally do the holding. That said, I figure Anna probably does benefit from having her SILs' help. After all, what else do they have to do all day, what with being wiminz and all? Sarcasm aside, I figure Anna is grateful for their help.

Why wouldn't Anna be living in her own home, though? Sure, she's married to Josh and stuck in a cult, but...she is a grown ass married woman and "headship" or not, even in Duggarland, that confers a certain amount of autonomy. Jessa and Jill get treated more or less like adults now (well, adults on JB's payroll, in Jessa's case). Why on earth would Anna be any different? She's not divorced or divorcing. Her husband is just off "praying the stray away" (TM to the poster who coined that phrase!). Why is it any different than when Josh would travel of whatever? Assuming the home she shares with Josh is ready, Anna is likely staying there, since it is, well, her home.

[xtwheeler]

N

[jqlgoblue]

I agree there is no reason Anna shouldn't be living in her home (even in Duggarland).

I can also think of totally valid reasons a J'slave is at her house most of the day such as she has a newborn and 3 other kids or likes the company of a friend. I can also think of totally valid reasons she might spend a lot of time at the TTH such as playmates for her kids and a social atmosphere.

While I don't doubt JB and J'chelle are trying to keep Anna within their circle of influence, I don't think any of the things above are inherently bad. I also doubt they have to try too hard right now, Anna seems more than bought in.

(I do hope with time she does what she wants, but I wouldn't expect anyone - especially someone with 4 kids including a newborn - to address all the upheaval in one fell swoop.)

[Hera]

From a practical standpoint, Anna's best bet is to stay within the Duggar sphere and just deal with the fact that Josh isn't what she thought he was. I mean, she's got no education and no skills and 4 kids to feed. It's not like she's going to go out on her own and get a job or educate herself. Let's be realistic. Her parents are unwilling to help and likely unable to financially be of much assistance even if they were an option. It's not realistic to think her siblings would be able to support and raise her 4(!!!) kids, either. So, of her options, the Duggars present the most stable bet for food on her table and a roof over her head. At least at this point. They won't leave her to starve or sleep in a hovel, regardless of what Josh does, and she will always have help with the kids and never be alone. It's not the worst option for survival, even if the brainwashing bullshit is enough to kill your soul. Being homeless and hungry and alone in the world sucks, too.

As for Jana, I cannot see how any of this really recommends marriage to her or the other older girls. First, it leads nearly immediately to more babies to care for - like poor Anna with 4 under 6 years old. Second, you never really know what you're going to get and once you're in you're stuck. Josh is self-explanatory. Derrick is clearly making efforts to move Jill away. Ben is basically useless and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that if Jessa cannot miracle out a ministry from the ruins of her family's "fame," she and her kids are fucked. Third, Jana probably has a lot of freedom now, relatively speaking. Sure, she can't use the Internet or have Teh Secks, but she also isn't at a tiny child or husband's beck and call and what chores she has, she can share with Jinger and the other girls. She gets married and - bam - it's back to being the sole caregiver. Finally, Jana is probably more in charge than JB or M at this point. Why risk a new "headship" who might turn out to be a useless arsehole who doesn't care about you and treats you poorly when what you've got right now isn't The Worst and you've seen how bad it can be?

[Jenesis]

It irks me that Jana isn't allowed to even go to Crown College. She's probably the most competent female of the group. She is extremely responsible and can take care of kids better than most moms likely. I don't think she should get married yet, she should try to ride it out and hopefully she'll get to go to school. She may feel responsible for the little kids, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them have even called her "mom". Maybe she is completely content though staying at home.

[Lewy]

Third, Jana probably has a lot of freedom now, relatively speaking. Sure, she can't use the Internet or have Teh Secks, but she also isn't at a tiny child or husband's beck and call and what chores she has, she can share with Jinger and the other girls. She gets married and - bam - it's back to being the sole caregiver. Finally, Jana is probably more in charge than JB or M at this point. Why risk a new "headship" who might turn out to be a useless arsehole who doesn't care about you and treats you poorly when what you've got right now isn't The Worst and you've seen how bad it can be?

I'm honestly starting to think this might well be why Jana is content to stay at home.

She may not get to have sex and kiss boys, but I wouldn't be surprised if Boob and DQ have better things to do than monitor Jana's internet history (like trying to salvage attention and making sure none of the howlers are staring at women's boobs). Wouldn't surprise me at all if she's clicking around Pinterest or whatever. The lost girls are reasonably self sufficient now (Josie's seizure aside) meaning Jana is largely off the hook for sister mom duties. She seems genuinely close to Jinger and Joy and has their company around the home. Staying at home means she gets to avoid popping out babies with a new headship who meant end up an asshole.

Yeah, she still can't have a normal life and shares her room with tweens, but I can see why she'd rather than that than starting her own quiver when she's spent the last 20 years raising her siblings.

[FlamingFundie]

I'm honestly starting to think this might well be why Jana is content to stay at home.

She may not get to have sex and kiss boys, but I wouldn't be surprised if Boob and DQ have better things to do than monitor Jana's internet history (like trying to salvage attention and making sure none of the howlers are staring at women's boobs). Wouldn't surprise me at all if she's clicking around Pinterest or whatever. The lost girls are reasonably self sufficient now (Josie's seizure aside) meaning Jana is largely off the hook for sister mom duties. She seems genuinely close to Jinger and Joy and has their company around the home. Staying at home means she gets to avoid popping out babies with a new headship who meant end up an asshole.

Yeah, she still can't have a normal life and shares her room with tweens, but I can see why she'd rather than that than starting her own quiver when she's spent the last 20 years raising her siblings.

Slightly OT:

My belief is that the following are their Pinterest accounts: (breaking links because I figure that's safer since Im not sure if I should or not...)

Anna ("Sue Smith") - pinterest.com/annadurrar/

Jill ("Jilly Dilly") - pinterest.com/ipreferatext/

Jana ("Janny Nalon") - pinterest.com/jannynal/

When you compare them (and I will note here that a while back, Jana and Anna were "followed" by Jill but I see now that is no longer the case...) it is very clear how "momish" Jana is. Lots of pins for small child education, a lot of nutrition and recipes, etc. She is by far my favorite Duggar.