The kids still at home

[MoonFace]

I'm thinking that the tight hold on the kids still at the Duggar home are going to get much tighter. Hide and seek type games are taboo. No sitting on laps.

Good thing everyone is potty trained because MEchelle would probably be the only one allowed to change a diaper (we know that JB wouldn't do 'wimmins work') and with her busy busy schedule the kid would have a rash in two days.

Side hugs will probably be banned as well.

Do kids dress and undress in private and in the dark (so they don't see their own bodies)?

Only approved bible stories for books

What other rules can they impose to keep their kids 'pure'?

[HarryPotterFan]

No showers? Being a never nude like Tobias Funke in Arrested Development?

[Anonymousguest]

I'm sure all these rules you mention have been in place for many years. She would allow the older girls to change little girls' diapers, just not big brothers.

I remember many years ago that Teri Maxwell has similar rules, their boys slept on a different level in the house, while the girls' bedroom are near the parents. One thing I always thought odd was that she only allowed same sexed children to change diapers. Sarah was not to change the diapers of her little brothers, so as to not stir up feelings or curiosity. Only big brothers could change younger brothers diapers.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

I don't think any of those rules have changed. I think that the rules that have been changed are probably things like: who can court and what the steps to courtship are; how many people have to be with you at all times when you're out of the house; access to the internet; access to technological devices; access to the outside world; access to friends and family members; modesty rules in regards to relationships; etc.

[VTSleeper]

I think the rules are going to be much tighter, but they will be tightened because they don't want another child tarnishing their public image. They are still under the delusion that they can resurrect their television career. Ironically, by clamping down even harder they will increase the likelihood of a child doing something unapproved, but they don't understand child psychology.

[Sundaymorning]

I wouldn't be surprised if Boob tried to become more strict, but the question is, can he pull that off?

It's not like the kids had any real freedom to begin with, and I wonder what happens if he also tries to take away the little things they have. The last thing Boob needs right now is a fed up kid running away from home and exposing their cult to the public.

Many of the kids who aren't married yet are 16 and older, you can't control a 18 year old the same way you can a 10 year old. Plus, the Duggars have so many kids, it's impossible for them to personally supervise all of the kids all of the time.

[VTSleeper]

I wouldn't be surprised if Boob tried to become more strict, but the question is, can he pull that off?

Thanks to the show, the kids have had a taste of the outside world. That will make clamping down much harder. If he does, look for more kids to "break" at some point.

[princessmahina]

I'm sure all these rules you mention have been in place for many years. She would allow the older girls to change little girls' diapers, just not big brothers.

I remember many years ago that Teri Maxwell has similar rules, their boys slept on a different level in the house, while the girls' bedroom are near the parents. One thing I always thought odd was that she only allowed same sexed children to change diapers. Sarah was not to change the diapers of her little brothers, so as to not stir up feelings or curiosity. Only big brothers could change younger brothers diapers.

This is one of the most repugnant things I've ever heard.

Also, about the diapers- I remember the very last episode of the Duggars, Anna said that Jim Bob told Josh that he ought to be changing a lot of the diapers. Something about "mom takes care of the front end, dad takes care of the back end." It was stupid, but memorable. So, it would seem Jim Bob is allowed to change girl-diapers, but that he doesn't.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

I imagine that kids are going to break the ranks quickly, but they might not leave the house just yet. I don't even know if any of them actually view it as an option. After all, they can't go anywhere without being recognized as a Duggar, and I'm CERTAIN a lot of fans are REALLY creepy. I don't imagine they're going to want to put themselves in a situation where it might be them an an obsessive fan with no one around to protect them.

I do imagine the entire household is really tense right now. I see Michelle's baby voice reaching frequencies outside the human spectrum and JB doing everything in his "godly power" to instill order. But, I don't know how well it's working.

As it's been mentioned, the kids have been worldly for a while. They have some idea of what they're missing out on. Furthermore, I don't think the younger kids, who likely haven't been raised with "tricks of the trade" like blanket training, are going to have the same level of fear as the older kids. Hell, with how they've behaved in recent years, I wouldn't be surprised if the younger half of the kids is absolutely impossible to control; especially by their parents, whom they seem to have no respect for or relationship with.

Furthermore, Josh has broken like all the rules that matter, but nothing terribly bad has happened to him that any of us know of. Everyone but him receives the blame and punishments. That's going to result in resentment towards Josh and their parents, and it's going to make the kids wonder why they have to fall in line. I mean, they fall in line and they get punished for someone else's crime. They don't fall in line, and nothing bad happens to them. Not really the kind of message you want your kids to be receiving if you want them to comply.

[VTSleeper]

Furthermore, Josh has broken like all the rules that matter, but nothing terribly bad has happened to him that any of us know of.

He lost a well paying job and whatever income he received from the television show. That's pretty bad.

[sophrosyne]

He lost a well paying job and whatever income he received from the television show. That's pretty bad.

And he crashed the TLC gravy train with his siblings, parents, sibling spouses, and rebel-cuzzin Amy on board. That's ugly bad. I've been wondering how, and if, Jesus can lift that burden of guilt from his shoulders.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

He lost a well paying job and whatever income he received from the television show. That's pretty bad.

It's not what I mean though. I mean you can lose a well paying job or a TV show for a wide variety of issues. Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if the Duggars weren't prepared in some way for the show to go under and not resurface. Jills wedding brought in a lot of viewers, numbers they hadn't seen in years, but Jessa's didn't. There was talk of a spin off before there was even a scandal. I don't think the Duggars expected the show to end as early as it did, but I think they knew it was coming. The scandals just pushed it over the edge.

And, really, losing a job isn't the same as real consequences. Anna is still wish Josh, the parents have ALWAYS taken his side in the molestation area, etc. Money aside, he's rather unscathed. Plus, the molestation happened YEARS AND YEARS ago. Before he was married, before he had kids, before he got the well paying job, before they got the TV show, before he moved the family to DC, before he bought his own house in Arkansas. The good things in his life happened AFTER he was the most sinful and AFTER her committed crimes. That sends a LOT stronger of a message than "well it's Josh's fault we don't have a TV show now."

[VTSleeper]

It's not what I mean though. I mean you can lose a well paying job or a TV show for a wide variety of issues.

That is true, but in this case he lost his job and TV show because he molested children. So it's hard to argue that there was no consequence for his having done so.

Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if the Duggars weren't prepared in some way for the show to go under and not resurface.

I don't think that they had any expectation that it would come crashing down like it did. Mrs. Seewald seems especially pissed. And even if they saw the show ending, I am sure that they believed they would be the darlings of the paid lecture/appearance circuit for many more years to come.

Money aside, he's rather unscathed.

I'm not so sure that he feels that way. After screwing porn stars (allegedly) he's now sitting in RU jail. But most of all, Josh thrived on being seen as superior - even if a lot of it was his own delusion. He went from believing that he was worshiped and important to now being the butt of everyone's jokes. That's got to be very hard for a person with his HUGE ego to handle. And because his downfall played out in public, he'll never be able to escape this. Yes, he may go on the "reformed man" lecture circuit, but the general public will have turned their back on him - and that's where he believed he had become really important.

Plus, the molestation happened YEARS AND YEARS ago. Before he was married, before he had kids, before he got the well paying job, before they got the TV show, before he moved the family to DC, before he bought his own house in Arkansas. The good things in his life happened AFTER he was the most sinful and AFTER her committed crimes. That sends a LOT stronger of a message than "well it's Josh's fault we don't have a TV show now."

That is a VERY valid point. From a purely financial perspective, I've never understood the people who are shocked that they went on television knowing that this secret was in the closet. Let's face it. For as pious as Jim Bob pretends to be, Jim Bob is VERY motivated by money. Big time. Jim Bob made about $3.5 million more by hiding Josh's secret than he would have had they been forthright about it. I am sure that he has no regrets at all for keeping it a secret.

[MoonFace]

SNIP.

And he crashed the TLC gravy train with his siblings, parents, sibling spouses, and rebel-cuzzin Amy on board. That's ugly bad. I've been wondering how, and if, Jesus can lift that burden of guilt from his shoulders.

[ADoyle90815]

And he crashed the TLC gravy train with his siblings, parents, sibling spouses, and rebel-cuzzin Amy on board. That's ugly bad. I've been wondering how, and if, Jesus can lift that burden of guilt from his shoulders.

And speaking of Famy, think she'll take her father's name to distance herself from the Duggar brand?

[st4rfl33t]

And speaking of Famy, think she'll take her father's name to distance herself from the Duggar brand?

I think in Famy's case, since she's engaged, she could possibly take her fiancee's name and drop the name Duggar completely when she gets married.

[Pandie5]

The way I see it, the ONLY option JB has to control the remaining kids, is to follow through with the biggest threat children live with in these cults: cut Josh out of the family completely and forever. Period. No contact with anyone. And anyone who does continue a relationship with him is cut out too.

Up until now Josh has been f'ing up and getting a free pass as a repentant Christian. The molestation happened, 'before he truly found Christ. He got help. We have all forgiven him...'

Is he gonna come out of rehab declaring, "No really, NOW I am ah-HEEEAlll'd! Praise Jesus!"?

If he's taken back THIS time (regardless of "therapy"), every kid will know mom and dad will put up with anything, everytime. You just need a long term vacay away from the family (woo hoo!) to get brought back into the fold.

The letter from Jessa's FIL is very telling. You can't keep screwing up while saying you're a Christian and expect forgiveness.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

Tightened control? Does JB have TIME to do that? I'm sure he's trying to spin new business--either on tv or real estate or investing when he's not on the phone with lawyers about any possible Civil suits.

Courtship is probably just on hold. No matter how they spin it, I can't imagine Marjorie just said "no thanks" unless something was discussed that isn't discussable but between those two individuals. It's pretty odd that John is still supposedly at home and unattached. He's getting pretty old for that. Even if his long ago idea of being a missionary pilot is real he'd need a wife to go off to the mission field.

I picture the family this way today: JimBob and Michelle are locked in their office doing damage control. Jana has the little kids. The twins are probably doing online college or clep tests or working on a property that hasn't been discovered yet by the public. The others are doing computer schooling. A "friend" probably picks up daily groceries and the rest comes on UPS truck. If Jessa and Ben ARE living at the little house then maybe some go over there for part of the day--ditto to Anna if she's even in the area. I'd imagine its a bit "in the bunker-sh" right now.

[VTSleeper]

If he's taken back THIS time (regardless of "therapy"), every kid will know mom and dad will put up with anything, everytime. You just need a long term vacay away from the family (woo hoo!) to get brought back into the fold.

The letter from Jessa's FIL is very telling. You can't keep screwing up while saying you're a Christian and expect forgiveness.

Hmm... interesting food for thought. Maybe the letter from Seewald was coordinated in order to lay the foundation of the family turning its back on Josh.

[Sundaymorning]

Hmm... interesting food for thought. Maybe the letter from Seewald was coordinated in order to lay the foundation of the family turning its back on Josh.

I don't think they can afford to do that, even if they wanted to. Not only would they lose the last public support they have if it came out that Anna and the children struggle because they don't have any money, but Josh outside the fold is a loose cannon.

He has already shown multiple times how low his ethical values are, and a Josh who is struggling to make ends meet probably wouldn't hesitate to tell the media some interesting things about the Duggars, IBLP and FRC.

My guess is that they won't kick him out completely, but try to hide him as much as possible.

[countressrascal]

They need to enroll all the school age kids in the school outside TTH, so at least they have a chance to make it in life.

[MoonFace]

They need to enroll all the school age kids in the school outside TTH, so at least they have a chance to make it in life.

Never going to happen. That would be becoming part of the EVIL WORLD when they want to keep the kids as pure (and ignorant) as possible.

[Thumper]

Jim Boob and Michelle are not getting any younger. One of their main J'slaves (Jill) is gone and the younger kids didn't grow up with the strictness that the older kids did.

They will eventually break ranks. Half of these kids are still under 18 and Jim Boob and Michelle will not be able to control a bunch of teenagers when they are nearing 60. I would imagine a similar distribution of breaking off as the Keller kids, especially since they won't have the posh lifestyle that they have become accustomed to.

[MisUndrstd]

In my opinion, I have seen some signs that JB and Michelle are loosening their grip at least on the older kids they appear to not be under the influence of as much parental control. Joy-Anna being able to go to Central America, with just Jill and Derick (and her BFF Carlin). Josiah seen at Sadie Robertson's Live Fest with the Bates boys. The Duggars have to be feeling parental mental fatigue after all they've been through with Josh this summer. I don't think the Duggars have what it takes to keep fighting the modern world and its influence on their kids. I imagine they go to bed at night depressed and just plan tired of all the struggles Josh has caused. In one single swoop, Josh single-handed wiped out the Duggar house of cards like a wrecking ball. The gig is up, the whole world knows what goes on behind Duggar closed doors and the skeletons in the closets are climbing over each other to get out.

[SPHASH]

So if Josh is permanently shunned from the rest of the family, where does that leave Anna if they stay together and the kids? Will they be welcome at holiday gatherings, birthdays etc? It would be a shame for the M kids to miss hanging out with their aunts, uncles, and cousins. Also when Boob and Mullet croak, will the M kids get Josh's share of the estate (assuming there is anything left) if Josh is cut out of the will.