I Thought the SAHD Movement was Faltering but Maybe Not

[biblelandjunkie]

the conference is going on this weekend ... IG pictures look like a good sized crowd...  does anyone know if Duggar girls went to this conference? 

[salex]

20 hours ago, Howl said:

I'm spending the weekend in Doug Phillips' old stomping grounds in Boerne, Texas.  Which made me think about Lisa Pennington, who lives just up the road in Kerrville.  Lisa is all about homeschooling and keeping her daughters, heck, ALL her kids, at home.   At one point, she said she didn't want to be running an adult day care, at the same time she was keeping all her daughters at home and not encouraging the oldest son to have any life outside the family.  Then, Alicia Faith turned 18 and made her getaway.  Since then, one of the older girls went to nanny for Lisa's sister and the other got a passport(!) and went on a mission trip, IIRC.  I haven't really been following The Pennington Point (Lisa's blog), so don't know if the remaining daughters have been doing more activities away from home. Anyway, perhaps Lisa realized that she risked losing her daughters completely if she didn't loosen the reins, at least a little bit. 

Alicia Faith Pennington seems to be thriving. She hasn't set up a meth lab, moved into a crack house or joined ISIS.   Since moving up to the Austin area, she's made a lot of friends, is very active in her church, has a boyfriend, and a job.  

ETA: Lisa is still flogging essential oils like there's no tomorrow. 

 

 

If you are there during the week, I'd recommend stopping by Boerne Wine Company....http://www.boernewinecompany.com/home/

 

[Howl]

@salex,  Thanks for the tip!  That looks like an amazing place.  I'd like to get back there and I think it would be much more relaxed during the week. 

ETA:  Lisa is likely much more circumspect on FaceBook and on her blog these days.  The shi*storm that was unleashed  when Alecia Faith flew the coop and posted Help Me Prove It on YouTube brought a LOT of unwanted negative attention and criticism concerning their family and worldview and by extension had serious potential to adversely affect her book publishing and oil bidness as well as her husband's CPA and law bidness.  

ETA: THIS JUST IN!  

After writing the above, I went to check Lisa's FB.  On March 5, she wrote: 

Quote

This describes my attire today as I picked up my girl from work. Been writing all day and I just hope no one comes out to say hi. I can't even remember if I brushed my hair today.

Holy Crap!  One of the daughters is working outside the home!  Please, if anyone has followed Lisa closely, let us know what's up! 

[salex]

1 hour ago, Howl said:

@salex,  Thanks for the tip!  That looks like an amazing place.  I'd like to get back there and I think it would be much more relaxed during the week. 

ETA:  Lisa is likely much more circumspect on FaceBook and on her blog these days.  The shi*storm that was unleashed  when Alecia Faith flew the coop and posted Help Me Prove It on YouTube brought a LOT of unwanted negative attention and criticism concerning their family and worldview and by extension had serious potential to adversely affect her book publishing and oil bidness as well as her husband's CPA and law bidness.  

ETA: THIS JUST IN!  

After writing the above, I went to check Lisa's FB.  On March 5, she wrote: 

Holy Crap!  One of the daughters is working outside the home!  Please, if anyone has followed Lisa closely, let us know what's up! 

So, they are putting the kids to work since the oil business isn't keeping them a float?

[clueliss]

EEEEEEEEEEEEP.  So I check Lisa's Facebook page because of a location mentioned earlier and my poor wittle brain sounded an alarm.  "Gee do those 2 people you know that went uber religious on you 'know' her?"  yeah, of course they are friends wit her on Facebook.  This of course means she's bumped up on my fundie rabbit holes to wander down.  

[Howl]

15 minutes ago, clueliss said:

EEEEEEEEEEEEP.  So I check Lisa's Facebook page because of a location mentioned earlier and my poor wittle brain sounded an alarm.  "Gee do those 2 people you know that went uber religious on you 'know' her?"  yeah, of course they are friends wit her on Facebook.  This of course means she's bumped up on my fundie rabbit holes to wander down.  

FJ Special Ops rescue ferrets standing by! 

[clueliss]

thanks.  (although I do have my own Alpaca & Llama geared up at all times for these occasions (i have a group of friends for which alpacas, llamas and squirrels are something of a joke.  and another with jokes about camels and ponys)

 

[Marian the Librarian]

IIRC, the oldest Pennington daughter (Grace) is working as a nanny/child care provider nearby - I *think* for a Pennington relative, but please, someone correct me if I'm wrong. Probably no health care benefits or Social Security contributions associated with that gig.

Patience is the daughter who went on the recent mission trip to Ethiopia; she and her sister Hope posted a homemade "encouragement-for-our-homeschooled-sisters-in-Jesus" video a month or two ago that made it appear they are still very much stuck at home, whiling away their time under parental thumbs, doing God knows what.

And yes, Alecia Faith appears to be thriving. I'll say it again - good on her, for making her escape. She seems like a very focused and mature young woman.

 

[nickelodeon]

Some new photos of this weekend's event up on instagram: sweet young ladies fellowshipping, sweet ladies with a heart for Jesus, sweet time together, oh what a blessing. Quite a variety of fundie women showed up, from the skinny jeans types to the headcovering sort.

[ophelia]

Interesting that SAHDs from such different backrounds attented. I wonder if the headcovering type look all jealous to the girls that are dressed more wordly/modern or if they secretly think that they are all way too immodest.

[Howl]

Back in July 2015, FJers posting on From the Sovereign State of Pennington Point thread noted that 25-year-old chi-dult Grace was nannying for Lisa's SIL in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Grace's FB page shows that she's living in Richardson, TX ('burb of Dallas), voicing audiobooks, 'consulting' for Jamberry and writing. Jamberry is a nail applique (nail "wraps") company.  I wonder if she is creating audio books of her own YA fiction.  Grace is FB friends with Beall Phillips and the Botkins Isaac and Elizabeth.  

AND GRACE HAS A BOYFRIEND!!!!!   It looks kind of official.  There's even a picture with some side hug action. 

The younger girls are now the house drudges/baby sitters while Lisa runs around at conferences spruiking events hustling her books and essential oils? Also, last summer Lisa befriended a girl named Cassandra, but haven't heard anything further about her. 

1 hour ago, Marian the Librarian said:

IIRC, the oldest Pennington daughter (Grace) is working as a nanny/child care provider nearby - I *think* for a Pennington relative, but please, someone correct me if I'm wrong. Probably no health care benefits or Social Security contributions associated with that gig.

Patience is the daughter who went on the recent mission trip to Ethiopia; she and her sister Hope posted a homemade "encouragement-for-our-homeschooled-sisters-in-Jesus" video a month or two ago that made it appear they are still very much stuck at home, whiling away their time under parental thumbs, doing God knows what.

And yes, Alecia Faith appears to be thriving. I'll say it again - good on her, for making her escape. She seems like a very focused and mature young woman.

 

 

[FundieFarmer]

It looks like their attendance grew significantly, from a church with two pew rows to an auditorium with four. From their Instagram, it looks full. Perhaps this is a growing market?

[Cleopatra7]

50 minutes ago, FundieFarmer said:

It looks like their attendance grew significantly, from a church with two pew rows to an auditorium with four. From their Instagram, it looks full. Perhaps this is a growing market?

I'm not sure if it's a growing market per se or that these families simply have lots of "excess daughters" that they don't know what to do with. The families that are attracted to the SAHD concept are likely to be paranoid regarding outsiders and have a strong desire to control the sexuality of their children especially daughters. Most people don't have the time or energy to micromanage their children's lives like that, which is why the SAHD movement is so fringe.

ETA I think it will probably be some years, maybe even a decade before the SAHD movement dies out altogether. There are enough true believers to sustain a modest conference like this, but with the fall of VF, the ongoing contraction of ATI/IBLP, and the Joshgates, there are no major promoters of the SAHD concept. I guess the Maxwell's might count, but given how many aging daughters they have at home, it's not an encouraging sign.

[Coconut Flan]

As the older SAHDs start hitting 40, I think reality will hit their followers.  Oh, that didn't work out so well for them.  Some are probably already giving it side eyes with seeing the 30 and 30 plus year olds. 

[ladyamylynn]

I'm always fascinated by the fact that the Reins family actually has a third daughter (I think she's the oldest) who hasn't stayed at home. She actually lives in Portland and has a real job and friends and whatnot. Super conservative and definitely single. Her mom and dad occasionally interact with her page but she seldom interacts with Kelly and Andrea. I wonder if there is some tension about her non-SAHD status? 

[acheronbeach]

On 22/03/2016 at 8:35 AM, FundieFarmer said:

It looks like their attendance grew significantly, from a church with two pew rows to an auditorium with four. From their Instagram, it looks full. Perhaps this is a growing market?

I'd bet the downfall of VF has also reduced the number of networking events for SAHDs.  Fewer opportunities means higher attendance at the remaining events.  

[refugee]

Just now, acheronbeach said:

I'd bet the downfall of VF has also reduced the number of networking events for SAHDs.  Fewer opportunities means higher attendance at the remaining events.  

If it's anything like our former church... the patriarchal courting culture was firmly in place, but the girls had no outlets. The boys were travelling with their dads for work and conferences, and meeting fundie girls from afar and marrying them, and the girls were pretty much sitting at home, with far fewer opportunities to strut their stuff show their sweet, attractive, gospel-light-filled faces, their accomplishment in handiwork (think maybe of things like knitting or crochet while listening to a speaker, or singing sweetly), or whatever it might be that would attract a young man's attention... especially when they've been taught that *trying* to attract a young man's attention is sinful.

Some of the kidults organized an annual homeschool reunion weekend, in part, I think, with an aim for adult children to have a chance to meet each other. People would fly in from all over to attend.

Whew. 

[nickelodeon]

Incidentally, Bitch Magazine reprinted their 2010 article on SAHDs for the most recent issue. It's all about the Botkins and Doug Phillips Is A Tool, which is rather funny, because who cares about those irrelevant flops anymore?

[Marian the Librarian]

Dougie is back, rising from the ashes of his ignominy, and at his trademark history-bending WWII documentary filmmaking again (see the newest DPIAT/VF thread). I wasn't aware of the Bitch Magazine reprint, but I'm glad of it. Where Dougie's concerned, sunlight is the best disinfectant. Thank you, Bitch Mag!

[Kitcae]

On 3/20/2016 at 11:00 PM, biblelandjunkie said:

the conference is going on this weekend ... IG pictures look like a good sized crowd...  does anyone know if Duggar girls went to this conference? 

I feel kind of awkward replying to this two months later, but to answer your question, no Duggar girls went to this conference. For some reason I think the Duggars are not in this fundie circle, but I don't know for sure.

[Kitcae]

On 3/20/2016 at 11:00 PM, biblelandjunkie said:

the conference is going on this weekend ... IG pictures look like a good sized crowd...  does anyone know if Duggar girls went to this conference? 

Here's the group photo - no Duggars spotted!

 

[uber frau]

Is anyone else feeling sorry for the girls wearing plain dress(and the poor girl in the floral cape dress...All the shapelessness of the cut with the loudness of print  )? Most other fundies seem to be gravitating towards some variation on the Modern Modern Theme. It might be that I'm being as deep as a puddle, but it's hard enough growing up being different in broader society.  To be the weirdos in your own group of different ppl  must be doubly difficult for these kids.

Incidently, are there any plain dress family blogs out there?

 

 

[FundieFarmer]

I think the girls in plain and cape dresses may be Mennonite or some derivative thereof. They appeared to have shaped caps in the photo to me.

[nickelodeon]

I like the girls rockin the blunt bangs and giant curls. Very "scrubbed from the Bates blog" chic.

[NachosFlandersStyle]

3 hours ago, FundieFarmer said:

I think the girls in plain and cape dresses may be Mennonite or some derivative thereof. They appeared to have shaped caps in the photo to me.

I think some are evangelical, but used to be or are related to Anabaptists. I know that's the case for a few of the blogging families like the Borntragers, they live in an Amish area and have extended family in the community. I click around on friend/group lists on fundie Facebook pages sometimes and see a lot of Yoders and Stoltzfuses and the like.