Safe at Home 2: The Continuing Adventures of The Arndts

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

I think Cathy is co-conspirator, or at the very least has never objected to what Rick is doing because she benefits greatly from it all.  Wizzy is Cathy in training.  Her role will be as the "new" Cathy once the parents are gone.

Not sure how long ago Rick started this.  The homeschooling began early I think.

[nokidsmom]

5 hours ago, JenniferJuniper said:

My primary question, and I guess the reason for my fascination with this family, is when did this happen?   I find it hard to believe he and Cathy set out to do this to their little boys 35 years ago. 

Exactly this.  I can't believe they started out with the plan of having 14 kids, keep them "safe at home" forever and train them up to support the family so Rick could retire early, navel gaze and work on Vine Valley.  Something happened along the way and it probably is a combination of things over time. That's about the best guess I can come up with, generally speaking.

As far as Cathy's role, I see both her as victim and conspirator.  I think Rick went down the rabbit hole first at some point and she didn't stand up to it for whatever reason.   So maybe she just survived the whole business by going along.  But as the kids got older and could contribute to the household, she became reliant on that.  And as the family became more insular, there became a reliance on the kids emotionally as well.  Now she has a retired husband and a household of 16 people, she is definitely reliant on everyone to help keep thing going because Rick doesn't seem to do anything to contribute in any way, shape or form.  His world is online ramblings and VV. 

7 hours ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

None of this is for the good of the family.  All of this is for the good of Rick. 

This is where I think that to some degree, Cathy is a victim.  She has perpetuated this messed up arrangement but Rick also  benefits from her work at home, in addition to his kids.   Was there any time she questioned what was going on with him?  And did she ever question his quitting work at a fairly young age and still able bodied so he can shuffle around at home doing a film project that goes nowhere, playing baseball, and writing ramblings on the internet, while she and the kids work?   Maybe she's been manipulated as much as the kids.

[MamaJunebug]

On 10/6/2017 at 6:09 PM, Letgo said:

So they don't attend a real church? They worship at home, with Dad as the Pastor? Does anyone else attend this "church" or is it just their family?

AGES ago, someone asked online if they could attend the Arndt home church. Rick  smarmed a reply about how it’s just so wonderful how the inquirer loved the lard but that at present they were called to worship just amongst themselves. 

I remember at the time it seemed very odd that an evangelizing family would not have planned ahead either to not advertise their home worship, or to keep the fact quiet. 

Understandably they didn’t want to offer their home to the public at large, so why promote it?

When I say “ages” I’m guessing it was about 10 years ago. Yikes, I’ve been observing these train wrecks for that. long. Yikes....

[JenniferJuniper]

1 hour ago, nokidsmom said:

Was there any time she questioned what was going on with him?  And did she ever question his quitting work at a fairly young age and still able bodied so he can shuffle around at home doing a film project that goes nowhere, playing baseball, and writing ramblings on the internet, while she and the kids work?  

What spouse wouldn't question this.  Cathy was a very busy stay at wife and mother, still homeschooling a fair number of kids and managing a household of 16 people when her able-bodied, self-employed court reporter husband decided he didn't want to work anymore when he was at least 10 years away from a normal retirement age.  Granted, he'd set up his oldest sons to replace him, but still.

And the woman works like a dog.  She has plenty of help, but she seems to be working inside and outside non-stop while Rick appears to never to lift a finger.  If he weren't playing so much bloody softball, I'd be sure he had a physical disability that he wasn't disclosing.

I don't know how she stands it.  I think I'd want to stab him.

[Howl]

Didn't they used to have a thing where people could come for the weekend for Arndt immersion and play baseball?

[JenniferJuniper]

11 minutes ago, Howl said:

Didn't they used to have a thing where people could come for the weekend for Arndt immersion and play baseball?

Yes, the Softball Classic.  In fact they had one this weekend, although it's a bit scaled down these days.  

You can watch many hours of it here. Not that you'd want to.

Spoiler

 

 

[Howl]

Do women play softball at the Softball Classic?  There are some women with pretty good arms in that video. 

[Carm_88]

Didn't the older guys actually go to Catholic school for a while? When did Rick stop following Catholicism? I imagine that's when he went to the church of Rick, but I wonder what caused that. 

[Letgo]

On ‎10‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 4:27 PM, MamaJunebug said:

AGES ago, someone asked online if they could attend the Arndt home church. Rick  smarmed a reply about how it’s just so wonderful how the inquirer loved the lard but that at present they were called to worship just amongst themselves.

When I say “ages” I’m guessing it was about 10 years ago. Yikes, I’ve been observing these train wrecks for that. long. Yikes....

At present? And this was years ago?  It's still that way? I'm repeating myself, but why doesn't anyone question this? Why don't any of those men tell Rick that this home church idea isn't working. "I'd like to attend a church with other families, Dad. Maybe I'd meet some lovely single Christian women." Why doesn't a son think that he'd like to hear another viewpoint on the Bible? Hear some discussion and maybe some insight from another person? Don't they ever get bored ONLY hearing Rick pontificate each Sunday and primarily hanging around with the same family members years on end? Gosh, I just don't get these people. And I will never get over the fact that ALL those adult children are still "safe at home" even well into their 30s. 

[JenniferJuniper]

17 hours ago, Howl said:

Do women play softball at the Softball Classic?  There are some women with pretty good arms in that video. 

Yes.

14 hours ago, Carm_88 said:

Didn't the older guys actually go to Catholic school for a while? When did Rick stop following Catholicism? I imagine that's when he went to the church of Rick, but I wonder what caused that. 

The four oldest went to Catholic school for a year when Luke who is number four was in the fifth grade.  Cathy's father, who was a deacon in the church in which Rick and Cathy were married, apparently paid the tuition because Cathy was very overwhelmed with helping Rick with the business and tending to all of the younger children.  Of course you don't have to be Catholic to go to Catholic school, but this might be a hint as to how Cathy's family viewed the situation. 

As far as when Rick stopped practicing Catholicism, it's hard to say but my sense is that is was fairly early on in the marriage.  Cathy did continue to attend church with her mother when the kids were young and Rick would stay home and "babysit". 

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

Prior to the one year of Catholic school was Cathy homeschooling? 

Why only one year?  Did Rick insist they all come back to be safe at home?

[Eternalbluepearl]

9 minutes ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

Did Rick insist they all come back to be safe at home?

What, exactly, are the Arndts "safe" from? Surely this life of not growing up is not any better than whatever it was they were in danger of? 

[JermajestyDuggar]

10 minutes ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

What, exactly, are the Arndts "safe" from? Surely this life of not growing up is not any better than whatever it was they were in danger of? 

Liberalism. 

[Carm_88]

16 minutes ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

What, exactly, are the Arndts "safe" from? Surely this life of not growing up is not any better than whatever it was they were in danger of? 

Women...? 

[JenniferJuniper]

6 hours ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

Prior to the one year of Catholic school was Cathy homeschooling? 

Why only one year?  Did Rick insist they all come back to be safe at home?

Yes.  She started homeschooling the oldest at 5.  It was only one year that the oldest four attended school.  This would have been circa 1995.

Why only one year is anyone's guess, but Rick is a fair bet.  He's made it very clear (as recently as this week's podcast wherein he begins babbling about only letting the kids watch "wholesome" cartoons and black and white or even silent films) that he wanted his kids sheltered from anything - and presumably anyone - that didn't exposure good, ole fashioned pre-1960's values.

The 60's were when the world went mad, according to Rick.  And it remains unsafe for his *ahem* children.

 

[Letgo]

10 hours ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

What, exactly, are the Arndts "safe" from? Surely this life of not growing up is not any better than whatever it was they were in danger of? 

They are safe at home from life, marriage, freedom, independence, education, not sharing a bedroom, sex, Bad Influences, thinking, friends, dating, unrelated females, ambition, success, ideas, the world... Basically everything Rick can't control. 

[Eternalbluepearl]

6 hours ago, JenniferJuniper said:

The 60's were when the world went mad, according to Rick.  And it remains unsafe for his *ahem* children.

Is this guy for real? Doesn't he know that there really was no idyllic time period in history? That to romanticize the 1950's is to totally ignore the social and racial injustices taking place at that time? I'm not amazing at history but damn, Rick. What an ass. Those poor Arndt sons and daughter having to grow up with this narrow-minded, non-reality-based nonsense being spewed 24/7 from daddy. 

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

14 hours ago, JenniferJuniper said:

only letting the kids watch "wholesome" cartoons and black and white or even silent films)

I find this absolutely hysterical as early B&W and silent films prior to 1933-1934 are known as Pre-Code.  Lots of adultery, pre-marital sex, people living together, divorce, what Rick would consider bad loose morals, violence, murder, women in lingerie, drug use, suggestive dialogue etc, etc., etc.  Old cartoons  -- like Betty Boop -- can be suggestive and racy,  Betty is a fairly saucy modern girl.

Unless Rick is pre-screening everything the "kids" watch and hear  they've seen some of this stuff.  Now that the man-boys are out in the world think of the things they hear in court.  I'm sure they have photographed weddings of couples who have lived together or have been divorced.

 

[lilith]

9 hours ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

 

Unless Rick is pre-screening everything the "kids" watch and hear  they've seen some of this stuff.  Now that the man-boys are out in the world think of the things they hear in court.  I'm sure they have photographed weddings of couples who have lived together or have been divorced.

Messed up quoting - my comment is below.

9 hours ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

Court transcription is such an odd career for men whose whole upbringing has been centred around sheltering them from every non Rick approved aspect of the world. The range of human behaviour that is raised in courtrooms is enough to shock anyone - I've seen many educated, experienced, well travelled law students come out of their first days observing court shaking their heads in shock.

 

[Carm_88]

I feel like psychology is missing out by not studying the Arndt Family.  

[Dandruff]

(Speculation:)  I could see one of the guys meeting a friendly young woman and going out for a snack.  The woman finds him attractive, polite, and exuding a certain boyish innocence.  Little eccentric perhaps...not sure where he's going with the Legos, penguins, ducks, and drone talk, but he's nice and seems harmless enough.  Imagine that she's then invited to stop by the house, where she's introduced to twelve brothers who also like to talk about Legos, penguins, ducks, and drones.  They want to show her some.  Stuffed penguins.  Legos.  Bunk beds.  Superhero sheets.  All single, living at home.  No one but her seems to find this strange.  She gets totally weirded out and finds a reason to leave.  The End.

[nokidsmom]

On 10/13/2017 at 8:49 AM, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

I find this absolutely hysterical as early B&W and silent films prior to 1933-1934 are known as Pre-Code.  Lots of adultery, pre-marital sex, people living together, divorce, what Rick would consider bad loose morals, violence, murder, women in lingerie, drug use, suggestive dialogue etc, etc., etc.  Old cartoons  -- like Betty Boop -- can be suggestive and racy,  Betty is a fairly saucy modern girl.

I would like to bet that Rick misses these references even if he censored B&Ws/silents for the benefit of keeping his kids "safe".  Some of it is bound to get past him.

Allowing court transcription does seem weird in light of all the unhealthy levels of control and protection going on at home.  I suspect that because this is what Rick did for a living, so that it was "allowed" and he could help train his kids in the skill.  But frankly it tells me further how much Rick is off his rocker.  He will censor movies but he cannot censor what is said in the courtroom, which can be rough and shocking stuff.  I think he is willing to make these concessions so that his kids can bring home the bacon (the more likely reason) or he is too damn far in his own head to see the contradictions.   In any case, his kids are too brainwashed to see it.

 

[church_of_dog]

55 minutes ago, nokidsmom said:

I would like to bet that Rick misses these references even if he censored B&Ws/silents for the benefit of keeping his kids "safe".  Some of it is bound to get past him.

Allowing court transcription does seem weird in light of all the unhealthy levels of control and protection going on at home.  I suspect that because this is what Rick did for a living, so that it was "allowed" and he could help train his kids in the skill.  But frankly it tells me further how much Rick is off his rocker.  He will censor movies but he cannot censor what is said in the courtroom, which can be rough and shocking stuff.  I think he is willing to make these concessions so that his kids can bring home the bacon (the more likely reason) or he is too damn far in his own head to see the contradictions.   In any case, his kids are too brainwashed to see it.

 

Aha, now I see this in a slightly different light:  maybe the fear of the outside world wasn’t borne only from religion and his own mental quirks, but from seeing and hearing the gruesome details about the ‘worst of the worst’ of society, which would be front and center to a court reporter...   Daddy Arndt sees the seedy underbelly, assumes it’s representative of secular society, and decides only Jesus and softball can keep his brood Safe At Home (tm) 

[nokidsmom]

18 minutes ago, church_of_dog said:

Aha, now I see this in a slightly different light:  maybe the fear of the outside world wasn’t borne only from religion and his own mental quirks, but from seeing and hearing the gruesome details about the ‘worst of the worst’ of society, which would be front and center to a court reporter...   Daddy Arndt sees the seedy underbelly, assumes it’s representative of secular society, and decides only Jesus and softball can keep his brood Safe At Home (tm) 

DING! DING! DING!  We have a winner!!

[socalrules]

It is entirely possible they haven’t heard anything salacious while working as a court reporter. I have done civil litigation for over a decade and have never heard anything remotely salacious at a deposition or court proceeding. It’s possible they only cover for firms that are doing the boring insurance or business litigation, not divorces or personal injury. If so, then they won’t hear anything of real interest. In real life, the law is way more boring than on TV. Most firms hire the same court reporting service again and again, so if they are consistently hired by the same business litigation or lemon law firm, then Rick doesn’t have to worry about what they may hear. Plus, I highly doubt they do court reporting in Court as most courts provide their own Court reporters on the county payroll, not ones from a company like the Ardnts. The only other way they would be in a courtroom is if in a civil litigation case the court doesn’t provide a court reporter to save money and the parties want an official transcript for a hearing so they can appeal a ruling. Then one of the parties would hire them for that one day only.