M is for Mama 7: Failing at Coronavirus

[SassyPants]

 

2 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I think Braggie will be gobsmacked once some of her younger children grow up to be teens. She thinks she’s amazing at parenting and that’s why Ezra is the perfect brother-dad. But she’s going to realize one day that Ezra isn’t the norm and her children aren’t always going to want to parent their siblings. I can’t wait until one of the little boys gives her hell in his teenage years. 

I think that kid would be immediately dispatched to her mother’s home.

Edited August 1, 2020 by SassyPants

[The butcher's wife]

2 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I think Braggie will be gobsmacked once some of her younger children grow up to be teens. She thinks she’s amazing at parenting and that’s why Ezra is the perfect brother-dad. But she’s going to realize one day that Ezra isn’t the norm and her children aren’t always going to want to parent their siblings. I can’t wait until one of the little boys gives her hell in his teenage years. 

I don't think she'll have to wait that long. She is already complaining about Honor all the time, and in her stories on wednesday when people were asking about siblings fighting, she complained about both Honor and Theo, saying they just never knew when to stop or something along those lines. Even though she emphasized again that things like "unkind speech" and physical fighting are just not allowed to happen in her house. We'll wait and see. I think that once the new babies are here, those boys are going to be out of control. Shaun will either be travelling or hiding out in his home office, Ezra will help handling the twins/Shiloh, and Simon, Della, Evy and Nola will be doing their own thing. I still don't get what these children do all day long - a few hours of school, and then what? Abbie is at the gym/thrift store/Target/date night/Instagram... Shaun is not to be disturbed. I mean, I'm glad for them if they have time for imaginative play, possibly roaming around freely on their large property, possibly reading something educational christian biography... but they don't socialize with other kids, don't do any sports or activities, don't get any attention from their parents, and (maybe most importantly) don't get a proper education. Gah, these people. 

Edited August 1, 2020 by The butcher's wife
It's "like" not "liks"

[JermajestyDuggar]

2 minutes ago, The butcher's wife said:

I don't think she'll have to wait that long. She is already complaining about Honor all the time, and in her stories on wednesday when people were asking about siblings fighting, she complained about both Honor and Theo, saying they just never knew when to stop or something along those lines. Even though she emphasized again that things liks "unkind speech" and physical fighting are just not allowed to happen in her house. We'll wait and see. I think that once the new babies are here, those boys are going to be out of control. Shaun will either be travelling or hiding out in his home office, Ezra will help handling the twins/Shiloh, and Simon, Della, Evy and Nola will be doing their own thing. I still don't get what these children do all day long - a few hours of school, and then what? Abbie is at the gym/thrift store/Target/date night/Instagram... Shaun is not to be disturbed. I mean, I'm glad for them if they have time for imaginative play, possibly roaming around freely on their large property, possibly reading something educational christian biography... but they don't socialize with other kids, don't do any sports or activities, don't get any attention from their parents, and (maybe most importantly) don't get a proper education. Gah, these people. 

They do actually do activities. But I’m doubting they do them now that there’s a pandemic. But normally the boys do robotics competitions and soccer and the girls do baking competitions. I think Braggie still does a workout class in her home each week and her oldest boys are supposed to watch all the kids the moms bring.

[kesmom]

She recently said in her stories that her 13 year old finished his first year of “high school” at their co-op with a 4.0. Sure dear. 

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

4 minutes ago, kesmom said:

She recently said in her stories that her 13 year old finished his first year of “high school” at their co-op with a 4.0. Sure dear. 

 

This is exactly why I think she will make her boys attend college in some way. Her kids are the smartest kids in her mind because she’s the smartest mom. She has so much pride in her graduating from homeschool high school early and attending college before she was 18.  Mark my words, Ezra and Simon will graduate homeschool before they are 18 and they will go to some kind of college. Maybe online. But they will go to college. 

[kesmom]

I don’t doubt it. And I’m sure that she will be able to find a college that fits her narrative. 
 

She says that none of her kids have struggled academically so far, but statistically with that many kids she will experience it at some point. I just hope she doesn’t respond like she did for piano lessons. 

[SuperNova]

5 hours ago, The butcher's wife said:

I don't think she'll have to wait that long. She is already complaining about Honor all the time, and in her stories on wednesday when people were asking about siblings fighting, she complained about both Honor and Theo, saying they just never knew when to stop or something along those lines. Even though she emphasized again that things like "unkind speech" and physical fighting are just not allowed to happen in her house. We'll wait and see.

I like Honor. He seems to go against the grain quite often which wouldn't be seen as a problem in a more secular household. Children are not cookies stamped from the same exact mold and a one size fits all approach is the fastest way to foster animosity in a free spirit. Ask me how I know.

Abbie's idea of individuality seem to be activities focused as in, this one likes robotics and that one cooks but they're all the same type of person. Who knows? Maybe she's right and the majority of the kids are similar in habits and personality. Honor, on the other hand, doesn't seem particularly interested in getting in line. He may be little but he's already learned to go around the edges. He's been able to avoid detection long enough to do naughty things like flood the bathroom. 

I wouldn't normally advocate for semi neglect but I think its lucky for him that his mom is about to have twins because she'll be too busy to police him.

[Hane]

On 7/30/2020 at 7:48 PM, SassyPants said:

So today she found 4 inch platform sandals on sale at GW. Isn’t she 5’-7”? She really must be having body image issues. I hope she is not traipsing around East TX in those shoes at the end of a twin pregnancy. And of course, it’s date night. I wish she’d get help for all that ails her, and become a better mother to those kids.

 

ETA-OMG, I just remembered that monstrous, varicose vein...She needs to stay off those freaking shoes.

Reminds me of the apocryphal story of the young pregnant woman who came to work in super-high platform shoes. When her boss expressed concern, she replied, “But my doctor told me to keep my feet elevated as much as possible!”

[RachelDM]

4 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

This is exactly why I think she will make her boys attend college in some way. Her kids are the smartest kids in her mind because she’s the smartest mom. She has so much pride in her graduating from homeschool high school early and attending college before she was 18.  Mark my words, Ezra and Simon will graduate homeschool before they are 18 and they will go to some kind of college. Maybe online. But they will go to college. 

There's a good junior college in Tyler that I wouldn't be surprised if Ezra started doing at some dual credit courses at soon. But I feel like getting just an associate's wouldn't be good enough for a son of Braggie.

 

Do we actually know where she went to college? My guess would have to be East Texas Baptist University. A lot of East Texan homeschoolers go there, including my SiL who also graduated homeschool early! (I've long had a suspicion they know each other, between both being 2nd gen homeschoolers, community theatre as kids (fairly certain not the same one though), co-ops in Tyler, similar age, and I do know they actually have the same midwife. But I also they would NOT like each other if they do.)

 

But ANYWAY, ETBU is over an hour from where they live. I'm not certain she'd let Ezra live on campus, but maybe?

[TuringMachine]

I'd guess she do something like Kendra Tierney. Build it in their heads that they need to go to a good school doing something impressive, then make sure they know she can rip their financial support away if they step out of line.

[JermajestyDuggar]

3 hours ago, TuringMachine said:

I'd guess she do something like Kendra Tierney. Build it in their heads that they need to go to a good school doing something impressive, then make sure they know she can rip their financial support away if they step out of line.

Jenny Flanders just posted about her daughter graduating from nursing school. Jenny has two dentists in the family and other kids who graduated from college. Braggie seems like she wants to have a bunch of kids she can brag about like Jenny. Braggie would endlessly brag if Ezra went into dentistry. 

[SuperNova]

I don't think I can roll my eyes any harder. Abbie readily admits that she has children with no forethought whatsoever but it's cool because god gave her supernatural powers. 

Spoiler

 

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

On 8/1/2020 at 1:03 PM, kesmom said:

She recently said in her stories that her 13 year old finished his first year of “high school”

I finished my first year of high school at 13 -- 8th grade -- because my high school was grades 8-12.

I grew up in a rural area, all the grade schools were K-7, high school 8-12.  The really really rural schools were K-12.

I was out of high school 20 years before middle school (6-8) became a thing. 

Just asking  -- but if her 13 year old has finished his 1st year of high school, shouldn't 16 year old EzraDadBro be a senior or have graduated?

[SassyPants]

Monday is the day she lists and does her chores, which really, if she gets all her laundry, cleaning and cooking prep for the week done on Monday, with a family of 10 and a 7,000 sq foot home, she is amazing. On the list I notice the only thing that denotes spending any time with the kids is the read aloud, during which the kids are photographed folding laundry. She really is an awful, lackluster parent. Now, maybe every other day Of the week (except Thursday because that’s Shaun’s special day) is dedicated solely to the kids, but how come we never hear about all the fun and enriching things she is doing with those kids?

[neurogirl]

?️ I actually like Braggie's sons names for the most part. I like the older names out of the top 100 but not so unheard of myself. Sadly my husband has nixed Robin as a future boy's name for being too feminine, even though it was traditionally male (and a nod to both Robin Williams and Christopher Robin). 

ANYWAY

As someone who struggled mightily with eating disorder thoughts, borderline behavior, and eventually full ED and back through adolescence and young adulthood, Abbie needs help. The extreme diet after vacation is because she can't stand the feelings of worthlessness and self-disgust because she let herself enjoy something. I recognize it. It's pathological. It's why she can't enjoy her children either. She won't let herself. I would be sad for her but here's the thing - she's not doing anything to change it. And this is the thing I'm so sick of of with these fundie families in particular. 

I mean, I brought a lot of emotional baggage and issues with me into my relationship, both from my family and from myself. My then-boyfriend did too. We were dating for 6 and been married for 2 but we've both been to therapy/changed behaviors/took meds as needed to FIX IT. It's an ongoing process, and we're not done, but it was so important to us that we deal with all our shit as best we can before we have kids and put it onto them. Eating disorders and anxiety and perfectionism and a blackhole need for external validation are all things I've struggled with or still do and they are fixable or at least manageable if you DO THE WORK and get help. 

She doesn't have to live like she does and the children are only going to suffer and deal with their own issues as a result. I know it's an age-old cycle but someone has to be the one to break it. Be that person Abbie. Feel superior by how you did the hard "sanctifying" work to repair your relationship with yourself and your children. Or else you're just a cat pretending to be a lion and scared as a mouse someone will catch you. And hopefully one day your children will be in therapy realizing you're an n-mom who screwed them up, and they will finally break the cycle you can't/won't. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

4 minutes ago, neurogirl said:

?️ I actually like Braggie's sons names for the most part. I like the older names out of the top 100 but not so unheard of myself. Sadly my husband has nixed Robin as a future boy's name for being too feminine, even though it was traditionally male (and a nod to both Robin Williams and Christopher Robin). 

ANYWAY

As someone who struggled mightily with eating disorder thoughts, borderline behavior, and eventually full ED and back through adolescence and young adulthood, Abbie needs help. The extreme diet after vacation is because she can't stand the feelings of worthlessness and self-disgust because she let herself enjoy something. I recognize it. It's pathological. It's why she can't enjoy her children either. She won't let herself. I would be sad for her but here's the thing - she's not doing anything to change it. And this is the thing I'm so sick of of with these fundie families in particular. 

I mean, I brought a lot of emotional baggage and issues with me into my relationship, both from my family and from myself. My then-boyfriend did too. We were dating for 6 and been married for 2 but we've both been to therapy/changed behaviors/took meds as needed to FIX IT. It's an ongoing process, and we're not done, but it was so important to us that we deal with all our shit as best we can before we have kids and put it onto them. Eating disorders and anxiety and perfectionism and a blackhole need for external validation are all things I've struggled with or still do and they are fixable or at least manageable if you DO THE WORK and get help. 

She doesn't have to live like she does and the children are only going to suffer and deal with their own issues as a result. I know it's an age-old cycle but someone has to be the one to break it. Be that person Abbie. Feel superior by how you did the hard "sanctifying" work to repair your relationship with yourself and your children. Or else you're just a cat pretending to be a lion and scared as a mouse someone will catch you. And hopefully one day your children will be in therapy realizing you're an n-mom who screwed them up, and they will finally break the cycle you can't/won't. 

This is exactly why my sympathy for her is extremely low. She knows she has these issues. She’s talked about them! Yet she refuses to get help. I normally wouldn’t care if she was single and childless. But this affects her whole family in a very negative way. 

[FinallyMe]

Did anyone else see that she’s also getting ready for another vacation?! They just got back from one vacation and she’s talking about preparing for a beach vacation that has been planned “for a long time”. She’s one bad decision after another. 

[SuperNova]

1 hour ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

I finished my first year of high school at 13 -- 8th grade -- because my high school was grades 8-12.

I grew up in a rural area, all the grade schools were K-7, high school 8-12.  The really really rural schools were K-12.

I was out of high school 20 years before middle school (6-8) became a thing. 

Just asking  -- but if her 13 year old has finished his 1st year of high school, shouldn't 16 year old EzraDadBro be a senior or have graduated?

My kid started K at 4 years old and finished high school at 16. She moved away to begin college before she turned 17. She handled it all beautifully but second guessed herself alot because she was so young. If I could do it over again, I would have waited the extra year and it probably would have saved her tons of stress. I dont beat myself up over but I wish I hadn't made things harder than they needed to be for her.

[TuringMachine]

1 hour ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

Just asking  -- but if her 13 year old has finished his 1st year of high school, shouldn't 16 year old EzraDadBro be a senior or have graduated?

Ezra is the 13 year old

Pretty sure their ages are Ezra 13, Simon 11, Della 9, Evy and Nola 7, Theo 5, Honor 3, Shiloh 1.

[RachelDM]

4 hours ago, FinallyMe said:

Did anyone else see that she’s also getting ready for another vacation?! They just got back from one vacation and she’s talking about preparing for a beach vacation that has been planned “for a long time”. She’s one bad decision after another. 

And they're going somewhere on the Texas coast. You know, the one currently ravaged by COVID. A lot of it because other assholes in the state are going there because "the beach is safe!" Maybe, but all the people in the restaurants and gas stations you go in to get that slurpie for only yourself aren't safe.

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

I could swear Braggie posted something about Ezra being 15 and driving and how happy she was he could do all the errand running.  I must be confusing her with another fundie

[Ozlsn]

9 hours ago, RachelDM said:

And they're going somewhere on the Texas coast. You know, the one currently ravaged by COVID. A lot of it because other assholes in the state are going there because "the beach is safe!" Maybe, but all the people in the restaurants and gas stations you go in to get that slurpie for only yourself aren't safe.

How many weeks is she now? I posted in the coronavirus thread about my friend who ended up in ICU for nearly two weeks when she was at 26 weeks with twins. You know what you don't want when pregnant? To end up on ventilator getting steroids to reduce your lung infection. My friend is back home and recuperating, but still exhausted.

Abbie needs to pull her damn head in, and actually be pro-life for once - stay the hell home.

[JermajestyDuggar]

8 hours ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

I could swear Braggie posted something about Ezra being 15 and driving and how happy she was he could do all the errand running.  I must be confusing her with another fundie

She said she would let Ezra get his learner’s permit on time and won’t make him wait because he will drive like an old man. I’m sure she will actually make him run errands once he has his license. 

[SassyPants]

I don’t think Ezra is 13. I think he might be 14, turning 15 and Simon is 13? I know a while back she mentioned Della was 10. Doesn’t she have kids every other year? 8 pregnancies, so Ezra would need to be close to 15. I think the 2 oldest are only 1 year apart. Not going to look to confirm though.

3 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

How many weeks is she now? I posted in the coronavirus thread about my friend who ended up in ICU for nearly two weeks when she was at 26 weeks with twins. You know what you don't want when pregnant? To end up on ventilator getting steroids to reduce your lung infection. My friend is back home and recuperating, but still exhausted.

Abbie needs to pull her damn head in, and actually be pro-life for once - stay the hell home.

She is 30 weeks.

[smittykins]

19 hours ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

I grew up in a rural area, all the grade schools were K-7, high school 8-12.  The really really rural schools were K-12.

I graduated from a rural K-12 school(one wing was K-6, the other 7-12).  They’ve always had full-day K except for one year in the 50s when there were so many kids that they had to have half-day sessions.  And my mom was part of their very first kindergarten class in 1950.