Seewalds 44: Skip the Ads and Jessa Won’t Get Paid!

[FinallySignedUp]

3 hours ago, purple_summer said:

Hi friend ? I’m not a fan of the “neutrals” phase that’s popular right now. It’s drab and blah to me. I don’t have children yet but I’d definitely choose Lisa Frank vomit over something “rust” colored. Give me ALL the frills! 

I really wonder sometimes- some people seem like they’d be genuinely upset if their daughter  liked stereotypically girly things. I don’t see the same amount of concern about boys who decided they like dirt and trucks over tea parties??‍♀️

????????? I had a bad day today (teaching in person and online simultaneously + had more recess duty dumped on my schedule) and this little comment of like mindedness made me really happy. Huge purple-pink tye dye sparkle hugs to you!

Edited November 19, 2020 by FinallySignedUp

[SassyPants]

1 hour ago, calimojo said:

Hey I've been away from FJ a lonnnnnng time.  Just wondering does any one know if Ben has a job?  Is he still in seminary with Moody?  Has he graduated?  

Welcome back!

[fundieundies]

2 hours ago, Skeptic55 said:

Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe he still works as a tutor for the kids who require SOTDRT. In other words, he is financially dependent on JB. He was listed as an independent contractor on Jed’s political financial disclosure forms.

Hah! The most independence any of those adults living in Arkansas have is going to the bathroom alone. 

Ben is headmaster of SOTDRT Academy - very prestigious in their circle

2 hours ago, calimojo said:

I just can't wrap my head around this.  It seemed that the Seewald Family  values work, and Ben was working at a young teen in the Glass repair company. It is just odd to me in a patriarchal society that Ben is content just working  odd jobs for his father in law.  I thought he was serious about going to seminary.  He wasn't a great public speaker.  I haven't watched the show in years, so maybe he has improved, but I always had a hard time imagining him to work as a preacher but I could see him doing some sports oriented youth pastor programs.  At one time, he seemed to  venture out into showing some independent thought from the family line, but  again, not sure if he was cut off on that by JB right away or not.  

 

I suspect since the defection of Derick/Jill, JB is going to extremes to keep the in-laws in line.  Either he does it by sweetening their financial situation, or by intimidation.  I just wish the In-law and grown kids could see they really hold the cards here.  They could form an alliance among themselves and force JB to increase their cut, to give them more freedoms etc.  

A savvy inlaw, adult child could make some decent money by going rogue and partnering with TLC or another reality channel to feature their story.  Oh well, I guess the kids don't want to risk their money ties to JB.  

 

I totally agree with what you said - my personal theory is that JB said he'd pay for Ben's school if he taught SOTDRT for an agreed upon # of years

[SassyPants]

9 hours ago, fundieundies said:

Hah! The most independence any of those adults living in Arkansas have is going to the bathroom alone. 

Ben is headmaster of SOTDRT Academy - very prestigious in their circle

I totally agree with what you said - my personal theory is that JB said he'd pay for Ben's school if he taught SOTDRT for an agreed upon # of years

If this is the case, JB really does run a cult. He and Michelle will do just about anything to avoid taking care of and educating their own kids blessings.

[Mama Mia]

11 hours ago, fundieundies said:

Hah! The most independence any of those adults living in Arkansas have is going to the bathroom alone. 

Ben is headmaster of SOTDRT Academy - very prestigious in their circle

I totally agree with what you said - my personal theory is that JB said he'd pay for Ben's school if he taught SOTDRT for an agreed upon # of years

TBF, Ben seems to have a really good temperament for teaching, and it’s definitely better if they are treating homeschooling teacher as an actual professional job. There are currently 10? ish school age kids including Anna’s, from kinders to high school. That’s a big job. 

[QuiverFullofBooks]

34 minutes ago, Mama Mia said:

TBF, Ben seems to have a really good temperament for teaching, and it’s definitely better if they are treating homeschooling teacher as an actual professional job. There are currently 10? ish school age kids including Anna’s, from kinders to high school. That’s a big job. 

The kids aged 5-16 are Spurgeon, Meredith, Marcus, Michael, Josie, Mackynzie, Jordyn, Tyler, Jennifer, Johannah, and Jackson. Henry and Mason might be doing preschool soon. In three years or so they add Gideon and Garrett, but Jackson, Johannah, and Jennifer will be done by then. The six girls (not counting the Vuolos) born in 2019-2020 would really expand the school, at a time when Ben might want to move on with his career. It’ll be interesting to see what happens then. At that point, is it even still homeschooling? Would the big house continue to be Duggar Academy once the second generation is done with school? And clearly Jessa is not a homeschooling mom. Would Ben be a homeschooling dad with just his own children, assuming they had sufficient income?

[Glasgowghirl]

Out of all of them Ben is probably best suited to teaching them and he appears to be good with children and has went to college, still probably isn't the best education in the world but anything is better than Michelle telling them to say perpendicular or teaching 4 year olds about bankruptcy along with the older children.

[Fundielandobserver]

On 11/18/2020 at 6:55 PM, purple_summer said:

Hi friend ? I’m not a fan of the “neutrals” phase that’s popular right now. It’s drab and blah to me. I don’t have children yet but I’d definitely choose Lisa Frank vomit over something “rust” colored. Give me ALL the frills! 

I really wonder sometimes- some people seem like they’d be genuinely upset if their daughter  liked stereotypically girly things. I don’t see the same amount of concern about boys who decided they like dirt and trucks over tea parties??‍♀️

so true ! Glad you said it ....as if anything pink is crime and everything superhero ,truck etc is superior and btw I think Ivy looks like a waif in those grey dresses . 

[ophelia]

Ben really seems to be the best fitting person to do the homeschooling. Sadly he has no degree. Not even one from Crown or similiar institutions (like Tori Bates for example) which might be better than nothing.

[baldricks_turnip]

15 hours ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

The kids aged 5-16 are Spurgeon, Meredith, Marcus, Michael, Josie, Mackynzie, Jordyn, Tyler, Jennifer, Johannah, and Jackson. Henry and Mason might be doing preschool soon. In three years or so they add Gideon and Garrett, but Jackson, Johannah, and Jennifer will be done by then. The six girls (not counting the Vuolos) born in 2019-2020 would really expand the school, at a time when Ben might want to move on with his career. It’ll be interesting to see what happens then. At that point, is it even still homeschooling? Would the big house continue to be Duggar Academy once the second generation is done with school? And clearly Jessa is not a homeschooling mom. Would Ben be a homeschooling dad with just his own children, assuming they had sufficient income?

I can see Jessa sending her kids to be homeschooled at the SOTDRT because it's convenient, Duggar-approved but also gets the over-5s out of her hair so that she should only ever have to deal with 3 or so children at a time.

If SOTDRT wasn't an option I think she would attempt homeschooling for two main reasons:
1. As strong as her personality is, she toes the party line in just about every way.
2. She has shown signs of being quite intentional in her parenting (improving eating habits, starting toy rotations, spreading out birthday gifts over the week). I could see her trying to do an instagram-friendly, Montessori- inspired (or similar) program. In fact, I'm surprised she hasn't used her youtube channel or instagram to show off creative toddler activities. (Side note- she used to put a lot more effort into her youtube channel with her how-to videos, now it's just boring, short slice of life clips)

I do think if she had to homeschool herself it would bring on a laundry room meltdown if her family was much larger than it is now.

[wendy-sparkles]

I'm pretty sure Jessa is homeschooling Spurgeon, she's posted at least one video of teaching him to read.

Ben has I think a two year degree? and then was studying at the Moody Bible Institute but I have no idea if he's finished yet.

https://www.instagram.com/p/2v-4aKjfjB/?igshid=x93o7q77l3d9

Edited November 20, 2020 by wendy-sparkles

[Melissa1977]

16 minutes ago, baldricks_turnip said:

can see Jessa sending her kids to be homeschooled at the SOTDRT because it's convenient, Duggar-approved but also gets the over-5s out of her hair so that she should only ever have to deal with 3 or so children at a time

She seems to be spacing kids, so I don't think she will have 3 under 5 all the time . And if it was the case, I bet she will send the children over 3 to the "duggarschool" to fill some worksheets and paint or whatever. In fact they will probably have fun time with all the cousins, instead of being at home all the day.

 

[SassyPants]

To teach in AR public schools, all one needs is a Bachelor’s degree, and not a teaching license or credential. I wonder if Ben has his Bachelor’s? See, why don’t they share this kind of info? Who cares about going to the dentist or  Branson, MO? Ben does seem suited for teaching. He should secure his degree (if he hasn’t already) and move on. I could see him teaching high school English and coaching football.

Edited November 20, 2020 by SassyPants

[Kelsey]

I wonder if eventually they will use Jana's church as a school house.

[front hugs > duggs]

I wonder if Ben actually wants to be teaching them. For his sake, I hope he does.

Edited November 20, 2020 by front hugs > duggs
And for the kids sake: nothing worse than a teacher who doesn't want to be there.

[wendy-sparkles]

I think tutoring the Duggar kids might work as a very flexible job for Ben? I think it's unlikely Michelle has a strict school schedule, and probably if Ben needs to adjust what time he's working, or what days, to fit in school or filming or whatever (I think we was doing work with a local church at one point also?), I bet he can do that. Jim Bob might also pay well in order to keep Ben under his thumb (less sure on this theory since JB seems v. stingy).

I think Ben would probably enjoy teaching in a proper school, doing some coaching (or even teaching PE) like the above poster said. Maybe a church/christian school? He'd probably get discount tuition for the kids as well - I do think Ben especially would want his kids to get a good education, and while they seem ideologically committed to homeschooling, if Jessa was struggling I can see him putting the kids in some sort of school.

Edited November 20, 2020 by wendy-sparkles

[Snarkasarus Rex]

Someone on Reddit did a little digging and found that Ben did in fact graduate from Moody. I just thought it was weird no one congratulated him and Blessa just referred to it off-handedly in one of her IG posts. She was pretty excited/proud of him when he graduated from community college.??‍♀️

[DalmatianCat]

Has anyone ever asked on Jessa’s Instagram comments about Ben’s degree or what he’s doing? Occasionally she answers questions.

[potato]

I found it in the Graduation Tribute program on Moody's site: https://www.moody.edu/commencement/. If you scroll down to page 8 of the PDF (the Undergraduate - Online section), you can see that Ben got a Bachelor of Science in Ministry Leadership with a concentration in Preaching.

[Markie]

Wonder if Ben would ever get his teaching degree and teach at a Christian school? Perhaps that has been in the works and why he has taken on homeschooling his brothers and sisters in law. I can see him teaching History and Religion at high school and coaching and mentoring. 

[Idlewild]

I think Ben has adjusted to Duggar Time - none of them want regular employment because it means having a schedule, not taking time off for trips, filming, photo shoots or just if you feel like it. 
He may have studied ministry but I really don’t see him wanting to have a church - I think it’s more the paid speaking engagements he’d be interested in. I could see him speaking at home education conferences or even expanding their YouTube videos to education tips. As long as it’s an improvement on the ‘going for a walk is a great idea ‘ video! 

[Bluebirdbluebell]

5 hours ago, potato said:

I found it in the Graduation Tribute program on Moody's site: https://www.moody.edu/commencement/. If you scroll down to page 8 of the PDF (the Undergraduate - Online section), you can see that Ben got a Bachelor of Science in Ministry Leadership with a concentration in Preaching.

How is that a Bachelors of Science?  I see where it says that, but aren't Bachelors of Science usually a science or social science field (eg economics)? 

[front hugs > duggs]

12 hours ago, Markie said:

Wonder if Ben would ever get his teaching degree and teach at a Christian school? Perhaps that has been in the works and why he has taken on homeschooling his brothers and sisters in law. I can see him teaching History and Religion at high school and coaching and mentoring. 

He probably wouldn't need a degree for this. I'm not any type of expert in this, but I"m pretty sure you don't actually need anything to teach at a private school.

[mpheels]

8 hours ago, Bluebirdbluebell said:

How is that a Bachelors of Science?  I see where it says that, but aren't Bachelors of Science usually a science or social science field (eg economics)? 

 Not necessarily. At some schools the distinction between a BA and a BS is more about the breath of subjects allowed to count towards the degree. I have a BA in Anthropology which meant I had to take a lot of classes outside of the field to fulfill requirements for the degree, in contrast with a BS in anthropology from the same university which would’ve required me to mostly take classes with the department.

[potato]

13 hours ago, Bluebirdbluebell said:

How is that a Bachelors of Science?  I see where it says that, but aren't Bachelors of Science usually a science or social science field (eg economics)? 

Who knows. I think my one friend's mom opted for a Bachelor of Arts in Biology instead of a Bachelor of Science because she didn't want to take calculus, but I doubt that calculus would be required in any theology-related program.