Keller children and Duggar children

[annalena]

Why is it that in the Keller family, at least some of the children are trying to live their own life and going against their family's will, while in the Duggar family NO ONE even tries?!

 

They had a similiar upbringing, no?

[debrand]

Why is it that in the Keller family, at least some of the children are trying to live their own life and going against their family's will, while in the Duggar family NO ONE even tries?!

They had a similiar upbringing, no?

I think that it is money. The Duggar kids get a cushy life that they don't have to really do that much worlk to obtain. Yeah, the girls have to take care of their siblings but in return they get a lot more than the average fundie.

The Kellers were poor. Their kids get nothing from living the lifestyle except the approval of their parents.

[Koala]

Just a guess, but the Duggar children have a lot more (read $$$) to lose. They may not have the cash in their hands, but they lead a pretty posh little life as long as they're home w/ JB and Michelle. I guarantee you that the second they stepped outside of the "umbrella of protection", they would be cut off so fast their heads would spin. JB and Michelle know what they're doing. It's always speculated about the fancy phones and crap that the kids have, but I honestly think it's a carrot. It keeps them hanging around (which in turn keeps the TLC machine going).

I am 100% sure their life is drudgery, but unfortunately that's all they've ever known. They haven't been given a decent education, and if they ventured out into the world they would have a hell of a lot of catching up to do. They aren't fools....they know that.

[annalena]

Actually, this makes a lot of sense.

Imagine Josh having to pay his own rent all of a sudden. Money is a pretty powerful thing. And they never learned how to manage an own income, let alone part time jobs or anything. Not even mentioning the lack of education.

[lilwriter85]

I agree with the previous posters, money is probably keeping the Duggar kids with the family. I think the J'Slaves know that they would troubling trying to find their own way in the world. I can see them having trouble finding jobs on their own.

Smuggar would also having trouble find employement too and I can see him not being a good employee in some workplaces. Out of the older kids, I think John is one who can make it on his own because he seems to have a good work ethic and attitude unlike Smuggar.

[annalena]

Out of the older kids, I think John is one who can make it on his own because he seems to have a good work ethic and attitude unlike Smuggar.

Jill, too, I think. Minus the obvious lack of education, she seems pretty smart, and whatever activity she takes on (mission trips, producing the show, babysitting) she seems to do pretty well in.

I think Jana suffers from depression. She seems so unhappy.

[dawn]

The money too, but also the Keller children are mostly older & didn't leave until after they were married. Susanna left young, but she had an example and a support system outside. I'm not sure if the Duggars do

[annalena]

The money too, but also the Keller children are mostly older & didn't leave until after they were married. Susanna left young, but she had an example and a support system outside. I'm not sure if the Duggars do

Doesn't JB have a gay sister or something?

True about the support system though. It's important.

[TheJewAmongUs]

The money too, but also the Keller children are mostly older & didn't leave until after they were married. Susanna left young, but she had an example and a support system outside. I'm not sure if the Duggars do

There's an interesting question: Would cousin Amy (or her mother, Deanna, I think) bite the hand that feeds them and help out a reformed Duggar kid?

[3 is enough]

Michelle has a gay sister. She's considerably older than Michelle, and probably doesn't have the resources to help many (or even any) of her nieces and nephews.

The sheer number of Duggar children also is a factor. It may be feasible to help out one or two young relatives, but certainly 19 would cause a financial strain on all but the richest of relatives. How do you offer help to some, but turn away the rest?

I realize that given the age differences, not all kids would leave at once, and theoretically the older escapees could help their younger siblings at some point, but JB's relative financial security definitely is a big factor in the kids not fleeing.

[lizzy]

I imagine all the adult children have to sign the TLC contract for themselves. JB and J'chelle can sign for the kids, but the older kids are legally obligated to the contract. I suspect when the show is cancelled we might see the older kids leaving shortly thereafter.

[lilwriter85]

There's an interesting question: Would cousin Amy (or her mother, Deanna, I think) bite the hand that feeds them and help out a reformed Duggar kid?

With Amy and Deanna it is hard to tell. Both of them clearly love the attention they get from the show and being related to JimBob. I think both would fear the wrath of Jim Bob and Mary. Mary has been known to support Jim Bob and Michelle's beliefs. I get the feeling that Jim Bob was favored by Mary. I think Mary would get pissed if Amy or Deanna tried to help one of Boob's kids escape. Mary owns Deanna's house. I think Amy and Deanna would have things to lose if they tried to help out one of the kids. I think Amy or Deanna may want to help the kids leave the fundie lifestyle but they probably would never make an offer to the kids.

[mstee]

The older kids are still relatively young. Jana is about 20, right? Give it a few more years. There was a poster on the old board who said that they knew the Duggars, or at least had met them a few times (details are not my specialty) and that they thought the most likely to leave would be Joy Anna. And I could totally see that. Even if the older girls don't leave, I still think she will.

[lilwriter85]

I imagine all the adult children have to sign the TLC contract for themselves. JB and J'chelle can sign for the kids, but the older kids are legally obligated to the contract. I suspect when the show is cancelled we might see the older kids leaving shortly thereafter.

It will be interesting to see what happens after TLC is out of the picture. I think the one older that will definetely remain in the lifestyle is Smuggar. John, Jill, Jana, and Jessa are still up in the air. Smuggar clearly enjoyed being fundie royalty celeb.

[lilwriter85]

The older kids are still relatively young. Jana is about 20, right? Give it a few more years. There was a poster on the old board who said that they knew the Duggars, or at least had met them a few times (details are not my specialty) and that they thought the most likely to leave would be Joy Anna. And I could totally see that. Even if the older girls don't leave, I still think she will.

I remember that poster who talked about Joy Anna being the most likely to leave.I kind of get the feeling that it may be her. In another thread here, some posters mentioned her seeming unhappy at a lot of events. It could be adolescence/puberty making her moody but maybe she isn't drinking the Kool-Aid.

[annalena]

I remember that poster who talked about Joy Anna being the most likely to leave.I kind of get the feeling that it may be her. In another thread here, some posters mentioned her seeming unhappy at a lot of events. It could be adolescence/puberty making her moody but maybe she isn't drinking the Kool-Aid.

Just hope they don't brainwash her like Jinger.

I imagine all the adult children have to sign the TLC contract for themselves. JB and J'chelle can sign for the kids, but the older kids are legally obligated to the contract. I suspect when the show is cancelled we might see the older kids leaving shortly thereafter.

Can imagine that, too. My guess is TLC would totall be up for a "breakout" episode though. What more is there that they have to show? It keeps on getting more boring.

Michelle has a gay sister. She's considerably older than Michelle, and probably doesn't have the resources to help many (or even any) of her nieces and nephews.

The sheer number of Duggar children also is a factor. It may be feasible to help out one or two young relatives, but certainly 19 would cause a financial strain on all but the richest of relatives. How do you offer help to some, but turn away the rest?

I realize that given the age differences, not all kids would leave at once, and theoretically the older escapees could help their younger siblings at some point, but JB's relative financial security definitely is a big factor in the kids not fleeing.

They might help one or two, and then they could help out their younger siblings.

[Daenerys]

I'm glad that they have a gay relative to turn to in the quite likely event some of them are gay themselves. It would hopefully mean any who did come out had someone to turn to and knew that they weren't alone in their feelings. Personally, I think Jackson might be... he is very effeminate and definitely seems to be more one of the girls when the kids are playing. You don't see him so much with Jason, James and Justin. I really hope that if that is the case he isn't totally driven out of the family, though I'm not hopeful. I think he might leave, anyway. He and Johannah seem to have plenty of spunk and haven't been drowned in Kool-Aid yet.

[SquirrelySquirrel]

I agree that money is a big part in it. And along the same lines, Pa Keller has to go out and make a living (and he spends a lot of time ministering to the folks in jail), while Boob gets to hang out at home all the live long day and schmooze for the cameras. I don't think the Kellers have spent 24/7/365 up each others asses like the Duggars because they simply can't afford it. It's probably a lot easier to break away when you don't have both parents watching your every move every second of the day.

[annalena]

I'm glad that they have a gay relative to turn to in the quite likely event some of them are gay themselves. It would hopefully mean any who did come out had someone to turn to and knew that they weren't alone in their feelings. Personally, I think Jackson might be... he is very effeminate and definitely seems to be more one of the girls when the kids are playing.

My bets are on Joy-Anna.

[annalena]

I agree that money is a big part in it. And along the same lines, Pa Keller has to go out and make a living (and he spends a lot of time ministering to the folks in jail), while Boob gets to hang out at home all the live long day and schmooze for the cameras. I don't think the Kellers have spent 24/7/365 up each others asses like the Duggars because they simply can't afford it. It's probably a lot easier to break away when you don't have both parents watching your every move every second of the day.

Wouldn't he be a SAHD technically?

:shock: :shock: :shock:

[NurseNell]

I'm glad that they have a gay relative to turn to in the quite likely event some of them are gay themselves.

I get the feeling though they aren't close to Michelle's family. But in any case, with 19 children at least one is gay, maybe more. It's hard enough to be a gay teen or young adult in a non-fundamental family, can't even imagine how tough it is in the fundie circle.. I hope they can find some support from someone.

[Daenerys]

My bets are on Joy-Anna.

She's my second bet.

Also the number one bet for someone to reject the clothing conventions and wear defrauding jeans. She's forced into this girly girl role that isn't her.

[TheJewAmongUs]

Here's this report I remember seeing on 60 Minutes a long time ago that I tend to think about when watching the Duggars.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/ ... age4.shtml

While biologists look at hormones for answers about human sexuality, other scientists are looking for patterns in statistics. And hard as this is to believe, they have found something they call "the older brother effect."

"The more older brothers a man has, the greater that man's chance of being gay," says Bailey.

Asked if that's true, Bailey says, "That is absolutely true."

If this comes as a shock to you, you're not alone. But it turns out, it's one of the most solid findings in this field, demonstrated in study after study.

And the numbers are significant: for every older brother a man has, his chances of being gay increase by one third. Older sisters make no difference, and there's no corresponding effect for lesbians. A first-born son has about a 2 percent chance of being gay, and the numbers rise from there. The theory is it happens in the womb.

"Somehow, the mother's body is remembering how many boys she's carried before," says Breedlove. "The favorite hypothesis is that the mother may be making antibodies when she sees a boy the first time, and then affect subsequent boys when she carries them in utero."

My understanding is that it is only based on statistics (not teh ebil science), and of course, who knows where the data comes from. But one thing I found interesting is that the higher probability is only seen in right-handed boys. Doesn't the New Testament say something like, if your right hand offends you, cut it off?

[Trynn]

Here's this report I remember seeing on 60 Minutes a long time ago that I tend to think about when watching the Duggars.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/ ... age4.shtml

My understanding is that it is only based on statistics (not teh ebil science), and of course, who knows where the data comes from. But one thing I found interesting is that the higher probability is only seen in right-handed boys. Doesn't the New Testament say something like, if your right hand offends you, cut it off?

Yes but most people don't think that was meant to be taken literally....

[lizzy]

Yes but most people don't think that was meant to be taken literally....

Why not? They seem to take everything else in scripture literally.