Maybe Jenny Duggar's not whiny, just an introvert

[CrazySister]

In the other thread going about the Pearls and privacy, someone mentioned about introversion and how difficult it'd be in some of the ATI families (read: Duggars/Pearls) to be an introvert. Got me thinking about Jennifer Duggar. Isn't she the one they call the "crybaby"? There are lots of reasons in that family that she might cry more then others, serious lack of attention being a key factor, but I also started wondering if maybe she's an introvert, too. (I'm saying all this realizing she's still very young and that she's seriously lacking attention and that her basic needs aren't being met but it also occured to me that she could be an introvert, too, and that just adds to everything else.

 

Not sure this was worth it's own thread, but figured I'd give it a shot.

[gustava]

Out of 19 children, more than a few must be more on the introvert side. Living in the TTH must be hell, with no privacy. And given the layout of the TTH, I wonder if it's noisier than the ordinary house.

[holierthanyou]

I think the bigger reason Jennifer might cry more is because she is not able to articulate/verbalize her thoughts/feelings the way most children her age can. I see it as being an extension of her speech challenges.

I think Jana, Joseph, and John David are introverts though.

[bananacat]

I've never considered Jenny to be whiny. I just think Jim Bob is a jackass and teases her and pushes her too much.

[sippin0nsunshine]

I think compared to Hannie and Jackson, ANY child would be considered shy or introverted. Those two have endless energy it seems, and Jenny and Jordyn just seem laid back and kinda go with the flow.

[JenniferJuniper]

I see her as a bit fearful (and who can blame her given her circumstances) and neglected, but she could turn out to be an introvert. Probably too early to tell.

About 25% of the general population are introverts. So Jana, John, Joe, possibly Jenny and I think possibly Jeremiah would make 5 in the family, which is just about right.

[xDreamerx]

She's never struck me as whinny. Just attention starved and perhaps whinny as a result of not having the vocab to express herself. I considered it before a result of her circumstances than natural to her disposition.

[3 is enough]

Some kids do better with a real routine. Maybe Jenny is one of them. The constant travelling, noise and confusion in the house probably make her miserable. Plus, she actually appears to be attached to Michelle, who clearly has no time for her. And her buddy Jill is stretched so thin she doesn't give her the attention she needs. Poor kid. She and Jordyn were forgotten in a hurry, with the Josie drama, and Josh getting married and producing his own spawn. I know Michelle doesn't pay much attention to her grandkids, but they were another distraction that took away from those two forgotten girls. I really feel bad for them.

[thoughtful]

Out of 19 children, more than a few must be more on the introvert side. Living in the TTH must be hell, with no privacy. And given the layout of the TTH, I wonder if it's noisier than the ordinary house.

It certainly looks like an echo chamber - big space, hard surfaces.

[LoveOnTheInside]

I wish I could adopt poor Jennifer. Read to her. Play dolls with her. Cuddle with her and watch Disney and Nick Jr shows.

[CrazySister]

I don't believe Jenny's whiny, but I've heard Duggars refer to her as such. It's just one more sad piece of evidence proving theur utter lack of accurate knowledge of child development.

[darkplumaged]

It certainly looks like an echo chamber - big space, hard surfaces.

Ugh, I'm very introverted and need lots of quiet time--I'd die in that house and in that family.

I agree that the house must be loud and echoey. My parents' house is nowhere near that big, but it has mostly wood floors and a two-story foyer, and sound carries like you wouldn't believe. The Duggars' house is almost surely worse. I can practically hear the resounding shrieks, horrible violin playing, and "discipline" from here.

[Miggy]

I wish I could adopt poor Jennifer. Read to her. Play dolls with her. Cuddle with her and watch Disney and Nick Jr shows.

Sorry LoveOnTheInside, I called dibs on adopting Jenny months ago.

All Duggars are treated the same because all kids have the same needs, don't they? :x You must be able to cope with an unstructured life, must like a lot of noise and constant activity, must need absolutely no privacy and most importantly, must be able to cope with constant pranks and teasing from your father. Can cope? Too bad. You get tagged as a whiny child.

It makes me so mad. My two boys are complete opposites. Part of parenting was learning how to meet the needs of my boys. I couldn't just figure it out for the first and apply it to the second. I understand why the J'slaves parent all the kids the same way - they are doing what they were taught but why do Michelle & JB parent them all the same way. I am sure Jenny would thrive if she had some space of her own where she could play quietly instead of always being trampled by her brothers and if she received the attention she needs from Michelle.

On this theme, I also want to adopt James. My had a wild boy and now, at 17, he is a wonderful young man. He has a level of independance and confidence that my quieter/more passive children don't have. I would love to see what effect a more structured life would have on James; regular mealtimes and bedtimes, healthy food, being treated as an individual instead of 1/6. I also think James is the sort of kid who would thrive at school.

I agree that the house must be loud and echoey. My parents' house is nowhere near that big, but it has mostly wood floors and a two-story foyer, and sound carries like you wouldn't believe. The Duggars' house is almost surely worse. I can practically hear the resounding shrieks, horrible violin playing, and "discipline" from here.

Why? Why? Why didn't they build a music room? I am a music teacher and all my tribe play so between my teaching, my practice and their practice, music is pretty much constant here BUT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN THE LIVING ROOM! I can't imagine trying to function with Violin and/or Piano practice going on constantly. :violin:

[Mela99]

So Joy is a tomboy for being extroverted and outgoing, and Jenny is a whiny brat for being on the quieter side?

Why don't they just tattoo Michelle Jr and Jim-Bob Junior to all their foreheads and tell them to follow along?

[gustava]

So Joy is a tomboy for being extroverted and outgoing, and Jenny is a whiny brat for being on the quieter side?

Why don't they just tattoo Michelle Jr and Jim-Bob Junior to all their foreheads and tell them to follow along?

Sad but true.

[CrazySister]

So Joy is a tomboy for being extroverted and outgoing, and Jenny is a whiny brat for being on the quieter side?

Why don't they just tattoo Michelle Jr and Jim-Bob Junior to all their foreheads and tell them to follow along?

Ugh, don't give them any ideas. :angry-banghead:

[ElphabaGalinda]

I'm introverted and I thrive on quiet time and need to limit my time in large groups. Well Jenny's family is an extremely large group, and no way could she get quiet time. If the Duggars cared about treating their children as individuals they'd give her some alone time, but none of them are allowed to be alone in case something bad happens. It'd even be better for an introvert if it didn't have to be the WHOLE family going everywhere all the time. I'm also the kind of person who thrives on set plans and routine, so if Jenny's like that, it probably makes her super anxious all the time. Add that to the fact that she gets no attention from her Michelle, and her real mother Jill is probably too busy and too young to give her what she needs, so her life is constantly being in situations that makes her uncomfortable and she has no one to bond with or get comfort from. I doubt Michelle even really remembers which one she is, so she has to assign her an easy to remember quality like whiny.

[snickerz]

They definitely have a couple different personality types in that household. They have the real quiet/introverted/wallflower/meek types - Jana, JD, Joseph, Jennifer & Jordyn, and they have the more outgoing/loud/attention whore types a la Michelle - Josh, Johannah, maybe Jill & Jessa. Some of the rest seem to be somewhere in the middle.

[JenniferJuniper]

They definitely have a couple different personality types in that household. They have the real quiet/introverted/wallflower/meek types - Jana, JD, Joseph, Jennifer & Jordyn, and they have the more outgoing/loud/attention whore types a la Michelle - Josh, Johannah, maybe Jill & Jessa. Some of the rest seem to be somewhere in the middle.

After Josh, I'd say Josiah comes across as the most extraverted. It's hard to tell with the younger kids; Jackson and Hannie are clearly not shy, but they could get quieter as they get older. I can't tell much about Jordyn from watching the show, except that she's as forgotten as Jenny, but seems more easy going. And that she's a real cutie.