Posted on 05/17/2004 10:06:50 PM PDT by projectile
Michelle Duggar just won the "Young Mother of the Year Award" in Arkansas, which is sponsored by American Mothers Incorporated.
Duggar is like any mom -- multiplied several times over.
Michelle Duggar, 37, and her husband, former state Rep. Jim Bob Duggar, have 14 kids. All of their names start with the letter "J," and number 15 is due this month.
The children: Joshua, 16; Jana and John-David, 14; Jill, 12; Jessa, 11; Jinger, 10; Joseph, 9; Josiah, 7; Joy-Anna, 6; Jeremiah and Jedidiah, 5; Jason, 3; James, 2; and Justin, 1.
"I'm either expecting or nursing," Michelle Duggar says with a laugh. "We actually didn't set out to have a large number of children. I don't think that was our intention when we were first married. But I think we realized children are a gift."
The Duggars are a very religious, Southern Baptist family.
"I just kind of got used to it as they came," says Joshua, the oldest child.
Added together, Duggar has spent almost a whole decade pregnant -- and she's only 37.
She admits to having morning sickness, but mornings at the Duggar house would make anybody go bananas.
From dawn to dusk, each tiny tot has an older buddy who helps them with just about everything
"It's a lot of fun," says Jill.
The little ones have their responsibilities, too. Joseph fetches the laundry. Then, Jill and Joy-Anna take their turn washing clothes the girls have made themselves.
Josiah takes out the trash, while his brother, John, trains the dog, Jasmine.
The Duggars call the chores "jurisdictions," and, they say, it keeps them disciplined. There's an almighty checklist.
"We give them a little reward per check … about 3 cents a check," says Jim Bob.
But the Duggars check more than just chores. Michelle Duggar homeschools all 14 children. Sometimes, they study as a group or on their own. They use workbooks, computers and each other to study.
Michelle Duggar notes, "The older child gets to become a teacher. And it seems like you learn so much more when you're the teacher than when you're just the student."
From math to music, the Duggar kids don't miss a beat.
"We heard a long time ago that it if you play a violin, it helps you work on the left side of the brain," explains Michelle. "Sometimes, there are eight lessons going on at the same time. And you just kind of have to block it out."
That may be hard to do in the modest house of only 2,400 square feet.
There's almost always a line at one of the two bathrooms, but soon that will change.
Dad and the two oldest boys are building a 7,000-square-foot house. The Duggar dream house will have bathrooms galore, a commercial kitchen and one heck of a laundry room.
"We'll have four washers and eight dryers," says Jim Bob Duggar. "Yes, a laundromat."
How do they afford it? Jim Bob Duggar made some smart investments, and they're pretty frugal. The Duggars shop in bulk, basketfuls at a time.
"We spend about $1,500 a month on food," say Jim Bob.
When they do splurge, they go in style -- the family bus. But the bus has a couple of extra seats.
"I would like more," says Michelle Duggar.
Jim Bob Duggar says he has something very special planned for Mother's Day. Michelle says if that means he's cooking, she'll have quite a mess to clean up when he's done.
This is a wonderful story. I have 4 kids and feel as if I am stretched thin a lot of the time. This woman puts me to shame. It's good to see families teaching their kids responsibility & skills ( chores, sewing their clothes for example ) and to see their parents set good examples for their children to remember in the future ( father & sons building their home themselves debt free teaching the kids something about hard work paying off and money management ).
We have a local politician Todd Akin - Senator - who is a REALLY good man, and a homeschooler. I think homeschool dads get into politics because they are involved and want to do something positive for their country...one thing leads to another and boom! They're in WAshington. Not always a bad thing!
They're being BORN and loved! What could be better?
Thats what impressed me. I think they are a great story and they are producing members of society who will be very productive. Each child is a teacher already and is use to helping others. I can see where large families produce some really great people.
If a couple only had four children, faithfully raised them with values that they carried on to their families, and each child in turn had four children, etc. that would be a total of 86 godly conservatives (including the original mama and papa)raised up in the mama and papa's lifetime.
Do you want to see how home school kids can have an impact on politics? Try this web page: http://www.generationjoshua.org/dnn/DesktopDefault.aspx
Let refer you to my previous post, #46. The web page link shows how our children can impact the future.
I have four, and would love to have more, but since the government takes all our money to spend on cow flatulence studies.... : )
...and people are amazed at our having (only) four.
Had things been different, I think we might well have gone for more.
But what boggles me is THEY ALL START WITH J!! TWO of our kids start with J (Josiah, Jonathan)... and we all mess them up all the time?
I've worried that the little one will grow up thinking his name is "Jo-Jonathan"!
Dan
Can you people stand ONE differing opinion without making it so personal? No, I don't have children. But does that mean I can't opine that having 14 by the age of 37 is a bit absurd? Gosh.
Inspiring!
Same with us, we have five and people are always amazed. I'm thinking five is no big deal in the homeschool community when you often hear of much larger families. I really admire these people.
well, they've had privacy at least 15 times, that's for sure...
??? Then why do they only do it a few times year. Time for her to take Hubby to the vet.
Groucho: (to father of eight) "Why do have so many children?"
Father: "Well, I love my wife..."
Groucho: (interupting)"I love my cigar, but I take it out once in a while."
Is it unthinkable that people could actually WANT a big family and ENJOY having lots of kids around?
And as someone else mentioned, the chances of these kids growing up to be anything but good, solid conservatives are slim to nil...so inspiring families like this one benefit all of us.
To think I'm exhausted with four children. My hat's off to this lady.
LOL! You should have them practicing the bagpipes in your livingroom, talk about distracting...sounds like a herd of Canadian Geese squawking through the house!
When the bagpipes are playing, you cannot even hear the phone ring if it is sitting in your lap. BTW, my husband can sleep in the recliner just a few feet away--I have absolutely NO IDEA how he does it!!!
The Duggars are a very religious, Southern Baptist family.
Gee, would it be O.K. if they were just plain ole' religious?
The CBS writer makes it sound like a serious mental disease to be religious and have children that are considered a gift from God.
Father of six speaking here. I have had the ignorant baboons who actually ask me if I know what causes pregnancy and what right do I have to bring six children up in today's world.
They just ASSUME I am taking out a government handout to support my unbridled sexual behavior.
I always asked them which child should I kill on the spot to make them happy and leave me alone.
I've gotten soon very funny responses from the a**holes
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