[Banned-ZoesMom]

I think it's disgusting and irresponsible, to be honest. I don't like this family at all.

Anyway...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationw...0,5592489.story

[Mum2three]

Why Brandi?

I have alot of respect for this family. they dont live off the STATE what so ever. they saved their money and built their own house to provide for their family. they have children that are respectful towards others. compared to everyone else in this world. I think they are a great role model to socitity. their children are good kids, and have everything they want. Now a days you just see so many parents ignoring their children and living off of welfare taking off to the bar. I wish that every family was like them. They are good people with beliefs.
It doesnt matter how many kids you bare its how they are raised. And if i stand corrected the oldest ones are in college and they paid for it out of their own pockets. so their kids didnt have a dept.

I think they are a great bunch of ppl... Sorry

[Banned-ZoesMom]

I think it's disgusting that they continue to have more children and show them off like trophies. Sure, great, it's nice that you can have 18 kids and not mention any losses, if any, but to go ahead and parade your kids around and say "Look how many kids I've had" and "Look how long I've been pregnant for" is absolutely disgusting. Children are not trophies and to show them off in a TV show or on the news all the time is absolutely horried and disgusting. Not to mention to give them "jurisdictions" assigned by sex..."Girls did this when I was young, boys did this, so girls will do this and boys will do this" is disgusting as well. While I agree with kids having chores, chores are helping with dishes, or helping with dinner, not changing tires and cooking from start to finish. If you're going to have that many kids, then YOU, the PARENT, should be the one cooking dinner from start to finish and changing tires. Like I said, I agree with chores, but what do these parents do around the house? The way they speak, their kids do all the work and all they do is continue to pop out more. What would happen to them if they lost their TV show or all the TV appearances? How would they support that many kids? I'm sure they can't live off one income. It's like a child reproductive farm in that family, almost like that polygamist farm. It's just wrong. They're busy making 18 kids. How do they possibly have the time to do their fair share? I'd like to know how they'd support these kids without the TV appearances and TV show.


This family also borders on child labour. Hence, why I do not like this family.

[Wee3monkeys]

I have to agree with Brandy's thoughts.

When I first saw the specials on Discovery, I did some research on them. They're devout Christians, and seem to be an exceptional family. I don't know how they do it, but they seem to really love having their giant family. They claim to be debt-free, they're not on any assistance (if they were and having so many kids, then I'd have a problem), the kids are all well taken care of, they're teaching their kids good lessons. They seem to be just really good people. Doesn't mean I'd want to do that, but to each their own, you know.

[Banned-ZoesMom]

More than likely, they've received something free from the government or other companies. They're just not saying anything. I mean come on, the 16 year old in Argentina with 2 sets of triplets gets land given to her for free, Jon and Kate Plus 8 gets free coats and clothing and vacations. I'm sure the Duggars aren't the only family out there with lots of kids who Haven't gotten anything free.

[Mum2three]

I think its MORE disgusting to watch a 20 year old mother, having a child then getting pregnant again, having a man beat the crap outta her cause he thinks he can. Or just ADDING drama to their lives.
Not once have i seen them USE their kids as trophies. they are setting a example for others.
THEY dont live off the State collecting a welfare check.

How do you support your child or your family? Do ppl shun you cause your having another child?
Its not right for you to sit there and put down others that are doing something with their kids. I would rather see a kid changing a tire then pulling out a gun to shoot someone else's kid.

They have morals, and im telling you. my parents were just like them. Are you going to shun my Aunt who is on baby number 12? it doesnt matter how many kids you have. as long as they are taken care off. And if you think that they are rubbing it in to everyones faces your wrong. I think that family is very loving. and respectful. Their children come first.

Where most parents arent like that. they are to busy bugging everyone else. acting like someone that they are not. I have alot of respect for that family, CAUSE they have loving kids, and they are growing up fine and they are taken care of.

Its the children that pick the mother and father not the other way around.
its not up to anyone to tell them they cant have that many kids.

God has a path for everyone.

seems like the parents that are doing right with their kids get the crappy end of the stick. where the ones that are killing their kids and putting babies in a garbage bags are getting away with it. SICK!

[Wee3monkeys]

Ok, really not arguing, just stating facts, K.

It's their religion that dictates how they're raising their kids. And while you're bothered by their sexism, you are also talking feminism at it's basics, about what people of different sexes should and shouldn't do. But that's not part of their religion, their extremely conservative Christian, and follow the no-birth-control route and women are for these purposes and men for others. To them, their kids are gifts from God, and that's what their supposed to be doing (having as many kids as God will give them).

Next, mom is a SAHM because that's also part of their religion. You would totally have to give your kids chores w/ that many, but I also had chores and I'm sure many single-children did too, so that's not that big of a deal. Dad was a state legislator, and is in real estate, and fully supports his family. They did it before the shows, and they'll continue to do it after them, because that's the way they believe. I don't think they're "showing their kids off like trophies," I think it's a matter of people are fascinated by them and they've just accepted the lime-light. Kind of like Jon and Kate plus 8, they didn't have their kids so they could get a lot of publicity, it just happens.

Really not trying to be argumentative here, just putting some more info out there.

[Banned-ZoesMom]

If this family did not want to show their kids off like trophies, they would humble themselves and say they don't want a TV show or TV appearances that make them millions. They would not inform every media outlet that they're having another child. I'm sure their intentions for kids are far beyond "God wants us to" now. Money does odd things to good people. Yes, my own mother shuns me for having another child, but I'm not crazy enough to go ahead and have 18. Your aunt is another story. I don't see her alerting the media everytime she becomes pregnant, I don't see any reality TV shows about her.

I'm not putting them down. I'm stating my opinion that it's wrong and disgusting how they're having kids, why they're having kids. It must be very hard to spend individual time with all those kids and with how many they have, where do they have the time to even talk to them?

I'm sorry, but my opinion is that it's irresponsible at a certain point, and they long past that point. I don't see where they'd be able to support their children without their TV show, and I'm sure they wouldn't give it up to try it either.

Having that many kids to get a TV show and be famous for money is like me popping out another 7 here so I can be tax exempt. Guaranteed, they've gotten something free from the government.

IETA: If this family wasn't doing it for the lime-light, they wouldn't continue to have more. And while I understand the no birth control thing, it doesn't mean have sex all the time and get pregnant when your youngest is 9 months, then do it all over again 9 months after the last is born. There comes a point where they're not doing it for God anymore. They're beyond that point. And before the TV shows, they didn't have that many kids. They had a lot less.

[Mum2three]

thanks for sharing that info. I think its great how they have beliefs. thats not out there in this world anymore.
I give them credit where its due. I think they are wonderful people. and deserve to be respected.

My DH works, im a SAHM, i have 3 kids and lost 2. so that would be 5 for me. it doenst matter the amount of kids, as long as they are happy and you can proved for them.

[mom 2 haley & tyler]

Brandy81 I agree with everything you've said

[Banned-ZoesMom]

It's great that they're a loving family and all and have morals, but there comes a point where a line needs to be drawn, and that should have been done a long time ago. Guaranteed, without the TV show, they'd never be able to support that many kids. They may have done it before, but at that point, they didn't have 18.

[mom 2 haley & tyler]

Everyone has their own opinions about things and that's fine. That's how we are made. But it's not our place to judge them. We should try to live our own lives the best we can and let others do the same. IMO

[Wee3monkeys]

Actually, only their last three children have been born in the lime-light. They had all the rest of them before their TV career began. And to the best of my knowledge, they don't have a syndicated show, they only do specials. They don't want TV crews around 24/7. Poor Jon and Kate have them stuck in their grills way more often.

Look up Quiverfull religion, that's what they are part of, it's another extended arm of an already extremeist conservative christian branch of religion. It includes zero family planning at all.

[MrsPoe]

I honestly don't see anything wrong with it either. I give them a lot of credit for being able to have this many children. My mom comes from a family of 8 and 3 mc's. My mom loved having that big of a family. If I could have that many children I would, but money and my health are the only things stopping me. I honestly believe that this family would continue having children even if they didn't have their own show, obviously they had 17 before they were even "noticed". Who really has the right to say when someone else has had "enough". I would be extremely upset if people told me that I should have stopped with Abby. And trust me there were several that thought I am tempting fate because of all my health issues.

[MaMaTuTu]

Wow! I can't believe how harsh you're being!! Maybe you should actually read about the family! They were on BC pills for several years, AND got pregnant on them which caused a miscarriage. THAT is why they decided not to use BC anymore. They felt so guilty because of it. My loss was from BC and I can totally understand where they're coming from. Sure I may not have that many kids, but I commend them for all they have done for their children. If they didn't care about all their kids and spend time with them, Wouldn't they just send them to public school? Plus they both have their real estate licenses, and they own their home. They built their home, it wasn't just handed to them on a silver platter. And as far as I know they don't have their own show, they've only done documentaries.

[Eleysia]

Hmmm.. I dont know anything about the family, this is the first i have heard of them. I do however have an input on this topic.

Brandi, i dont think you have the right to sit and judge them. ALOT of what you mentioned is speculation, and not fact. I think it makes you uncomfortable to see this family, but if you think back to the older days, families were in fact large. While children may not have been changing tires, i assure you that on farms they were milking cows, collecting eggs, tending to the feilds AND cooking dinner from start to finish. I do not agree that the parents should dote on them and serve them. What would you be teacking your child besides how to be a spoiled brat if you did EVERYTHING all the time? IMO

I think that you should try to be more considerate of other people's life styles, and not so judgemental.

[ShannonMVT]

I'm not going to judge their family or state my opinion.

But I AM going to say:

Good Lord, they have 18 kids. Why can't God give me just ONE?! WTH?!

[Madison.N.Hailey'sMom]

All I have to say is that if I had 18 children I think I would have pulled my hair out a long time ago. I respect them for being able to support their family even with all those children and so what if they are getting something from the goverment. There are lots of families out there that are getting the support because they are having a hard time and not on drugs and other things and I feel this family has done a lot for their community to earn some help. I dont see a problem with John and Kate or the Roloff's for getting stuff for doing their shows. There wouldnt be the shows if people werent interested in watching them. I think its up to that family to do what is best for them and if that means having a ton of children that that is their choice. I dont think anyone should condem (sp) them for their choices.

[ShannonMVT]

Oh and one other thing...even though she's had so many healthy children, I sure as heck wouldn't be announcing my pregnancy to all of the world when I was only 6 weeks along!

I am actually pretty surprised about that.

[keekopeeko]

They were on BC pills for several years, AND got pregnant on them which caused a miscarriage. THAT is why they decided not to use BC anymore. They felt so guilty because of it.[/b]

Holy wow i am not gonna get into this at ALL, BUT i wanted to thank you for pointing this out.. i have wondered for as long as ive known about them if they had had any miscarriages.

AND i agree with you Shannon.. i know how hard it is to watch ppl pop 'em out and not even be able to get pregnant... or deal with losses..


~Em