It is definitely an incredible way to live life. Very old fashioned beliefs and that is pretty good. I just worry when the kids get out in the other side of the world. Not sure how well they will cope with mainstream life.

THey built their home with their own hands! They are very thrifty, and I can't remember the exact amount she said she spent on grocery's per month, but it was such a LOW number!! I can't believe how many kids they have! At least they have built in babysitters!

They posted her age as 41 in the article on Yahoo home page.

Man they'd better take up another hobby. LOL. :p

Elaine

i love to watch their shows and read about them......they said they spend less than 2500 on groceries for everyone including cleaning supplies....their is just 3 of us here now....oldest moved out....and we still have a grocery bill over 1000 a month....she is unreal....they say she never screams at anyone....and she cant remember the last time she had to "spank" one of them...they believe in spanking but just dont have to do it....everyone helps out and learns at a very young age to take care of themselves and to respect each other....i wish i could live my life with the mental outlook that Michelle Duggar does....quote quote she says " saying there is too many children is like saying there are too many flowers".....man to be more like her...

My hat's off to them, but ya know, there is a cure for that.:p

Me, I've never met anyone worth reproducing more than two or three times.:D

I have two friends from high school who each have four kids. We kid the one because she had them one at a time. The other one, well, all she wanted was a second child ... and got triplets.:eek:

Think about it.....she has been pregnant for over 13 years of her life :eek:

Wow that's crazy. 18 children! Good for them tho.

How can her body stand it????

I doubt her body is built like most women's anymore. If I felt that I really could not prevent never ending pregnancies, I would have to prevent the act that causes pregnancy.:p I know it's not my place to judge but that is bizarre! That woman's body has got to be wrecked! When I was younger, I worked with a woman who had 7 children and she told me some horrifying things about herself and the changes in her body. God knows why she told me such personal things- I was only 19 at the time, but it has stuck with me. We are not built to be baby factories.

:lol tears

I think the ability to with stand pregnancy after pregnancy is different with each woman. We have a lady in our small town who is having her 4th surrogate child after having two of her own. After each pregnancy she returns to her thin, vivacious self.:)

My thoughts exactly!

I definitely know people who believe in a "a quiver full" -- I would imagine that is where they fall.

See Psalm 123: 3-5
Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

I know people who believe that it is God's decision about how full your quiver is. They don't use birth control. One of my gf's is a great testament to this lifestyle - every time God blesses them with a new child, her husband has received a hefty raise and/or promotion

websites and books are devoted to this philosophy QuiverFull .com

The lady who told me the scarey stories about herself was thin too. I don't want to be graphic but a lot more than your dress size can be affected and I'm not just talking about the obvious.
I guess it's worth it to her. I was just commenting on how I would feel about it.:D

She spends $2,000. a month on grocerys. The girls all wear dresses with white socks, and the boys all wear tan pants and knit shirts and black socks. When they take the motor home and go on vacations, all the kids wear the same color shirts so they will be easy to spot if one gets lost. They play violin and piano, are home schooled and even have church service in their home with a few friends who also have large families. Their new home is over five thousand sq. feet, and they did do a lot of the work, but they also paid for contract help on most of it. They say they own nothing on anything, that they pay as they go. This is where I'd love to know how they make so much money. :confused:

I dont really think its anyones business how much money they make and whatnot. They dont recieve welfare, so what does it matter? There are millions of people in america that have children and live off of the state, so why is everyone so obsessed with these people who are self sufficient?
I think they are great. My husband and I have 6 children right now ages 11 months to 10 years. All planned. Not sure if we will have more biological children or if we will adopt. I know we arent done.
As for our bodies not being "baby making machines", well, if her body couldnt handle it, she probably would not be fertile or carrying her children to term, and she would be unhealthy, none of which are an issue.
I can tell you first had as well, that having babies doesnt "ruin" you if you take care of yourself. For someone to assume so is just ignorance. Physically from what people can see, I look better than most that havent had children. I am a size 4 and healthy. As for what people cannot see, which I assume from what has been implied, has to do with intimacy, I can assure you that everything is just as in tact, if not better, than it was before children. There are exercises women can do to keep themselves in shape in that aspect as well. My husband is a very happy man :D
The world needs more people like the Duggars. Their children are going to be great blessings to this country. More so than the children that are allowed to sit and play video games 6 hours a day and never taught any responsibilty. Wont it be a giant shock when THOSE children are exposed to the "real world".

I hear Nikki has a tiny quiver...

Sorry.. offtopic.

:thumbup::thumbup:

Well since I don't consider myself ignorant (nor do I appreciate being called so), perhaps what we are willing to put our bodies through are considerably different. You are certainly free to live your life as you choose.

I said "to assume so is just ignorance" not, "hey, youre ignorant". The definition of ignorant is: Unknowledgeable or uneducated. That just means one doesnt know about something, not that they are stupid. It is ignorant to make assumptions about what pregnancies may have done to a womans anatomy. You said yourself "but it's the nicest I'm willing to be to anyone who thinks they are in a position to question what is going on in my uterus. It is truly bizarre to me how many people think that is in any way their business." So what makes you think its anyone elses business what goes on in hers, or anyone elses that decides to have a lot of children?
I cannot believe how harsh some people can be about a woman who is a wonderful mother and wife, and more wise than most. She isnt a "baby making machine", she is fulfilling God's will for her life, and I think if anyone has a problem with that, they can take it up with Him.

Well I certainly would never ask someone to explain their reproduction choices to me- you're right it's none of my business. I simply said I would not put my body through that. I've already stated I was not talking about the obvious issues which to me would mean weight and "intimacy issues". Most women know it goes way beyond that and I'm sure you do as well. I am not asking you to explain your body to me. Honestly I am not the least bit interested- it is completely your business and it is a private matter IMO. You can have a bunch of babies, the Duggars can have a bunch of babies and I can choose not to. No debate required. You also do not need to feel you need to define words for me. You do not.:)

Now I am finished with this thread. Everyone has the right to their own opinions and I am not asking anyone to defend their's and I am finished defending mine.

:thumbup::thumbup:

They may not receive welfare, but do they pay taxes? I believe you get an income tax credit/deduction for each child, right?. I've also read that they declared their house a church so they don't have to pay property taxes on it.

Don't get the "nickers" in a bunch. My only interest in how they make so much money in investments or whatever is simply because I'd love to invest in the same things!!! If they can do it, we can too!!

I'm sure she has a good Mother's Day every year. :)

I don't know... these people seem loving and all but sometimes I feel sorry for the kids. Sure it would be fun to have a big family but this big?? The kids won't ever get enough one on one attention. There comes a point where you can sit back and ENJOY the kids you ALREADY have instead of always wanting more.

I've watched specials on them and the older kids are basically second mothers and fathers to the younger ones. They don't get to be kids and have fun bc they are too worried about doing laundry, making dinner, changing diapers, ect. That's not fair to the older ones...

I've seen all their specials on tv also and it seems they've got it down to a science, almost like assembly line. But even at that, I still don't know how they do it. I would be nuttier than I am now, for sure. :grin2:

They dont get to be kids according to whos standards? IMO, American children are way spoiled compared to any other country. Didnt used to be so. Back when our grandparents (and parents for some of us) were children, they had the same responsibilities and chores as these kids do. Now that the video game era has taken over, and children having responsibilities and chores are at an all time low, the drop out rate and teen pregnancy rate are at all time highs. Oh and so is amount of kids with "adhd". Their children are shown unconditional love, they play games, they laugh, they are shown affection, and are well cared for. Just because they arent vegetating in front of a television all day long and they have chores doesnt mean they arent getting to be children. In fact, they probably get to be children more than the worldly children of today because they arent hardened in society and are probably kept very protected from all of the horrible things that children are being exposed to at younger ages everyday such as pornography, drugs, alcohol, etc. They are innocent for much longer.
I wouldnt worry about them not getting enough one on one attention either. They get more one on one than a child that sits in daycare all day long that gets to see their parents for a half hour a day.
They are going to be wonderful, selfless adults. This is the best right here, what the dad says "The success in a family is first off, a love for God, and secondly, treating each other like you want to be treated," Jim Bob Duggar said. "Our goal is for each one of our children to be best friends, and everybody working together to serve each other makes that happen." Nothing negative in that.