<p>^^^ Never thought of that jym</p>
<p>Madonna doesn’t let her kids watch tv because they might see her acting bombs in re runs or the MTV/VH1 truth about her escapades with people like Rodman (sp?) and her sexual escapades.</p>
<p>Barrons, this was a financial decision, which I do not begrudge, yet, I hope that you realize people aren’t willing to bite off that it is about sharing their POV. Would they do this for free? If so than it is POV, if not they have their own agenda, which places them in a different category.</p>
<p>I agree with everyone saying that the older siblings having to take care of younger ones leads to burn out on parenthood. I babysat my younger siblings all the time, including 5 summers in a row, before I could go do my own thing once my sister was old enough to take over. Now even when I’m home my parents expect my sister to be in charge because they know I’ve done it enough to last me until I get to my own kids. I do want kids, but probably only 2 rather than my parents’ 4. I certainly don’t want to have them spaced out like my family either (my brother is 11 years younger than me). It’s not awful or anything, but during vacations, movies, etc. it kind of drags things down to have someone so much younger.</p>
<p>On the flipside I never had to get a job in high school because my parents realized that babysitting was enough work done (50 hours/week for 12 weeks) so they rewarded me by paying for my gas until I graduated.</p>
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<p>I thought it was the severe drop off in remaining eggs that triggered menopause. Women are born with millions but by the time they’re forty or so there aren’t many left. I was just wondering if her ovaries have been held in a suppressed state for so many years of pregnancy if that would prolong her fertility. Or is there egg follicle death going on continuously during pregnancy too?</p>
<p>“I think it can be argued that there are a whole lot of American children passing through public schools with no better an education than the Duggar’s homeschool. I’ve encountered marginally literate high school graduates.”</p>
<p>But motivated kids can fight and claw their way to a decent education even in the weakest school system. The Duggar kids have no such opportunity. They can’t even go to the public library and choose their own reading material. Perhaps one of the Duggars could have done important medical research or helped others in a social service role. But we’ll never know, because their wings are clipped at birth. I just hate to see human potential wasted, whether it’s the neglected child of a drug-addicted mother or a beloved child in a repressive, patriarchal household. Despite all their lip service about college and shadowing a profession, it’s clear the Duggars won’t enable any of their children to broaden their horizons. It’s Jim Bob’s little empire, and no one is allowed to diminish it.</p>
<p>POV and agenda are just different names for the same thing. Everyone with a POV goes on TV with an agenda from Obama on down. That’s why they are there. I don’t find the D’s over the top trying to convert anyone to their views. They just say–this is what WE do. You can judge for yourself how it’s working.</p>
<p>Even if she has a few more eggs left than others at her age, most of the eggs are damaged due to age anyway–and those eggs are still sitting there getting older and genetically damaged during pregnancy–just like anyone else’s. Also, hormonal changes (general decrease in estrogen and progesterone) as they approach menopause make most women unable to maintain a pregnancy (even if they get pregnant) after 45.<br>
They might have cycles until 50-52 when menopause happens for most women, but between 45-52 it is extremely rare for women to have healthy pregnancies and live births. I heard (didn’t look this up) that fertility statistics are kept for women between 15-45. I think that’s because births after 45 are rare enough to be considered statistically insignificant.</p>
<p>I may not agree with the way the Duggars raise their children but it is their choice. What I am offended at is the idea of using your children’s lives as a way to make money. I don’t have an issue with reality shows such as " American Idol" or SYTYCD which are basically televised talent contests, but the idea of having camera’s filming your family life is just creepy to me. Because this family would not be making all of this money if they were not such an unusually large brood, they are in my opinion making money off of their kids. This is the same as “Jon & Kate plus 8” and what “Octomom” is planning to do.</p>
<p>Yes but the Octomon (and Kate) sucks at momming.</p>
<p>I think Michelle “sucks” at momming too, since she basically doesn’t raise her children. She births and nurses them only; after that, they are pawned off on one of the older girls. She rarely even holds her children once they are weaned. </p>
<p>Watch the video where they announce the 19th pregnancy. Jordyn is squawking and squirming, and Michelle doesn’t even turn around to take her and hold her. Every mother I know would hold their own infant, particularly if they were fussing. Michelle never holds a non-feeding baby or toddler, and leaves all the care of all the little kids (including their education, clothing, food and self-help skills like tooth brushing and hair) to the older girls. That does not make her a good mom to me. Just spitting out kids is not mothering.</p>
<p>Somebody raised the first ten or so kids. I don’t think they had the army of nannies Kate uses. Sure now the older ones are expected to help out. That’s what families do. All the older kids seem very bright and grounded. Hardly marks of exploitation where the famous sullen teenage face would be unmistakable. </p>
<p>Did you know every kid plays at least two musical instruments? Mostly strings.</p>
<p>After a few kids most moms realize not every fuss from a baby requires immediate attention. It might just be better to let them fuss.</p>
<p>K, as of last year, ten were “playing the piano” and the violin was the other instrument of choice. i could play the violin too when I was 5. </p>
<p>As well, she doesn’t homeschool the little ones, her children homeschool their brothers and sisters. Her children bath, work with, buddy up with, nurture, and spend time with the little ones. Read the daily schedule Michelle herself shared. No where does it say she spends any real ammount of time with her own kids. </p>
<p>THe older ones cook, the older ones do all the chores, the older ones are the teachers. What does Michelle do? Not any more, and seems a lot less than most moms I know. I washed, I fed, I read to, I took to the park, the zoo, I taught them guitar, I gave them life skills. She doesn’t do that anymore, her older kids do that. </p>
<p>She has basically stopped raising her kids, just breeds them for God, and the training is done by her own non paid group of nannies.</p>
<p>As well, she doesn’t use birth control because she wants as many babies as possible. Quiverful teachs how to make babies. </p>
<p>She is no longer a mother, she is a breeder who takes great pleasure in being pregnant and birthing, but no longer seems to train her own kids.</p>
<p>I would bet that as soon as she saw she was going to be out of the limelight due to the new grandbaby, she got pregant.</p>
<p>And anybody read the texts they use. Hogwash </p>
<p>If you read the schedule, there is no time for fun or joy or just being a kid.</p>
<p>We try to have regular talks with each one individually on a weekly basis</p>
<p>wow, that should be enough! One conversation with mom and dad a week!!!</p>
<p>p. 158-9 from their book: We probably spend more one-on-one time with each of our children than the average parents, because even though we have a large family, we homeschool and spend all day around them. I (Jim Bob) have an office in our home, so I’m in and out throughout the day, switching between parenting and real estate work.
Anytime we run to town we usually have a few of the children with us, even if it’s just to pick up a few gallons of milk.</p>
<p>Some of the posts in this thread are being stated as fact without any true knowledge of how this family truly lives. No, I do not live like them. But they do not judge me and I’m not judging them.</p>
<p>What happended to the " it take a village to raise a child" crap when it was Hillary talking?? Did you forget about that?</p>
<p>A village, barrons. That means other people outside the nuclear family. And it doesn’t mean the immediate family and a cameraman.</p>
<p>A village can be any group, obviously, in this sense. It does not have to mean a literal village. Just an array of people. 8 or so older siblings is certainly as large a group as any in a “village” that would have regular contact with a kid.</p>
<p>So in this case its a village of little people while the village leaders are negotiating filming contracts or selling real estate (does she still do that from her home office?) Yea, plenty of people have home offices and/or sell real estate. But they dont have 19 kids.</p>
<p>"In traditional societies, it is true that people co-sleep, breastfeed much longer, and wear their babies all the time. But the village raises the child. There are grandparents, aunts, neighbours, and older children to share the parenting. "</p>
<p>[It</a> takes a village to raise a child](<a href=“http://www.phdinparenting.com/2009/07/31/it-takes-a-village-to-raise-a-child/]It”>It takes a village to raise a child - PhD in Parenting - PhD in Parenting)</p>
<p>I just don’t get your hate. Everyone there seems as happy or happier than most families. They make a legal living and I don’t think any kid has had trouble with the law, taken drugs, gotten drunk, gotten knoecked up or anything else most people see as youth problems and hit around half of sububan kids at one time or another…</p>
<p>Whats your point?? You suddenly become a Hilary follower?</p>