The Odd Controversies And Confidentialities That The Duggar Family Attempted To Conceal

The Duggar family is one of the most unique families out there and they’re known for their tendency to take things too far. Their TLC show 19 Kids and Counting only brushed the surface of the many strange secrets and scandals that surround them.

The Duggars have a strict dress code, even at home. Girls can only wear dresses and skirts, while guys wear shorts. This seems unfair, don’t you think? Not all women in the family are happy with this rule.

The 19 Kids and Counting parents strongly oppose birth control, which isn’t surprising considering their large family. Michelle Duggar, the household’s matriarch, has spent an incredible 144 months pregnant!

The Duggar family has some strict rules regarding marriage, and one of the biggest ones is that divorce is not allowed. It doesn’t matter what your partner does or how unhappy you are in the relationship; you are expected to stick it out for life.

Sharing a bathroom with one or two siblings can be a hassle, but can you imagine sharing it with 20 others? The Duggar family’s massive home has nine bathrooms to accommodate the many people living in the house. However, there are only 3 bedrooms in the whole place!

Perhaps the darkest secret that the Duggar family attempted to conceal was the police case against their son, Josh Duggar. The horrifying news broke in 2015 that the eldest Duggar son was involved in a molestation case.

Parents want to keep their kids safe, but there’s a fine line between protection and overbearing. Unfortunately, Jim Bob Duggar’s helicopter parenting style is a bit extreme, and he’s not big on privacy. He even acts as a gatekeeper when it comes to his daughters’ love lives, approving or vetoing any potential suitors.

You might assume that with 19 kids (and counting), the Duggar household would be a chaotic mess, but that’s not the case. Instead, each child has a specific chore, while Mom and Dad handle other responsibilities. They call the assignments “jurisdictions”.

Like their other rules, the Duggar’s views on family planning are guided by their stringent religious beliefs. Earlier, we mentioned that Michelle and Jim Bob have different family planning approaches. They don’t use birth control because it violates their religious beliefs and because they believe that birth control causes miscarriages.

The Duggars believe that kissing before marriage is a sin, and yet, the devout couple broke their own rules before their wedding night. Hypocritical, much?

The Duggars believe in the importance of discipline with their children. These disciplinary rules start when the children are babies! One rule in the house is known as “the blanket rule”.

Bill Gothard is the founder of The Institute in Basic Life Principles, which many people refer to as a cult. The basic principle is that people need to submit to God, women and children need to submit to the husband and the children are taught to manage the house and be obedient.

Some have criticized TLC for giving the Duggars the platform through their show 19 Kids and Counting. They believe that the show was nothing but a PR stunt to spread Bill Gothard’s teachings to more of the world.

The first date with a new partner can be uncomfortable, especially if you don’t know each other well. Yet, it gets even more awkward if you’re dating one of the Duggar girls. Jim Bob and Michelle have made it a rule to accompany their daughters on dates to ensure no one breaks the “dating rules,” and the suitor has to pay for their dinners.

In the 1980s, things were a lot different from what they are now. Mullets were the height of fashion, people didn’t worry too much about matching their clothes, and folks often got married at a younger age. For example, Michelle was 17 when she married Jim, who was 19.

As a parent, it’s natural to want to shield your kids from the outside world, but it’s impossible to keep them away from everything. You have to trust that you’ve taught them enough about right and wrong so they can make informed decisions. On the other hand, when you have 18 siblings, you learn to care for each other.

One of the eldest Duggar children, Joy-Anna was meant to be married in October of 2017. However, she moved up her wedding date 5 months so she was married in May of the same year.

If you’ve watched the show featuring the Duggar family, you may have noticed that no women or girls are allowed to wear pants, as Jim Bob and Michelle have taught their children to dress a certain way. However, once they become adults, they can wear what they want as long as it’s modest. Some of the girls occasionally break this no-pants-allowed rule, even though they risk getting in trouble.

The Duggars are known for their unique parenting style, and it’s safe to say it’s strict. For instance, hugging must be done in a particular way. Unmarried children can only give and receive side hugs. However, once married, they can hug however they want.

Jill Duggar is the second eldest daughter of the Duggar family and she has become outspoken on her experience growing up in the family and in the IBLP church. This has caused some strain in her family since she doesn’t agree with all of their viewpoints.

When it comes to weddings, it’s traditional to wear your mother’s wedding dress, but what happens when you have so many daughters at home? The Duggars came up with a solution to this dilemma. Rather than passing down the same dress, Michelle broke down her wedding gown and gave pieces of it to her daughters.

Jim Bob’s influence on female roles in the Duggar household is minimal. Instead, the family matron takes charge of this responsibility. Michelle imparts conventional wisdom that you might expect from a conservative family, such as spending time in the kitchen and avoiding backtalk.

As we mentioned earlier, all the Duggar children’s names start with the letter J. There’s Jill, Joshua, Jackson, Josie, Jana, Jessa, Jinger (yup, really), Joy-Anna, Jennifer, Justin, Johannah, Jordyn-Grace, John-David, Josiah, James, Jedidiah (of course), Jeremiah and Jason.

Soon after the scandal regarding Josh’s involvement with minors, he came under fire again when a data breach revealed some unsavory things about his internet activity. As it turned out, he had been using a dating site to cheat on his wife, Anna.

When you’re born into a family with so many siblings, chances are you’re going to be asked to help out with the other kids. In the Duggar household, babysitting is a guaranteed job, not a suggestion.

The Quiverfull Movement is a radical Christian belief that opposes birth control and family planning. According to this ideology, having as many children as possible is a blessing from God. While the Duggars have stated that they don’t follow this belief, some of their contraception rules align with Quiverfull principles.

Engaged couples typically create a registry outlining their preferred gifts for their wedding. Jessa and Ben, like most couples, created a registry when they married. However, what’s not common is asking your viewers to send you gift cards and other presents.

It’s no secret that the Duggar family is deeply religious. They interpret the Bible quite literally, which means avoiding tattoos or body art of any kind. Jim Bob and Michelle don’t have tattoos or body piercings and expect their children to follow suit.

Enjoying a day at the beach is a popular activity for many people during summer. You can play in the sand, swim, and soak in the sunshine. Unfortunately, the Duggar family doesn’t have the same opportunities to enjoy these activities until they are married.

Following the Baptist Church’s teachings is a must for a person to marry one of the Duggar kids. This is expected as many parents prefer their future son or daughter-in-law to share their beliefs.

In a very controversial interview, Michelle Duggar divulged into her views on a wife’s role in a marriage. She expressed on their family blog that wives should be “meek and quiet” so as to serve their husbands needs and demands. This means making yourself available to his every whim, apparently.

Most people know that the Duggar children are homeschooled, but did you realize that Michelle teaches them from kindergarten to high school? Instead of attending a traditional school, they receive their entire education at home.

The Duggar parents demand that they be involved in almost every part of their children’s lives. But as with most things, they take their involvement to the extreme. This includes getting very hands-on in their children’s romantic relationships. They go so far as to teach them how to have their first kiss by showing them an example.

It’s understandable to assume that with so many people living together, everything in the house must be oversized or available in large numbers. For the Duggars, this includes their dinner table. So they had to get the largest and widest table for their moderately sized kitchen to accommodate everyone.

As we mentioned earlier, everything in the Duggar home is either big or in large quantities, and their laundry room is no exception. With so many people living in the house, dirty laundry piles up faster than you can imagine. That’s why the Duggars invested in four washers and dryers to meet demand.

When it comes to disciplining their 19 children, Jim Bob, and Michelle don’t mess around. To keep their kids in check, they use The Rod—and we’re not talking about a flimsy switch here. The Rod is literally a rod, and it’s used to enforce boundaries and rules in the Duggar household.

Jill, the second child of the conservative Duggar family, dutifully followed every rule set by her parents. She even walked through the same kissing course with her mom and dad. However, once she got married, she left and cut all ties with her parents.

You might know Bob as the patriarch of the Duggar family, but did you know he’s also a professional realtor who can support his large family of over 20 members with his hard work?

If you thought hugging and kissing were taboo in the Duggar household, you might be surprised to know that dancing is also frowned upon. Even dancing with your siblings is off-limits since it’s believed to lead to impure thoughts. Fortnite enthusiasts take note: Jim Bob is not a dancer! But once the kids are grown and married, they can dance to their heart’s content.

Sibling rivalries can last a lifetime, even after one sibling leaves the nest. Whenever conflicting siblings reunite, things can quickly turn sour, and in the Duggar household, this is the case for Jana and Jessa. Jessa, the younger sister, often challenges her older sister’s authority, which is understandable for a teenager wanting independence.

Playing with siblings, hugging, kissing, and getting tattoos are all considered inappropriate in the Duggar household. With such strict rules, it’s no surprise that their deeply religious parents also frown upon premarital relations.

In the Duggar household, there’s no need to raise your voice—the threat of The Rod should be enough to dissuade the kids from doing so. With a large family, everyone can use their “soft words” to be heard, and yelling is prohibited.

Let’s talk about Jim Bob and Michelle’s situation. They have a big family with over 20 mouths to feed, and that’s no small feat! To satisfy everyone with nutritious and delicious food, they spend an impressive $3,000 per month.

It’s been brought up several times that the boys and girls in the family can’t play together. It might seem like an unnecessary rule, but there is a reason for it that the family hasn’t been very forthcoming about. However, we firmly believe that siblings should be able to play with each other regardless of gender.

Despite having nine bathrooms and seven showers, sleeping space is limited for the Duggar children living at home. They all have to share two bedrooms: One for the boys and another for the girls.

Jason, the twelfth child in the Duggar family, shares his father’s ambition to become an entrepreneur. He started his own construction company at a young age, which is impressive considering he’s never dealt with people outside of his family.

Jennifer is the 17th child of the Duggar family, and her birth was captured on camera for fans to see. She’s grown up with the reality TV show as a regular part of her life since it’s all she knows from birth. Jennifer is known to be the shyest of the girls, which is understandable given her young age.

Josie is the youngest member of the Duggar family, and her birth surprised Michelle due to pregnancy complications. She was born weighing just over a pound, and many worried about her survival. Yet, despite the rough start, Josie pulled through and grew up healthy.

Jill Duggar, the fourth child, is among the most beloved members of the 19-member Duggar family. She displayed a talent for playing the piano and violin at a young age but became a certified midwife instead.

The TV show about the Duggar family has undergone several title changes, reflecting its growing numbers. It all started when Jim Bob and Michelle were featured on TV after renovating their home. TV producers saw potential in their large family and created a show called 16 Children and Moving In.

Despite Jim Bob’s allegations of infidelity, Michelle stayed by his side. After all, she taught her daughters to be loyal in their relationships. Jim Bob seems he deeply regretted his mistakes and renewed his wedding vows to Michelle.

In 2011, the Duggar household experienced a heartbreaking loss when Michelle suffered a miscarriage during her 20th pregnancy. They had named the baby Jubilee Shalom, and the family mourned the loss together. There were speculations that this experience might have discouraged them from trying again.

Let’s clarify something—we’re not saying Michelle eats her own children when we say she had “baby hunger.” But it is interesting to note that despite being pregnant for 12 years out of her 54 years on this planet, Michelle seems to have forgotten about pregnancy pains and stresses.

With Michelle being pregnant for a long time and so frequently, the kids have had to learn to grow up independently. Though they have each other to rely on, their father works, and their mother is often incapacitated due to pregnancy sickness.

As a viewer, you might find it frustrating to see the Duggar kids following such strange rules. It’s also difficult to watch and not want to intervene to help the kids retain some sanity. Yet, the camera crew enjoys being around the Duggar family—it’s not just a job to them.

Let’s talk about the rumors—some people think the Duggar family might not have the best company. Many complaints about their associations come from religious doctrines. Bill Gothard, a minister the family follows closely, has been accused of improper conduct. He even helped Jim Bob when infidelity allegations surfaced.