Photo credit: duggarfamily.com
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar were awarded the title of "2009 National Parents of the Year" by the National Parent’s Day Council. The council insists that the Duggar’s were not selected just because they have a large family of their own children, but because they have exhibited such high standards of parenting. The website states, “Their highly organized household centers around spiritual principles and is obviously filled with huge amounts of love, grace, joy and mutual respect.”
However, there is no getting around the fact that the Duggar family is indeed super-sized. Michelle and Jim Bob were high school sweethearts, have been married 24 years and produced 18 biological children (with one on the way!). There are 10 boys and 8 girls ranging in age from 7 months to 20 years. The oldest son and his wife are expecting their first child, making Michelle and Jim Bob grandparents for the first time. Their grandchild is due before their own 19th child. Jim Bob states on his website, “We believe that each child is a special gift from God and we are thankful to Him for each one.”
The Duggar’s have been featured on five Discovery Health/TLC documentaries entitled, 14 Children and Pregnant Again!, 16 Children and Moving In, Raising 16 Children!, On the Road with 16 Children! and Duggar Big Family Album. Their weekly series called 18 Kids and Counting is currently a hit on Discovery Health. They have appeared on national and international TV shows including The Early Show, The Today Show, The View, Inside Edition, Italian Public Television, the Korean Broadcasting System, Jimmy Kimmel Live, the Fox News Network, CNN, MSNBC, and others.
The fascinating thing about the Duggar's is that the family receives no public financial assistance. They have built their own 7,000 sq. ft. home debt-free, taken some of the kids on overseas missions, homeschool all of their children and lead a very spiritual life.
So, what do you think parents? Are Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar worthy of the “Parents of the Year” title? Be sure to be honest, but kind, and leave your response below.
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Comments
I get a lot of inspiration from the Dugger Family because of the way they conduct themselves as parents and as a couple. I believe the Gosselins could have learned a lot from them. I see the fruit of their efforts in the children. It appears the oldest son Josh and his wife Anna are following in their example and living out the high standard of family and christian values. In summary I can't say enough good things about Mr. & Mrs. Dugger.
Missing how this is connected to your title?
This family is nuts!
They're religious zealots who are making a bundle while fooling the ignorant.
YuK!
I applaud the NPDC for selecting the Duggars as Parents of the Year. They have displayed wonderful parenting skills - without appology for their beliefs. I believe those that ridicule do so only because they have been brainwashed into thinking (and perhaps by their own disfunctional families) that no one could ever be as content and happy as the Duggars obviously are. . .and secretly wish they had that contentment in their own pathetic lives. The desperate hunger for more and more and more can be exhausting. I will continue watching and reading as much as I can about the Duggars. They are a true inspiration and light in a very dark world. May God bless them as they continue to follow Christ and strive to be like Him.
I think they are a fasinating family. A very loving, and caring family, but a very uneducated, ignorant, and radically religious family that lives a very isolated lifestyle. The children have no concept of science and believe that the world is only 5,000 years old. Homeschooling is a great idea as long as you expose your children to all subjects and do not keep them ignorant on purpose. Nevertheless, they are a fasinating family to watch and to have great moral values and are very supportive of their children.
Parents of the Year? Absolutely! Who deserves it more? Give it ten or twelve years and let the children's witness speak for itself.
This family should set the stage for all others. Certainly not by the amount of children that they have but rather in the way they raise them. Todays parents aren't around their kids but maybe for a couple hours each night. This family is very educated and by no strech of the imagination isolated. Just because they do things different doesn't make them bad. The Bible says blessed are you that are persecuted..Matt 5:10. They are one blessed family!
How much one-on-one time do they have with each child? How well do they know their children as individuals? None, and not well.
I don't know why the Duggars are criticized so much. I come from a homeschooling family of seven, and can say that homeschooling brings families closer together. Even with so many children, the Duggars make the time to know and love each one personally. Many people don't understand how the Duggar parents can do it, since they don't care about making time for their own children. When you make something a priority, it will probably get done. In my opinion, the Duggars certainly deserved to be the 2009 parents of the year. Their children love and respect them, as do other people who know them personally.
I can't not believe that these parents were given some kind of parenting award for their parenting. There is no way that two parents can provide enough emotional support to 19 children. If they spend 10 minutes a day one on one with each child that would take three hours! And now that they have a special needs preemie they have totally abandoned their preschoolers to be raised by dad and a collection of older girls. I wonder too about how they can home school the children when Michelle is attending to the baby in the hospital many hours a day. I am so sorry that TLC is supporting them by financially supporting this couple with their filming. Chose to film a family that has gone out and adopted a large group of children instead - please.
I admire the Duggars for raising such great kids. There are so many bad influences in the world and they are providing the best possible influences for their children. We are not an overly religious family, but this is the one show my kids and I can watch together and recently my daughter actually mentioned that she LIKES how the family prays together so often, and asked if we could start. They are tolerant aof others, open to new ideas. Yes, the bible guides their homeschooling philosphy, but the kids are free to learn more if they want - I know the parents have said college is not out of the question. With all the horrible families in the world - there is no reason not to honor the Duggars!
I am a girl raised in a family of 18 kids and we learned to care for each other and we shared the household chores and we are still a loving family we have lost 1 brother and 1 sister but my mom is still alive at 93 and we are all over 50 now and still very close so yes Duggers I am with you on your large family.Praise the LORD.
I love this show. Coming from a small family, I see this one as very blessed. Big families have the advantage of helping each other, even when they are older, the siblings can watch each others kids. I think what I like best about the show is how they they organize everything. It is very motivating. I also love that they have great values and these are great looking, cool kids, and they're great role models in today's world.
josie was already born on december 10 and was premature then she was brought home on april the 6 then a few days later she was brought back to the hospital then she was broght home once again and has gained 10 pounds since then
I love this family. I do believe that they know each child personally. I do worry about some of their futures. For example, some of the girls want to be nurses which takes years at college. I don't think they are socially ready for that task. I've debated homeschooling my children b/c of the "field trips" they get to go on to learn. I do think the children need to be involved in sports at a local parks & recreation department or something to get the social environment they need. However, I do feel they are well-deserving of parents or even people of the year & I thank TLC for having a wholesome show.
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