The Duggars have their own reality show on TLC. It’s called 18 kids and counting. I guess next year they’ll have to change the name of the show. (I’ll admit I have watched the show from time to time.) I have to hand it to them; they receive no support of any kind from the government. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to have that many kiddos. Perhaps that’s because when I was pregnant with my second child, Amanda, Brett was only two and had his stroke. Our lives changed forever.

The Duggars have been extraordinarily lucky and have not had, up til now, any child with a serious illness. Michele home schools all the kids. From what I have seen I think the kids lead a fairly isolated life unless they are out with the entire family on a trip. (Which they take in a bus that they bought.) They go on a fair number of these trips so it’s not like they never see the outside world. However, they don’t have a lot of day-to-day interaction with their peers that I think is important. (Of course Michele and Jim Bob would say that’s they way they prefer it for their kids.)

One of my favorite photos of Doug is when Brett’s sitting in his lap and listening to a book that his dad is reading to him. I wonder how much individual time each child can have with their mom or dad when they have 17 other siblings? The Duggars have said when a new baby is born an older sibling is chosen to be their “buddy”. This buddy carries a lot of the responsibility in caring for the new baby. Michele Duggar is 42 at this time and does not believe in any prenatal testing. I guess her plan is to just keep having kiddos til she can’t anymore whether they have genetic abnormalities or not. So be it. It’s their life, not mine, thank God.

I cannot imagine what condition her female parts must be in. Every woman I have ever spoken to has had a problem, however brief, with incontinence when she sneezes after their child is born. After 18 kids- I can’t even fathom that. Labor though is probably pretty easy. One of my friends theorized that when her children are born it’s as if they’re coming down a big water slide at Six Flags. I don’t think so though. I’m guessing that she had velcro installed years ago, maybe after number 10.