The Duggar Family talked about a variety of topics during an appearance on a live-streamed religious conference on Monday, including their usual babble about their favorite Bible verses, avoiding sin and whatnot. However, once Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, along with their adult daughter Jessa “Jessa Blessa” Seewald, started answering fans’ questions, the answers became a bit more eyebrow-raising.
During Jim Bob & Co.’s looooong live-stream session, they discussed the, um, interesting ways they instruct their kids to protect their modesty from their siblings. (As Duggar fans know, the family has had some problems with this in the past…) They also revealed the creepy ways they keep track of their children— even the ones who are now adults.
The Ashley took one for the team here and sat through the Duggars’ entire Q&A session. She has narrowed it down to the seven strangest– and sometimes downright creepy— things revealed in the interview.
Jim Bob compares his unmarried daughters’ bodies to a wrapped package.
The Duggars have always been outspoken about their desire for their children to remain modest. Monday’s live-stream took it up a notch on the creep belt, though, when Michelle revealed what Jim Bob tells his unmarried daughters in regard to keeping their bodies pure for their future husbands.
“Dad always says that you’re a special gift, and God has made you so unique and so special that one day you’re going to get married and you’re going to have a spouse and you’re going to be this present that’s wrapped especially for your future spouse,” Michelle said. “Because, the Scripture talks about your body is his, and his is yours, so you want to keep that special package wrapped nice and clean and neat.”
They get an email showing every website that anyone in their home (including their adult children) has visited each day.
For years, the Duggars have helped hawk religious-based “protection” software called “Covenant Eyes,” and Michelle revealed in this interview that the family still places the software on its computers and phones.
“It will give us a report each day and I can see, at a glance from an email, any questionable things or sites [they visited],” Michelle said. “It opens up whatever’s been viewed, and so I appreciate that. That has been a real help.”
They put “safeties” on their adult children’s phones to keep them from looking at naughty things.
Michelle said that they, like a lot of parents, are cautious about letting their younger children have screen time or devices of their own, as they feel they become a “distraction” from other things. However, the Duggars’ feelings about devices also apparently apply to their children who are over the age of 18.
“Some of our adult children have waited to get an iPhone or something like that,” Michelle said, adding, “and then when they do [get the phones], we put the safeties on them.”
But Michelle insisted that the adult children want their online activities to be watched by their parents…or something.
“They ask for that,” Michelle said. “You realize that in a moment of weakness, or at the split-second where something comes up on the screen, when it isn’t even connected to what you were searching for, it can be that quick that you might see something that can cause you to be tempted and stumble.”
They instruct their kids to run to them and tell them when they have a “bad thought.”
The Duggars say they know their kids are going to have some naughty thoughts during puberty, no matter how many devices they monitor or how many restrictions they put on them. Michelle revealed how she and Jim Bob handle impure thoughts at the Duggar house.
“There will be times where you’re gonna think a bad thought,” Michelle explained to the viewers. “And you’ll go, ‘Wow, I’ve never thought that before!’ I say, share that! Bring that thought to Jesus, and then run and tell [your parents]…God gave you a Mom and Dad who want to pray you through these years.
Michelle and Jim Bob both said they often confront their kids to make sure they haven’t given in to naughty temptations.
“[I ask them] ‘How have you done today? Have you been tempted?’ and usually they just start pouring everything out…,” Michelle said.
They have strict rules to keep their kids from being seen uncovered by other family members.
While the Duggars didn’t specifically mention the 2015 scandal that rocked their family– when it was publicly discovered that their oldest son Josh had inappropriately touched four of his younger sisters during his teen years— they did discuss some of the house rules that are now in place to keep siblings from getting too close.
“We’ve always kind of encouraged [our kids] to go to the restroom by yourself, you shower and you bathe and you lock the door so that nobody accidentally walks in….keeping covered,” Michelle said.
She also discussed how she instructs her daughters to stay modest even while at home. (The Duggars have often stated that they believe clothing that doesn’t fully cover from neck to knees helps to “defraud” the men in their lives and cause them to be tempted.)
“I always say ‘don’t play peek-a-boo.’ Don’t wear something low that when you bend over you’re going to play peek-a-boo,” Michelle said. “Or [don’t wear] something that’s too short that’s going to reveal when you’re sitting down.”
Jim Bob alluded to the family’s hard times during the discussion.
“We’ve gone through a lot of different heavy things, raising 20 kids, but we know that as we turn our hearts to God, and have them turn their hearts to God, things can work out,” he said.
They think cell phones can be evil.
Years ago, Jim Bob talked about the evils of the cellular phone, and, judging by his statements on Monday, his feelings about the devices have not changed much with the passage of time.
“I think one of the biggest struggles in today’s world are these electronic devices. I think they’re one of the greatest assets… but it also has the most dangers of anything we’ve ever faced,” he said.
Jim Bob admitted that their sons struggle more than their daughters to resist the seductive lure of sinful activities offered by cell phones and devices with Internet access. (Again, their oldest son Josh was caught using the Interwebs for a bunch of unholy things a few years back.)
“If there’s secret sin, and sins you’re viewing and you’re going down that path, you can really get off-track in a hurry, so we ask [our kids] about how they’re doing,” Jim Bob said. “Maybe someone’s talked about something, or maybe someone’s shown them something [that’s bad.]”
Michelle said her older kids willingly “turn in their phones” and “turn off their computers at night” in order to prevent themselves from being tempted.
Watch the full interview below. (The Duggars appear at the 16:40 mark, by the way.)
RELATED STORY: ‘Counting On’ Couple Joy & Austin Forsyth Reveal They’re Expecting a Baby Girl
48 Responses
It’s just damn irresponsible to have 19 kids (and then adopt a 20th??). My parents had two children – myself and my sister. We were almost too much for them to handle and also have their careers. Ridiculous that anyone thinks this is a healthy family..
If the Duggars can be an example for anyone, it would be an example on NOT having a bunch of babies that you’ll never be able to support. Not just financially, but emotionally. Kids take a lot of time. Quality time.. And then for their young daughters to be taught that their only real goal and aspiration in life is to marry as early as possible and start shooting out their own babies ?!?!
In my opinion?? Pure child abuse…………
Lord I have nothing good to say right now.
Uh Jim, you have 19 kids, not 20.
[* Shield plugin marked this comment as “Trash”. Reason: Failed Bot Test (expired) *]
All right… I’m going to actually leave a positive comment on this thread.
Guess what, people… they’re not the only ones who live like this! Just because it’s not the way you live DOESN’T MEAN IT’S WRONG!!! I grew up in a family that, although my parents weren’t quite as strict as the Duggars, were still “strict”.
Modesty is a thing, and stop shaming people who still believe in it!
Purity is still a thing, and stop shaming people who still practice it! Keeping “naughty thoughts” (as you like to call them), at a minimum doesn’t make you a horrible person! It taught me self control, and guess what?! That’s freeing in so many ways! It doesn’t mean you don’t have any desire. It only means it doesn’t consume you… It means you can live your life and not have to have some sort of sexual person/thing/release in your life to make you happy!
Saving sex for marriage isn’t wrong, and stop shaming people for it! If you people knew anything about their lifestyle (grew up in a family that is similar, so…) you would know that they believe within marriage, sex is a good thing! They just don’t practice birth control. How often do you think you would get pregnant if you didn’t practice birth control?! Do the math! It doesn’t make you a sick person to have a large family.
And as far as the children not believing the same way as their parents and being forced to live like that… I’m an adult woman, I think for myself (always have, always will), am a contributing member to society… and I still live very close to how my parents “brought me up”. I wasn’t brainwashed, I didn’t grow up in a cult, I wasn’t forced to believe anything… Actually, the exact opposite! We were encouraged to find out things for ourselves, and to know who we were, as individuals. My dad and mom were loving and NORMAL. All of these things you all say are creepy (being told to cover yourself, having a large family, etc) believe me, they aren’t, and it shows ignorance when you say that it is. I was safe, I was loved, and I was encouraged to think for myself, and there was never a time that I ever felt any differently.
I am a Christian, and proud of it… I wasn’t forced to become a Christian, or pressured to. I was encouraged to find the Truth, on my own. Yes, my actions and the way I live goes through the Bible, but that doesn’t make me wrong! It makes me different from the way you live, and that doesn’t give you permission to hate on it.
All of that to say, stop ridiculing people for living differently. You have no right, and you don’t know what you are talking about.
Wow how Michelle has changed! I remember seeing pictures of her when she was a teenager wearing very short shorts while she was mowing the lawn! And I heard that she and Jim Bob were kissing before they were married, and who knows what else they were doing!
I’ll be so happy once these two wack jobs no longer exist. I hope their kids see how controlling this sht really is and break the cycle.
I feel like if you have to monitor your kids, even the adult kids, so very closely, and put all these locks on their devices to prevent them being “tempted,” and grill them all the time about their thoughts and actions, and they’re constantly coming to you to tell you that they’re trying to sneak around these rules, then maybe their religious faith isn’t really that strong. If their children truly believe that it’s sinful to check out whatever websites, or look at certain pictures, or read/learn about sexual things, then shouldn’t they be able to exercise their own self control and not do those things? Because they want to live “honorable” lives on their own in order to be “good Christians”? Because they don’t want to piss off their God or offend baby Jesus? And if you raise your children to believe that molesting each other is wrong/sinful/illegal, then why do you need all these extra modesty controls on what they wear, and if they’re allowed to be alone together, and why do you have to lock them in their bedrooms at night and make them lock the bathroom door when they shower to prevent their siblings spying on them? That whole having to specifically state that you shouldn’t be molesting or creeping on each other is a whole other level of dysfunction in that family. If your kids are so starved for any information about sex and sexuality and what bodies look like that they’re trying to masturbate to their own siblings’ taking a shower, then something is seriously, seriously wrong with how your raising your kids.
It doesn’t seem like the kids actually BELIEVE these things on their own, or if they do believe them, they don’t believe that the consequences of these sins are harmful enough to actually keep them from looking at p0rn or sexting with their boyfriend/girlfriend or trying to see their sisters’ naked. Its like they’ve all been taught that these things are wrong but they don’t actually understand WHY they’re wrong so they’re unable to do their own critical thinking and decide on their own that “Yes, I CHOOSE to follow the rules of my religion today because it’s a religion that I WANT to practice.” If it’s so difficult for them to actually adhere to the tenants of their religion, then it really seems like they’re not that religious. If you have to be forced to practice your religion and follow the rules of your own religion, then you must not be very religious. If their parents keep trying to isolate these kids and prevent them from ever being tempted, then how are they going to be able to test their faith and choose for actually make the choice to do the right thing?
Everything you just said is why this isn’t a religion, it’s a cult. Don’t confuse the two.
They are the sickest family I have ever heard of. Jim Bob certainly doesn’t refrain from impure thoughts. Get off that poor woman and leave her alone. You multiply like rabbits and it disgusting. Take responsibility for not adding so many children to the world. All you do is let the big ones raise the the little ones.
Brenda they make the older girls raise the younger children because that is what their job will be when they get older a wife and mother. The boys don’t need to learn about raising kids that’s why he has a wife!!
Control freak parents. They monitor adult children? That’s abusive in and of itself. I would have run away.
This is also the family that “blanket trains” their babies. The baby is put on a blanket, and if they try to leave the blanket they smack the baby. Eventually the baby just stops leaving the blanket and refuses to show curiosity about anything because they fear being abused. And this is what they do to infants- 6 months and up. That is how the Duggers keep tight control on such a ridiculous herd of kids.
How do these idiots still have any kids in their custody? I just don’t get it! This is abuse! Were they ever investigated for this or for the molestation of the sisters by the brother? I REALLY despise these people!
This family is truly deranged. I don’t know how else to put it. I feel bad for the kids, especially the women/girls. Sadly they don’t know their own worth.
I feel the same way. I also feel like the rules are more so for the girls and the guys can get away with more. I don’t watch the show so, I could be wrong. I know who they are and what I’ve seen in the news.
That’s exactly right. They are being groomed to believe that their bodies belong to their husbands and their only purpose in life is to procreate. I haven’t watched the show in years either
Yet with all of your rules you raised a molester that molested his own sisters and probably more and you chose to protect him and let him back around innocent kids! Where were the rules and safeguards for that?
Wonder if this came about as a result of Josh’s Ashley Madison account?
This is really sad. It sounds like they monitor the children that are off and married now. With the exception of Jill and maybe Jinger. This is a cult and it’s very sick.
Ok, let’s ignore the scandal for just a second. (We can’t but let’s try) They are shaming their DAUGHTERS if they accidentally wear something that will “defraud” her own brother(I’m not even going to try to explain my disgust by that ESPECIALLY after what happened to the family, ok, I’m not ignoring the scandal anymore, I can’t, it was sick, Joy was like 5!), god forbid they shower and someone accidentally walks in…WHY do you need to “hide your body” from your own siblings except if you’re so sheltered and “tempted” (tempted by your own sister…let’s talk about this for a second…your own SISTER?!) because you can’t even look at another woman without thinking “bad thoughts” as they say. Wasn’t there a rumor they found Joe “helping himself” and they just prayed about it and that was it?! With this mentality there will be another J*sh in the family no doubt(if there isn’t already one), they already broke Johannah’s and Jackson’s friendship because “he’s a boy and she’s a girl”. THEY’RE SIBLINGS!!!
Don’t get me started with monitoring e-mail (Michelle is a sick parent if she feels the need to get an e-mail whenever her children go online) and adult children “asking” (yeah, sure) to be monitored.
Also, Jana has an Instagram account. DM’s exist there. I have no idea how they think they can monitor her PRIVATE MESSAGES on Instagram.
If Michelle and JB really wanted to be an example, they would have a reasonable amount of kids. Instead they were overwhelmed and shoved them to their older daughters/monitor each and every step a family member makes. I can just imagine the relief when they get married (which is a problem on their own, marriage shouldn’t be the only solution to get out)
Just ONE child needs to escape and write a tell all.
Well Jim Bob doesn’t even know how many kids he has. They have 19 and they lost 2 so that’s 21. They only mention Caleb sometimes and Juiblee when they want sympathy.
They never had a Caleb. ALL of the names started with a ‘J’, so wtf are you talking about?
Caleb was the name of their first miscarriage which led them to say birth control was the devil and “leave it up to God” on how many children they would have.
Yes. I think Caleb was the reason they decided against birth control.
Obviously Tonya you don’t know what the f you are talking about. A simple google search will tell you I’m correct. So I do know what I’m talking about
I think they are counting great-nephew Tyler, who they have custody of.
Susie that’s a good point. I forgot they have Tyler
They don’t want their kids to be “tempted” or look at anything “sinful” but yet these 2 have 20 freakin kids together! They’re getting it on like 2 rabbits but their kids can’t have a naughty thought. The hypocrisy is sickening… Lets take a look at your internet search history Jim Bob since your so pure & perfect! Actually no, I don’t even want to know what goes on with these freaks privately!
Side note- did Michelle fall into a vat of self tanner/bronzer before this interview? Guess God approves of the fake bake!
Remember when they dry-humped in front of Jessa and Ben playing miniature golf? What a couple of freaks, like bunnies in heat. Gross!
I’m willing to bet cash money that Jim Bob has incest and barely legal porn on his phone, and possibly creepy pics of his own kids and/or grandkids
That didnt stop josh molesting his sisters??? No device used then, you vile hypocrites.
WTF is Jim Bob keeps staring at to the side of Michelle?
Can you even imagine the shame and shunning that’d come if an adult child didn’t WANT “safeties” on their devices? They’re only pretending to be independent… If “The Ashley” came up on an adult child phone report, the entire clan woulf be freaking out.
It’s the same illusion of adulthood that they have when they set courting standards. With exception of Jeremy and Jinger, all the rules are basically identical. I even remember Jeremy commenting that their standards had never been done before in the family.
What in the absolute fuck?
How can anyone support this cult? That’s exactly what it is.
A cult run by pedophile sympathizers masquerading as parents.
I bet Anna wished they shared that spy package with her.
Exactly! Where were the ‘safeties’ on his phone, mum & dad?
I call bs on the adult kids still wanting their mobile phone movements to be monitored…
I agree but I think herd mentality wins out. Nobody wants to be the black sheep to shun the rules.
Also, isn’t part of adulthood being able to censor yourself to a minimal degree. They’re old enough to make a lifelong marriage commitment but not google independently?
Wonder if Mom and Pops Duggar have “safeties” on their devices also?
Michelle and Rim Job make me sick. They brought their children up as if their own siblings were would-be sexual partners except that the Lord frowns on that. How about instead of banning hide and seek and preventing your kids from developing as independent adults, you teach them that it is okay and normal to develop sexual urges. I honestly wonder how different this family’s story would be if they had just allowed the kids to masturbate.
I grew up with four siblings and it was always natural for me to bathe with them, dress them and change diapers. The Duggars are the sick ones for sexualising such normal and healthy processes and bonds.
Christ, Michelle and Rim Job drive me mad. I have four siblings and grew up bathing with them, changing their diapers and dressing them. It astounds me that the Duggars would first brainwash their children into thinking sexual urges are evil, giving way to the likes of Josh’s actions. And that they would then indoctrinate the kids into thinking that being alone with people or any sort of nudity is inherently sinful and will lead to inappropriate sexual acts. They have utterly twisted those kids into a mindset of utter vulnerability, and if those aren’t the actions of controlling cult members, I don’t know what are.
How about instead of banning hide and seek, you teach your kids that sexual exploration is normal in puberty and bring them up to think of their siblings as siblings, and not as forbidden sexual partners. Absolutely crazy.
They make sex and sexuality seem shameful, and are insanely controlling. I wouldn’t be surprised if even more horrifying secrets about their family come to light.
But they hump like rabbits and have 20 kids.
Why does Michelle always look like she has a (terrible) fresh Spray Tan? Is that another task Jana has to do? Spray tan her Mother? Yuk
I noticed that too, think she has tan lines or a little playboy bunny sticker tan? Lol
All the girls looked like back in the day. Don’t know what it’s about, but I can only assume that along with their hair and eye makeup, it’s all about drawing the male eye away from the breasts or whatever.
Wow… these people are truly sick.