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Thursday, March 26, 2015

Don't Mess with Jess

"The younger kids listen to Jessa," says Jill. "When she starts speaking, they listen because they know she means business." In the following video, the Duggars discuss Jessa's role in homeschooling and her ability to motivate the children to do their work.

71 comments:

  1. Jessa would make a wonderful school teacher with her no nonsense approach and organizational skills this would make a great vocation for her. Much like Jill she could do some study to become in this case; a teacher and then apply those skills to home schooling not just her own future children but children in the area that she and her husband Ben now live, Especially with those families in need that do not have a lot of older ones that can help their mother in this area. I know she did some sort of study before she got to courting with Ben but then gave up. She should take her own advice and stick something out. She might find that the result is rewarding and not only to her's and Bed's advantage with Adoption but also as a big blessing to those families in need.

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  2. To Jackson, trouble is math won't stay away from you, it will be there waiting for you many times in life and you will have to deal with it so you might as well master it now!

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  3. Jessa does seem like the school teacher type, she may be gifted as a stern disciplinarian and I mean stern in the most admirable sense of the word!

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  4. Jill should name her baby Dilly Israel Jonah or Noah Dillard and call him Izzy or something like that.

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  5. All the little kids are big now. The Duggar parents have time to teach their kids themselves, like Michelle did in the old days.

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  6. I love that part of Jessa! She's very demanding! I can see her being a demanding, yet sweet, loving and caring mother! " nobody asked you, this is what we're doing" - LOVE IT!

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  7. As an adoptive parent, I sincerely hope that if Ben and Jessa are serious about adopting one day, they allow quite a few years of maturity, will seek counseling by a reputable adoption professionals beforehand, and not limit themselves to church resources. Much has been learned in recent years about emotional/brain development of the fetus and newborn, as well as effects of separation from birth mother. Too often adoptive parents naively go into the process with idealistic notions, assuming that an infant doesn't remember, or if you just provide a loving, nurturing home and trust in God, everything will be fine. Adoptive children, whether an infant or older child, come to you with a very unique set of needs and they can't always articulate them. One must consider the wisdom of bringing them into an already large family, as they will need all the bonding time and attention you can give them. While sibling relationships are important, it can't be left up to them to meet their needs. When considering adoption, it is only fair that you're as educated and psychologically prepared as you can be before bringing a child into your family.

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    1. Another adoptive parent who thinks adopted kids are soooo much different then "normal" kids. Guess what, I'm adopted from foster care, and I'm also a mom that loves her 2 adopted children. With 3 biological children. And I'm bringing them up in a loving and nurturing home, and treating them just like there mine, you know why, cause they are mine, God sent them too me, so yes, I'm trusting in him to help me raise them. Kids are kids, some might have a few extra problem from what they been through, but they are still kids. If you treat them different, they will act different. And there are kids that do have problem, with biological parents too. Just saying !!!

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  8. It is Michelle's responsibility to reach her own children if she wants them homeschooled.

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  9. The video isn't showing up for me...just a blank space. Could you post the link to the video?

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  10. Jessa is not their mother, so why would they be afraid of her? Where was Michelle and
    why wasn't she the teacher of her children?

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    1. I agree. There's nothing wrong with having your children help out with the younger ones but they shouldn't be responsible for parenting the kids.

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    2. you clearly don't watch the show

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    3. Nothing wrong with extra tutors to help with homeschooling, and she obviously enjoys it. "Homeschool" does not have to mean mom is the teacher either, and it many cases there is someone else doing it.

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    4. That's great that jessa is willing to help her siblings. You don't see that in society. Teens want to do their own thing.

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  11. This is shocking to say the least! Is Michelle using the girls as "tutors" or teachers? Interesting?

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  12. Aaaaaand the truth comes out!

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  13. You can ask all the questions you want abot the way the Duggars do things, but you'll never get a satisfactory answer. When it's a difficult topic, they never answer.

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  14. @Anonymous Because to them, she's an authority figure.
    Probably tending to another group of kids, and because she's trying to train her older children; so that in the future they can teach their own children. In God's timing.

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  15. Ha.... Michelle even said once the older kids learned all the teaching material, it was their job to teach the youngers ones. Nice.

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  16. Jessa's siblings didn't say they were afraid of her. They said they respected her. The Duggar family uses a program called Switched on Schoolhouse (SOS). This is a computer-based curriculum for grades 3-12. After years of "teaching" lessons to my children, I decided to give SOS a try because our family is growing. My children and I absolutely love it. Children either read lessons or have them read to them, and answer questions at the end of each lesson. The program constantly gives grade updates so you can monitor progress. I use to be a full time teacher, and having someone come into my classroom to grade papers, or do minor tutoring to struggling learners is highly appreciated. The person who did this was either a high school student (who received credit for helping) or parent. The "teacher" cannot possible be everywhere for everyone at all times (especially when so many children are involved). Jessa has a servants heart, is a born leader, and should be patted on the back for her efforts. Imagine what she will bring to her future children.

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  17. They said in the show Michelle taught them then when Jessa got older she WAnTED to teach too. If you don't like them why are you on their blog and commenting?

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  18. Ha, I could use a sister like Jessa :P

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  19. Baby Dill will be here in God's time.

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  20. They are "afraid of her " because in her area of strength, she does a great job and they know it. It is not that they are in fear as is insinuated, for goodness sake! At my neice's daycare, her teacher is wonderful at maintaining a loving, structured learning environment and all is calm and organized when we pick her up. But if we arrive during her break, I can tell immediately because sets of toys are strewn around, several children have taken their shoes off, etc. The children know the regular teacher won't accept that behavior, so they don't act that way. Not that the teacher covering the break is bad, but perhaps it is not her strength. Let jessa develop her talents and at the same time enjoy herself and let Michelle do the same. I'm sure Michelle is not sitting doing nothing but holding a whip over jessa while she is helping with schoolwork. Maybe (probably) she is doing something that jessa otherwise would have to do and maybe hates. That's how families work.

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  21. She's an older sister so she's trying to set a good example for her younger siblings. It just shows how much she loves her family❤️

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  22. Anonymous 1---I am always curious, too?

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  23. I've read up on the Duggars and know there family well. In the clip that was taken several years ago, she is helping them because she enjoys teaching. In that same episode the mom, Michelle was homeschooling the children too. She just needs extra help from the older ones, you know with all those kids! They have what is called a buddy system, in which the older sibling helps the younger and they do chores and stuff together. But the mom still makes an effort to spend time with each of her kids, which is something that's stressed in the Duggars home. I like the fact that they listen attentively to their mom and their elder sisters and brothers. Their values and morals are truly based off of God's Word. I think they are a neat family! :)

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  24. Jessa offered to take over the homeschooling and Michelle gave the okay.
    And when they say 'fear', they mean a healthy respect/sense of awe for someone placed in authority over them. Jessa may not have Michelles level of authority, but she is in charge when she supervises homeschooling. And in turn, she has to answer to Michelle for her choices.

    The children are not afraid of Jessa, they have a healthy fear of her authority. They know if they do not listen to her then they will have to answer to their parents.
    If a child goes out to school, then while they are at school the teacher is in charge. If they dont listen, the teacher informs the parent/s. If the child obeys the teacher. They have a healthy fear of that teacher.

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  25. I think you guys are doing an great job raising your kids. We love your show and if I don't get to watch it on Tuesday. I set it to record on my DVR or watch it on my computer and , for all the people that say the older girls are raising the younger ones. I would like to see you raise that many children. I have watched them from day 1 and they are encouraging to me. No I don't agree with everything the way do or their ways but, it's their life. I wish my 2 girls respected me the way Jim Bob and Michelle's kids do. I let my kids watch with me and, hope they can learn from them. Godbless the Duggar's.

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  26. Why doesn't Jim Bob or Michele teach their children? Now that Jessa is married and has moved out, does she still return to teach her younger siblings?

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    1. Jill does. She had to miss Jessa picking out her wedding dress to tutor James.

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  27. Michelle taught Jess who then helps teach the others, as it should be... it's called family, that's what big families do they help out.The way those kids love each other and their parents is really all that matters in the big scheme of things.They are the happiest group of folks I have ever seen and for some reason it really bothers some folks...I for one am very happy for them and their success, May they continually be blessed.Gooooooo DUGGARS! :-)

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  28. Older siblings make great teachers!! I don't believe they are afraid of her. They have a healthy respect for her. I love to see older siblings helping out with their younger siblings. It is a great way to build close relationships. Michelle cannot be at all places at all times. She is a great mom and very involved with her kids lives. She has done such an amazing job raising her kids that her older ones are willing to help out and the younger ones respect her.

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  29. Michelle wants to know who will fill Jessa's school in the home school department? I nominate Michelle or JimBob... you know the parents... Michelle is being a bit flippant over who will take on this supposed critical role...what's the educational plan for these kids??

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  30. This is a different subject, but why would the Duggars be involved with the Alive Concert?
    I just looked on their facebook page and Josh, Jill and Jessa are going to be speaking
    there. I do understand that they can witness to others but it seems like such a worldly place
    to be. As Christians we should not try to dip our feet in what the fleshly world has to offer.
    There is nothing Christlike in men wearing makeup and getting tattoos. I am sure many will
    disagree with me but tattoos are disgusting.

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  31. As a homeschooling mom, I'm said to see that Michelle is not performing the task of teaching her children. If the older kids want to help or assist, that's a different story. But for the older kids to be responsible for teaching directly, I am disappointed. I'm not arguing that the older kids aren't capable. I'm stating that it's not right for Michelle and Jim Bob to decide homeschooling is important and then pawn it off to other "teachers."

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    1. As another homeschooling Mom, I agree totally. Helping out is one thing, but having someone else take over, even voluntarily, is not right.

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  32. Questions about homeschooling that hopefully someone can answer -- Are the chidren tested periodically to make sure they are up to state standards for their grade levels? What level of math have they achieved upon graduation from high school? At the high school level, are they writing essays, and, if so, who is grading them? In order to learn proper grammar and writing skills, students must have a very hands-on, knowledgable teacher. I just wonder if the family is qualified in this area. I know other homeschoolers use outside teachers for some of these more intense upper level subjects, such as English, History, and Math. Thank you.

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  33. Hi Readers,

    Here is the direct link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgBFvuHwNpA

    ~Lily and Ellie

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  34. Which is why they don't do that.

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  35. Michelle does teach. The older children help. It's called cooperation.

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  36. This blog isn't even written by the Duggar Family.

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  37. Yes, it is interesting that there's at least one family left where the children A.) help around the house and B.) are invested in the lives of their siblings.

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  38. She was helping raise the children. A mother can't be in 19 places at once.

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  39. It's her responsibility to make sure they get the education the children need and deserve. It's no different than a home school co-op.

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  40. I have never homeschooled my kids, but I do remember as an older elementary student in public school, some of us helped out the lower grade teachers with grading papers, tutoring some of the kids in spelling or math, etc. As far as Michelle commenting on who is going to teach the kids with Jessa gone, I really believe that was just a statement of the nostalgia of having her there and how much she will miss her. When my first son graduated college and was looking for a job, he cleaned my house for a little spending money. Once he finally got a job, I surely said, who is going to clean my house? It didn't mean I didn't want him to get a job and finally move out, just that I enjoyed the convenience of having someone else do that job. Michelle is ultimately responsible to teach her kids, but really, one of the best ways to learn a subject is to teach someone else, so it is a good teaching tool for the kids to help out their siblings just a little down the line. Take a breath folks, those kids have not been deprived of anything they need and have no lack of intelligence or experiences.

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  41. I also adopted and I totally agree with anon 10:26. It's fine and good to know your future spouse is open to the idea. Another to go racing forward before knowing anything. It requires more flexibility and an openness to learning.

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  42. People who don't like the way the Duggars are raising their kids need to read Frank Gilbreth Junior and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey's books "Cheaper by The Dozen" and "Belles on Their Toes". As someone who has been there, done that, from what I have seen over the years, and how the children have reacted as they become adults, they aren't mini-moms, they are females who adore their siblings, adore their parents and love being involved in their lives. The Duggars are also a positive influence on my only child. He sees them interacting with younger children and thoroughly enjoys playing with kids half his age yet also is growing and maturing.

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  43. Who is dictating what is right, do they have 19 children which puts the eldest and youngest over 25 years apart? It is not healthy for one adult to not place any confidence in the abilities of another adult and to want to do everything by themselves. People need to share work and to trust in others ability to do a job also. As long as the parents are overseeing the processes they do not have to actually do everything by themselves. It would be neat to have a young adult who was excited and enthusiastic to take on a leadership position.

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  44. As the older Duggar children have reached adulthood, I am puzzled to see that none of them have left home to pursue a secular technical, college, or university education. I would think that considering their talents, at least one of them would have aspirations to go into law, engineering, medicine (other than lay midwifery), teaching, music performance, or other profession. I hope options are open to both the sons and daughters and would be supported in their choices.

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  45. Wow good job Jessa!! Hopefully Michelle will step up to the plate and take over educating her children.

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  46. I don't know about America but in Australia from what I know to home school your children you must meet certain criteria for wanting to homeschool ; e.g. long distance from school, parents travel as a family with work a lot, religion or the child has special needs and for that reason they are better taught one on one at home for a while..The education department must be informed by the parents who wish to home school their child/ren and the reason why. From memory I believe there are periodical checks on the home schooling to meet certain standards and that the parents must tick all the boxes of curricular and extra curricular education all that is required from education department to meet those standards. This is so that the home schooled child does not fall behind the non home schooled child. The child/ren must also regularly meet with other home schooled children so that they are not kept to themselves with no outside contact with other children this would likely be in the form of sports activities etc A child that I home schooled in Australia, for a parent as their nanny some years ago, was previously in school having only just started but needed some one on one help and so was pulled out of school by the parents so he could catch up. He had some learning difficulties that in this day and age the education department is now able to cater for. The work he did was taken by the parents to the school periodically to check his progress with the teacher making sure he did not fall behind. Other children I have observed being homeschooled live hours away from regular school or are home schooled for religious reasons.
    The down side of home schooling is that the children are less likely to desire to go to on to higher education this stems from not mixing with children that are in main stream education. I have also noticed that home schooled children are normally a lot more quite and not as out going as those that are in main stream education - the Duggars being an exception to that rule !
    P.S Thank you Anonymous 34 for your comment - Jessa is much like me growing up, strong willed, no nonsense, organized, not outgoing and gives wise instruction. But given I am 20+ years older than her, I look back sometimes and think maybe at this or that particular time I should have taken my own advice !

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  47. I think she should go to college and work on her Masters in Administration. She would make an excellent Principal!

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  48. Its they life let them do what they want. I am glad they choose to share they life with us!

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  49. Now that Jessa is married, I think she should be paid to come help teach the younger ones! I watched the replay of Jill's wedding and noticed Jessa's acne was very bad at that time, but 4 months later at her own wedding, her face was all clear. I think in order to help other young people with this issue, it would be nice if she told us what she did to clear her skin.

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  50. The Duggar have revenue from Real Estate, TV, marketing from their touring etc .... This is why I do not know why the show does not show some helper such teacher, cleaner helping Michelle. This family should by now afford some help ! The girls seems to so busy cooking, caring for their siblings etc... I understand it can be part of their education but they provide hard & regular work.

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  51. My heart smiles every time I see the Duggers.. If you can't see the love of God in their faces, you must be blind

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  52. Michelle wanted to homeschool now why are duties being put off on the other kids. I worry about the quality of education these kids recieve. They travel the country so much, I don't know how they have time for school.

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  53. She will be a great mom :)

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  54. She would make a fine teacher. She has a way about her even if she has to correct them it's done in a way that is not demeaning.

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  55. I Totally agree. I think Jessa is a beautiful young women and I think it's really sweet that she wants to help Michelle and Jim bob with the kids. Michelle I don't understand how you take care of all those kids, how do you make it work?

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  56. Josh Duggar had his own car lot for years, and is now working as the executive director, for FRC Action. Jill Duggar is an educated midwife, along with her sister Jana. John David Duggar is a piolt, volunteers for the police department, has a construction job, etc...How Michelle and Jim Bod Duggar are raising/educating their children is WORKING!! They constantly take their children on "field trips," and do so much as far as hands on stuff. If you check out the homeschool curriculum their using, you'd quickly realize how lessons are taught. You don't teach lessons when your child is doing SOS! So Jessa is not sitting down "teaching" lessons to her siblings. She said she checks their grades. SOS constantly grades quizzes and tests for you. You can immediately check students grades, and make the child re-due lessons/tests if necessary. There have been past episodes showing Michelle sitting down reading to her children, and conducting lessons to all her children. Book work, computer work etc...isn't the only form of education. LIFE is school. The Duggar's are doing a fine job producing well rounded individuals that will greatly benefit our society. We need more parents like Michelle and Jim Bob in our sick, perverted world.

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  57. This episode is entitled "All about Jessa." Obviously TLC is showing how Jessa Duggar has been a blessing to her family and those who know her. Just like TLC had an episode entitled "All about Jill" right before Jill got married. Her gifting is being organized and she can motivate her siblings in the right direction. So many comments on here are negative towards Michelle and Jim Bob. Ask yourself, is this justified? Remember, this show isn't entitled "all about Michelle and Jim Bob." Perhaps TLC should have a special segment with video clips of every moment captured showing Michelle and Jim Bob "teaching, reading, demonstrating writing, etc...

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  58. I think she'd make a great teacher,especial since the kids listen to her. It doesn't matter if they listen to her or not. She's such a sweat young women, and the kids all love her.

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  59. I remember an episode where Jessa was responsible to making Hannie take a nap (they had a rule everyone till 6 years old has to have naps), and Jessa was like stone, nobody would be able to break her, if you have to - you have to. Parents should do that, not older siblings.

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  60. @Mack is awesomeMichele doesn't take care of all 19. The older girls have "buddies." The mom may only be responsible for 3 or 4 by herself due to the help of buddies.

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