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Monday, March 5, 2018

'Spurgeon's First Haircut' Recap

Counting On "Spurgeon's First Haircut"
  • Jinger and Jeremy have moved into their new house, and they are looking forward to having shelves made for Jeremy’s office. But first, they have to take the old shelves, which are mismatched and oddly shaped, into the garage. It’s a major struggle, as they can’t figure out how to turn one of the corners with the largest shelf.
  • When asked what they have learned by working together in marriage, the Vuolos say their personalities mesh well. “There have been some disagreements, but I have come to learn through experience that if Jinger disagrees with me, she’s probably right,” says Jeremy, laughing. “She’s the boss.”
  • The following day, their painter figures out how to turn the corner with the shelf in about five minutes. The Vuolos are grateful! When the new shelves are finally installed, Jeremy is on cloud nine. “This is a dream come true,” he says. “It’s a beautiful thing when books go on shelves.”
  • “Seeing him with this bookshelf being built, I think that his heart is just overflowing with joy,” says Jinger.
  • At the Seewald home, Jessa gives Ben a haircut. She is the unofficial barber for all the guys in the Duggar family. Michelle taught her how to cut hair when she was about 10 years old, and she has improved over the years.
  • Jessa and Ben team up to give Spurgeon his first haircut. Ben holds him and lets him watch a cartoon. Jessa is sentimental about the curls, but she and Ben are tired of having people mistake their son for a girl.
  • Jessa shares that Henry has had some health issues (eczema on his head and neck, as well as digestion problems). To prevent him from scratching at his head, he wears socks on his hands. Jessa has also cut out gluten, dairy, corn, and nuts from her diet, in hopes of figure out what bothers Henry’s stomach.
  • Later, Joseph and Kendra take the groomsmen to a local shop to choose outfits for the wedding, and they invite Jessa to help. They end up choosing navy suits with blush pink ties.
  • Kendra admits she is a bit overwhelmed by all the details, as this is the first wedding that she and her family have planned. “We are super excited to get to tag along and look at ties,” says Jedidiah sarcastically.
  • Joy and Austin are still getting used to living in an RV. Their house is still under construction, but they decide to set up a table and eat their first meal in the room that will be the kitchen.
  • At the end of the episode, the Duggars gather at the big house for a day of water fun. The highlight is the giant, homemade slip-and-slide that they set up on their hill every summer. “We had a lot of fun,” says Jordyn.

92 comments:

  1. Who is not able to see that Spurgeon is a boy? He is not a newborn anymore when they all kind of look the same. Some people are just unbelievable. And why bother the parents with it? Maybe just be quiet. It is sad that Jessa is annoyed enough to do something she doesn’t want to just to avoid this.

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    1. They said that people mistake him for a girl. It's not so unbelievable.
      A similar situation happened at our family reunion. I mistook a 5 year old boy, who has long curls, for his sister. He was enraged and I felt awful for him. Many others have made the same mistake. His parents cut his hair short before he started school ,in order to avoid similar problems.

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    2. Anyway, there's nothing wrong if a two year old seems like someone of the other sex. They're still so young! Plus, Spurgeon looks so cherubic!

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    3. Much more than how he looks, I think is the issue of the hair in his eyes. I know that it annoys me no end when my bangs grow and get in my eyes! That was my first thought with Spurgeon. I would have cut his hair a long time ago!

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    4. I think it has something to do with the curls. My son had a "mop" of blonde curls, I ended up cutting his hair because people constantly referred to him as a little girl even though I dressed him in obviously boy clothes. So I understand Ben and Jessas decision to cut his hair. It was hard to cut his curls

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    5. I take my cue from how the kid is dressed, not the hair.

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  2. Way too much time spent showing them moving those shelves. Boring!!! Can't they find better material for the show?

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    1. "As seen on TV!"

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    2. No matter what they show, it will be enjoyed by many and criticized as boring by a few.

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    3. Ya. Like their church ministry or something.

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    4. TLC is obsessed with Jeremy and his books. Maybe they're trying to say that there's someone in the family who actually reads? Funny that it's always the husbands who marry into the family who are the book readers. Where are John David's books?

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    5. Far too much time talking about the books. I decided to turn it off and go to bed.. so I missed the water balloon fun.

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  3. Time 12:08AM Tues 3/6/18.
    Great recap can't wait to see the second episode on YouTube I don't have cable at all. I got to see the first episode of the new season on Saturday on YouTube It was pretty good.

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  4. I really enjoyed the show tonight, it was great to see most of the family. The kids are growing up so fast.

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  5. Sounds like a good episode! I wish I could watch it!

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  6. I know this was filmed months ago, and I doubt they read the comments. But if you are cutting out corn, wheat, and soy, you should also cut out dairy. The reason isn't dairy itself but a protein called casein. Casein can be irritate and/or exacerbate inflammatory or immune reponsives in people who have digestion problems. This includes butter, milk, cheese, hotdogs (yup they add them into hot dogs), and whey.

    I have known people with celiacs, crohns, ibs (irritable bowel syndrome), and even some with eczema that habe flare up or issues when they eat items with casein.

    Just in case, they or someone else out there is having the same issue.

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    1. It says she cut out dairy too...

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    2. Jessa said she cut out dairy.

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    3. Dairy might have been on her list and she just didn't mention it. I'd be surprised if she'd done enough research to know she shouldn't eat the others and not come across dairy.

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    4. Digestive issues in little ones is very hard! We went through difficult issues with our son as a baby. What helped change our lives for the positive with his health (and I totally realize this advice is not for everybody's health concern, it just drastically helped us...) was a naturopath telling us to rub castor oil on his belly each night & our pediatrician okaying us to use Digestzen (from DoTerra oils, and no, I do not sell the stuff!) mixed in with the castor oil to rub on his belly and feet each night. We saw quick results...

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    5. It says in the recap that they eliminated dairy, along with those other things.

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    6. Jessa said she cut out dairy as well.

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    7. Jessa said she did cut dairy out of her food

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    8. Thanks so much for taking the time to share that info, 8:02!

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    9. So would corn chips have that same chemical in them? Or even popcorn?

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    10. 4:00, my family uses oil to (YL though), and yes! essential oils are amazing!

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  7. I was so surprised when Jessa told Ben to "grow up" because he was talking about having to give up video games.

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    1. She wasn't saying it in a mean way, and I know many grown men who play waaaaaay too many video games, and yes, they need to grow up.

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    2. I mean, he is younger than her.

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    3. What did she expect from marrying a guy that had just turned 20 years old at the time!? I'm betting he plays them a tad bit too much; he probably uses them as a way to decompress from a long day at part-time work and school. Thank goodness for the show or he'd have to go to work full-time while going to school.

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    4. Wasn't he stilla teenager when they got married? Plus, it's just natural that guys mature later than girls.

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    5. Sadly, sometimes I get "Jon and Kate" vibes from the way Ben and Jessa interact on camera. Bossiness and disrespect that you're tempted to brush off as "joking around", but that was my take on the Gosselins for a while, yet we know how that turned out. At least I've never seen Jessa hit Ben.

      Now, I doubt what happened to that other reality TV marriage will happen to the Seewalds, but that's mostly because I know of their traditional beliefs about marriage. And some would argue it's even worse to stay in a bad marriage and give a bad example to your kids...

      So, I really do hope these interactions are played up for the sake of the camera, and Jessa is more respectful of Ben in private.

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    6. I know teenagers and grown men who played waaaaaay too many video games....and ended up as software engineers working for Amazon or Sony or Google.... Don't judge. We need minds that think like that. Video gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry that is not going away because some disapproving wife puts the games in the closet.

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    7. It is know fact that video game addiction causes serious relationship problems. Perhaps the men should put forth their time and effort into their partners and families instead of into toys.... might save some relationships! Would have done wonders for mine, personally speaking.

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  8. Joe couldn't put his hand on Kendra's waist when they were having their engagement pictures taken, nor could he hold her hand when they were rollerblading. But he could tube down the water slide hill with her last night and tumble with her at the bottom? They ended up twisted like pretzels. Why was that OK?

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    1. lol I thought the same thing! Their courtship rules were soooo extreme

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    2. I'm sure it was okay for Joe, haha!

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    3. The whole no touch thing during courtship has gotten totally ridiculous (and I sometimes think exaggerated for the fans/show). What the photographer was asking them to do was not inappropriate or risque, there were quite a few people around including family members what did they think was going to happen, the uncomfortable and worried look on their faces was sad imo. These young men must have one track minds if they feel they cannot trust themselves in the company of a young woman. It is that sort of thinking that causes problems, it is one thing to be respectful but you also need to be able to view a woman as an individual, and an equal with whom you can interact without sexual/emotional feelings coming into the situation. Kendra and Joe have been the most extreme so far.

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    4. They were married by that time

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    5. Anon at 408AM: I don't think this is just an issue of the men being unable to trust themselves around women. As you noted yourself they BOTH looked uncomfortable.

      It was Kendra who was blunt about certain desires getting stronger as the marriage date approaches and I did NOT get the sense she was just talking about Joe, she was obviously talking about herself as well. I actually applaud her for saying that, because often in conservative Christian circles there's this assumption only men are affected by such temptations.

      However I do get the sense that people who have very strict courtship rules are making the same assumption most "secular" people make, that the human sex drive is so powerful it is impossible to resist.

      The difference of course, is that the secular conclusion is "it's impossible to resist our desires, so we should always satisfy them, otherwise it is unhealthy".

      While the extreme courtship conclusion is "therefore we should be watched at all times and avoid any and all risky situations that could ever stir up any desire at all". And in some courtship circles there's also an idea of "get married ASAP after puberty hits so we can indulge our desires without sinning".

      So in that I agree with you, but I don't really think of this as a "men objectifying women" issue. At least, not in the case of Joe and Kendra.

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    6. They were married by then? But the last show had them only up to taking engagement pictures. TLC warps time too too much!!!

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  9. It pained me to see little Henry's head. I hope they've taken him to a board-certified dermatologist or allergist, and also a gastroenterologist for his digestive issues. That baby needs professional help, not just socks on his hands and Jessa looking up foods on the internet!

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    1. Well I would assume they did, because his skin is all cleared up now.

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    2. Aw it’s a tough situation! I’m not sure if you have experience with nursing or not, but my baby’s gastroenterologist had me cut out dairy (including milk proteins) and soy for four weeks before he could evaluate the issues. It’s a long time to wait when your baby is not feeling well, but you can’t know for sure until you have waited that long. And then you have to slowly introduce them back in your diet to see if you get a reaction. I got a piece of paper from the dr with a list of some things to avoid, but my phone was a much easier source to use because they have apps that make it easier to spot problem ingredients (and if you’ve ever tried to eliminate something you know it can be tricky with all the different names of things in the ingredients lists!). Most of the time they don’t do allergy testing until they turn one.

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    3. Jessa should have talked about that better than to simply say we put socks on his hands and I looked up foods online. It did leave you wondering what else has been done for the poor baby.

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    4. I'm not sure what that's all about. The Duggars are not always open about health issues. I hope they did have him treated by a doctor not WebMD or something of that nature.

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  10. I guess Jessa finally read this blog. People had been saying for a long time that Spurgeon needed a haircut and that he'd be mistaken for a girl.

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  11. Sorry but it’s a little hard to watch Kendra dithering over wedding details when we know she is expecting her first child. Makes me wonder how she is dealing with pregnancy which is a bit more involved and emotional than men’s ties.
    Before everyone starts asking why do I watch if I don’t enjoy the show will tell you why; I have viewed this family from the very 1st special and I will continue to do so. I just wish the producers/directors would stop portraying them as a bunch of silly kids playing house. These are adults and I’m sure they don’t go through life in a flap over ties or how to move a bookcase.

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    1. I'm not questioning why anyone watches this show. Some think it's an example of how to live, and others think it's an example of how not to live. I get it, and it doesn't matter to me why someone does or doesn't watch! And I'll read all opinions both good and bad.

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    2. Yes, they are adults who are married now and soon will be parents, but I remember when I was engaged, and I was a little older than Kendra, and spent a good amount of time fretting about and planning the details of my wedding. Isn't that fairly common for many young women. Even though I was a college graduate and had more life experiences than these folks for the most part, I was still a little immature because of my age. I would say cut them some slack when you consider their stage in life. As far as the bookcases, I think the public got a kick out of the fact that Jessa placed the books in the closet, so last night's episode was probably a continuation of that. I enjoy the show no matter what the subject matter is and I choose to see all the folks in a positive light.

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  12. Wouldn't it have been cheaper and easier to build a house from the ground up, instead of trying to gut and rebuild that one? It looked like a complete tear-down from the start. How did they ever think they could get part of it livable by the wedding?

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    1. I want to know why Austin was allowed to marry if he had no home for his wife. After waiting through 5 flips before he could even get married!

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  13. Good thing they cut Spurgeon's hair. You wouldn't want anyone to question your child's gender.

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    1. And why would not matter? He is only a little fellow.

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    2. That's right! A little fellow, not a little lady! Crossdressing is inappropriate and sinful at ANY age.

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    3. 8:51, having long hair is not "cross dressing"

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    4. Are you for real, 8:51?!

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    5. Crossdressing if a toddler boy has long hair?

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  14. Ellie, When I visited this blog the other day, I could have sworn there was a new header up with new pics of everyone. Was this taken down or was I imagining it..lol?

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    1. You weren't imagining it. LOL. There's a new header in the works. I was just experimenting with size. Hoping to have it ready soon!

      Ellie

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    2. Thank you Ellie for the sneak preview and for all your hard work for our enjoyment.

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    3. Thank you for replying! I thought I was losing my mind..😂
      Can't wait to see the finished one!💕

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    4. Hope the new header looks more like the Bate's one! That one is nice and neat with family pics instead of individual pics.

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    5. I like the individual pictures

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    6. 5:32, individual pics are a much easier and smarter way to go because kids grow and change so fast! Especially in beginning few years! Then they'd have to only switch out the one kid pic instead of the harder task of having to keep getting whole new pics of family just for the kids's sake.

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    7. Amen! Individual pics are much nicer. Allows for a more close up pic as well. Especially nice for someone with poor vision like me. And easier to switch out an individual pic as was stated compared to a whole family pic

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  15. When my son was a baby, people mistook him for a girl too..but not because of his hair which was short, but because of his eye lashes. They are long and I'm envious of them lol.

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  16. Jessa's face look like she is pregnant, she is glowing. Greetings from Holland!

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  17. I have a real comment to make here, after watching the show this week....I am quite surprised at Jessa. This family has pontificated publicly for years about how the MAN is the head of the household, etc...and the wife is second, as a help mate, etc. That rude and embarrassing comment she made to Ben about putting his video games away and 'grow up' was rude, nasty and insulting to the guy. I truly hope he let her have it after that. Unfortunately, it was aired. It should not have been. I see Jessa being bossy and just a snot nose to him and most people she comes in contact with. How is that being a Godly wife and woman when one is so nasty and disrespectful to her own husband. Ben, I hope you DO grow up and tell Jessa off and put her IN HER own, self-proclaimed place...BEHIND you and to RESPECT YOU.

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    1. Or maybe it was part of the way they jest with one another and you are taking it waaaaayyyy out of context and proportion to fit with the criticism you want to make, and the negative inappropriate bullying way you want to see Ben behave.

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    2. Nicely put Grace. If Jessa is going to walk the walk she had better talk the talk. I, personally, don’t agree with this business that the man is the head and the wife is the helpmate and defers to her “Head” but the Duggars do and they pontificate on this subject a lot. Must be a difficult principle to follow for a strong willed woman like Jessa. Her sisters don’t seem to have issue with it but Jessa probably has to bite her tongue frequently.

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    3. I agree Jessa's comment was rude and nasty, but...that doesn't mean it's justified for Ben to react in kind. Your comments about hoping he "lets her have it" or "tells Jessa off" give me an impression you hope he'll yell at her at the top of his lungs or something. How is that any better, any more Godly? I can't imagine Jesus yelling at his Bride, the Church, in the same way.

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    4. For real Grace? Being a wife doesn't mean being a totally submissive human, unable to have an opinion.

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    5. Are you serious? Jessa is Ben's WIFE. She is allowed to speak her mind. Although he's the head of the household that doesn't mean she's required to put up with whatever annoying behavior he decides to engage in. Clearly his behavior had annoyed her. That happens in all marriages.

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    6. Grace said it was Jessa's self-proclaimed place. Meaning the Duggars think that way. If you need to remind anyone that a wife is an equal, it's the Duggars you need to remind.

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    7. What a sad comment. You obviously have little idea of what it means to be a Godly wife. Although Jessa is epected to defer to Ben's judgment in family matters, it doesn't mean she is not entitled to an opinion and is allowed to speak up if he's doing something that she dislikes. Marriage isn't a one way street. Ben also has duties and responsibilities as a Godly husband. One of which is to listen to and respond to his wife's feelings and needs. Jessa may have been a little sharp with him, but his behavior clearly annoyed her and since she's not perfect she made her needs known in no uncertain terms.

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    8. Wow Grace. You want Ben to punish Jessa in some way for an interaction you didn't like. That's sad. It was a pretty normal action that goes on in every marriage and quite trivial. Ben comes across as needing some reminders on when to assume an adult role. I don't see it having anything to do with Jessa not being a "Godly wife".

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    9. 12:13, Jessa may not have the exact views her parents have. A lot of the time they seem to take things out of context, like women wearing pants is somehow women wearing men's clothes, even though back in Biblical times, men wore tunics and not pants.

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    10. It actually makes me embarrassed to think that women still feel like they are less superior than men and have to act like they are.

      I live with my partner, he works full time, I work part time and study full time so we are both exhausted at the end of the day; I cook but he helps out pretty much every night; we take it in turns doing dishes and we clean the house together.

      He is not superior to me; we are equals!

      I would HATE to think of my partner as my boss!

      My partner is my best friend!

      Ughhh

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    11. What do you mean by "I truly hope he let her have it"? I'm scared.

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    12. Same here 4:34.

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  18. So Jessa is the source of the bad haircuts the Duggar males sport. Nice to have that little mystery solved.

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    1. I thought the same thing! And I'm really not trying to be mean, but she may want to watch some tutorial videos on how to cut hair properly😬

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    2. You can't put all the blame on Jessa, Jill has created some doosys too (Derick) lol!

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  19. Awe it was sweet how Jessa was about cutting Spurgie curls.. I'd feel the same if i was doing my own kid hair.

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  20. Grace in Florida here...Yes, I meant the Duggars have been promoting womanly submission to all males in their lives from their fathers to their husbands...A wife does not interact with her husband as we have seen Jessa do on TV. Remember the thrift shop stick horse incident? She completely disregarded HIS opinion to not purchase those items. She was short and rude to the guy. I also believe that 'keeping sweet' is another motto of theirs for all females and Jessa is falling short in tha area too. Telling your husband to grow up on national TV, kidding or not is just not done. I agree that women are equal adult human beings and equal to their husbands, but these families do not believe such things by their own explanation. I admit that I felt badly for Ben in both of those incidents. He's run over by her often and he just may, one day, have a serious, assertive conversation with her and tell her to back off and respect his wishes. Thank you for your supportive comments. My opinion remains that Jessa is quite nasty at times to Ben and it shows. This young man will one day grow up and wake up. It won't be good for Jessa.

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    1. „Keeping sweet“ is actually a Mormon concept. But the phrase is used a lot in context with some form of Christian marriage/lifestyle. The original meaning is not fully to apply in this case because there are differences but it happens a lot.

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  21. Dear Grace. It's obvious you have decided Jessa needs to be punished by Ben for "something" that you believe she is doing "wrong". You seem eager to see her "put in her place". Beats me why you're so down on her. She's fine young woman.

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  22. A wife should never, never, never correct her husband in public.

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    1. I correct my husband when he is wrong, but not in a nasty way like Jessa. My husband treats me as his equal, as it should be.

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    2. I would say neither should correct the other in public.

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    3. Neither spouse should address a behavior issue in public, unless it's presenting an immediate danger to someone or unless it's undermining a value/belief they've taught their children. Nobody wants their "dirty laundry" aired publicly and nobody really wants to be an audience to it either.

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