Children are precious. No one would argue with that, but how many children is enough? Michelle Duggar, the mother of one of America’s most famous large families, says that she leaves that question for God to answer. In 1988, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar had the first of many children. By 2006, they had 16 sons and daughters and became the subjects of a 1-hour TV documentary about their unusually large family. By 2007, they had 17 children and became the stars of a weekly reality TV program. The TV show was aptly named 17 Kids and Counting because they weren’t finished having children. In 2009, the show’s name became 18 Kids and Counting. In 2010, the name again changed to 19 Kids and Counting to reflect their growing family. Michelle Duggar said, “We would love more!”
The Duggars live frugally and have no problem taking care of their large family. They live in a 7,000-square-foot home and own 8 cars, including a 21-seat bus. They consume a lot, but they also rarely buy anything new. All their cars are bought used. They do laundry 35 times a week. They polish off 36 eggs, 5 pounds of bacon, 3 pounds of green beans, 2 watermelons, 2 pans of brownies, and a gallon of ice cream every day.
Some criticize the Duggars for the size of their family. They say the earth can only handle a limited number of people. But fears of overpopulation are fading. Birthrates are declining around the world. Most people in wealthy countries are choosing smaller families.
Even in China, the population is shrinking for the first time since the 1960s. China was famously so worried about overpopulation that they made it illegal to have more than one child. This policy started in the 1980s and ended in 2015.
The effects of the one-child policy are still being felt today. Because of a cultural preference towards having boys, some families chose to abort female babies in the past. This has given rise to a population with 30 million more men than women. With this imbalance, many men will never have a shot at starting a family.
Families in China are now allowed to have two or three children. But many still do not want to have more than one because it’s so expensive.
Smaller families are a recipe for social disaster in many countries. With a smaller workforce footing the bill for pensions and healthcare looking after the elderly will be a growing problem. Perhaps the world could use a few more families like the Duggars.
Read More:
China’s population declines for the first time in decades
Three dozen eggs, six loaves of bread and 5lbs turkey bacon EVERY DAY
Michelle Duggar is the mother of one of America’s most famous large families. In 1988, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar had the first of many children. By 2007, they had 17 children. They became the stars of a weekly reality TV program. The show was called 17 Kids and Counting. Their family continued to grow. In 2009, the show’s name became 18 Kids and Counting. In 2010, the name again changed to 19 Kids and Counting. Michelle Duggar said, “We would love more!”
The Duggars have no problem taking care of their large family. They live in a 7,000-square-foot home. They own 8 cars, including a 21-seat bus. They almost never buy anything new. All their cars are bought used. They wash clothes 35 times a week. They polish off 36 eggs, 5 pounds of bacon, 3 pounds of green beans, 2 watermelons, 2 pans of brownies, and a gallon of ice cream every day.
Some say the Duggar’s family is too big. They say the earth can’t handle too many people. But that doesn’t look like a real problem any more. Most people in richer countries are choosing smaller families.
Even in China, the population is decreasing for the first time since the 1960s. China was so worried about population growth that they made it illegal to have more than one child. This rule started in the 1980s and ended in 2015.
The effects of the one-child rule are still being felt today. Because people wanted boys, some families chose to abort female babies in the past. This has given rise to a population with 30 million more men than women. With these numbers, many men will never have a shot at starting a family.
Families in China are now allowed to have two or three children. But many still do not want to have more than one because it’s so expensive.
Smaller families are a recipe for social disaster in many countries. With fewer workers, footing the bill for social services and looking after the elderly will be a growing problem. Perhaps the world could use a few more families like the Duggars.
14 Children and Pregnant Again
Why China’s population is shrinking
Read More:
China’s population declines for the first time in decades
Three dozen eggs, six loaves of bread and 5lbs turkey bacon EVERY DAY: The grocery list that feeds the Duggars’ 19-strong brood
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