‘Counting On’: Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar Admit to Monitoring Their Adult Children’s Cell Phones
Michelle Duggar and Jim Bob Duggar’s Livestream for the Institute of Basic Life Principles left family critics with a lot more information about the family’s dynamics than they had before. When Jessa Duggar posed a question about electronic usage, Jim Bob and Michelle both seemed to admit they track the online movements of their children, including those who are legally adults. While most of mainstream society would consider this an invasion of privacy, the Duggars insist their adult children are totally on board with being digitally tailed. Family critics, however, seem to think it is just another control tactic.
Jim Bob and Michelle admit to monitoring their children’s cell phone usage
In the Duggar household, it doesn’t matter how old you are; if you live at home, your phone will be monitored with or without your consent. Or, at the very least, that’s the way Jim Bob and Michelle made it sound on their recent Q&A session with Jessa. The couple admitted that they use Covenant Eyes to keep their kids accountable for their online behavior, but their monitoring doesn’t end when the children turn 18.
Currently, five of the family’s 11 children still at home are over the age of 18. At least two of the family’s married children live on the property, too. Josh Duggar and his wife Anna are believed to live in a warehouse on the property. Joseph Duggar and his wife Kendra Caldwell, also live on the family’s Arbor Acres Road acreage. It is unknown if the family continues to monitor the internet activity of the Duggar kids once they are married, but family critics strongly suspect Jim Bob continues to control Josh Duggar’s online life.
Michelle Duggar also revealed that her children must confess their impure thoughts each night
Aside from heavily monitoring their children’s digital lives, Jim Bob and Michelle also apparently require their children to share their impure thoughts at the end of each evening. Michelle stated, in the Livestream, that each of their children is asked about their daily “struggles.” Neither Michelle nor Jim Bob extrapolated on what qualifies as a “struggle” on a day-to-day basis.
While Michelle and Jim Bob evidently assumed the nightly ritual sounded like they connect with each of their children, family critics found the concept absurd. In fact, the couple’s admission has lent more credence to Derick Dillard’s statements about the family, including issues with control and boundaries.
Derick Dillard has suggested Jill Duggar needed to work on boundary issues
Derick Dillard spoke with Katie Joy of Without a Crystal Ball last month about life inside the Duggar clan. In the interview, he mentioned that Jill was working on boundary issues, and it was even suggested a licensed professional was involved in the process. Family followers were overjoyed to hear that Jill was seeking professional help.
Derick’s usage of the term boundaries is particularly interesting now, though. In his interview, he spoke about creating healthy boundaries with the Duggar clan, notes Cinema Blend. At the time, many family critics simply assumed he was speaking about keeping his wife away from her abuser, Josh. Now, it seems like Derick may have been directly referencing Jim Bob and Michelle, although he never called family members out by name.
