Do Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar Have a Favorite Child?
Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar are the parents of 19 children, and sooner or later, favorites are going to emerge from the group. While every parent says they love their kids the same, it appears that the Duggar parents do shower some kids with more attention than others. Who do fans think are the family’s favorites?
Jill Duggar was always Jim Bob’s favorite
While Jill has made some decisions that the Duggar clan doesn’t seem particularly thrilled with, she long enjoyed the top spot as the family favorite. Jill, or Jilly Bean, as Jim Bob so affectionately called her sure seems like her father’s favorite. He was particularly choked up when giving his second eldest daughter away at her wedding in 2014.
Jim Bob also traveled with Jill to meet Derick while he was working as a missionary, leaving some fans to think maybe Jim Bob was more invested in Jill’s life than the lives of his other children. Jessa married Ben Seewald, and while the family was involved, the level of involvement seemed significantly less than the participation level Jill was granted. When Jinger met Jeremy through Ben and Jessa, Jim Bob was surprisingly hands-off.
Miracle baby, Josie Duggar, steals the spotlight
As the family miracle and youngest child, Josie Duggar is currently enjoying the spotlight as the family’s favorite kid. Josie has a bit of a wild spirit, but she’s been babied far more than the other kids. Not only did she spend more time with Michelle Duggar, by nature of her premature birth and being the youngest child, she’s also receives the lion’s share of attention now that the majority of her siblings are grown up.
Fans initially voiced concerns about Josie’s development when her speech didn’t appear to be on par with normal milestones, but everything seems fine with the youngster now, according to In Touch. She has become somewhat of a family mascot and looks more than happy to be the favorite child. Josie is also the child that appears to be able to do precisely what she wants, whenever she wants.
Josh Duggar’s fall from grace
When the Duggars first came onto the scene, Joshua Duggar was just 16 and served as the family spokesperson. As the family was granted more and more specials, and eventually their own show, all eyes were on Joshua. His parents praised him for his leadership skills, his maturity and his commitment to God. So much so, that most fans believed that Joshua was the unequivocal family favorite.
As Michelle’s firstborn, Joshua clearly held a special place in her heart, and she cried as the family left Joshua and his wife Anna in Washington DC. While Josh may have once been the family’s favorite son, his fall from grace was epic. Not only did he get the entire family axed from TLC after it was revealed he molested several of his siblings, but he once again rocked the family’s squeaky-clean image when it was announced he pursued extra-marital affairs.
While the molestation alone would have made most families walk away from Josh, the Duggars stuck by him. He still seems to be entrenched in family life, although his face is not allowed to grace television ever again.
