Why Jessa Duggar From ‘Counting On’ Keeps Getting Criticized for Her Parenting
We’ve watched the gigantic Duggar family grow, develop, and change over the years thanks to TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar introduced the world to their family on network television, and we also got an inside look into their ultra-strict dating rules and odd daily rituals that most of us could never imagine abiding by. While the oldest Duggar kids at the time were just teens, fans have been lucky enough to watch them grow, marry, and have families of their own on Counting On.
Jessa Duggar, who’s now 26, has been married for years and now has two sons. She can’t seem to escape fan criticism for her parenting choices, however. Here’s why.
Jessa has mentioned she’s going to parent differently than her mother, Michelle
When it comes to parenting, there’s no doubt all of the Duggar kids have taken advice from their mother and father. But, to everyone’s surprise, Daily Mail Online notes Jessa has stated her parenting style is different from Michelle’s. Though she refers to her mother as a “baby encyclopedia,” Jessa also told Us Weekly that as her children grow, she’ll find she doesn’t parent the same way as her mom.
This doesn’t mean Jessa has totally stepped away from her mother’s advice, however. “There’s no pressure to do things just exactly how she did them, but I’m so grateful for all her advice and help,” she said. There’s one thing for sure with Jessa’s parenting, too. Though it may differ from her mom’s, fans are still freely criticizing her for the choices she’s making regarding her little ones. And as she expands her family, she can expect even more social media slamming.
Her Instagram followers have blasted her for being unsanitary around the kids
There’s no doubt Jessa does the best she can for her family — and she definitely keeps it real with her Instagram followers, too. Unfortunately, being candid with the internet often leads to backlash. And some fans were unhappy when Jessa posted a video of her youngest son, Henry, blowing “drool bubbles,” Romper notes. Some of her followers were offended by the drool and claimed it was totally unsanitary. As one follower commented, “Yuck, that’s so disgusting,” and another said, ” … at LEAST be mature enough to wipe his mouth, instead of just sitting there laughing like an idiot.”
This isn’t the first time her followers pegged her for uncleanliness, either. Romper notes Instagram users have also commented on Jessa’s dirty, messy house in the past, even when Jessa has tried to be open and honest about how tough it is to juggle childrearing and house cleaning.
She also got flack for allowing her older son to still drink from a bottle
While many fans rejoice at how freely Jessa posts photos of her children to Instagram, many others use her posts as an opportunity to question her parenting. And Parents notes Jessa posted a few photos of her son, Spurgeon, sipping from a bottle when he was 22 months old. Many thought Spurgeon should be weaned off of a bottle by now.
Jessa didn’t waste time clapping back at mom-shamers, however. “Yes, he’s 22 months old. Yes, he drinks water from a sippy cup, and yes, he still prefers to drink much of his milk/kefir from his bottle … So there ya have it. If you are experiencing anxiety over this, please share your wisdom and perfect parenting advice in the comments section below,” she added to a post. Moms started taking her side, too, after the post. “There is nothing wrong for him to be drinking out of a bottle, like for milk as long as he is using a cup. It’s a process. Like another mom said pick your battles,” one user wrote.
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