It would be a massive understatement to say that the Duggars are an unusual sort of family.
The Duggars have always played by their own rules, which is one of the things that endears them to their viewers — who are typically, and somewhat ironically, big fans of both rules and end fiercely protected independence.
It may seem that these two passions cannot easily co-exist, but it all has to do with who’s making the rules.
Like Jim Bob himself, Duggar fans tend to be evangelicals with a fierce patriarchal streak.
They believe in divine authority and the authority of the male head of household, and while they tend to be big fans of both the military and the police, they’re usually distrustful of the government.
Which is a big reason that the Duggars and others like them choose to homeschool their children — but as we recently learned, it’s just one of many.
Take a look:
The Whole Brood
Jim Bob and Michelle raised 19 children, and at least up to this point, all of them have been homeschooled.
The Student Body
It’s an almost unfathomable task — and it begs the question: who would take on such a demanding job?
The School Marm
At first, the educational duties fell entirely to Michelle Duggar.
Easing the Burden
As Michelle’s eldest children reached their pre-teen years, however, they began to assist in homeschooling their younger siblings.
Taking Up the Mantel
These days, as the eldest Duggar to remain unmarried and living at home, 29-year-old Jana assumes most of the workload.
Faithful Assistant
Until recently, Jana was assisted in her efforts by longtime friend Laura DeMasie, who went so far as to move in with the Duggars in order to serve as a live-in teacher’s aide.
Losing Personnel
Unfortunately, DeMasie recently relocated to Georgia, leaving Jana without an assistant.
A Serious Workload
Several Duggars have married and moved out, but along with Jana, the youngest 10 still live at home.
A Full-Time Job
Insiders claim the reason that Jana has never married and started a family of her own is that she feels so overwhelmed by her responsibilities to her siblings.
But Why?
It begs the question: why would the Duggars put themselves through all of this rather than sending their many children to a real school?
Praise Be
As with most things Duggar-related, the answer comes down to religion.
A Class of Their Own
The Duggars are evangelical Baptists. So are their neighbors, of course, but most of them are not nearly as conservative in their belief system.
Leaders of Their Own Faith
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar essentially formed a religion of their own in the early days of their marriage.
Not Messing Around
Yes, even in their youth, they apparently felt that traditional forms of evangelicalism weren’t strict enough.
New Rules
While their faith is rooted in evangelical Southern Baptism, Jim Bob and Michelle have added several new rules of their own.
Harsh Existence
Those rules include extremely limited physical contact before marriage and a dress code that requires women and girls to wear long skirts at all times.
Keeping Them Close
In order to ensure that these rules are strictly enforced, the Jim Bob and Michelle have opted to educate their children themselves.
The Real MVP
Or, more accurately, we should say they decided to have Jana do it.
A Small Price to Pay
Sure, your eldest daughter was never able to leave home and start a life of her own, but at least your daughters didn’t grow up wearing pants!