| It definitely isn't a common "American" family dynamic. That is a hasty generalisation. However, it is common in larger families that older siblings take on parental roles over younger siblings-whether they be from religious, poverty stricken, or farming families anywhere in the world. Look at Southeast Asian families- the older kids go out to work for the family in the rice fields and there usually are older kids taking care of kids in that dynamic but they are in a poverty stricken situation and that is what they do to survive. It takes all kinds of families to make up this world and the Duggars are doing a commendable job. It may be odd that they home school their kids and build their own house but 100 years ago a majority of families were living that lifestyle and areas in the world it is still occurring whether they are in industrialised or undeveloped countries. Amish still get together to raise a barn and the whole community helps including the children. Now we have crack babies and children raised on fast food who can't even identify simple garden vegetables. So are we really heading in a better direction?
The Duggars probably have a more rounded education for every day things that schools don't teach our children. Look at the credit crisis in the UK and North America (both Canada and the US). The education system is not teaching about consumer debt and basic household finance in schools. The Duggars are debt free and teach their children the value of not living beyond their own means while teaching them important life skills such as self reliance.  |