The Duggar family is close-knit for the most part. They have surrounded themselves with NDAs, which means that even the outsiders who were once part of their circle can’t talk about anything.
Jill Duggar has set boundaries for her relationship with her parents, and Amy Duggar King has remained quiet about anything she knows could potentially damage the family.
Despite all of that, what it’s like being a Duggar has been discussed time and time again by fans and critics, who all have their varying opinions about what it would be like to be a member of the large family.
From the way they dress to the rules they have to follow, these photos tell the story of what it would be like to be a member of the Duggar family.
A lot has changed within the family over the years, but much has also stayed the same.
Always having a friend
Growing up in a large family gave the Duggar siblings and grandchildren a unique opportunity to have built-in friends. The older set of siblings had a close bond, and the younger set grew up with their niece.
When you factor in the cousins that are born, the Duggar siblings’ kids will always have a friend as well.
The photo of Spurgeon and Marcus depicts their friendship, and spending time at the big house has given their cousin bond a chance to grow.
Family fun nights
The Duggar family has a family night each week. Even with so many of the siblings moved out of the big house, several of them still participate in the fun.
Counting On and 19 Kids and Counting both featured some of the activities the family has done together, including game nights, bowling, an overnight camping adventure, and more.
Baby announcements
Public pregnancy announcements are part of being a Duggar or a Duggar wife. These are timed perfectly and were often used to prop up the season coming up.
In 2018 and 2019, several back-to-back pregnancy announcements resulted in five baby girls being born in a row, all within less than a year.
Dry and dance-free weddings
Big weddings are part of being a Duggar. Several have happened on the reality TV shows the family had, and all of them had well over 100 people in attendance.
In fact, there were a few that had close to one thousand guests. Over the years, there have been smaller ones, and Justin Duggar’s wedding was one of the smallest ones yet.
There is no drinking at weddings. The Duggars don’t believe in alcohol, not even in moderation. Also, there is no dance music as the family doesn’t participate in any dancing at all. They can listen to music, but it has to be monitored closely, and no one must be moving to the beat.
Do-it-yourself haircuts
Doing everything yourself has been a big money-saver tip from the Duggars. If they can cut their own hair, that is a big deal.
Jessa Duggar is the haircutting diva. She cuts a lot of hair and has offered video tutorials on how to do it. It was cheaper to buy a decent set of clippers and do all the haircuts at home. With all of the boys in the family, they would pay for themselves immediately, and the savings from haircuts alone would help the budget.
Over the years, Jessa excelled as the hairdresser within the family, and she continues to cut her boys’ hair today.
Politics
Backing pro-life candidates in politics is a very Duggar thing. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have used their kids to prop campaigns.
Mike Huckabee is someone the family backed and supported.
Jim Bob Duggar was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 through 2002. He did not seek re-election but instead attempted to run for the United States Senate. He didn’t win, and four years later, he attempted again. He also lost then and has not tried to move forward since.
Josh Duggar was set up to have a career in politics and even live in the nation’s capital. John-David Duggar won the constable election, and Jedidiah Duggar ran in a state representative race.
Confessionals
Doing confessionals have been a part of the Duggars’ lives since their reality TV journey.
In the beginning, several of the siblings did their confessionals together. It then moved to the couples doing theirs together, and eventually, the siblings did them on their own.
Before Counting On was canceled, some of the younger Duggar siblings would still do confessionals together. Jordyn and Josie would sit together, and Jennifer would sit with Johannah.
The number of hours spent in confessionals is unknown, but it was likely a lot.
Siblings photos
Part of being a Duggar is posing with your siblings for photos. It could be for promotional photos, social media purposes, or just for fun.
The siblings grew up in buddy teams spearheaded by Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger. The older boys weren’t added to a team, but the rest of the littler Duggars were.
Today, the siblings who were put together remain close. Jill gets visits from James Duggar, who was part of her team. She was the first one to leave the family when she got married, which was bittersweet.
Modest clothing and long hair
Long hair and modest clothing were a rule of thumb for the Duggar girls growing up.
They all wore skirts or dresses, things were never too tight, and their hair was worn long and straight, or wavy, for the most part. All of the girls dressed similarly, and the younger group of Duggar daughters dressed similarly.
Boys were given more leeway when it came to how they dressed, though it was mostly on the formal side and less on the super casual side.
The dress code was super important to the Duggar family, but now as the siblings reach adulthood, that has changed slightly. Some of the sisters wear pants, make adjustments to their hairstyles, and Jill even got her nose pierced.
Mission trips
Mission trips were a huge part of the Duggars’ lives. El Salvador holds a special place in their hearts, and it is where Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard lived for a while.
They have filmed a portion of their mission trips, their help with natural disasters, and more throughout their time on the air.
Several of the daughters have been photographed helping in the towns they were there to help. Mission work has planted a seed in several siblings, and they often show up to help when needed.
These photos tell the stories of life as a Duggar, especially for the siblings who grew up and were raised by Jim Bob and Michelle.