

On 19 Kids & Counting, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar‘s two eldest daughters, Jill and Jessa, have become the main focus of the show as they prepare to marry their longtime suitors, Derick Dillard and Ben Seewald. However, the limited physical contact and lack of one-on-one time makes for an interesting relationship, especially when it’s all televised for the world to see.
If you thought the Duggar family courtship rules were strict just from watching 19 Kids & Counting, you definitely don’t know the half of it!
Everyone loves watching Michelle and Jim Bob raise their brood of 19 wonderful children in their 7,000 square foot home in Tontitown, Arkansas. However, we really love watching their children grow up and prepare to leave the nest — which is what Jessa and Jill are doing this season!
In the Oct. 6 issue of Us Weekly, the girls and their family have revealed even more details about the strict courting rules that they have agreed to follow as they prepare to become wives and mothers.
For starters, the magazine revealed that BOTH parents are CC’d on ALL text messages between Jessa and Ben, as they were with Jill and Derick before they got married. This goes hand-in-hand with the fact that every single one of their dates are chaperoned by a Duggar family member. This helps keep the young couples keep from getting too close when no one is looking.
Then, of course, we have the girls’ modest wardrobes — something a bit more obvious for viewers of the show. The Duggar family — girls in particular — stay covered up because they believe their bodies are “special gifts” to be shared “only with husbands.” This means high necklines and midi skirts to keep cleavage and thighs from showing in public.
The magazine also shares that each of the Duggar girls style their hair every single day because the Bible refers to a woman’s hair as her “glory.”
Believe it or not, once a Duggar girl has tied the knot — ahem, Jill — their mother, Michelle, reveals that sex must be a priority for them and a major part of their wifely duties.
“Anyone can fix him lunch, but only one person can meet that physical need of love,” Michelle explains. “You always need to be available when he calls.”
A-ha! That explains how Michelle and Jim Bob have stayed happily married for almost 30 years — and also how they managed to have a grand total of 19 children together!
Jessa, who is now engaged to her boyfriend, Ben, whom she plans to marry on Nov. 1, has also shared that the idea of finally having sex is motivation to keep engagements very, very short. Too funny!
Tell us, HollywoodLifers — Do you think the Duggar family is too strict with their children, or are these all reasonable restrictions to put on the courtships? Comment below with your thoughts!
— Lauren Cox
Follow @Iaurencox