Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar

Have you ever dealt with rebellion at home, like drugs or sexual activity?
Michelle: We haven’t had to deal with drugs. I’m thankful for that. Definitely a deadly trap. As for dating, our eldest twins are 19, and they’ve expressed a desire to wait for “the one.” I think that my children are much more discerning [than their peers] about what qualities they’re looking for in a life partner. They ask themselves, “Is this someone I would consider marrying?”

How would you handle it if one of your kids wanted to leave your religion?
Michelle: Well, I guess that’d be their loss. Our hearts would be broken because there are so many pitfalls in the world. I’ve definitely found that the greatest joy in life is having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and walking with Him.

Do you plan to keep doing the reality show?
Michelle: Our children are growing up very quickly, and we’re enjoying our time with them. They’re not going to be with us forever, and then there won’t be a reality show. There won’t be that interest anymore. We do it because we want to encourage other families, because others have encouraged us along the way.

Did you catch any theater while you were in town?
Jim Bob: We went to Mary Poppins. We watched the show, and then the lights went up and I said, “Well, I guess it’s time to go out into the cold.” But we thought it was kind of an abrupt ending.
Michelle: Yeah! It seemed sudden.
Jim Bob: Anyway, we got up and people started going out, but about half the people were staying in there, and I thought, They’re probably waiting in here because it’s so cold. Then I noticed that people were starting to come back in and I thought, I wonder if there’s a second act.
Michelle: It was intermission! And we almost walked out.

Do you think you could live in New York City?
Jim Bob: Maybe if we had grown up here in New York. In Arkansas we were in a town of about 50,000 people and we still decided to move out to the country. Up here, we would probably choose to go out of the city to give the kids more room.
Michelle: It’s so unique that there’s no Wal-Mart here. We were shocked! To me, living where you can go to a Wal-Mart within a 15-minute range of wherever seems vital.

Anything you'd like to ask New York moms?
Jim Bob: How do they do it?
Michelle: How do they grocery shop?

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