Michelle on Josie's Progress

[itsnikki05]

I think Michelle has said Josie is lactose intolerant. I wonder if they've ever let her try yogurt. A lot of people with lactose intolerance can eat it fine. I also remember them allowing her to have some fairly dairy heavy meals including macaroni and cheese.

I'm intolerant. I can have yogurt and frozen yogurt just fine. That's about it. LOL! Too much will give me cramps and other tummy issues.

My boss is allergic to milk. Can't have any at all.

I wish people would learn the difference. Not talking to you or op or anyone on this thread, but in general.

[Lillybee]

So many of the Duggar meals contain cheese. Can Josie eat them? If not, what alternative to TTC or chickenetti would she be offered in Duggar land?

[FJismyheadship]

What about the ice cream they ate in Asia? Remember, Jordyn had to share with Josie even though Josie was getting her own.

[Rachel333]

Maybe Michelle does know how to spell Jordyn's name, but she's decided that the "y" is dumb.

When some of my younger siblings were babies, my parents would sometimes spell their names wrong, and they even have traditionally-spelled fairly common Biblical names. Chalk it up to new parent tiredness, I guess, but it bugged me. :lol: One sister recently found some baby pictures labeled with her nickname, and it turns out that we all spelled it one way back then and at some point changed to how we spell it today.

So many of the Duggar meals contain cheese. Can Josie eat them? If not, what alternative to TTC or chickenetti would she be offered in Duggar land?

I think cheese is okay if you're lactose intolerant, since dairy-free and lactose-free aren't the same thing. You can still be sensitive to dairy, though, can't you? I know if I haven't eaten dairy in a long time, cheese is a really bad idea.

[slickcat79]

Maybe this is why Josie still walks around drinking bottles of pediasure and the like. Much easier to give her a meal in a bottle than try and figure out what she can tolerate with her dairy sensitivities.

[slp]

I don't think it necessarily means that Jordyn is the one regulating Josie's food. One of my children is very sensitive to Mt.Dew. His siblings aren't. When they get Mt. Dew, he gets a different type of soda instead, like a caffeine free coke or a sprite or root beer. (my kids don't drink soda usually but about once a week they get one as a treat). I can totally see any of the other kids telling him he shouldn't have that b/c it makes him sick. From an early age, they all knew that.

and he, at age 3 could tell you 'All the other kids can have that, but I can't.' etc. We've even used that phrase, b/c it's a phrase I recognize from my childhood. It's familiar to me, so I've used it with the children.

At least Michelle is recognizing that Josie has some issues with food, and not trying to force her to eat it. I've seen families force thier children to eat things that they're sensitive to or that upset them b/c they should 'be grateful for what they have to eat' etc.

:(

[Feberin]

My nephew has celiac disease and he learned fairly early that he had to be careful about what he ate because it could make him sick. However I think at three he just knew to ask his mother before he ate anything that somebody else gave him.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

Yeah, I'm mostly concerned (though not the least bit surprised) that Michelle is just worried about Josie learning to say no to dairy politely.

[ljohnson2006]

If J'Chelle is getting paid by TLC to write these BS blogs, they should stop paying her. J'Chelle is too lazy to explain to Josie why she can't have certain foods. It's not like J'Chelle has to worry about making adjustments when she cooks, because she doesn't. Also, Jordyn deserves a blog of her own, and to have her name spelled properly.

[daisyfern]

I agree with the other posters regarding food allergies and intolerances. My three year old son has multiple severe food allergies and we have really pushed for him to be able to self-advocate regarding what foods he can and cannot eat. His older sister understands as well. I also agree with the posters who made the comments about having dairy alternatives. It doesn't seem fair to keep "off limit" snacks in the house and not have a suitable alternative for Josie.

[freejugar]

i thought this was about some kind of develomental delay and therapies to oercome it, etc

[ljohnson2006]

The Duggars don't believe in therapies. If you want to see how a mom of a preemie should be helping them thrive, read Sarah Pope's blog. J'Chelle can definitely learn some lessons from her. Both of her kids were preemies, and the older one GASP receives therapy for his issues. They were shown on the show. Samuel was in the NICU with Josie.

[August]

Most of my family is lactose intolerant & can eat yogurt just fine (and eat a lot of it, for the calcium!). I agree that Michelle may be confusing intolerance and allergic. Science--how does it work??

You hold a food in your hand and say "god, may I eat this?" and if a leaf falls off a tree, the pipes gurgle or a cat miaows in a knowing manner that means god says yes. Science is very fun.

[dilannsmom]

I think it is extremely important for parents to teach their children to self-advocate very early when dealing with food sensitivities / allergies / other medical conditions. I teach at an ebil public high school and we have a student with a peanut allergy that actually has a one-on-one aid because he can't/won't self-advocate. His parents have tried to shelter him from the world because of his allergy (which is severe)...and he has learned helplessness. I sat in on his CSE meeting and felt very sad for this boy because one of his post-high school goals is to go to college. There is no way that he can do this if his parents continue to try to place him in a bubble. :angry-banghead:

[Cannelle]

Self-advocating is good. Teaching your kids they can't have something and offering no viable alternative ("All the other kids get to eat ice cream and I don't") is just piss poor parenting. Son of a biotch, I hope they give that poor little girl a non-dairy alternative to cow milk yogurt. I hope they realize that if their regular grocery store doesn't carry it, they can ask the manager about ordering some- most stores are happy to special order and/or stock items they don't carry if they know there's a market for it (Publix is fantastic about this, at least!).

There are already so many doors closed to the Duggar girls. This is just another one- a small one, but it breaks my heart to hear of Josie being sad that she can't be like her siblings. I hope Michelle and JB pull their heads out of their asses and give her stuff she CAN eat, instead of stocking the fridge with stuff she can't and just expecting her to be totes cool with being left out.

[Arete]

My three year old was premature like Josie, and as a matter of fact he almost came when Josie did and at the same gestation which made me even more interested in the Duggars way back then. He would eat pudding and strawberries every day all day if he made his own judgment calls on what he ate. No, Josie is too young to have that kind of critical thinking, and Michelle is a lousy and lazy pseudo mother. I have to shake my head at how much I used to admire her and think she was an amazing example of a Christian mother. I was a douche.

No you were not! You were being conned, as were a lot of good people. The douchery is squarely with the Duggars.

[freethemall]

Michelle gives an update on "Bionic Baby" Josie.

parentables.howstuffworks.com/family-matters/how-michelle-duggar-deals-her-daughters-food-sensitivities.html

Should a 3-year-old really be responsible for making sure that others don't give her food that she can't have?

I think it's good for kids to know what their own issues are, because you can't always count on there being an adult there to know for them (although being homeschooled and having permanent sister-mothers theres less chances of there being strange adults around). My 11-year old brother is lactose intolerant and has understood for years what he can or can't have better than me, so that if I take him on a day trip he can make his own decisions. He also has lactose pills so he can eat small amounts of lactose and be able to digest it without it causing issues, and will decide himself when he wants to do that. I'm also working as a part-time camp counselor right now and 6-8 year old kids will come up and tell us themselves if they have an allergy to something, will tell us if they can't have the snack other people are having. I think it's good to teach them to be responsible like that, so the earlier the better.

[Lady]

Why couldn't she take lactose supplements? That's what I do, I swallow a pill with the first bite of dairy and I can eat anything I want.

[FiddleDD]

I have a friend whose little boy has severe allergies. He's 2 1/2 and if you ask him if he can have milk/yogurt/butter he'll tell you no it makes him sick. She does occasionally buy him soy alternatives, but they aren't very healthy (not that the duggars care about health but...lol).

I was lactose intolerant as a kid (I outgrew it). I used to take the pills, but Josie is only three. That's hardly a smart time to teach her to take pills, she's too little to understand the difference between that and a bottle of Tylenol... It is good that they are starting to teach her what she can't have.

[tankgirl]

Could this be another made up, or a story from the past? Cause it seems weird, that they have shown Josie eating ice cream and stuff in recent episodes, and no one told her not to eat it. So that makes me wonder, if this is just another filler story to teach us all to be like MOTY. With out bothering too much with the current reality or good advice attached. I mean these things are so fake anyway, so could this be just as faked?

[France Nolan]

Toddler Nolan knows she can't eat shellfish and will inform anyone of that if asked. At the same time, she's only two. Everyone who cares for her (friends, family, daycare) knows it too. If someone is watching her they are provided with an epi pen. As I said she wears a medical ID bracelet just to be safe. One of my fears is that she'll tell someone that she can't have shellfish and that person will just think she's being difficult or a picky eater, and then she'll be exposed to shellfish because it's what's being offered. There are idiots out there who "don't believe" in food allergies. My brother's wife is one such genius, which is why she's not allowed to babysit Toddler Nolan.

Fortunately we have a relatively easy time avoiding shellfish since it's not as prevalent as soy, peanuts, or wheat. I don't like shellfish anyway, so it's never in the house and daycare doesn't serve it. We do have to scout restaurants in advance, and we avoid restaurants that serve primarily shellfish because it would be nearly impossible to prevent cross contamination.

I'm fine with Josie being taught what she can't have. What bothers me is that she isn't being offered an alternative food. When you have a kid with food allergies you don't want her to feel deprived. I've gone to BBQs where shellfish has been served. I bring food from home from my daughter to ensure there's no cross contamination. Pain in the ass? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. I want my daughter to enjoy her life and to not feel like she's missing out.

[AuntCloud]

I think it is extremely important for parents to teach their children to self-advocate very early when dealing with food sensitivities / allergies / other medical conditions. I teach at an ebil public high school and we have a student with a peanut allergy that actually has a one-on-one aid because he can't/won't self-advocate. His parents have tried to shelter him from the world because of his allergy (which is severe)...and he has learned helplessness. I sat in on his CSE meeting and felt very sad for this boy because one of his post-high school goals is to go to college. There is no way that he can do this if his parents continue to try to place him in a bubble. :angry-banghead:

Seriously? An otherwise normal high-schooler with no intellectual or emotional disabilities? How incredibly sad.

The neighbour's kid is playing with Cloudlet and said she's hungry. I offered her some chicken fingers, but remembered to ask if she's allergic to anything. What do you know, she can't have dairy or gluten - and these were breaded chicken fingers. I'm so glad I asked - she told me what she can't have, I didn't give her the chicken (gave her a freeze instead). And she's in early elementary school.

[ljohnson2006]

Josie should learn abouit her allergy and be able to advocate for herself. She'll leave the Duggar compound and be out in the real world one day. Well, one can hope. Boob and Mullet should stop being selfish and give Josie some things that she can eat. Maybe put them in a special place just for her. Make her feel like an individual, and not just one of your kids that you've stopped caring for.

[OkToBeTakei]

Kind of related to some comments.

I had an acquaintance, her husband was my friend. We always caught up separately so I did not really know her well. Unfortunately at age 7 their child was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Also add in vegetarian to the mix. Prior to the diagnosis despite being very much a carnivore when they were my house guests I always cooked and served vegetarian meals. I did think she was very focussed even then on diet and had a real bee in her bonnet about 'obese' kids. She was very strict in regards to snacks for her kids. But not to the point I felt it was a problem, just that I was easier going, they were kids and a wee treat at the beach was a wee treat, being on holiday and all. She appeared to be crunchy best practice Mother at all times. Holiday or not. Hey ho.

Anyway post diagnosis. Young children with diabetes it is so hard to control so, obviously a hard and very worrying time. But she put her other child the one without diabetes on the exact same diet, same schedule and same restrictions as the one with diabetes. Not allowed to eat anything the sibling was not allowed. Her rationale was that it was not fair. The whole day seemed to revolve around food. It was a real problem for the younger sibling. But she was unbending.

On being my house guest, my child who was two at the time walked into the room her children were in with an apple I had given her. She asked me not to feed my child foods that her children could not have out with specific times. I was to be honest speechless. My partner not so much. He had had enough of the vegetarian food I think :lol:

Suffice to say my male friend and I are still the best of friends which we do as before separately from our partners.

I wonder how I would react now I am older? I can see how angry her younger child was. There are, unsurprisingly now some 9 yrs later problems there. The child with diabetes who was a regional swimmer told me once that he swam so much because if he trained really hard he was allowed chocolate.

So all this to say that that clumsy phrase Michelle used brought up some upsetting memories.

[Lillybee]

Could this be another made up, or a story from the past? Cause it seems weird, that they have shown Josie eating ice cream and stuff in recent episodes, and no one told her not to eat it. So that makes me wonder, if this is just another filler story to teach us all to be like MOTY. With out bothering too much with the current reality or good advice attached. I mean these things are so fake anyway, so could this be just as faked?

You may be right, I definitely remember Josie eating ice cream in Japan.