The Duggars' Views On Beaches Fall In Line With The Family's Values

During the summertime, there is no better way to escape from the heat than going on vacation to the beach. Really, what more could you want than laying out in the sun, soaking up all of the summer time, and then cooling off by the pool or in the ocean? But not everyone has these same views. Traveling to the beach with 19 kids, like the Duggar family, can be a lot, but that isn't the only reason why the Duggar family isn't a huge fan of beaches. Matriarch Michelle Duggar and the entire Duggar family's views on beaches are in line with the their morals and beliefs. But if you're not too familiar with the family, her views on beaches are interesting, to say the least.

The Duggar family is famous for having 19 children and being the stars of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting. There are a lot of kids in their family, which means there is are lot of rules in the home to maintain order and their values. The Duggar family's values are rooted in their religion — they are Independent Baptists, according to In Touch Weekly, and devout Christians. This is why the Duggars have such a strict code for dating, or courting, and a unique code of ethics that works for their own family. And it's also why they don't go to public beaches.

In a 2012 blog post, penned by Michelle for TLC, she wrote about why she's not too keen on letting her family go to the beach in the summer time:

In general we don't do a lot of swimming events where swimsuits are worn because it's just too hard for guys to try to keep their eyes adverted in those situations. We have some friends who allow us to use their swimming pools. Or we sometimes visit a creek or a lake that's private. And in those situations, the kids are always wearing modest clothes.

In a video clip of the Duggars swimming, shared to TLC's YouTube page, you can see the Duggar girls swimming in modest swim suits, or swim suits that cover their shoulders and swim skirts that cover their knees. Although it might seem like the less-than-ideal swimsuit, the Duggar girls navigate their swimwear incredibly well.

"The reason why we wear modest swimwear is we always purpose to be modest, and a lot of swimwear now a days is exposing parts that shouldn't be exposed," oldest Duggar daughter, Jana, explains in the video. Jessa Duggar adds:

We want to try to stay covered, generally from the neck to the knees. Even if it is just us girls, we try to maintain a standard of modesty and don't want to try to show it off to the girls, just because the guys aren't around.

Even when they're not lake or poolside, all of the Duggar women maintain a level of modest dress. In a 2013 blog post penned for TLC, Michelle explained her decision to keep her and her children covered from the neck to the knees in her household, writing:

By keeping those private areas covered, there's not any "defrauding" going on. My kids are taught the definition of defrauding as stirring up desires that cannot be righteously fulfilled. We don't believe in defrauding others in the way we dress. And different people may be defrauded by different things.

While these words might not sit well with many people, it is important to keep in mind that, as previously stated, the Duggar family is very religious. This is their interpretation of how they believe they should dress, according to their religion. This is a personal decision Michelle made as a parent and people should respect that — though that doesn't mean that when they publicize their views that those views are up for criticism or public comment.

Michelle reiterated why keeping covered at the beach, or not going to the beach in general, might not be for everyone in her blog post:

This isn't for everyone, and we don't push this on anybody. And we don't judge anyone that doesn't have this perspective, but for us, we felt like we needed to be covered from the neck to below our knees, mainly because God talks about the thigh being uncovered, and how that's nakedness and shame.

Photos from the Duggar family blog show that the Duggars are not entirely against going to the beach. They did enjoy a family vacation to the beach in 2016, but, as expected, everyone was dressed modestly.

While these swimsuits might not work for everyone, they do work for the Duggar family. But let's be real, with 19 kids in their household, there is a lot that works for the Duggar family that doesn't necessarily work for most people.

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