The Truth About The Duggar Family's Courtship Rules
The Duggar family has a long history of raising eyebrows and attracting media attention, thanks to the rise and fall of the conservative family. Some fans don't like the family because of the double lives lived by certain Duggars. And amazingly, while the Duggar family is very religious, there are members within the family who don't get along or, at the very least, don't see eye to eye.
The family has evolved, though, and while there were scandals in their past, not every member of the family was at fault. In fact, many of the Duggars have undergone remarkable transformations since the premiere of 19 Kids and Counting. But one thing that hasn't changed is their traditional attitude toward marriage and courtship.
That's right. They don't even call it dating but prefer the term "courtship." What's the difference? According to the dating website Christian Mingle, dating can be a casual experience while courtship means that an individual has the intention of ultimately seeking marriage. How does this particular intention manifest for the Duggar family? Keep reading.
No touching! The Duggar family's courtship rules
For the Duggar family, casual dating is a no-go. They prefer to follow the more traditional approach of courtship, which suggests that both parties have the ultimate intention of marriage in mind.
A major part of this mindset includes sexual purity, and, according to Showbiz CheatSheet, the couples do not spend time alone. To ensure this, there's a chaperone present. Another way that the Duggars live out their courtship is to avoid physical touch. In fact, they don't kiss their significant others until the altar, the outlet notes.
Joseph Duggar and Kendra Caldwell were one couple of all the Duggars who took the courtship rules to heart. As Inquisitr notes, Joseph and Kendra made rules for their courtship, which included side hugs only, but those had a 3-second limit. By their own decisions, Joseph was also not permitted to put his arm around Kendra while standing or seated.
According to The Blast, most of the Duggars opted out of hand holding too. So it's pretty much a no-touching zone for this conservative family except (gasp!) the occasional 3-second side hug.