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Jinger Duggar set the record straight regarding how she feels about her parents raising her and her siblings in the ultra-conservative Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP).
On the Wednesday, February 12, episode of her and husband Jeremy Vuolo’s Jinger & Jeremy Podcast, the 31-year-old former 19 Kids and Counting star revealed that she has no ill will towards her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, for her religious upbringing.
“Are you angry at your parents for leading you to follow the Institute of Basic Life Principles?” Vuolo asked.
The reality TV star said she doesn’t blame them she said, as they, like other families, had good intentions for their offspring.
“No. And I can say that very clearly because I see how so many families … wanted the guarantee for success for their kids. They were promised it. And they said, ‘If you do this, your kids will turn out.’ And so I think that a lot of parents who walked into it, they were well-meaning,” she remarked.
The Counting On alum added, “I don’t have any anger toward them for it because, I mean, I just see they did their best. They did what they thought was right in the moment.”
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The TV personality noted being a parent herself — she and Vuolo share daughters Felicity, 6, and Evangeline, 4, and are expecting a son next month — she can more easily understand how they would think IBLP was a good decision.
“And looking at it as a parent now, I can see how easy it was for my parents to get wrapped up in that teaching because it was like they were well-meaning,” she stated. “They went into it thinking, ‘This is how we’re going to teach our kids to love Jesus.’ And who doesn’t want that?”
However, the People Pleaser author admitted, “There will be challenges and struggles that I face because of being raised in that setting. It’s not always easy.”
Jinger later explained she started getting questioned about her feelings towards her mom and dad after she released her book Becoming Free Indeed in 2023, so she wanted to clear the air.
“I just want to make it very clear that I’m really grateful for my parents and all that they poured into our lives,” she told listeners.
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