The Quiverfull daughters are tired
of patriarchy, sleep deprivation, and everything in between
I’m guest-posting over at Marissa Franks Burt’s substack today! Head over there to read the full piece.
When I testify about the exploitation in Quiverfull families, I invariably receive pushback from people who have not experienced these abusive households.
Are you saying kids shouldn’t do chores?
Kids have always contributed to the household!
It’s crucial to differentiate between developmentally appropriate household chores and the exploitation that I’m describing. Everyone benefits when children contribute to household maintenance. Parents learn to train and delegate, children develop important life skills, and everyone builds a good family work ethic. That’s all great.
No one benefits when children are expected to shoulder their younger siblings' emotional, spiritual, educational, and physical well-being. This is what is happening in Quiverfull families. Children—particularly eldest daughters—are required to serve as surrogate parents. This disrupts healthy attachment between parents and their children, does a disservice to younger siblings, and most importantly—it destroys the caregiving daughters.