He was away at a “Christian program” from March 17 to July 17, 2003, according to a police report filed three years later. Parents ran the story in September 2003 under the title “Count Our Blessings.” In an accompanying photo, the kids line up behind their parents from tallest to smallest ― except for Joshua. It sounded to me like the older children were co-parenting the younger ones, with responsibilities I wouldn’t have asked of teens. Older siblings helped their buddies with meals and schoolwork, and tucked them in at naptime. In the family’s paired “buddy” system, the older siblings made sure their younger buddies were changed, washed and dressed.
Their motto, Michelle told me, was “joy ― for Jesus first, others second, yourself last.” The story was filled with homespun observations of how the Duggars managed the laundry and trips to the grocery store, and how chores were an opportunity to serve the family and God.
