There’s no such thing as a perfect parent, especially while juggling four kids ages 3 and younger. But Jed and Katey Duggar have made more than one eyebrow-raising parenting choice in the last couple of weeks, potentially putting their kiddos – including their infant twin daughters – in harm’s way.
It all started with Jed’s shopping trip.
On April 28, Jed shared this video he took in the parking lot of a store to show he had been able to take all four children shopping. It’s certainly impressive to see any parent take two toddlers and two babies shopping without any help, considering that all of those children simply won’t fit in a standard shopping cart.
Jed got a bit inventive, however, to solve that problem with a big, flat cart instead. The big kids rode toward the front, sitting on what appears to be diaper boxes, while babies Elsie and Emma stayed in their car seats, loaded onto the back of the cart.
Any of the children easily could have fallen off while they were being pushed on the cart. Even though they were in their car seats, this was an especially big risk to take with two 4-month-olds in tow.
Things only became more concerning with Jed’s Mother’s Day post.
it wasn’t the message he shared that was alarming – that part of the post, where he celebrated Katey for the kind of mother she is to their children, was pretty sweet.
“Your love for our kids and your heart for the Lord inspire me daily,” he wrote. “I’m so thankful God chose you to be the mama of Truett, Nora, Emma, and Elsie. We’re so blessed to have you.”
So what’s the problem? The first photo in the carousel shows Katey sitting in a crib with Truett and Nora, and though it does make for an adorable photo, it’s actually an unsafe thing to do.
Adults climbing into a crib with their babies isn’t recommended.
“Why is she in a crib? Even if she’s 100 lbs that’s still too much weight for a crib,” one critic on Reddit pointed out, while another replied, “If it’s unsafe, Duggars will do it to their kids. Pillow shouldn’t be in a crib either.”
They do have a point. Not only does the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend against using a pillow until your child is 2 and in a toddler bed, but also parents aren’t supposed to climb into cribs with their babies because that would mean exceeding the weight limit, which usually tops out around 50 pounds at the most. After the weight limit has been exceeded even once, it can compromise the integrity of the crib, which means the frame could break at any time.
These aren’t the only times they’ve made fans worry about their children’s safety.
Meanwhile, at the Duggar baby factory
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Last month, Katey drew concern from critics after she shared a photo on her Instagram Stories that showed her using a bottle prop to feed both of her twins at the same time.
“Bottle propping is not safe at all! I get parenting twins is hard, but it’s really not worth risking their life,” one commenter wrote at the time.
