The Duggars know what it’s like to grow up in the public eye. Having spent their childhoods on reality TV, the former 19 Kids and Counting stars are somewhat used to being scrutinized, and even misunderstood, by both fans and critics. Talking to the Duggars about their experiences has been eye-opening for TikTok stars Matt and Abby Howard, who regularly share snippets of their lives as young parents with their 5.3 million TikTok followers.
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Several members of the Duggar family have been on Matt and Abby's podcast.
In addition to sharing their lives on TikTok, Matt and Abby Howard also have a podcast called Unplanned. Several Duggar siblings have appeared on the podcast, including Jinger, Jill, and Joy-Anna.
Matt and Abby’s friendly relationships with so many members of the Duggar family have left some fans puzzled. “Anyone else think it’s weird how many of the Duggars Matt and Abby seem to be befriending and hanging around?” one fan wondered on a Duggar subreddit.
On Matt and Abby's podcast, some members of the Duggar family spoke about growing up in the spotlight.
On the Unplanned podcast, Matt asked Jinger about how she feels when she sees articles in the media that might “twist the storyline” or “paint you out to be somebody.”
For Jinger, it feels somewhat normal. “I think having grown up in the public eye, there’s a certain level of realizing, ‘OK, this is just our life’ and it’s not like we have this crazy amount of paparazzi following us every single day,” Jinger explained.
“There were seasons where it was wild like that,” she continued. “And it’s ultimately, I realize, whatever they say, there’s always going to be a naysayer.”
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Jill also described being comfortable in front of the camera.
Jill also spoke to Matt and Abby about her experience growing up in the spotlight. She described it as “just kind of the way our life was.” When it comes to being on a reality show, Jill said, “it’s your life to some degree but it’s not very realistic in other aspects.”
Talking to the Duggars about their life experiences has been a learning opportunity for Matt and Abby.
As they’ve chatted with several Duggar siblings about their lives, Matt and Abby have thought more about their social media presence. They’re particularly concerned about how it impacts their children, sons Griffin, who is 2, and August, who is 14 months.
“We’re comfortable with where we’re at right now, but that’s something that we’re always readdressing to be the best parents possible,” Abby told People. “Also just taking into mind the type of kids we have, because we’re learning more and more about them every day as they’re developing.”
As Matt and Abby share parenting content, they try to prioritize their family's safety.
Though they’re TikTok stars and not reality TV stars, Matt and Abby came under fire recently after Abby spoke about leaving their sons unattended in their room on a cruise ship. At the time, Abby said that she and Matt went to dinner without their kids and used FaceTime to monitor them. After garnering a lot of criticism, Abby later clarified that their sons were not left completely alone.
When creating content, Matt and Abby try to prioritize safety. Because of this, they ultimately decided to not show their kids’ faces in the content they share publicly. “We also rarely post in real-time,” Matt told People. “A lot of our content is backdated just for privacy and security.”
