Ever wondered what it’s like to grow up in a family so enormous that even hot showers turn into a battlefield? Jinger Duggar Vuolo is finally pulling back the curtain on her childhood in a family of 19 in the latest episode of The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast.
She’s giving her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, and us a peek into the often-chaotic reality of her upbringing. Here’s a juicy glimpse into what life was really like before the Duggars became reality TV royalty.
Jinger Says She Had To Fight For A Bathroom
Imagine sharing just two bathrooms among 21 people. That was the Duggar family’s reality before they moved into their 7,000-square-foot mansion. Jinger described the daily struggle, saying, “I think when we were younger that was more of a problem because we only had two bathrooms in most of our rental homes.”
“There was constantly a line and the water would not stay hot very long, so if you wanted to have a hot shower, you needed to be one of the first two or three in there,” she continued. “So, if you weren’t quick, you were stuck with a cold splash instead of a soothing hot shower.”
Meal times were no less challenging. Food often felt like a rare commodity, leading some of Jinger’s siblings to take extreme measures to protect their plates.
She recalled with a mix of nostalgia and disgust, “I remember a few times when we were very young some of my siblings would take their food, take their plate of food … in the bathroom … my mom would be like, ‘Don’t do that,’ they’re like, ‘They’re going to eat it.’” It might sound gross, but to the Duggars, it was a tactical move to ensure no one else snatched their meals.
Jinger Says The Food They Ate Was Gross
When it came to dining, the Duggar family didn’t always indulge in gourmet fare. Instead, Jinger reminisced about their budget-friendly meals, including cold canned ravioli and green beans.
“We’d always try to get whatever we could at Aldi because it was cheap, we would get flats of cans of ravioli and of green beans, corn, we would eat them out of the can,” she shared. These staples were often seasoned with salt and vinegar, and despite the humble nature of the meals, they were a beloved part of their childhood diet.
Michelle Duggar’s infamous tater tot casserole, a dish made famous through their multiple TLC series, had its own pitfalls. While it became a fan favorite on TV, Jinger and her siblings had a different take.
“I think all my siblings would say the same thing because we all loved it so much and then when the show came around, everybody who came to the house every other day would be like, ‘Oh, tater tot casserole, we want the famous tater tot casserole,’ and we would be like, ‘Are you kidding me? This is so gross, don’t make us eat it again,’” she explained. What was once a cherished meal quickly became a dish they were eager to avoid.
The Duggar family, known for their reality TV shows 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, showcased both the grandeur and the grind of managing such a large household. Jinger’s candid insights into her upbringing reveal the less glamorous side of life in the spotlight.
From the daily battle for hot showers to creative solutions for food and fashion, her stories highlight the challenges and resourcefulness required to thrive in one of TV’s most infamous families.
Counting On
TV-PG
Reality
Counting On is a TLC original reality series that spun from its core series – 19 Kids and Counting, in 2015. The show continues to explore the lives of the eldest siblings of the family following the controversy that occurred in the family outside of the show and continued until 2021.
Release Date
February 13, 2015
Main Genre
Reality
Seasons
11
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