Monday, April 16, 2018

Youngest Bates to Court

Bates Courtships
 Josie Bates and Kelton Balka enter an official courtship

Five of Gil and Kelly Bates' 19 children are married, and two are in serious courtships. All the kids' relationships have had similarities and differences, and it has been neat to watch them unfold.

So far, Josie has been the youngest Bates daughter to enter a courtship. She and Kelton Balka made their relationship official earlier this year. They actually started talking three years ago, and things quickly became serious. At that point, Gil asked Josie if she would be okay with putting a pause on the relationship for a while, since she was so young. She agreed, and she and Kelton took a break. They resumed their relationship a little over a year ago.

For comparison, we have calculated the ages at which each of the Bates daughters began courting.

Michael: 23
Erin: 21
Tori: 20
Carlin: 19
Alyssa: 18 (three days before her 19th birthday)
Josie: 18

Photo courtesy of tarynyagerphotography.com

63 comments:

  1. Josie seems so grown up and mature for her age, can you do this on the Duggar Blog too.... How old was Zach went he started courting?

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  2. I wonder who is the other bates child that's courting?

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    1. Carlin and Evan started courting a while ago. I wouldn't be surprised if they announced an engagement soon.

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    2. Isn't Carlin courting too

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    3. Carlin is courting Evan

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    4. Carlin and Evan are courting I believe.

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    5. Carlin is curently in a courtship

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    6. Josie and Carlin are courting. Zach, Michaela, Erin, Tori,and Alyssa are married.

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    7. Carlin is the other one.

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    8. Carlin, she's courting Evan Stewart.

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    9. Carlin and Evan

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    10. Carlin is courting Evan

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    11. Carlin is courting Evan Stewart

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    12. Anon 2:04 Carlin and Evan since last August. It was in one of this season episodes

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    13. Could be Trace or Nathan, I don't think Lawson is he is too busy with singing career.

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    14. It's Carlin...?

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    15. Carlin and Josie both courting. Zach Erin Michael Tori Alyssa are all married.

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    16. Carlin is also courting.

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    17. Carlin and Evan are courting.

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    18. Carlin is courting with Evan. The other married Bates child is Zach the oldest.

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  3. Time 3:03PM
    Wow the youngest Bates daughter to court. All we need now is one of the Bates men to court.

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  4. Wow I did not know they were getting to know each other that long ago.

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  5. So Josie was actually 15 when they started talking?

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  6. Carlin it's the other one who courting.

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  7. I hope that list doesn't give the impression Bates courtships are starting younger and younger, the way the Duggar courtships are.

    Chronologically, Erin courted and married first, then Alyssa, then Michael, then Tori. Carlin started courting shortly before Tori got engaged, and is still courting.

    And at least from what Kelly Jo said earlier this season, the Bates don't allow for actual courting before age 18, so while it's possible Josie may marry at age 18, we won't hear about any 17 year old Bates brides.

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  8. They make a really cute couple!

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  9. they have been dating. It is the same thing expect to the bates and duggar they rush into getting married. Trust is very important I know many Christian who date and do not have people follow them around and rush into marriage at the age of 18 or 19 years old? i really think they need to answer the question why don't these kids hold real jobs like a normal person would. They let lawson go out and sing why not the rest of the girls or men?

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    1. Actully, Kelton and Josie both have "real jobs" (he's a plumber, she works in a beauty salon). I find actually such jobs to be much more stable than professional singing career (the vast majority of professional musicians do NOT have big hits and get rich). And even if they married later this year, they will have known each other for 4 years by then.

      AFAIK it's only Alysasa who actually married at age 19. Every other married Bates was at least age 20 at the time they married. Erin was 22, Zach was 25, Michael was 25, and Tori was 21.

      An interestingly all of them work at least part time. I don't know enough about Erin and Zach to know if they had "real jobs" before marriage. I don't think Alyssa did. Michael worked as a nanny, though.

      So while the Bates obviously don't view young marriage with disdain the way many "modern" people do. They don't have a pattern of everyone getting married in their teens either.

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    2. I'm not sure what you mean about "not holding real jobs like a normal person would." Their adult children have worked as a policemen, a nanny, a piano teacher and recording artist, lawn care workers, tree cutters, etc. Those are real jobs. To be honest, Lawson's singing job isn't really a full-time paying job, is it? So of all the jobs of all the kids, why pick his out as the only "real job"? Further, they have a daughter who has trained and is now working as a beautician, plus a daughter who is almost done training to be a school teacher. Again, those are real jobs. Have you seen the show at all that you aren't aware of these things?

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    3. Huh?!?!? Do you even watch the shows? I would say that being a professional pianist, a police officer, a cosmetologist, landscaper, and teacher are all very "real" jobs. Carlin sings when she wants to, Erin plays piano, and the others just don't CHOOSE to be a country singer like Lawson. Don't criticize things you don't know about.

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    4. Why comment if you don’t even know this family? I’d say running the family business is a “real job”, which is what most of the older Bates boys do. They are also a flight instructor and county sheriff deputy. The girls go to college, Tori is finishing her teaching degree, Josie is a cosmetologist, Alyssa runs her own business with her husband....all very “real jobs”.

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  10. Josie is such a lovely young lady, very poised and mature for such a young age. She and Kelton make a very couple, good for them for taking their time to get to know one another. I can't wait for their wedding. Kelly and Gil have raised some amazing children, a truly blessed family.

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  11. I liked getting to hear the backstory on last weeks episode, that they had liked each other years ago but got too serious for her age. It gave me a new respect for Kelton, especially considering how old he is.

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    1. How old is Kelton exactly? Since he was in the some college class as Bobby, he must be 22, or 23 at the oldest. I think Alyssa and John have a similar age gap (4-5 years).

      Now IMHO if a 15 year old girl in my family was "geting serious" with 19 or 20 year old man I'd get very concerned, I might even insist on chaperones even though my family doesn't have a courting tradition. But I do commend Kelton for being patient and respecting the Bates wishes and proving his intentions are honorable.

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  12. I thought Josie said on the show that she was in no hurry to court and get married because she is so young , I guess she will have a double wedding with Carlin.

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    1. Did Josie say that too? I know Katie has.

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    2. Josie said she was too Young to get married, but not to have a relationship. Maybe she'll end up having a relatively longer courtship, like Michael.

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  13. The girls are entering into relationships younger and younger. Why is that?

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    1. They're just listed that way. It's not chronological.

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  14. Love how when being told to slow things down they were able to do that! Shows maturity right there, true love waits.

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  15. This is a nice list. A courtship length liat would be nice too, including Zach in it

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  16. To each their own, but I believe even 18 is too young to be considering marriage. Our brains do not finish fully developing until around age 25, which is why so many teenagers and young adults make impulsive decisions, have car accidents, and otherwise live for the moment. Every teen or young person is excited about their first relationship, their first kiss, their first date. The difference with these families is they require their teen or young adult to get married in order to have those experiences. Of course an impulsive 18 or 20 year old is going to race to the altar to get to smooch their crush. Tying that to the lifelong commitment of marriage isn't right.

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  17. What about Nathan? I know he courted someone for awhile.

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  18. I got married a week after my 18th birthday to my high school sweetheart! When you know the person you are going to marry is the “one,” then it doesn’t matter how much time they have been dating or courting in my opinion. I know there are many people who don’t believe in soul mates but I believe and my husband believes that we were made just for one another! We will be married 26 years this July!

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