Friday, July 13, 2018

Motherly Michael

Michaela Bates

"From the time she was knee-high, she had this really mothering personality. They would tease her, in fact, growing up, because...that was her personality."
-Kelly Bates

Did you catch last night's episode? If not, be sure to check out our written recap. On the show, Michael Keilen enjoys a visit with the three youngest girls at her home in Chicago. In the web exclusive below, the Bates discuss Michael's motherly instincts. Although she lives several hours away, she is always begging her parents to send groups of siblings to stay with her.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

49 comments:

  1. That Michael is something special. She should foster or run an orphanage or something!

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  2. Perhaps if she was raised differently she would have enjoyed being an elementary teacher to share he love and gifts with many children...I wonder if she would consider going to college to become a teacher rather than being a homemaker only while they wait to have their own family.

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    1. I’m sure Michaela would be the first to say that she doesn’t consider being a loving wife and homemaker as being “less than” going to college or having a career. The joy and contentment she finds in loving God and loving her family is obvious. I’m also sure that she already does share her love and gifts with many children, beginning with her own siblings. Being a homemaker is a high and holy calling. It isn’t something to be looked down upon... neither is wanting to be a wife and a mother. That is God’s design for women. If only we as a culture would embrace our role as we did many decades ago... before the toxic feminist movement convinced our society to think otherwise.

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    2. Bobby has just qualified to be a elementary teacher and she was raised in exactly the same way as Michaela! Kelly and Gil wholeheartedly supported Bobby and I've no doubt would have supported Michaela if that's what she had wanted to do too.

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    3. Agree! It must be hard for her because I think she saw herself as being a homemaker and dedicating herself to her family and I don’t think she expected to struggle.

      At least she has a small business that she works in from home but I do wish she would have a job that was out of the house so she could interact with new people and learn new things, maybe travel.

      I feel like her life is still kinda mundane at this moment which is why she always asks to take care of her siblings.

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    4. Yes! Michaela would make a wonderful elementary school teacher. I also hope she adoptions children one day. There are many kids in the foster care system that need families. She could adopt a sibling group!

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    5. Yes, Michaela has a college degree from Roane State.

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    6. What's wrong with choosing to be a homemaker? If that's what she wants and they do go to college if they so desire

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    7. What's wrong with choosing to be a homemaker? If that's what she wants and they do go to college if they so desire

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    8. She has been a nanny.

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    9. 4:53- Times have changed. Modern conveniences have lightened the load considerably for women today. I hardly think God expects couples without children to have the wife stay home all day and keep house. Before my kids came along, I'd have gone stir-crazy not having a career. Furthermore, I was glad I had one to go back to after my kids started school. Saying that being a full-time homemaker is "God's design" is a passive-agressive put down for women who do have jobs outside the home.

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    10. Anon 6:12 PM: Tori, not Bobby.

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    11. Anon at 810PM: The Anon you responded does seem to believe that God designed ALL women to be wives and mothers and nothing else, and that any woman who works outside the home is NOT embracing this God-given role because of "toxic feminists".

      However I also don't think God designed all women to work outside the home, either. I can think of one woman who married young and has focused her life on supporting her husband (a very busy doctor), children, and church. And she is far from a "fundie" IBLP member. She has only 2 kids, dresses in conventional clothing, and her politics are quite liberal. Though granted I've never heard her refer to herself as a feminist.

      But interestingly the Bates themselves don't even seem to believe that women are called to be only full-time homemakers. All the married girls have some kind of job or credential. Michaela has her own home based business making children's clothes and blankets, Erin is a piano teacher and has recorded music CDs and sold them, and Alyssa works with John in his house cleaning business. Tori may not be planning on using her teaching degree right now but I won't be surprised if she does.

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    12. Toxic feminism? I think people have truly forgotten what feminism is. Its choice and an equal playing feild. I know men that benefit from feminism because, in the state I live in, it's illegal to do for one gender and not for another. So men get paternatity leave. It also gave women the right to vote, have a job (if they so choose), and SO much more. Feminism isnt toxic. A world that believes men over women or women over men is toxic and sexist.

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  3. Sweet Michael! God gave her that gift for a reason! He will use that gift in some way(s)!!!

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  4. Time 2:24PM Fri 7/13/18
    Cute pic of Michaella. But Iam so tired of people saying how Michelle dont raise her kids Jana is like a mom to her siblings. But this proved Michella did the same.

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    1. Neddy, you’ve become extremely critical and challenging to read lately. Nobody brought up Michelle or Jana, but were praising MIchael’s sweet nature.

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    2. The fact that Michael did it as well as Jana doesn’t mean it’s right. their parents had all of those kids, so they’re the ones that are responsible of them, But it always seemed like they ditched them every time they got a new baby and they became a sibling’s responsibility. Even now that they’re not having kids anymore they always seem to be on vacation or giving conferences sans kids.

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    3. I agree both girls have done that role of "second" mom, sorta but the difference is Michaella is married while Jana is still home. I think if both is happy, than hey let them do their things.

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    4. 12:21. Yes, I have sadly noticed that too. On both blogs.

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    5. I agree with 12:21pm...there’s been a lot of attitude and criticism towards other posters in your comments lately Neddy. Please reflect on this.

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    6. Time 7:15AM Mon 7/16/18
      Anonymous I meant comments on YouTube videos about Jana being a mom to her siblings not the blog. That is what I meant & no I was not being critical Is the truth. Thank you next time I will explain It better.

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  5. I've been praying that she and Brandon will be blessed with children.

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    1. Me too and I just know God will hear our prayers!

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  6. Aw, sure wish she was able to use those motherly instincts on a family of her own.

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  7. Michael is so lovely. She reminds me of Jana Duggar in alot of ways but mainly their Beautiful souls. God Bless you Sweet lady. Enjoythose little ones

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  8. Prayers for her, this sweet mother waiting for her babies! My heart breaks for her!

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  9. callie seems so much older than her 8 years. what a cutie she is!

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  10. Did she have any choice when it came to her mothering role? A small one of the older girls, I'm sure it was expected of her.

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    1. You haven’t read the countless posts of what Michael is really like? She was not forced to be motherly in any way!!

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    2. While the Bates may find it endearing that Michael keeps asking them to send her younger siblings for visits, I thought it's rather sad, that Michael is trying to fill the gap in her life regarding not having her own kids.

      BTW Erin and Alyssa were the oldest girls after Michael and I haven't heard anything about them being especially motherly when they were kids. Neither have I heard this about Jana Duggar though she and Michael have very similar roles in their families. So I think this side of her is more than just being motherly because it's expected of her.

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    3. You can tell that Michaela's deep mothering instinct is just that, an instinct, not something foisted upon her by her place in the family.

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  11. It seems like the oldest girl in a family with many daughters ends up as a 2nd “mother”. Happened in my husband’s family with 6 daughters. I wis h Michaela could get a teaching credential & spread her wings.

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    1. Why a teaching degree? Why not let her do whatever she wants, whether it IS teaching, or whether it's being a nurse, or an artist, or a stay-at-home wife.

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  12. Michael is having fertility issues and I'm thinking that it might be good to just back off of that fact for awhile. We all know Michael would be a wonderful Mom, but the constant attention might be getting her even more frustrated. I think she knows that she's in our prayers.

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  13. Dear sweet Michael, your welcome to watch my children anytime.

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  14. I couldn’t help but notice Nathan remark about the young girls learning to sew. He said he and the boys had a lot of clothes to repair/ alter. Give me a break! Learn to do it yourself or take it to a cleaners who do alterations/ sewing!!!

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  15. Praying that she gets pregnant or announces that they’re adopting soon.🙏🏻🧡

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  16. I would really love to see her adopt children. The Lord has given her a love of children and there are SO MANY kids in the foster care system who need good homes. She could easily care for a sibling group! Adoption is beautiful!

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    1. 11:12- As an adoptive mother of two grown children, I can attest to adoption being a beautiful thing. However, it's important to understand that it is not for everyone- especially if a couple places a high priority on having biological children and hasn't come to terms with this not happening. Adoption is a relationship that comes about by tremendous loss: the birth mother giving up her child, the child being separated from birth mom, and in many cases there is a couple experiencing infertility. Professional counselling is a must for all concerned in this process, both before and after the adoption. Certainly, adopting older children in the foster care system comes with many other challenges and considerations. It's love that makes a family, not just being born into it.

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  17. I wish Michaella and. Random all the best. Two beautiful children of God. We all have different gifts, mothering is hers. God bless you both!!

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  18. I have posted this on here before, but please let Micheal know about snowflake baby adoption if she is a candidate to carry a pregnancy.

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    1. Yes! I think embryo adoption is so cool!

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  19. Just have to comment that Whitney is the only one that DOES NOT look at her husband while he is taking. Even though I prefer that the woman looks at the camera, it is so unusual in this family that it almost looks weird, lol

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    1. It's the way the bates raised there daughters. You'll notice when the women talk the husbands, in general, do not look at them but the camera. I think its refreshing as it shows that they have a different dynamic and it still works for them.

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  20. I believe that you will have a baby of your own God knows how much you love him and how well you'll take care of his precious child don't give up keep your face and God bless you

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  21. I am praying with you and agreeing with you that you will get pregnant and don't be discouraged

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