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It's widely known that the Duggar family actually doesn't permit their kids to "date" in the traditional sense. The Duggars follow some strict courtship rules and all "courting" is arranged by Duggar patriarch Jim Bob.
When older singles like Jana don't follow the courtship path, they seem to remain unmarried. But is there a lower age limit for courtship in the Duggar household? The answer might be surprising.
The Duggar Family Has Strict Dating Rules
Most of the Duggars' dating rules are widely known. None of the now-married Duggar kids kissed their spouses before their weddings, and in most cases, they didn't even hug beforehand.
If they did hug, it was probably a side hug; full-frontal hugs were not permitted.
Hand-holding was also questionable, though it seems that holding hands is totally okay once a couple is officially engaged. Notably, Josh Duggar and his then-fiancee Anna held hands prior to their wedding, while setting up for the ceremony.
Other Duggar dating rules include the stipulation that all dates are chaperoned (normally by a sibling but sometimes a parent), and that the courting couple is never left alone.
Duggar daughters were allowed to text their future husbands, on phones monitored by their parents, and the older daughters like Jinger, Jessa, and Jill talked about sending scriptures and discussing the Bible with their then-beaus while on 19 Kids and Counting and its spinoffs.
But there's thing the courtship guidelines don't seem to cover, and that's the age requirement for a Duggar teen or young adult to begin dating.
How Young Can The Duggars Court?
When each Duggar begins courting has to do with a handful of factors, but age might not be one of them.
Jim Bob Duggar has explained the family's dating rules on the family's now-defunct show, noting that he arranged the courtships because he had to approve the young men (in this case, he was discussing his daughters) who wanted to court his children.
His kids could turn down a potential courtship, of course; fans assume Jana might have done so, given that she remains single. But any person who wanted to date a Duggar had to be essentially interviewed by Jim Bob before the courtship could proceed.
Some of the earlier courtships were documented on 19 Kids and Counting, but by the time Counting On was canceled, a few of those courtships had actually ended.
Most of the time, courtships end in marriage for the Duggars, but some suspect that the family was saved from speculation over awkward breakups when Counting On ended.
Because while the Duggars only 'date with purpose' (IE to wind up married), many of the Duggars have courted at younger ages, including while they're under 18. Jim Bob doesn't seem to have outlined an age limit for his kids to begin courting, but there were also some unconfirmed courtship rumors swirling when various Duggars were 16 or so.
Most recently, some speculated that Johannah, who was 15 at the time, was already courting in 2021.
The rumors were spurred by Johannah being photographed multiple times with a male family friend (who was 19), but the young man himself stated he was only a friend and in fact was interested in courting someone else.
That doesn't mean other Duggars haven't courted young, though.
Justin Duggar Courted At 17 And Got Married At 18
The Duggars were actually widely criticized when Justin announced his intent to get married at age 18.
Justin had begun courting his now-wife Claire when he was 17 and announced their engagement the day after his 18th birthday. That means he proposed when he was 17—though only about 10 days shy of his 18th birthday.
Claire was 19 when they married a few months later.
Clearly, the answer to the question of whether the Duggars can court before 18 is yes, but also it depends. Any courtship has to be approved by Jim Bob, so if he says no, that means the potential suitor has to take a hike.
There's not much information available about broken courtships, but there are plenty of rumors, and it's possible that some Duggars had unsuccessful courtships before their so-far successful marriages.
Will The Other Duggars Get Married Early?
A few Duggar kids remain at home and unmarried, but it's logical to expect that they will follow the same courtship rules as their older siblings, should they decide to marry or move out of the family home.
As for the next generation of Duggars, it's unlikely that Jim Bob's grandkids will be subject to the same rules and restrictions as his children did.
For one thing, many of the now-married Duggar girls wear pants, work jobs (social media does count when it earns money!), and even space out their pregnancies on purpose. Jill's sons even notably attended public school, though it's unclear whether they do any longer.
Given the massive shifts in the Duggar kids' perspectives, including Jinger's leaving the family religion and Jill reportedly becoming estranged from her parents, maybe the new generation of Duggars will have a very different life experience than their parents.