During the many Duggar controversies of recent weeks, Jessa Duggar and her husband Ben Seewald have kept a relatively low profile.
But despite her remarkable ability to keep her head above water, at the end of the day, Jessa’s a Duggar, which means everything she does is subject to intense scrutiny and likely to spark outrage or concern.
The latest controversy surrounding the Seewalds concerns their eldest son, Spurgeon.
Duggar parenting methods are often called into question, and the younger generations love of social media has only made the probing from fans even more intense.
Earlier this week, Jessa posted a photo of 21-month-old son Spurgeon giggling in the passenger seat of her car.
“Workin’ on some basic drivers ed: a/c controls, hazards, eco mode, and radio,” she captioned the clip.
It was a cute and innocent enough moment, but it made some fans wonder if Spurgeon is developing on schedule.
You can watch the full video below to see what all the fuss is about:
Spurgeon’s lack of verbal expression has prompted many fans to speculate that he might be unable to speak.
The boy will be 2 years old in November, so if he doesn’t have at least a few words in his vocabulary, he would be somewhat behind in his verbal development, but it’s hardly cause for serious concern.
Nevertheless, many fans voiced their fears for Spurgeon’s future on Jessa’s instagram page.
And several pointed out that this is the second time in as many weeks that Jessa’s parenting has come under fire.
“They clearly baby him,” one commenter wrote.
“He had bottles in his mouth which people were confused about on a different picture and when you talk to and treat a child like an infant it can delay their mental growth.”
The “bottles” comment refers to a recent photo of Spurgeon in which he was seen carrying two baby bottles.
At the time, fans expressed similar developmental concerns, noting that at nearly 2 years old, he should no longer be drinking from a bottle.
At least one fan rushed to Jessa’s defense, noting that making a diagnosis of developmental delays on the basis of a 17-second video is more than a little absurd.
“I studied infant/toddler development and have a early ed degree,” the follower wrote.
“This baby isn’t even two yet and there is nothing wrong with how he was behaving.”
Someone needs to tell these concern-trolling fans that there’s plenty to criticize the Duggars about without dragging young children into it.
Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most controversial family.
