How Lauren Duggar Has Changed Since Marrying Josiah
The Duggar family is known for their conservative — and to some, unconventional — lifestyle. The women wear modest clothing; men and women don't really date, but rather "court" for marriage; and much of their lives and community revolve around church and devotion to religion. Because of their traditional choices, children in the Duggar family often get married very young by conventional standards.
As seen on the family's show 19 and Counting, the Duggars have married as young as 19 in some cases, according to TV Shows Ace, and the boys of the family often get married to women younger than themselves. In fact, Jana Duggar remains the black sheep of the family, as she is unmarried at age 30. The average age of marriage in the United States is 27.4 years of age for women, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (via Women's Health). Waiting sometimes appeals to millennials, because the 20s are often seen as a decade of finding ourselves and developing life skills, which can be critical to long-term relationship success.
However, for the Duggar women, that doesn't seem to be the case. And for one Duggar addition, Lauren, it seems marriage is actually changing her, at least according to what fans believe.
Is Lauren Duggar 'trying too hard' after marriage?
Lauren Duggar's fans have long called her everything from "cute" to "sweet" on social media. However, that changed this year when fans on Reddit expressed a different opinion about the new mom. One Reddit user felt "weirdly unsettled" by a photo of Lauren and her daughter posing in matching overalls, although they noted they couldn't quite put their finger on why.
Other fans agreed with the sentiment, suggesting Lauren's photos may even be photoshopped for aesthetic. "It's funny because before she married into the Duggar fam she would (and FAR be it from me to compliment Lauren) actually show up looking pretty current and put together," one user explained. "But once she got all intermingled with the Duggars and saw how fashionable and trendy the Bates girls are, I think she started trying too hard and it shows."
This isn't the first time watchers have commented on Lauren's appearance. There have been rumors about Lauren not being entirely happy in her marriage with her husband, Josiah Duggar, and there being "no spark" between the couple. Reddit users have previously called their interactions "flat" and "peak cringe," suggesting Lauren and Josiah may even hold contempt for each other. However, it's important to note that neither Josiah nor Lauren have confirmed or even commented on the rumors. Rather, they have quite openly declared their love for one another and seem to be settling in with their 10-month-old.