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It’s tough to keep up with all the drama going on in the world of the Duggars. We know Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar were the first to bring their 19 children into the spotlight. But now, it’s Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick Dillard, who are getting serious attention.

Duggar fans have suspected for months that Jill and Derick have been on the outs from the rest of Jill’s family. And he took to his Instagram at the end of 2019 to share some scathing claims against TLC and Jim Bob. While Jill hasn’t spoken against her family, she did make a huge move by putting her oldest son, Israel, into public school. And now, she’s reminding her followers she’s the one in control of her life.

Derick Dillard and Jill Duggar enrolled their son into public school

Jill continues to prove that she’s the real rebel in the family. She and Derick originally met through Jim Bob, and it’s clear she still values the religious ways she grew up with. But, instead of homeschooling her children like her siblings and parents encourage, she’s taking a step back and enrolling them in public school.

“Look who’s registered for kindergarten! Swipe up in my story to watch the video!” Jill captioned her post showing Israel gearing up for school. “How did you feel when your first went off to kindergarten? Any tips? Drop them in the comments below!”

Derick included his own post about Israel going to school, too. When one of his followers questioned the decision, Derick replied, “we’ve homeschooled for almost 5 years, but now he’s old enough for school.”

Many think this is a giant step away from the rest of the Duggar family

We’re not sure how much support Jill and Derick are getting from the other Duggars for this major life decision. But it’s clearly a sign that the couple’s going to do things their way even if it displeases their family. And it seems Jill might be working on rebuilding her falling out, as she hung out with all of her sisters when Jinger Duggar visited from Los Angeles.

Despite Jill spending ample time with her family, it still looks like she and Derick are taking a leap of faith away from the traditional Duggar beliefs. And many of her followers agree.

“That is so great. As an educator I can’t tell you how important it is for children to be in a place where they are with other children their own age,” a follower commented on Derick’s Instagram post. “It’s so good for them and good for you Mama and Dad for seeing the importance of this.”

“I don’t comment much but I am so proud of you for stepping outside your family’s box and enrolling him in public school,” another commented on Jill’s post of Israel. “He will enjoy it so much.”

Jill and Derick told a follower they’re not ‘on autopilot’

Plenty of followers are happy about Jill and Derick’s decisions. But note everyone is. “Oh please don’t sent your children to public school!” one follower commented on Jill and Derick’s Dillard Family blog, Reddit shows via a screenshot. “Homeschool them. Public schools are indoctrination of evil. … Poor Israel. This honestly breaks my heart.”

To that, Jill and Derick responded, “Thank you for your concern. We do try to prayerfully consider each step we take and not just run on autopilot.”

To that, Reddit users had their own opinions.

“I love the not-super-subtle autopilot burn too. Keep them coming Jill and D!” one commenter said.

We’re glad Jill and Derick are making their own life decisions even though it comes with plenty of (most likely unwanted) public opinions. We’re excited to see what they do next!

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