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Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard have broken away the most from the Duggar family’s traditional values. The former TLC stars remain two of the best-known members of the extended family due to this attitude.

It might seem that this started once they married and moved away. But recent hints from the couple seem to indicate this “rebellious” behavior was going on longer than you’d expect.

The Duggar family is known for their strict lifestyle and rules

TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting followed the everyday life of the Duggar family, consisting of parents Jim Bob and Michelle and their 19 children. In addition to being a giant family, the major draw of the show was the Duggars’ strict, religious upbringing. The children were all homeschooled with their entertainment like TV and movies limited. Modern technology like phones was, predictably, also closely monitored.

Naturally, this also extended to dating, which they’d always describe as “courtship”. Jill and her future husband Derick were no exception to this. Viewers got a look at exactly how strict the parents were with their daughter’s relationship.

For one, the couple wasn’t allowed to kiss until they married; holding hands was the limit until an engagement. Hugs could only be done from the side, and any correspondence between the two was monitored. They couldn’t even go on dates alone.

Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard might not have been as ‘virtuous’ as their parents expected

Recently, Derick took to Instagram to gush about his wife and their relationship. While this might seem normal to many, some of what he posted raised eyebrows because it seemed to clash with the Duggar parents’ narrative.

As Cafe Mom reports, the Instagram post featured several pictures of the two over the course of dating. One of these pictures happened to be of the two riding Derick’s motorcycle together. This picture in particular seemed a bit odd to some. There was obviously a photographer taking the picture, but the caption implied it was not one of Jill’s parents.

“I definitely enjoyed our unchaperoned motorcycle ride around the area ;)” Derick wrote, seeming to confirm that the photo wasn’t from one of the family’s approved dates. He followed up: “And I have fond memories of the extra week we had over Thanksgiving to enjoy more intimate time together and get to know each other even better :).” It implied that something even more un-family friendly might’ve taken place underneath the parents’ noses.

Jill and Derick have broken away from many of the Duggars’ rules

Derick, Jill, and the Dillard boys pose with a statue in Oregon
The Dillard family poses with a statue during their Oregon Trail trip | Dillard Family Official via Youtube
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While this kind of behavior might be a surprise to some (mostly the Duggar parents), it’s not entirely unexpected. As seen on both the original show and the Counting On spinoff series, Jill and Derick could be described as rebels compared to their traditional upbringing. Since the two got hitched, they’ve shirked a lot of the rules and regulations Jill’s parents enforced.

For one thing, Jill wears pants now, which is forbidden for the women of the Duggar family. She’s also cut her hair shorter and gotten a nose piercing. Most “shocking” of all is that their child attends public school. Overall, the two just seem happy together. Fans can only assume some of that is due to living a more relaxed lifestyle compared to other Duggar family members.

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