‘Counting On’: Jill Duggar and Husband Derrick Admit They Try Not to Be Alone With Opposite Gender

Jill Duggar and her husband Derick Dillard‘s relationship, like most in the Duggar clan, is a bit different than a majority of marriages in the U.S. today. The Duggar family stresses conservative, Christian values in their marriages, but even some who share in their beliefs think they go too strict. While Duggar and Dillard are surprisingly open about their sex lives together, one thing they are very deliberate about is no spending time alone with those of the opposite sex.

In a new post written by Derick on their family blog, he reveals some of the tips they have for those wanting a relationship like theirs. One of the tips is “Regularly discuss ways you can help each other feel more secure in your relationship and then do it.” In the bulletpoint, he reveals that the couple does not spend time alone without those of the opposite sex in order to “reduce the prevalence” of the situation and quell any sort ill-conceived notions from others.

“Another thing we purpose to do is to never be alone in the same room with someone of the opposite gender,” Dillard wrote. “Sometimes this is hard and requires more intentionality. For example, if I have a private meeting with a female, I may choose to leave the door open, or if Jill needs a repairman to come work on something at the house when I’m gone then she might invite a friend over while he’s there. We realize though that safeguards alone aren’t enough…it is more about the heart and commitment to purity, but they may be helpful in reducing the prevalence of some situations, or even just the appearance of evil.”

Elsewhere in that section, he dishes on some of the digital actions they’ve taken to hold each other accountable.

“For example, it is really important to both of us that we have some kind of internet filtering service on our phones and laptops, so we decided to pay for a monthly Covenant Eyes filtering subscription and also limit some accessibility on our devices to help us be accountable to each other,” he wrote. “We also share our social media passwords with each other.”

The original post had tons of other tips, including “have lots of good sex,” “don’t let the sun go down without making things right,” “invest in counseling sessions a few times a year” and “don’t gossip or name call, even if joking,” among others.