Now, I know this sounds totally bad, but when I see headlines like that, I always assume it is some uneducated welfare family, but look how amazing they are! They seem to live with-in their means, they make their kids learn musical instruments, etc. How a woman could survive that many pregnancies is beyond me, but I say good job to them. And please, if anyone wants to start spouting off their pop. control talk, take it out on teen mothers and poor underdeveloped countries that don't even have birth control as an option. I can't believe that family would want so many kids, but they seem to be doing a pretty great job!!
I'm not sure how great that is, for the kids I mean. Kids have a hard enough time getting parent one-on-one time or even time as a group. The parents will have a hard time getting to know their kids as well as other, smaller families can. This is coming from someone who is the oldest of 8 kids. On the bright side, the parents never have to worry about their future. There will always be enough kids to support them. Maybe that's their retirement plan.
And surprisingly they are not even mormon. I remember them when #17 was due. And for what it's worth, the argument that parents can't know their kids individually in a big family is crap. I'm also from a family of 8 (2nd oldest) and my parents attended every, and I mean every event that every child was involved in. Dad took time to take kids out individually on dates and my mom is one of my best friends now that I am older. The only person that knows me better than my parents is my husband. I had a lady come over to give me a bid for moving who said the same thing about 4 kids and I about blew a gasket. Needless to say, we are not using her company to move.
I love it. I totally agree with you Nanc that they are making it work. It goes back to the old basics of having the family actually work as a family unit. They all have to contribute and that makes them all know each other a lot more. I am sure they don't have many friends over because they have plenty within their family to choose from. They sound like very educated people. I don't know how she survived that many pregnancies (she actually had 20, a few miscarriages, and then two sets of twins). I think we all come from large families that have commented, Nancy 11, Dave 8 and both Chris and I 8. Every family is going to have their priorities different and make different things work for them. Some will have better relationships with others. It is the same for those with less kids as well. Anyway, I thought it was cool her kids were honoring her on tv. That says a lot.
Good point Sar, you are right, it is all about people making their situation right and praying that they are doing what is best for their family. I think definitely smaller families do get more time with mom and dad, but I also think that in large families, any attention you miss from mom and dad is more than made up for by attention from siblings. I loved having two older sisters who carted us around and playued iwth us as if they were our mothers! Certainly I feel like it would be much easier for me to give tons of time if I only had one kid and not four, but I hope that however many I have, they will feel like I (and Chris) felt, that they were always there for me, and would drop anything for me at any minute!! Oh Sar, why have you started me on rambling!! Sorry! I'm sure it's just because I want a big family and I want to know it will work and not worry I'm dooming my kids!! But, enough from me now!
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Now, I know this sounds totally bad, but when I see headlines like that, I always assume it is some uneducated welfare family, but look how amazing they are! They seem to live with-in their means, they make their kids learn musical instruments, etc. How a woman could survive that many pregnancies is beyond me, but I say good job to them. And please, if anyone wants to start spouting off their pop. control talk, take it out on teen mothers and poor underdeveloped countries that don't even have birth control as an option. I can't believe that family would want so many kids, but they seem to be doing a pretty great job!!
I'm not sure how great that is, for the kids I mean. Kids have a hard enough time getting parent one-on-one time or even time as a group. The parents will have a hard time getting to know their kids as well as other, smaller families can. This is coming from someone who is the oldest of 8 kids. On the bright side, the parents never have to worry about their future. There will always be enough kids to support them. Maybe that's their retirement plan.
And surprisingly they are not even mormon. I remember them when #17 was due. And for what it's worth, the argument that parents can't know their kids individually in a big family is crap. I'm also from a family of 8 (2nd oldest) and my parents attended every, and I mean every event that every child was involved in. Dad took time to take kids out individually on dates and my mom is one of my best friends now that I am older. The only person that knows me better than my parents is my husband. I had a lady come over to give me a bid for moving who said the same thing about 4 kids and I about blew a gasket. Needless to say, we are not using her company to move.
I love it. I totally agree with you Nanc that they are making it work. It goes back to the old basics of having the family actually work as a family unit. They all have to contribute and that makes them all know each other a lot more. I am sure they don't have many friends over because they have plenty within their family to choose from. They sound like very educated people. I don't know how she survived that many pregnancies (she actually had 20, a few miscarriages, and then two sets of twins). I think we all come from large families that have commented, Nancy 11, Dave 8 and both Chris and I 8. Every family is going to have their priorities different and make different things work for them. Some will have better relationships with others. It is the same for those with less kids as well. Anyway, I thought it was cool her kids were honoring her on tv. That says a lot.
Good point Sar, you are right, it is all about people making their situation right and praying that they are doing what is best for their family. I think definitely smaller families do get more time with mom and dad, but I also think that in large families, any attention you miss from mom and dad is more than made up for by attention from siblings. I loved having two older sisters who carted us around and playued iwth us as if they were our mothers! Certainly I feel like it would be much easier for me to give tons of time if I only had one kid and not four, but I hope that however many I have, they will feel like I (and Chris) felt, that they were always there for me, and would drop anything for me at any minute!!
Oh Sar, why have you started me on rambling!! Sorry! I'm sure it's just because I want a big family and I want to know it will work and not worry I'm dooming my kids!! But, enough from me now!
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