16 kids and wanting more!!!

**catnapper** · 10-15-2005, 12:17 PM

Wow, has this thread progressed! LOL

Ok, from the way I see things (in my own weird little way) I think that in all likelihood, thoe kids are getting as much, if not MORE attention than the average Amrican kid nowadays. From the religious folks in my area, I know of a few with 10,11, 12 kids. They all are GREAT kids. Honest, polite, helpful. The family means a lot to them, and they rely heavily on each other. Opposed to the typical American family with our 2 children, these families with 12 kids get by remarkably well. They rely on dad as the primary money maker, with mom taking in sewing, making crafts, babysitting, etc to bring in additional income. You'd be amazed at how finaincially stable they are. One family I know of through my FIL currently has 4 kids in college, 6 in private school (Mennonite day school... not some fancy private boarding school or anything!

) and they pay CASH for everything. No student loans for the kids at all. Dad owns a small store, mom stays at home and makes jellies to sell at craft shows and such.

Thee religious families with a dozen kids are also are odd... in that they SPEND TIME TOGETHER! No cell phones, no computer games, head buried under a Walkman, no ten hour tv marathons. Mom and dad are there when you need them - instead of half listening instead of dividing their attention between cooking dinner, the scintilating soap opera, and the laundry. Mom has HELP folding the laundry, HELP peeling the carrots for dinner. OMG.... ask any of my kids or their friend to make dinner, you might get them to open a can of corn. Its a completely diffrent mind set and lifestyle. Their priorities are a bit different than you or I. Family is top priority. Everything else is non-existant to them.

Sometimes I think we could all take a lesson from them -- in how they relate to each other and separate the outside "noise" from their lives. We all list things as what we "need" - new computer, an ipod, a new couch. They list NECESSITIES... shoes, pants, coat, food. They get the couch when it falls apart and there's a NEED for it. Until then, they happily exist thanking God they even HAVE whatever it is they have.

All that said, I myself can't see having 16 children. My three are plenty, thank you

**finn's mom** · 10-15-2005, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by catnapper

Ok, from the way I see things (in my own weird little way) I think that in all likelihood, thoe kids are getting as much, if not MORE attention than the average Amrican kid nowadays.

That's what I was thinking, too. Every large family I've ever known has spent more time together as an entire family than the families with two kids. The kids help with everything, and, do it willingly. They help with the younger kids, they help with the chores, all of it. And, what you were saying about not having their faces buried in walkmans or tvs or computers, too...I was thinking that, too. My friend's brother's family is like that, they don't even have a television. They make most of their toys. Brian's brother makes almost all of their clothes, the mother makes all their food food from scratch, everything they eat is something they've grown. She makes their bread from grain from their own property. I mean, it's tremendous what they do for eachother, and, how well behaved and polite these kids are. He probably spends more quality time with his kids than most dads I know with one or two kids. I've always been amazed at large families, but, I definitely see how it can be a much better situation sometimes than the way a lot of smaller families operate. There was a family of many biological and adopted kids that I knew in Germany...I think there were eleven kids total, and, last I heard they were all either in college or already graduated. And, I know the several I went to school with were some of the nicest, most compassionate people I'd ever met.

**Rachel** · 10-16-2005, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by catnapper

Ok, from the way I see things (in my own weird little way) I think that in all likelihood, thoe kids are getting as much, if not MORE attention than the average Amrican kid nowadays. From the religious folks in my area, I know of a few with 10,11, 12 kids. They all are GREAT kids. Honest, polite, helpful. The family means a lot to them, and they rely heavily on each other. Opposed to the typical American family with our 2 children, these families with 12 kids get by remarkably well. They rely on dad as the primary money maker, with mom taking in sewing, making crafts, babysitting, etc to bring in additional income. You'd be amazed at how finaincially stable they are. One family I know of through my FIL currently has 4 kids in college, 6 in private school (Mennonite day school... not some fancy private boarding school or anything!

) and they pay CASH for everything. No student loans for the kids at all. Dad owns a small store, mom stays at home and makes jellies to sell at craft shows and such.

Thee religious families with a dozen kids are also are odd... in that they SPEND TIME TOGETHER! No cell phones, no computer games, head buried under a Walkman, no ten hour tv marathons. Mom and dad are there when you need them - instead of half listening instead of dividing their attention between cooking dinner, the scintilating soap opera, and the laundry. Mom has HELP folding the laundry, HELP peeling the carrots for dinner. OMG.... ask any of my kids or their friend to make dinner, you might get them to open a can of corn. Its a completely diffrent mind set and lifestyle. Their priorities are a bit different than you or I. Family is top priority. Everything else is non-existant to them.

Sometimes I think we could all take a lesson from them -- in how they relate to each other and separate the outside "noise" from their lives. We all list things as what we "need" - new computer, an ipod, a new couch. They list NECESSITIES... shoes, pants, coat, food. They get the couch when it falls apart and there's a NEED for it. Until then, they happily exist thanking God they even HAVE whatever it is they have.

Having seen the program on TLC about this family, what you have said describes them exactly. Many of us could learn something from watching how this family functions. They definitely are self supporting financially.
The one concern I had was that with the home schooling and church activities being within a real limited group (their church meets in their home and consists of their family and one or two others) the kids are in some respects being sheltered from the *real world*, and I wonder how prepared they will be in dealing with the outside world.

**elizabethann** · 10-16-2005, 01:47 PM

And I thought coming from a family of 7 was a lot!!

I once had a friend in high school who came from a family of 12! Personally, I love coming from a big family. And I even wish it was bigger! We may not of had a lot growing up, but we had eachother and that's worth all the tea in China.