[bellerd]

Just wondering if there are any others here who have a large family, or are working on one . My husband and I have four boys, ages 12, 9, 2 1/2 and 1. We would like at least 2 more children. We've found that the more we have, the more we want. They just add so much joy to our lives, and give us a real purpose. They are God's greatest gift. I'd love to exchange ideas on managing a large family.

[babydawn]

I came from a large family. I have 8 brothers and 2 sisters. I loved growing up with such a big family. I never had to worry about having someone to hang out with. We are all very close. Sometimes I hear people make comments about the children in large families not getting enough parental attention. My parents managed it and out of just about everyone else I know, I had the happiest childhood. Good for you bellerd for having that desire. Your children will love growing up in a large family. I myself have 4 and I think I am probably done. We may have 1 more, but that is still to be seen.

[bellerd]

wow, that's great! i love to hear about other large, successful families . in high school i had a friend who was one of 16 children, and i loved listening to the stories she'd tell about her homelife. i was an only child for the first 16 yrs of my life, until i decided to move in with my dad. then, i had 2 step-brothers and a step-sister. it certainly was an adjustment.

i get slack from people somtimes when they hear we want a large family. They think we're selfish, or politically incorrect. i hear the "aren't you worried about overpopulation?" or "how can you possibly afford that?". our ancestors had large families and it was the norm. nobody bombarded them with questions about their choices. i hate feeling like i have to justify my decision to others. since we have all boys, others assume we want more so we can have a girl. it would be nice, but we want more because we love our children and the blessings they bring to our lives. each one is so unique and special, that i get excited just thinking about who the next one will be.
do you have boys and girls, or all boys/all girls? having all boys, i'm not sure i'd know what to do with a girl . i have a houseful of boys who love their mommy, and i love it. i sometimes feel God has given me an awesome responsibility in raising the next generation of men, but i'm up for it

[babydawn]

I love your enthusiasim in wanting to raise a large family. I have an even split myself, and in my experience, boys are easier than girls. Messier and dirtier, yes, but girls (at least my 7 year old) seem like they already suffer from hormones at times.

I know what you mean about the slack that people give you, when I got pregnant with my 3rd, people were asking me if it was my last. I was like, if I decide I want more down the road, I will have more, if I don't, then I won't. Those comments are so frustrating. My mom was in the grocery store once and one of the employees actually said to her when she learned my mom had 11 children, "Oh, so your the one who is responsible for overcrowding the US." I would have smacked her. Do people actually know that 95% of the United States is still undeveloped? People just don't get what is important in life. I don't think a huge family is for everyone, but if your someone who can do it, I commend you. I absolutely loved it myself.

[bellerd]

oh my gosh, i can't believe someone actually had the nerve to say that to your mom's face! i know plenty of people think it, but to actually say it!?! i would've wanted to smack them too!

in my experience, everyone i've known whose had a large family had the most well-behaved, sweet kids i'd ever met. all willing to help one another, obedient, polite, etc. i'd rather have 20 of these kids than one spoiled brat .

[cherry]

I have only one sister, but have three daughters and I want more - when I mention it to other people I get a 'screwed up face look' and they say 'oh dear' - what's the problem really ?
I am having such huge dilemmas in my mind, do I want another babe or do I need to get on with 'my time' as people say, and get a job?
I really would love to be pregnant again and have another child, but some days I find it hard - but some days it's fantastic.
But if it's like that already then what would one more make?
And how amazing would christmases be !?
How hard is it to decide whether to have more or not ..........?

[Kristie_Everest]

hi i hav 6 children and am pregnant with my 7th after this my husband wants 3 more eek! I do find boys to be alot lot easier to handle than girls although i only hav 2 boys to 4 girls tht mght help lol.

[wiccawife]

Do you think if the men had to give birth they'd still want large families? Do you have any multiples or have they all been single pregnancies? I think it's great having a large family but at times I find it overwhelming, especially knowing I could double up next go. Congratulations and good luck.

[wiccawife]

I found this great website while researching large families and I love trying out some of the comebacks it gives. I hope you find it helpful.
www.plomp.com/largefam/comebacks.htm
There are some really funny ones as well as a more serious section on why these couples chose to have large families.

[bellerd]

Wow Kristie! That's great. Do you know if you'll be having a boy or girl this time? I have all boys, so I can't compare how easy they are to girls. My 9 yr old is what I would call a "high need" child, and he has been from birth. He was actually diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder (fancy-schmany term meaning he doesn't like to obey) not long ago. We're working on behavior modification and I'm giving him Sam-e (a natural supplement). My other three boys are a breeze, but he makes up for it! I sometimes feel he consumes all my time and energy, and now that we're homeschooling it's an all day thing. Oh well, enough of that!

Since you cook for such a large family, do you have any recipes you can share that make large quantities? I'm always looking for good recipes I can double-up and freeze. Here's one we like for chili. It makes 10 cups, and I usually double it.

QuikFixin Chili

1 lb. Lean ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans (15 ½ ozs. each) chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 can (32 ozs.) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 ozs.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (10 ¾ ozs) condensed tomato soup
1 Tablespoon. chili powder
2 Teaspoons cayenne pepper

1. Place ground beef, onion and garlic in Dutch oven. Cook and stir over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking beef into small crumbles. Drain, if necessary.
2. Open chili beans, tomatoes, black beans and soup. Drain and rinse black beans.
3. Add all ingredients including chili powder to meat mixture in Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer covered, over low heat 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 8 (1 ¼ cup) servings