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Original poster

Would you find 13 kids BEFORE welfare state more difficult than Radfords?

26 replies

StrictlyOnIce · 19/12/2024 12:25

I watch the Radford documentaries svd they come across as a secure, functional family where the kids are happy. It looks to me like they are doing a good job of raising their kids.

However my grandad was raised as one of 13 kids before welfare state and NHS.

So - I’ve often wondered - do you think it’s harder raising 13 kids with no welfare state or NHS or 22 kids in modern times.?

OP posts:
Tlaloc999 · 19/12/2024 12:36

13 kids in a tenement without a working father - much more difficult.

13 kids in a large family home in a mill town, father in a business/ management/ clerical job, mother at home and oldest children in office work much easier. Mum would have had a couple of live in girls to help in return for room and board and material expectations would have been lower across the board.

Obviously pre antibiotics and modern medicine child birth and the early years were much more dangerous.