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Original poster

Highest number children you know someone to have in real life?

428 replies

Newsenmum · 22/10/2026 20:10

People talk about these crazy massive families that exist on news but what is the largest family you know? Im from quite a middle class area down south. Most families I know have one or two kids, sometimes three. I have one friend pregnant with her fourth and know one school mum with five! Very unusual though.

OP posts:
RaraRachael · 23/10/2026 23:46

There was a family of 16 at school with my kids.

Minasama · 23/10/2026 23:54

I had a colleague (Irish) who was one of 10. She said her mum was amazing - still slim and young looking.
My mum has a friend who is one of 11 and her partner is one of 11 as well! They are about 80 years old.
My grandma was one of 6, she was born just over 100 years ago.

Minasama · 23/10/2026 23:58

ThatRedFish · 23/10/2026 07:26

I know someone who has just had her 6th, her oldest will be 12 soon. 3 different dads.

That is a more complicated life than I could manage!

LadyGAgain · 24/10/2026 00:00

Dad was one of 10. There are 25 grand children (1 am one of them). There are 24 great grand children. And of course there are spouses so it’s a big family. I’m proud of my family. Not because it’s big but because there’s a lot of love and family values.

Bowies · 24/10/2026 00:02

16

Pengane · 24/10/2026 00:21

My mum is 1 of 8. My friend has 9 and someone in my wider social circle who is a friend of friends has 12!

joles12 · 24/10/2026 00:21

Nine is the most I know, but a few fours . Generally mostly 1 or two though. I do worry about the declining working population as our children grow and we age

londonlackeen · 24/10/2026 02:04

my mum is one of 14
my father one of 8
mother in law one of 22
father in law one of 11

im 1 of 4
my husband 1 of 10
i have 6
my daughter has 6 girls

we both have 1st cousins we havent even met because theres so many .. irish catholics both sides

courtt · 24/10/2026 02:46

My mum has 12, we all share the same dad :)

HerRoyalNotness · 24/10/2026 05:53

My grandma had 14, an aunt 7. In modern times, a friend had 8, 4 older a gap then another 4. Another friend has 6 boys.

110APiccadilly · 24/10/2026 06:11

Eleven, but that's my generation so the kids are all adults. I was round lots of big (5+) families growing up and I do think you have to be a special person to look after more than 5 kids well. Looking back, six seemed to be the tipping point between it all being ok and chaos/ parentification of the older children/ relationship problems between the parents etc. Though I did know a couple of families who seemed to manage eight or more kids effortlessly without those issues, they were the exception rather than the rule.

SmolBlackKitten · 24/10/2026 07:11

14

Overnightoats1 · 24/10/2026 07:11

Biggest I know personally is a local family who had 2 boys - tried for a girl - and got identical triplet girls! Went from 2-5 and had to move house and buy a mini van ;)

openended · 24/10/2026 07:17

My mum is one of 7. Her aunt had 10 children. We have 3 children. I got back in touch with an old friend from high school who has 5.

localnotail · 24/10/2026 07:43

I knew a family with 10 children, they were a struggling family - I volunteered with the charity who helped them (this was in Ukraine). I'm still convinced father of the kids did know all of their names.

When I was giving birth, one of the women who has giving birth at the same tile the hospital told me it was her 8th.

localnotail · 24/10/2026 07:44

My mum is one of 7 .

Ladygodalmighty · 24/10/2026 07:45

ThreeLeggedCat · 22/10/2026 20:14

I have one friend with 10 kids and another with 7.

Are they wealthy?

pastapestoparmesan · 24/10/2026 08:07

I’ve taught children from two families of 9 and one of 7. All in the same school in a socio-economically deprived area.

Nottodaybob · 24/10/2026 08:25

Ladygodalmighty · 24/10/2026 07:45

Are they wealthy?

Show quote history

I find it's the less wealthy that have more kids in my experience.

Missey85 · 24/10/2026 08:52

I'm one of 13 siblings 😊 were all dads kids but different mums ❤️

EppingIsFun · 24/10/2026 09:19

DH is one of 5 - the 'kids' are in their thirties and forties.

I know someone at work with five kids who are all teenagers or thereabouts.

Middleagedspreadisreal · 24/10/2026 10:18

5

AnonMama87 · 24/10/2026 10:28

My friend is eldest of 8 (now late 30s). When we were kids her house seemed amazing, every kid seemed to also have at least one friend over all the time, her dad worked long hours and her mum was busy with the babies and toddlers, so it was always (lovely) chaos!

She always said she was never having kids as she'd 'parented' her younger siblings all through her teens. She did end up having 2 though.

Bryonyberries · 24/10/2026 10:48

I didn’t really know them but my mum had thirteen cousins from one aunt and uncle.

Personally, the biggest I’ve known is 5 children in one family.

I have four.

doodledee · 24/10/2026 11:10

My mum is one of 11. Not unusual back then many houses had 10+ children. My friends mum was one of 22!! Both Irish catholic

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