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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

16 kids and counting...

378 replies

thatisall · 11/01/2013 21:47

I genuinely don't know what I think, have no strong opinions about their lifestyle, life choices etc etc.....my first thoughts were that it was just too many but they seem very nice and happy lol

Am I being unreasonable to want to chat about the show on here anyway?

No I'm not a jour no trying to get a MN quote before someone suggests it....

....just sat at home alone thinking 16....? 16!? :-O

OP posts:
LadyBeagleEyes · 13/01/2013 12:50

Agree with Expat again. There really must be something missing in her life to keep wanting to reproduce like that.

5madthings · 13/01/2013 12:53

When we are saying she was 18 we are referring to the daughter who had a baby not the mum. Who yes had her first at 14 but then didnt have another child till 5 yrs later when they were married and he was working etc.

cantspel · 13/01/2013 12:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Mosman · 13/01/2013 13:00

Well of course there's something missing, they were both adopted, they are creating their own biological family that they never had.
Now if the NHS spent as much money on counselling her through that as it has on maternity services she'd probably be a lot happier because 50 babies isn't going to fill that gap.

pigletmania · 13/01/2013 13:03

I agree expat, she does not want to stop at 16, but carry on, probably until she is biologically nott able to. She said she is not addicted, yes she is and they should be recieving professional help for teir chid addiction, like any other addict

pigletmania · 13/01/2013 13:05

Why has a hcp not flagged this up with them.

Thisisaname · 13/01/2013 13:06

I feel like people are forgetting that she has given birth to 16 future tax payers who will pay back all the money they have 'drained' considering they don't probably need prescriptions often since their immune systems are that high and they are clearly a working family.

The world isn't overpopulated, just very greedy and unthoughtful. And wouldn't a childless or one child family selfish as they are not replacing themselves as tax payers to repay the countries debt? No.

Let people choose how many or how little children they have as long as they are happy and healthy!!!

janey68 · 13/01/2013 13:07

The thing which doesn't sit comfortably with me is the exposure of the children in the media, which I imagine is done to top up the money he earns. The family have appeared at various times in the tabloids and some of the broadsheets. Most of the children are too young to be making a considered decision about whether they want to be photographer and have the minutiae of their days (and nights!) laid bare. It may come back to bite the parents later if the children react against that. It's one thing for a child to appear on telly or in the papers because of some achievement or story personal to them. But they are appearing simply because their parents had loads of kids. No particular achievement. It's just exposure. I imagine it would also be quite hard for any individual child to opt out of that, given the pressure of the interest being in the family as a unit

soverylucky · 13/01/2013 13:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Catchingmockingbirds · 13/01/2013 13:13

I completely agree cantspel.

The show did say (and on thismorning when they appeared too) that the only benefit they claim is child benefit, but surely based on their income they'd be entitled to it. If so then that's a lot of unclaimed tax credits they could have.

Mosman · 13/01/2013 13:16

There was an Asian man in Oldham I think who was on one of these big family programs and the midwife was talking to his wife saying come on love your 45 and have 10 children enough is enough, they had number 11 though.
What can the HCP's do ? And a lot of midwives are "nice" I remember wanting to give out stop smoking posters to one surgery, it's got fag ends in a bottle and they wouldn't put it up as it was too harsh for the delicate little flowers that came to their surgeries with the babies stinking of ciggies.

pigletmania · 13/01/2013 13:16

I disagree, they have to think about the existing children they have and the impact of More on their family. She doesnot plan to stop at 16 but carry on, which is an addiction, and trying like someone pointed out, to fill a void. They need help getting to the root of te issue and trying to resolve it. Someone pointed out that she would probably feel like this with 50 children.

expatinscotland · 13/01/2013 15:25

'I feel like people are forgetting that she has given birth to 16 future tax payers who will pay back all the money they have 'drained' considering they don't probably need prescriptions often since their immune systems are that high and they are clearly a working family.

The world isn't overpopulated, just very greedy and unthoughtful. And wouldn't a childless or one child family selfish as they are not replacing themselves as tax payers to repay the countries debt? No.'

The world is becoming quite dangerously overpopulated. More migration is needed rather than more babies. The whole, 'Let's have as many as we want because they'll all be taxpayers,' is ridiculous, too. No one has a crystal ball - they could not be taxpayers but stay-at-home parents, move elsewhere, etc.

I think it's irresponsible and irresponsible of the media to give such people media attention and press, be it them or the Duggar or the Sister Wives, Kate+12, Octomum, whoever. A lot of polygamous families have this number or more of 'lovely' children, work and don't take money from the public purse, but people on MN are usually appalled at their lifestyle and having so many children.

There's something wrong with a person who has baby after baby no matter what with no plans to stop just for the sake of it and liking babies.

comingintomyown · 13/01/2013 16:07

Agree expat

CheerfulYank · 13/01/2013 18:32

The thing with Jon and Kate + 8 (though I disagree with them for many reasons on many levels, the way they exploited those children) is that they intended to have 3 children, not 8.

They wanted one more after their twins, but due to IMO dubious IVF practices they had 6.

CheerfulYank · 13/01/2013 18:34

Also my aunt has 6 and makes it seem like not so many. They're all very loved, etc. She has two close together in their twenties, a gap, two close together in their mid to late teens, a gap, and then the "babies" who are now ten and eight. I don't know if the spacing has anything to do with it?

jellybeans · 13/01/2013 18:41

I don't judge them but wonder how they give them all attention etc. I have 5DC and find it chaos at times. Also it is a massive expensive when the DC get older if they do paid activities. I pay hundreds a term for swimming lessons and cubs/guides etc. And then there is school trips etc.

thebitchbrigade · 13/01/2013 23:52

Cantspel, yes yes absolutely

I say it again, in reality there are very few families this large and those children were all well cared for, loved and being raised very well.

All this talk about drains on society and using their NHS quote pff. You can tell we are under a Tory Government........

Mean just so mean. I worry for people who talk like this because frankly read want cantspel says and think your 'theory' through to it's natural conclusion and it is really disturbing. This sort of thing is knee jerky DM territory. These people do you no harm. At any point you/your children could become terribly ill, terminally ill even. Shall we just chuck you on the scrap heap with no treatment because we have nothing to gain from you. Society is made of all sorts and these people and their children seem to be good hard working sorts.

izzyishappilybusy · 14/01/2013 00:05

I love it - my beautiful dcs are "a drain" are they?

There are 4 of them all nurtured and well loved and no we don't get benefit.

How offensive

thebitchbrigade · 14/01/2013 00:14

I have 5 izzy and a disabled one, one that might never be able to earn for herself..... I hate all this talk it really upsets me

Mosman · 14/01/2013 00:22

4 or 5 is not the same as16 now is it ?

thebitchbrigade · 14/01/2013 00:25

no but i only have 4 or 5 to grow up and pay tax and she has 16

How many children they have does not affect us at all, there is no no need for judgement. It is ok to think it would not be for you but all the 'drains on society' thing is horrible. Typical Tory rhetoric about the worthy and unworthy poor etc.

This has no bearing on our lives so I cannot understand why people are so willing to vilify them

izzyishappilybusy · 14/01/2013 00:34

Mosman fAmilies with 3/4/5 children are described as a drain a few posts up with lots of agreement

5madthings · 14/01/2013 00:36

mosman there is a post by cantspell that refers to families with 4/5 children as a drain and then several.posters agree.

izzyishappilybusy · 14/01/2013 00:37

thebitch my friends cerebral palsy - she will never earn but she enriches all our lives.

What would the world be if we were all uniform.