Sue Radford, baby 21 is here..

[FortuneFrimble]

Daily Fail story here
21 babies! That's some achievement. I cannot believe her body is still in one piece. I feel sorry for those kids though. There's absolutely no way they can all have the individual attention they need growing up. Four kids maybe, perhaps 6 at an absolute push but 21 seems like collecting trophies for a hobby to me. It'd be interesting to see what families those children decide to have when the time comes. It seems like she's putting her own want for babies ahead of her existing children's wellbeing & that isn't healthy. I'm curious that she's practically guaranteed herself an endless supply of babies as her children have children. But they're supposedly paying for everything themselves so we're not allowed to say anything against them. I don't agree with it. Tell me I'm being U.

But they're supposedly paying for everything themselves so we're not allowed to say anything against them.

Except they're costing the state a bloody fortune, even if they don't live on benefits. Think about it:

• 21 lots of antenatal care and tests;
• 21 labours/deliveries with associated hospital stays;
• 21 lots of NHS care for life;
• 21 lots of child benefit (they do claim this);
• 21 lots of free education up to age 18

I know they are 'entitled' to all that, but bloody hell they are certainly costing the taxpayers of Gt Britain a lot of money.

I certainly don’t “hate” them but think their behaviour is extremely odd. Also from an environmental perspective it’s pretty outrageous.

It's difficult not to judge a family with 21 children. I struggle to give the 2 I have individual one on one time.

I agree with PPs, she was so young when she had her first, 14 is so so young and she was a child herself. That bit is always glossed over.

Lots of judging on here

Well, yeah. Of course there is! With good reason.

For the people who are saying about large families back in the day and there being a lack of contraception, it sounds revolting but washable,reusable, condoms were readily available. Apparently they were washed,dried,'re-rolled, and then stored in a small box containing powdered chalk. How romantic !

If they are selfish in wanting so many children what are the altruistic reasons you have had your children for?

Those 21 children use no more resources than any other 21 children distributed among more households.
I think a lot of nasty comments on here are just bitchy.

I think she's got some serious mental health issues going on. And feel unbelievably sorry for the kids. I was horrified watching a documentary on them, and can't imagine those children get any individual attention. There is more to parenting than feeding and clothing children.

As for having more children when you are a grandparent, that's just wrong on every level.

"if they didn't keep depicting themselves as these self-sufficient heroes who are so much better than other benefit-claiming scum."

Agree with this. I work in benefits advice (and claim tax credits!) and everyone thinks someone else is the scrounger!
I quite often I have to listen to a little speech about how a given person is " a real grafter-not like some people" before I can get anything done.
So that's not unique to the Radfords. But still very tiresome and unhelpful, I agree.

@unlimiteddilutingjuice @gladstonefive
Glad to see your comments. More recently they have had financial income from tv programs which must be substantial but in the past and on her old blog she was open about tax credits. I’m not bothered about that aspect but the constant headlines over the years about claiming no benefits are really annoying.
I’ve followed her on Instagram and seen a few blogs and they make me feel very sad. You cannot parent 21 children adequately in a working couple, you just can’t.
I have a large family, and I do not in anyway get the older ones to parent the younger but there are areas where I’m aware that having a large family does impact on each child. It’s not necessarily all negative at all, but swimming lessons, music lessons, learning to ride a bike, helping withreading, homework, play dates etc, these things are so hard when there’s a new baby. And with so many.
I don’t drink, smoke, go out, my husband and I haven’t been out in years together because for now the focus is the children.
I feel sad for the children, in old programs of them the children were clearly not very happy about it all.

canyouhearthedrums I did think of that as I typed. Unfortunately that wasn't enough to stop them. 4 children since! I would've loved 4 children, it wasn't meant to be and I had to settle with two plus a lovely DSS. Most people know their limitations. They don't.

What a stupid comment Those 21 children use no more resources than any other 21 children distributed among more households.
I think a lot of nasty comments on here are just bitchy.

The fact is the economy would not cope if everyone had 21 children. Services wouldnt cope and we would all have to pay ALOT more tax to keep all services going. It's not difficult to work that out.
If every couple decided to have 21 kids the world would be on its knees. Do you not understand that?

I feel sorry for the kids. 21 children! How do they get all the care and attention they need? Though I suppose some have left home. It’s crazy.

One of my daughter's had a classmate whose mother had 14 children. She was generally a lovely woman, but the children, who got no say in the matter, brought each other up.

The older children were constantly either late for school or didn't turn up at all because they were busy helping out in the home with their younger siblings. There's no need to have so many children and to me it seems incredibly selfish and unnecessary. .

She’s only 43, 10years older than me. Times and family sizes haven’t changed that much since we were young so I don’t don’t feel that is a factor, she isn’t 65!

I just cannot judge them. The fact that they were both in care and put up for adoption could very well be playing a massive part in this. It isn’t “healthy” to need babies in this way. They could be filling a gap emotionally. I say this as an adoptive mother.

The children look well and they have obviously made a success of their lives with their bakery. I don’t believe the children will get the time they deserve from the parents but I suspect with such big age gaps, the older children help to raise the younger ones. Perhaps that is a good thing, there must be a “teamwork” environment and lots of responsibility being taught. Many arguments against but they might be making it work.

I just hope they can let it go when she finally can have no more, I think they might find that extremely difficult to cope with.

I think she's got some serious mental health issues going on
Totally agree. I just wish someone could've intervened... whether that be the medical profession, family, friends

Only seems like a few months ago she was having her last baby no doubt I shall think that again in a years time

Both of them need help. To chose to have such a large number of children is wrong. I will leave aside how much they cost the state and focus on how much time each child gets. I am sure most of us in this thread enjoy reading with our dc, we help with homework, we do bath time, we take them to football or cubs. How can they adequately perform these tasks for so many children as well as running a house. The fact is the children do not get the attention they need and deserve and the older children end up parenting the younger ones. So unfair and actually really, really sad. Teens also need one to one time. Again- that’s impossible for them.

Gosh whiskey are you alright? You sound v angry!

Actually the economy grows as the population gets bigger. More workers = more taxes.

But my question was about what non-selfish reasons you have for deciding to have children?

I wonder how many miscarriages she's had, the statistics among women who have average numbers of children mean it's really common (1 in 4/6 I think). Either she's had a lot which is so sad or she's really fertile.

Also, I had a delivery of 8 minutes and one of 12 mins, they were actually my worst deliveries and I went into shock and had terrible trouble afterwards with my bladder and general recovery. The baby’s ‘shot’ out but deliveries where I had controlled pushing and were 1-2 hours were far preferable and recovery much better, so I’d not be envious of a superfast birth!

I just cannot understand for the life of me... why they don't think... what about if something awful happens. I don't wish to sound morbid but a friend of mine, her husband dropped dead on the golf course a couple of years ago. He was young.

Another acquantance, wife had cancer and sadly passed away. The children are devastated, the Dad luckily has close family rallying round. His sister is helping enormously and in years to come will be a mother figure for his two small children.

What about these 21 children should something awful happen (god forbid)?

People used to have big families because of numerous reasons. Religion, the idea that a woman's duty was to have children, the fact that it was likely that some of the children wouldn't survive their childhood etc. These are ideas are generally not applicable today.
My grandad was 1 of 16. He was somewhere in the middle of all of the children. It was expected that the older girls would help raise the younger children and the older boys would help out on the farm. Strangely enough none of his siblings had more than 3 children each.

This thread will go poof. They all do.

It’s the only thing Victoria Beckham and Sue Radford have in common.

@madroid

If they are selfish in wanting so many children what are the altruistic reasons you have had your children for?

Those 21 children use no more resources than any other 21 children distributed among more households.
I think a lot of nasty comments on here are just bitchy.

I want to have 21 cars, and use them all at the same time, does that make me selfish or environmentally unfriendly ? Surely it's just the same as 21 cars shared around other people, if I have 21 cars, then my neighbour won't have a car, no? That not how it works?