To think 22 kids is...a lot ?

[GaaaaarlicBread]

We were talking about The Radford Family at work today . They are currently pregnant with their 22nd child (one of their babies , I think their 15th, though was born sleeping). So they’ll have 21 in the house.
I am all for big families , my Dad is one of 8, I have 19 cousins , So my family is pretty big although my husband and I personally want 3 maximum. I’m one of 3 also.
Am I being unreasonable to think 22 kids is quite OTT?? Mixed views in our office , ranging from ‘money scroungers’ ‘she’s obsessed and controlling the husband’ and ‘she wants the attention’

Just want your opinions really ! I think it’s a bit cruel to the other children as I reckon they probably have to help more than they should , but not bothered about the money bit as they do own their own pie business so they do work !

They are currently pregnant Oh My God! How can ‘they’ be pregnant? She is pregnant, they are not. It is physically impossible for a man to fall pregnant. Couples can’t be pregnant, unless it is two lesbians with simultaneous pregnancies.

I imagine in the past this would not have been unusual, though of course many children will have failed to reach adulthood.

J S Bach had 20 children and I know that one of my great grandfathers was one of 21 children (born in the mid 19th century).

There's no excuse for families this large these days!

they don’t seem to have any concerns or involvement now

It’s not like either party would publicise it. I wonder if there was any involvement back when he was taking the door handles off the kids rooms at bedtimes. Even the attic rooms.

An utterly selfish and moronic couple. Bringing 22 children into an already overpopulated world is obscene.

Not all that but how much exactly have they had in child benefit alone for over 30 years now? Add to that the tax credits which they definitely were getting at one time (not sure if they get them now) plus the cost to the NHS of all those births, other medical costs, dental costs, the cost of education.

This country would be on its knees if we all decided to be that stupid and selfish.

Just to flip it, they have created 21 future tax payers? This whole 'they cost the taxpayer money argument' is a bit spurious
That's rather unlikely as they weren't encouraged to do school work or read, so are unlikely to have well paying jobs (if one at all) in the future and so are statistically more likely to be taking far more than they pay back in tax.

It's attention seeking of the highest order.
And anyone who rushes in to say they don't claim anything, I beg to differ: family allowance, working tax credit, schooling, NHS care (I'm betting she needs a lot of extra care from MW pre-birth after that many children)- that all adds up
I also don't like that, because they've become some obscure novelty celebrity,we all are supposed to turn a blind eye to the fact the first one was born when Sue was under the age of consent. That is, as far as I'm aware, still classed as a crime. But "oh look we have so many children aren't we great" seems to keep you off a sex offenders register.

I imagine in the past this would not have been unusual, though of course many children will have failed to reach adulthood.

It would have still been unusual in the past, for example in 1750/60 the average family size was 5-6 children. It was considered very unseemly to have your wife constantly pregnant and a sign that you couldn't control your urges making you no better than animals. Add in breastfeeding, fewer periods due to differences in nutrition, families often living apart from one another (particularly the upper classes), crude contraceptive methods such as caps and sheepskin condoms, and constant pregnancy was not as common as historical dramas would have us believe.

This thread has to win the prize for most ridiculous thread title ever

Seems like each new baby is a money spinner, with photo opportunities and interviews.

It’s depressing that some people still appear to think having 22 children is any sort of positive achievement?

Im generally quite ‘live and let live’ about the way people choose to live their lives as long as it isn’t harmful - but yes I can’t help but think with that many kids they can’t possibly have the individual care and attention that smaller families benefit from. Would you even ‘know’ them all? It would be easy to see how the quieter ones could get a bit lost in the chaos of it all. But it’s none of my beeswax.

I don’t think that the pie shop is a thriving business that is supporting them all whatsoever. Using the address taken from the Radford’s Pie Company (Faradays Bakery) website it has a 1 star food hygiene rating on the Food Standards Agency website. That means it needs serious improvement in all aspects.

I think having so many children in this day and age of readily available contraception and family planning support is cruel. There is no way each child can be emotionally supported individually, and I would not be surprised if multiple children need to access therapy in the future.

I won't be surprised if one or more of them does a tell-all "Life with the Radfords" book when they reach adulthood where they lift the lid on what it's really like growing up as one of 22. My money is on Amy.

She's the one who said on This Morning that she doesn't like looking after the little ones and it makes her feel really stressed.

They must be crazy. They obviously love kids but jeez I have two and that’s enough 🤣

I just don’t know how she manages to keep on top of things, give them enough attention

I don’t want to sound harsh. I enjoy watching their tv shows but I can’t help but think if they didn’t become famous would they still have so many kids? I know they had a fair few before hand but she just can’t seem to stop. Would she have stopped if they didn’t become famous? Are they just doing it for the publicity now? 🤷‍♀️

The poor woman needs a break from having babies imo.

The pie shop is just the PR friendly front because a large family receiving benefits isn’t as marketable. The large amounts of child tax credits and child benefits soon stopped being mentioned in articles when they got more well known.

It's fucking weird to have that many kids if you ask me! I mean each to their own, of course, but you asked what I think so...

I have two and I am knackered and never get a moment to myself. The mind just boggles at what a house full of that many kids must be like, and the idea of that many pregnancies?! No thanks!

@WorraLiberty 😂 I am rubbish at making titles what can I say LOL you wouldn’t know I was a writer would you? 😂🥴

It was just the question itself that tickled me

The Radfords are a pair of selfish pricks

@PenguinBollard. Nope. She gives each one her time. I know it sounds like it wouldn’t work. She’s one of the hardest working mothers I know.

They all work together. Her kids are all really polite. Loving. It’s great

My DH is from an Irish background. One of 6 in fact.
Even he thinks fuck that.
We have two and I'm permanently knackered.
Eitger she is doing it for attention now or she's on drugs. Or both.
Poor kids. Where do you go for affection? And where is the privacy? No room of your own, always chocker indoors. Imagine the lack of silence.

They exist on benefits. Most of the kids were born before the 2 kid limit. Companies House probably has interesting info about the Pie Shop.

I think it’s none of my business lol, none of any of yours either really

They make it peoples business by putting so much of their lives out into the public, blogging, giving interviews, being on TV, etc. It invites comment and unfortunately not all of those comments are going to be complimentary.