22 kids and counting...

[LookingAtMyBhunas]

AIBU to think they're not actually great parents?

I'm watching an older series and they've just been told by one of the siblings that some of the younger ones are carrying knives. Cue a very half hearted 'Oh nooo that's not ideal is it' and a weak chat with one of them.

This is just one example. I'm not going to comment on him being 17 and her 13 when she got pregnant with their first.... 😬

A post like this about this family comes up every so often. If you don't like them, don't watch or follow them.

Apologies I didn't report to the MN Police force before posting. Are you a full time constable or a Special?

I'm not a fan. I think it says a lot that none of their adult children have more than 3 of their own children.

and yes, getting a 13 year old pregnant at 17 is disgusting.

Posts about this family do come up every so often. If you don't like them don't open or comment on them.

Tattle hates them. She was 13 and him 18 when they got together 🤨

I need that missing laughing emoji!

I remember in early series' of their TV show, an episode where Noel was shown taking the door handles off the children's rooms at night while explaining that it made sure everyone stayed in bed until morning and that he and Sue got enough sleep.

I feel for those children. They might be loved but love isn't enough, there is no way they get the level of nurturing or attention a child needs simply because there are too many children and not enough hours in the day.

The mother was a care experienced child when she first got pregnant, the whole situation is sad tbh.

I believe they were both adopted. Maybe explains their need to keep having children.

Gosh so legally it was statutory rape by him as she, by definition of the law couldn't consent to sex at aged 13.

The only documentary I’ve watched on them stuck with me. The youngest kids loved the situation as there was always someone to play with and they didn’t know any different. With the older kids however it was a different story. Most of them resented having to raise the younger ones and they never had any space to themselves as they were sharing rooms with multiple siblings. i don’t see how even the best parents in the world can manage a family of more than 5 or 6 children. I suppose they subscribe to the idea that as long as the kids are “fed and not dead” then that’s good enough 🤷‍♀️

I have no idea why someone would want to have that many kids.

I had 5, although the youngest was a <very happy> accident.

But 22!! No child carer would be allowed to have 2 responsible adults caring for that many children.

My mother was the oldest of 7 & effectively brought up her younger siblings & was present at the home birth of 3 of them. On her first date with my father (she was 20) she had to bring her two younger sisters with her because she was expected to look after them while her parents worked.

When DH & me chose to have 5 children we were determined that the older ones would not babysit the younger ones. It was our choice to have 5 kids & our responsibility to care for them.

😂

I have a bit of issue with the fact that when they first started appearing on tv it was a reality tv style 'look into the life of a large family' etc and now their series are them holidaying in America, Disneyworld etc etc which is completely unattainable for any other family with that many children and also begs the question how they get away with having them out of school so much when any other family gets fined for doing so.

I imagine that they just pay the fines without bother because they can afford it with all the money from the shows, online platforms etc.

😂

They’re pretty shit all round, in my opinion. Selfish and shallow.

I agree. The older series seemed more like a documentary about large family life but the last few series have felt very fake and a contrived scenario each episode like going off to find out about birth parents, the siblings having competitions to see who was going to take over the business etc

You only get fined i think twice per child in 4 years before they take you to court/parenting order with social services involved, so not as simple as just paying a fine when they are seemingly on holiday 3-5 times a year.

As they're being filmed for television, I would imagine it goes under child performer rules and they'd be granted leave from school as part of their child performance license(s). School would only be able to object to a license application if they can evidence that the child's education would suffer, e.g., proof of falling behind, however the production team could easily circumvent that by springing for a tutor for the duration of filming.

Hasn't that only changed very recently?

Maybe they'll just have to go during the holidays now.

And if They go to court the court will just fine them again. There’s no escalation, social Services certainly aren’t gonna bother with them.

I think they’re a good example of just because you can (have a shit tonne of kids) doesn’t mean you should. And it also doesn’t mean you’re good at being a parent.

I once caught a few minutes of this programme while flicking through the channels

It was the radfords meeting another large family (the other family may have been American but I'm not sure)

The other father said something about loving the making of the kids

The radioed fathers whole body language lit up-'oh yes,the making of them'

It was really creepy-from the smug smile to his body lighting up

It's like he loves the shag and the kids are the by-product of it

When children brought up in extreme unconventional families like these are asked as adults what it was like, few have positive things to say about their parent's choices. Same with being taken on world nomad trips all their childhood, same with unconventional 'free love' households, no formal schooling at home or school, extreme social isolation, fanatical religions dominating ever aspect of childhood, extreme hands off parenting where it is all an adult centred life, etc etc. These choices are for the parents needs and not the children and the children very quickly realise it. They get through it and normalise it for their own welfare, as children do, but rarely repeat it for their own children. You can not adequately parent this number of children.

I have watched a few eps here and there. The children do always seem well cared for and they say they don’t claim any benefits (outside child benefit.)

I do have a few problems though.

1. the young age she got pregnant with her first
2. often the older kids are looking after the younger kids which I don’t agree with. I think children should be children
3. can they really have enough time for each child?