Things you shouldn't say to parents of large families..

[coldwater1]

I'll start..

Haven't you got a TV?
Are they all yours?
Do they all have the same dad?
Do you work?
How do you cope?
I feel sorry for you!

Any others?

I had just told her that I have 4 by the way

I did once said to my friend (mother of 6, wide age range)

"must be great having your own babysitters"

I could tell she was restraining herself from physical violence...

I live in a small village in Cambridge where everyone knows everyone and big families are quite normal and common. However if we go anywhere else I get a lot of stares, 'Why would you want 9 children?' 'Do you work?' And the one I get a lot and it is a bit of a backhanded compliment is 'wow they're really well behaved actually, that's surprising!'

Oh, I take it you are a childminder?

Have they all got the same dad?

I take it they don't all have the same dad?

And I only have 3 DC, I'm a lone parent now though so I guess that makes me fair game for fuckwits

It's always assumed that I don't work either.

Yes.. I get the how do you do it .. All the time. 4 dc.
Last week the school headmistress told me " oh you do have your hands full, what a tribe you have"

Yes.. All coming your way

That multiple children behaving is a oddity? I point out that I have practice and patience. That I allow them to sort out their own battles and so often patents with 1 or 2 just don't !

"But you already have one boy and one girl. That's perfect isn't it? Why would you want any more?" (I got that a lot when I was expecting DS3)

These days (with now 4 DCs ranging from 14-1) I usually get greeted with shock, silence and dumbfounded looks.

We have 8 children..

"Do you own a tv?"
"so when are you having the next one?"
"Are you trying for a football team?"
"You've got you're hands full"
"Are you mad!?"
"I don't envy you"
"Are they all yours?"
"Do they have the same dad?"
"I wouldn't like to live in your house"

The best one was "are you Muslim?" That was from a Muslim taxi driver who had never met a white couple with more kids than him hahaa!

The worst ones.. Believe it or not are from family...
"Tie a knot in it or I will"
""Bout time you got sterilised"
"Not another one"

Bastards

I remember travelling overseas with a friend in my gap year. She was one of 12. On several occasions, she was asked if we didn't have access to contraception in England.

For anyone wondering how to reply to the TV comment, you can answer it with: no actually, if you think TV is better than sex, maybe you are doing it wrong???
My husbands favourite is: with a wife like mine, how could anyone not keep their hands off?
I blush because I'm not that stunning, it took 26 years to find someone willing to marry me let alone anything else but it does the trick to knowitalls lol

Hi I'm new and I must say it feels good to have a forum where I can. vent and get out all of my frustrations sounds like this is gonna b fun Oh yea back on topic see I am a 41yr old mother of 10 and nothin' irritates me more when peoples mouths fly open and say"you don't look like you have 10 children!!" IDK how to react to this how am I suppose to look just b/c I'm a mom it doesn't mean I shouldn't take pride in the way I present myself in public. Ugggh so annoying !!!!

I find two dcs a handful. The supermarket rule is one dc on each side of me and they're not allowed to touch each other. Too many times they shout out 'ds1 is touching my willy!!'
So my question is, what do you do with the extra dcs? Where do they stand? Or is it just my dcs that can't be near each other? Also I have a hand for each of them, how do you manage the dcs who aren't holding your hand?
I think some people get humour and rudeness mixed up. I used to get asked if I'd have another so I'd get a girl, I have two boys...

I don't understand when having 4 became a large family. I am always in awe of my friends with 6 & 8 children because they have such lovely children, polite well behaved an absolute joy to have dealings with. The mums are always the first to offer a helping hand when my childcare went wrong. I am slightly envious

There are so few families that have 7-10 children though. It's just so unusual.

Shocked at 3 or 4 being thought of as a large family, it's quite normal where I live. My dad is one of 14 so we wouldn't bat an eyelid at 4

Together me and DP have 4, 1's mine, and 3 are his from previous relationships, but 4 together, we are trying to conceive also.

I get all of these comments and rather than admit I am too young to have birthed all of them I smile and nod.

I think some people are just being friendly (as well as assuming) but unfortunately come across a little rude.