A general, friendly, supportive larger family chit-chat thread, anyone?

[Misfitless]

Does anyone on here fancy striking up a general thread, like the one that they have in the one-child families topic?

Preferably not with imaginary cakes and wine and butlers and virtual massages, etc though?

No need to post everyday unless you want to, just a chance to get to share the ups and downs with each other, as and when?

Can I join your thread? We have a complicated blended family with between 2 and 6 children living with us on each night of the week, mostly teens. I've decided this family is too large based on the fact that I can no longer fit the week's shopping onto the conveyer belt at the supermarket

To answer your question, tsoto , for an average of around 6 people per night we spend about £110 a week.

I have at least one or two nights a week with just my own 2 DCs in the house so try to give them some individual attention then, but my DH really struggles to get much 1 to1 with any of his 4DC. Find it hard with teens with so much going on on their lives to keep track of what needs to be discussed with who, and when they might be about to discuss it.

I have 5 children and a man who perhaps counts as one also

tsoto I usually spend around £110 a week on groceries for 6 people. It's reduced lately because I'm buying less meat - deliberate attempt as I don't like meet every night. We have meat about 4 nights a week - but I struggle with dcs eating vegetarian/fish options!

We are on approx £100-£120 a week for 6 of us. I don't eat meat but ds& I don't have dairy so that bumps up the cost of somethings

Ugh. Im am well and truly over mine atm. The eldest is 16 and wants to go to the city with friends this weekend. I know logically I should let him but Im having palpitations thinking about it. 3 hours on the train in a city he doesn't know with 7 other teens sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Add in the 11 and 12 yer old who argue from dawn till dusk when they re together. Im trying to get the 11 year old assessed for dyslexia but unless the school agrees I have to pay privately which is going to be a struggle.

7 year old seems to have hit whinge age and developed a victim mentality.

3 year old has tonsillitis and is clingy demanding and sad which is her right but with everything else I am a women on the edge.

add in stupendous Electricity bill and school fees and I feel like a hamster on a wheel :/

Cjdamoo, I know how that feels!
My 13 and 11 year old daughters are forever arguing. DD2 has ASD and is rather annoying and peculiar but DD1 is so mean to her; it makes me want to weep.
And DD3 winds up DS, so they are often fighting too.
And I don't usually moan about money as we usually do okay, but this year has been a disaster financially-water tank broke before Xmas and we need the whole place rewired, windows need replacing and we've just had a bunch of huge vet bills ( £8K) and the dog didn't even survive!
We usually have a nice summer holiday but there will be nothing luxarious this year.
So I'm there with you!

Cjdamoo - you've got it all at once - teenager worries and still a really littlie too

I often think I'm glad I only had two when mine were little (youngest was 7 when I got together with DH) and that managing lots of teenagers is a lot easier than lots of little kids. They're not as constant as little kids - you don't have to be watching them every minute, we can go out in the evening and leave them to it. But there's so much parenting they still need. This weekend we need to get DSS1 coaxed though some emergency cramming revision for his french oral, help DSD1 with English coursework, talk to DSS2 about future school options, watch two different school plays, ferry DS, DSD2 and DSS2 to different places, help DD with the computing homework that she can't do (or enlist DSS1 to help her...), and somehow in between that prevent DSS2 from spending every spare minute on minecraft.