Because larger families are great !!!!

[teafortwo]

I really feel that large families get a bad press...

When my cousin announced she was expecting number four, within my family there was a lot of giggling, mentioning of contraception, frowning and discussions about their incomings and outgoings - instead of the scream of 'congratulations' I got when I announced I was expecting dd!

I am sure this frowning about lifestyle choice isn't unusual and I guess that it must cut deep!!!

I think parents of large families should rise above the constant critisism and frowning.

You see, you made a decision to have big beautiful families and should celebrate that decision!!! It is a wonderful achievement... something I and many others couldn't do. You should shout from the roof tops about your achievement!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - lets use this thread to celebrate the great bits of bringing up a large family!!!!

Why? Because they are REEEAAAAAAALLLY worth celebrating, of course!!!

thank you!! well said!! i have 4, planning number 5, but if i am honest, yes, I am actually quite nervous about telling people!

What DO you like best about having a big family.... what are the ABSOLUTE high-lights??? The moments that are so lovely you think "Yes, this is just great!!!"?????

Whoops x post!!!

Anangelwithing.....

Good luck with trying for number 5!

I hope some Mums with larger families come along soon to give you some ideas for telling people....

I am sure they have lots of good ideas!

sorry about the typo on your name!!!

AnAngelwithin - that is better!!!

hehe.
highlights...there are lots. my favourite thing i look forward to all year is all of us together on christmas morning!
I like that each of my kids have always got someone around to play/talk/interact with.
When we are all out taking the dog for a walk on a nice day as well is great.
All the lovely handmade cards I get from them all.
When I am not feeling well or I am down, all the love and cuddles I get, and how the older 2 just automatically take over helping me get things done! (even though they are only 7 and 9!)

I just love them all to bits!

How many are you going to have then teafortwo??

we arettc#6 and also not looking forwrd to telling people.

however it's dh birthday today and all those little faces sitting on he mat waiting for him to come in the room, each with a small gift and a card. that's priceless

A new king size bed for us so that we can all get in together, (13 yr dd bit reluctant but hey ho)

Christmas morning

chatter round the dinner table, little one in her high chair at the head

carpet picnics with marshmallows, and choc biscuits dipped in milk

my house is warm, (and not cos i've always got the heating on) it's busy and people love coming here

i might come back when i've thought of some more

Actually - I am at the other end of the spectrum... we have one and really really like it!

We get a different kind of bad press.

On MN, completely inspired by your topic a group of us asked for a topic for one-child families. And we got it!!! We, like you, have started to have quite a few practical and serious threads. However, we also have a thread for celebrating the good bits of having one.

I noticed, whilst checking out what you lot talk about - mn lurking queen!!! That your topic had no celebration /feel good thread - and as I have explained in the opening - I think you should be celebrating - like us you have lots to celebrate!!!!

(t42 puts some party music on, passes round champagne and then blows up a few balloons...!!! )

WOW - What a nice thing to say Hatrickortreat!

Would you be so kind as to tell us one outstanding thing about each person in your family? So we can get a real feel for how great your family is!!!

Then I promise to sneak away and leave you to enjoy your celebrating in peace!!!

large families are wonderful at noise.

not saying any more tonight........the boys have knocked all good thoughts of arge families out of my head.

not quite a large family yet..have 3 and another on the way..but I love the noise and chaos..ok sometimes I could throttle them but then I could probably throttle them if there was only one of them..lol

Have 7 kiddies (would welcome many many more - snide remarks from sad people with nothing better to do don't bother me in the least)

Best things about large family

Kids always have playmates so do not crave parents' attention all the time.

Kids are so funny - house is full of laughter all the time.

Kids help each other through 'challenges' in life.

Christmas morning is literally the 'icing on the cake' to see their little faces and such excitement that 'father christmas has been'!!

Its comforting to know they will always have each other in life.

We always have birthday parties/celebrations - we have 7 aged between 8.5 months and almost 8 years.

Never a dull moment.

There's someone always willing to help with household chores - ermmm, to help make a mess I mean!! Ah well, that's how homes of large families should be I suppose!

Having a large family means that I can get away with having the christmas trees, singing santa claus, and loads of other christmas decorations up in October, people reckon its the kids who want them up so early, little knowing that mummy bear is behind it all!! ha ha!!

As for the bad thing(s) of having a large family;

The noise!! Visitors tell us they love coming here, but they also love to leave when it gets too much for them!!

Nothing else really, apart from days where they're fighting like nutters, but thankfully they are very few and far between.....phew!!

thankyou tea for two

we have six.......

I am sick of silly comments PLUS the feeling that i am 'ripe for judging' so have to be A1 perfect all the time

Big families ARE great and I love my life and hope think my lovely children love theirs

i am not sure what the future holds but am pleased with my choice and wish there were more people like you around Teafortwo !

comments

why do you have so many?
when are you going to stop?
are you waiting for the menopause?
5 boys must be hell in your house?
where do they sleep?
what does you husband think?

sorry about that

this was supposed to be a celebration - you can scrub my last post

on a different note

My daughter was sick tonight ( she is supposed to be in a production of miss Jean brodie !) anyway

I actually took pleasure in going to the cupboard and taking out 5 bowls and 5 old towels and placing one of each in each childs bedroom

!! doe that make me odd?

felt like a proper mum!

• just lurking now !

otter, why do people ask those questions? But yes they do..

"what does your husband think"? I mean jesus, we don't tie them down, sit on them till they've done the deed and then pop another one out in 9 mths... they do have a say. Believe it or not, our husbands want lots too. Ahhhggg

lol RottenOtter, I have these "perfect mum" moments too.

Nighty i really sound like an old woman ' i wont have people saying that as we have six we cant (insert word cope/wash you/have nice hair/ homework done every night/shoes polished ad infinitum!)'

liahgen lol at 'not tying our husbands down and sit on them till they've done the deed and then pop another one out in 9 mnths hahahahaahah

Yes, dh and I are treated in exactly the same way. One person even held her walking stick up to my husbands 'bits' and said they needed chopping off!! I'm glad to say he reacted though, as he's usually not the type to do so, he usually ignores such comments. But he did say something very rude to said person!

I just give them the most embarrassing answers I can think of. A lady woman in her 70's asked me the other day if I was pregnant? and I asked her 'Are you??' hahaah you should have seen her face. She was disgusted that I had asked her such a question, but felt it was perfectly acceptable for her to ask the very same question to me...hmmmmm

just ignore such comments lockets - they are the ones with the problem not those of us with big, happy families...maybe some people who comment negatively would have loved to have a large family of their own but unable to realise their dream, others are nasty, bitter people who have far greater problems in their lives, just prefer to taunt people like us for the 'sinful act' of bearing our many children.

Either ignore them, or smile and say you have to go, or best of all have some answers ready - ones you know will embarrass them enough to make them wet themselves!!

liaghen - i'm going offline now as I need to tie up my dh and sit on him til he does the deed!!!!!!!! haha lol that's hilarious........long may those of us with large families continue to bonk-pop-bonk-pop-bonk-pop............................enjoy your families everyone and stuff negative/nasty people. If I can't come up with an 'appropriate' answer quick enough I find that mimmicking them irritates them just as well!! Don't be good or careful to please anyone!!

well i'm an only child and always missed having a brother/sister.my ideal was always to have x3 children if i could.when i was 26,i found i wasn't ovulating and had to have some tablets and injections to help me concieve.then,when dd1 was 3 months old i was pregnant again.my Mum thought i was crazy to get pregnant so quickly but she got over it.imagine her shock when i found myself pregnant again when ds1 was 3 months old....!i had to ring my hubbie-who was away for 6 months at at a time abroad-to get him to ring my mum who lives in the next town to
me and tell her i was pregnant again!!!!I was made up by the way

Rottenotter made me laugh getting all her bowls out!

I come from 4 big bro, 18months and then me, 9 years and little sis, 2 years later little bro.

My big brother summed up what I have always said, during his speech at Mum and Dads 40th wedding this year, "the greatest thing we have to thank you for is each other". Sounds well corny but I have never ever fought with my little brother and sister and Richie and I have always got on like a house on fire. Not the Waltons you understand! but a very happy big family none the less. And my dad seemingly wanted to stick at two but is thoroughly enjoying his four!
Charles Dickens once said "Blessed is the man who has many small children calling him Father".

Nicky x

Sorry should add I have two great girls, 5 and 18 months and I would love 5 children but constance's birth was horrific, in reality one of the two of us shouldn't be here so much as I would LOVE to fill the house to bursting (we moved to France for the kids to have space, fun and family) I think I just can't risk it for the two I have......although I may seek medical opinion!!!!!