Dear Mumsnet please could we have a 'Larger Families' section?

[PaulaYatesBiggestFan]

rather like the 'multiples' section

it could be for 4+ children maybe and we can all get together and discuss how to run home soup kitchens/chinese laundry and whether or not Nick Leeson had the right idea for how to finance our broods?

I have mooted it before and people seem quite keen - it is different having a lot of children and it helps to have support

Thanks !

kitty-i am of your swimming trip.i would love to take mine but cant supervise 3 non-swimmers by myself

if you are still broody you can have another when you meet your true love

LTH-my dh did something similar when we were planning dd3(his idea in the first place,even after i told him pregnancy turns me into a paranoid psychopath).i had my coil removed and the next day he announced he had changed his mind.i said he would have to keep away from me untill i got sorted then.he didnt quite manage it
he did want another really,but he was afraid i would blame him when i felt like shite,so his 'change of heart' had really been a way to shift responsibility.

Its great we are getting our own section, thanks Justine.

Had a bit of a blow this week, my best friend died, it was very sudden and I'm still trying to get my head round it

Will be back and posting in a few days.

sorry to hear that NeverSayNever

sorry to hear that neversaynever

Diva, dp came with us. Actually the kids had a whale of the time . it was the first time ds3 had been and he loved it, trying to swim and everything. The most amazing thing was that all the children were splashing about and LAUGHING together. i don't think that has ever happened before. Even dp enjoyed it!!

neversaynever thats terrible.

could i join in pleeese ladies? i feel like im the only person i know in rl who has got more than 2 kids!

theres ds1 age 11, ds2 age 8, dd1 aged 3 and dd2 aged 2.

Welcome to our ever growing list of Owls Bubblepop!

psychomum
paulayatesbiggestfan
peachy
neversaynever
padilia
tortoise
liaghen
evenhope
cargirl
suedonim
tickle
tiggywinkl e
jes74
cupsoftea
marslady
snorris
cazbody
magnolia74
idobelieveinfairies
kitty
waggledance r
swedes
conniedescending
oliviaelanasmum
sorky (by the fact that she is trying for #4)
ceolas
slacker
ggglimp
lisalisa
tiredmumof4
lucewheel
pollyanna
stopfighting
duch y
harman
diva
bythesea
tooticky
maoui
Spidermama
137wallis
lljkk
zephrycat
Bubblepop

WOW

Fantastic news Justine, thank you. Having a large family really does have different issues sometimes, and it'll be nice to have somewhere to go straight away. Brill

Harman, do you fancy meeting up? I'm always up for a gossip and a coffee.

Peachy, who are you haveing as your Doula if you don't mind me asking? I'm just starting to get booked up for the middle and later in the year. Very exciting. I believe I have the best job in the world.

Am going Up North today to collect me new people carrier, it's only 7 seats though, so can't see it lasting for long, but it was dirt cheap so until number 6 comes along, it'll do nicely.

For those of you with more than 5, what car do you use? We are thinking, that the eldest rarely comes out with us so in a couple of years it won't be a n issue, but still, have to have a space for her i guess.

Have a good day everyone, not too much chocolate

What car are you getting Liaghen?

We're upgrading to some form of bus mpv later this year and I can't decide what to get.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

At the moment I've looked at but haven't driven the Volvo XC90, Chrysler GV, Ford Galaxy (which FIL who works for Ford would fix for next to nothing) or a Toyota Estima.

Does it cost a fortune in clothes for 4 or more or do you reuse to a certain point?

Dh thinks it's going to be either a fortune or they'll all look like tramps! there is very little middle ground with men is there?

Sorky, mine are all boys so ds2+3 get hand me down. Ds3 especially has tonnes of clothes as our nephew who is about 6 weeks ols passes him on to us too. Although they are so close in our age d3 is titchy so there still loads of life in left in them for him.

I NEVER buy stuff full price for the older Dsses, if I buy new stuff its always in the sale or on special offer.

It could easily cost a fortune but a bit of extra time (which can be difficult with so many children) mean they all look well turned out, IMO anyway.

Ds4 is the only one who gets new clothes regulary. He is our surprise bonus baby, We'd just moved house (and counties) and had given everything away - literally everything, clothes, buggies, toys, sterilser, we had nothing. I cried when the cot went. Little did we know within 4 months I be PG again so we had to start all over again. He does get (some) new full price clothes because sometimes I just find it too hard to resist....don't tell my Dh that though will you??

Neversaynever, I'm sorry to hear about you friend.
What a shock

There are lots of virtual shoulders here if you need one......

Oh Neversaynever, I've just seen your post.

So sorry for your loss

I had to start from scratch clothes-wise with ds3. | didn't think I would have anymore so had given everything away. Luckily I've got great donations from friends who've been stashing clothes away in their lofts

liahgen, we've got a traveliner. 9 seater, it's great!!

neversaynever....my sympathies.

clothes wise, for mine they have a mixture of hand-me-downs, new clothes re- birthdays and xmas and easter (new outfit each today), sale stuff (I find some fab bargains at times), and primark!!!!!!

the only really new stuff that they get that is almost always full price (well, for DD1 it is) is their undies. once they get to school I don;t do hand-me-downs for pants etc as they are all rather too worn and baggy by then! and then with the older two now needing bra's , then they get them new, and full price as they like the matchy matchy look (my fault there).

socks are normally in the sale tho, as they go thro so many (what with the stealing sock gremlin we seem to have aquired), so I get packs of them whenever I see them reduced. sorting the sock pile out tho is a chore and a half, and normally used for punishment as pocket money bribe!!!!!!!!!

SO, out of interest, do you get yours to help with jobs around the house???

a friend of mine reckons childhood is for fun and freedom, not for helping. I get mine to muck in but wonder sometimes if I am being mean???

I try to get mine to help but theyre all little still really but start as you mean to go on I say! but sometimes its easier without them, as I can chuck anything broken.
and we have the same sock gremlin! perhaps they send them home from the hospital after the 3rd child
my eldest gets new stuff as hes really hard to buy for, (tall but very very skinny) and my youngest two as I too gave almost everything away after the first 3, luckily my mum know loads of people that pass down clothes for the older ones that are in great condition, but I am a bargin hunter too and find as much in the sales as I can.

damn that sock gremlin.....they must breed just for the families with many....

mine don;t get any 'set' jobs, but on 'housework day' I do a list of what needs doing and they all get to choose a job (or two) and tick it off and it all soon gets done with them feeling happy to be able to 'choose'

Thats a great idea, will have to try that, as they always think that they have the raw end of the deal! see thats why we need our own bit so we can pick up tips like that! thanks

.....tip sharing already!!!!

The oldest 2 hve to keep their rooms tidy which ds1 is like asking him to cut his own head off (ie impossible), the boy is a hoarder of extreme measures. They also have to put their own washing away, well i do teh hanging stuff they do the folded.
Ds3 kind of helps(he's 4.5) but I don't make him do his bits....in time I will though .

I've just had to scream at them to tidy the front room because while I was in the shower they've been playing in teh Wii and eating easter eggs so its looks like bloody shitpit!

Think I might bring up the subject of No# 5 tonight. We (thats me, SIL and BIl) all had words with him yesterday about how rubbish he is showing me that he apprciates everything I do (another thread, but has been well documented on MN over the yrs) so he should a bit more attentive ATM.
Strike while its hot as they say

good luck then LTH.....hope he agrees.

if all else fails, get him drunk, (but not too drunk IYGWIM), and then do the deed without protection and then be all "oops, forgot with the lust and all"

Neversaynever sorry about your friend x

So how many easter eggs in your house at the moment??

We have 30

Well actually we have about 25 left
The kids have aunts and uncles who always get them eggs and then granparents too. But they share with us too

We have at least 2 sock gremlins I'm sure, far too many go missing for just 1

Dd1 is lucky enough to fit into my clothes and a friend of mine passes all her named stuff down to her, mostly with tags still attatched
The twins get some hand me downs but mostly new but thats because dh's mum is alwasys buying them stuff. Same with dd4. Ds1 is the only boy so he gets new but lots from Ebay and some from my friend

I am the one who goes without

Housework!!! Well, Dd1 walks the dogs often, makes great cakes, hoovers, and wants to learn how to iron!!!!!
The twins take turns emptying the dishwasher and doing the packed lunch boxes in the morning (I make the sarnies they do the rest)
They also clean up the kitchen on a sunday morning after dh makes breakfast
Dd4 is 4 so doesn't do a ot but tidies toys and uses a baby wipe to dust

Just 1 egg and one lindl choc bunny each here.

I feel quite proud of that.....

wahay for another mum who uses babywipes for dusting.

tis a better way too, as it gathers the dust rather than flick it about.

have had 4 'big' eggs (not big, but still boxed IYGWIM), and 30 little bits which include haribo sweets in plastic eggs and kinder eggs etc.

plus a new book and a new outfit each (altho tis a sumer outfit so far too cold to actually wear it yet!)