15 kids and counting

[AKissIsNotAContract]

Starting in 15minutes on channel 4. Anyone else going to watch this?

I enjoyed the program. I admit to wanting to know how they afford it but not from a they-must-be-scrounging-bastards just a general wonderment as I too have a household to run.

Someone made a comment about the burden on society which I thought was unfair. This many children is rare and will have very little effect on the national average.

The children were all well cared for and while parental 121 time is obviously a must for lots of us on here then the sibling company is obviously more important to them.

I have 2 and will not have more. I also did not want to just have one. Personally I think people who have more than two are superheroes and/or bonkers but it is such a personal thing to each family. Who am I to judge?

As for the BF comments about being more maternal. That is such a polarised view. Some could quite easily say the more children you have the more maternal you are. I have two and BF so how maternal am I ?

I just think its selfish, surely they should concentrate on the children they have now, quality not quantity. I do think though, that they have addiction issues or mental health problems to keep reproducing like this. I know that they are basically supporting themselves but I just don't agree, when are they going to say enough is enough, when the woman is 50 and is going through the change. That means then that until then, they will continue to keep having children , and might have 15 more.

Sory, BREAST FEEDERS, not BREEDERS!!!

Piglet, that is very judgy. It's unusual in the uk to have 15 now, in other parts of the world, and in different times in history, it was not uncommon. That does not mean they all have problems.

When my father was growing up (outside the UK) he knew 2 farming families with 20+ kids. They seemed fairly happy with it - but it's difficult.

Once there are 24 grown up children, getting married having children of their own... they had to have a rota of who got to go to whose weddings because the kids couldn't all afford the massive weddings they'd've had to have to accomodate all their close family! It was 2 sibling guests plus partner, iirc!

I have to say I liked the morecombe family very much as well. I wondered if their hard work and budgeting skills came from having their first so young. They wouldn't've have been entitled to any government support at all. It must have been extremely difficult until they were both earning.

In your opinion not an otter. I think you should be banned but heyho can't win em all.

My opinion is that the odd family of 15 children, is not going to make much difference to population size and budget deficits, but if we all chose to have large families, it does not bare thinking about.

I liked both families, but did not agree with home schooling, I felt the 13 year old girl was receiving a poor education, and this upset me.

We are all entitled to our opinions abirdinthehand and yes anyone who has that amount of children does have addiction issues. One of the ladies even admitted she was also addicted to buying prams too.

not saying the families are not nice, they were lovely but to have all those kids!

Anyone? Like, people in cultures where it's normal - they have addiction issues too?

I am not commenting about other cultures, just about the programme. Geese are we not allowed our own opinions . This is an open forum not all will agree.

Umm, yes, it's a discussion forum, where we discuss things!
Fair enough if you think that lady had addiction issues. What you said was that anyone who had that many had addiction issues, and I disagree with that.

Ok fair enough ABITH but the families in this programme I feel do, especially the woman who was addicted to buying prams, seems thats not all she is addicted to.

It occurred to me as I put DDs lunchbox away that the 15 kids all had packed lunches. Wouldn't they have qualified for free dinners?

Wouldn't free school meals depend on level of income. So they are probably over the threshold to qualify.

juule I don't think they would because they were not on any benefits except Child Benefit, and owned their own house and business

Free schools dinners and help with school uniform costs etc are not widely available unless you are on a very low wage.

It was all very entertaining and profitable for the Duggars until recently. However it is starting to go very wrong now. They had one premature baby who was in hospital for six months, and their next baby died in utero. TBH if I was in this situation after 20 live births, I would be inclined to pack up having children as I would think it was nature trying to tell me I was too old to be doing it, and I would also feel cruel bringing damaged children into the world.

I do worry that there is a competitive element to this, to see who can have the biggest family.

PS I speak as someone who planned to have half a dozen kids but made a conscious decision to stop after 4 live births and one that didn't quite make it off the production line.

Boffin

Thank you, but it's fine now. Fine-ish, anyway.

I agree with you, Boffin - about the Duggars... The last two pregnancies might be nature (or God's!) way to hold off on the breeding...

But they are so sweet, it would be hard to argue with them!

Or the complications with the last 2 pregnancies might have just been unlucky? Just as her 1st was.
Possibly due to age but not a warning from nature. I don't think nature cares either way.

You know what I mean, basically the chances of a problematic genetic mutation or pregnancy complication are starting to rise, possibly past the point where it's advisable to continue.

I think, knowing how many people have problems with only their first and second babies, I'd feel like I was pushing my luck long before I got to such a high number tbh.

scatterchasse i have five and after two healthy pregnancies, resulting in two healthy children i felt i was pushing my luck when we had no 3, then no 4 and no 5 BUT i metioned this to consultant who actually said that whilst i was 'technically' higher risk once i got to no 3! (you might bleed more in labour) that generally those that have easy pregnancies like i do, with no complications and healthy children are more likely to go ON and have more healthy pregnancies and babies. whereas if in your first 2 pregnancies you have complications/problems then you are more likely to have problems if you have any more.

so having more children if you have had healthy pregnancies so far doesnt make your odds any higher of having a problem, if anything its the other way seemingly! not that that stopped me worrying!

i think in the duggars case i am guessing her age is definitely playing part now in the problmes with her last two.