16 kids and counting tonight at 9

[giraffesCantDateDucks]

I will be watching after I have done some work!

[smellysocksandchickenpox]

what's the point in the old ones being the young one's GPs? they're already their big sisters?

[Notalone]

MissMogwi

Mr Salim is a bit of a characature to me and is very likely playing up to the camera. I don't doubt he loves his kids but he is doing them a huge dis-service if he persuades his wife to have anymore. His wife just looks broken and it is obvious who does the bulk of the work in that house

[ggirl]

MajaBiene totally agree about the ironing..madness

[kansasmum]

I feel so sorry for Mohammed's wife. His 'wealth is his children' - just as well since he doesn't work. If he's not working you think he could sort out the house and try and organise stuff better.
Have respect for the Radfords though - she seems super organised and her and her hubby work as a team.
3 is enough for me!

[sneezingwakesthebaby]

The Salim house is so messy and cluttered. I feel sad for them all. Its irritating me to watch them so I wonder how it feels to have that life all the time. The dad has bugged me too whining about applying for loads of jobs but not working for seven years. He was using a standardised letter with the job title scribbled on the top. He could try way harder. Lazy lazy lazy.

[smellysocksandchickenpox]

didn't see the taken into care post on first glance - seriously? the mum looks very unhappy, and the dad is a bit of a twat, and it is a bit grim.. but no, not neglect

[Shakey1500]

I doubt very much that Mr Salim is as involved as he's making out in front of the cameras. I'll hoik my judgey- non evidence based- opinion knickers that he sits on his arse while his wife does everything.

[cerealqueen]

16 kids and she writes a blog too.. faints

[blackice]

Glad you think it's funny, JazzAnnNonMouse.
Child neglect is not meeting a child's basic needs.
Those children are not having their most basic needs met.

[smellysocksandchickenpox]

the radfords if very production line -ish, which it would have to be I guess, but there's no room to parent an individual on a production line, it's raising kids by numbers which doesn't sit right with me because my two are so different that totally different approaches were needed. One size fits all isn't really my idea of parenting

[MajaBiene]

They're fed, housed, clothed and seem to be loved - that's there basic needs. It's messy, cramped and not ideal, but it's not neglectful.

[CommanderShepard]

He's been on something before - was it the Fairy Jobmother or something like that?

[MollyNollyNoo]

The Salim family have been on t.v before (2008 a program called 13 kids and wanting more), I had to google to find the program but I remember watching it then and a health professional visiting the house told Mr Salim that the number of DC's that his wife had had was putting a strain on her body, he disagreed and said that the more she has, the more her body gets used to it.

[SirBoobAlot]

Felt so so sad for Mrs S. She looks utterly depressed. Kind of wanted to give her a hug.

The Radfords came across very organised, though I haven't forgotten him taking the door handle off last time to lock the kids in at night...

Agree that the two opposites were obviously being played against each other. The racist insults have already started on a friend's FB status about it.

[ScottyDoc]

Just watched it and was very upset by the Salim family's environment. My Pakistani Muslim friends would be pretty embarrassed by this , because it gives the daily wail and its army of readers even more cause for venom. To be 16 and then married off to a guy you don't really know and then to bear children constantly makes me feel ill. It's definitely not Islamic as my own friends tell me but a cultural expectation depending on what sort of family you marry into. I'm just so sad at her having no other life than that.

[munchkinmaster]

I think mrs saleem may have secretly taken control of the birth control issue given the youngest is 5.

As for him? If he has 7 degrees he has probably never had a job. But to me he didn't seem bright enough to have all those qualifications. Childlike and a bit wierd. As someone mentioned above he is prob puting all the crazy involved dad stuff on for the cameras so that might account for how he comes across.

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

The Radfords do seem very on top of things.

But do they really know each of their kids?

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

Blackrice - yes they are having their basic needs met. I laughed at the suggestion of neglect.
I don't agree that they're having the best upbringing possible but it's certainly not neglect!

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

If he has 7 degrees he probably has a lot of tuition fee debt?

It would have to be a fairly well paid job before it became financially worth loosing the extra pair of hands around the home I guess?
Although I think what has been suggested above is probably true, I don't think he normally does as much as he makes out on camera.

[smellysocksandchickenpox]

he did think that he was on the MrSalim show and this weeks program was brought to you by the letter MrSalim and the number MrSalim... he's not as good at the old reality show celeb game as Mrs Radford

A lot of academics aren't bright at all outside of their particular speciality subject

[Zara1984]

Salim family made me really sad the poor mum. AIBU to think it's exploitative of Channel 4 to essentially egg on a man who appears to be subtly abusing his wife?

Radfords seem organised but it's sort of, I don't know, like benign neglect to have that many children? It made me sad to see the two babies crying and not being really attended to because they had over a dozen other voices competing for attention...!

I live in Ireland and know a few ppl who come from big families (ranging from 6-14 children). To be perfectly honest, the bigger the family, the less close they seem to be. Like they all rub along together, but there are no deep relationships IYSWIM?

I remember hearing on the radio here a mum talking about her 12 children! She said when anyone asked if she and her husband would practice family planning, her DH said "ah now, you don't muzzle a good dog!" I don't know whether it was her or the DH that was meant to be the dog in that metaphor

Very grateful for my ONE baby. Very glad that DH and I agreed this week we will only have one more child max...!

[Bakingnovice]

Very interesting juxtaposition of the two families. Channel 4 are very clever. The difference in marital relationships, wealth, size of home, organisation, attitudes was eye opening. Nearly wept with mes S and for those kids. But then the radcliffes seem v v rehearsed in a bizarre way. Mr S will be massively criticised for being on benefits but the poverty in that family is apparent.

The Salims house!! Bloody hell. My Muslim friends have really spotless houses and will probably be really embarrassed by this family. I can't help feeling that the Salims have been a little exploited on the show. Mr S obviously wants to be there but not so sure about poor mrs S.

[pigletmania]

Very selfish of the Radfords, tey are addicted. Tey should think of the children they have now, their children sound more sensible than they are

[pigletmania]

Just watching the salims now, , what a life, no thanks. He should work to support his children and put a knot in it

[ScottyDoc]

I have seen two particularly large families and I have to say, it's not all chilled fun Walton type stuff much of the time. I don't agree (whatever anyone's opinion or reasons are) to have ridiculously large families. Was having a convo with a midwife the other day about the severe risks of haemorrhage after having so many kids. From what I've seen with larger families, it's usually pressure from one to have loads, due to some psychological reason, people using religion wrongly to justify a woman bearing babies constantly, or both parents that aren't too bothered and just keep popping them out regardless of the real issues in it. The families I've seen have had a ton of problems, mostly financial and housing wise, but the kids seem to be screaming for attention in more ways than one.