18 kids and counting C4 tonight (9pm 10/12/2015)

[seasidesally]

new episode shall we have a thread about it ??

Sue was a 14 year old child when they had their first, he was 17.

I thought this was their best one yet. They addressed a few issues that they have been criticized for in the past. They genuinely look like a happy family. I can't believe they have 5 dogs though! I wonder would they be eligible to foster/adopt?

"Noel has budgeted £16,000 for the wedding". This had me laughing. Channel 4 more like! I strongly suspect that they are sponsored home food/products as they always claimed that they bought supermarket own brand.

The Hanns seem really nice. Their oldest Rachel (who wasn't featured in this programme) got married early and didn't go on a mission. I'm glad to see their house has drastically improved, in the last programme the bedrooms looked like a Romanian orphanage; bare floorboards,grafitti on walls, broken furniture. It was grim. Their house is much smaller than the Radford's so I'm not surprised some of the kids feel fed up.

Just heard Sue Radford say that they don't want anymore, they want to enjoy what they have, the first sensible thing they said for a long time.

I think she's said that before though?

It's quite sad that they are really happy that Sophie at 21 with 3 children seems to be following in their footsteps...

Sue has been saying that since #2 apparently.

Oh no, just heard that Sue says she is open to more

Very selfish, not thinking of tge impact on their existing kids.

Thanks will watch on catch up.

I've just finished watching, am I going mad or have some details changed, I always thought Sue was 14 when she had her first baby, so how if she only turned 40 and Sophie is 21 is that possible, something's changed, unless I've got all that wrong, it would mean she was 19 when she had her first

I find the Radfords repugnant. They're obsessed with having babies and appear to use the children as house elves/child minders.

ellenanora - Sophie's not their eldest. They've got a son called Chris I think, who's about 26 now. I think he moved out some time ago so isn't seen much in the programmes.

I agree they don't seem interested in their children beyond toddler age very much. And their focus seems to be on what the children can give them/what they get from being parents rather than how they can give to their kids. But I'm aware it may be edited to look that way. I hope the one just married doesn't go the same way.

Ah I was wondering, thanks so much Kitsandkids, I don't remember him at all, and I thought I'd seen every programme, but maybe not.

bacon the fact they have had all those kids and want more, says everything. It's an addiction, they are not thinking about the kids and their quality of life.

I think Sue often comes across as pretty immature. It's almost as if she enjoys having babies in the same way a child enjoys having dolls.

I think they both come over as very immature, and quite selfish.

Aero agree finding that's exactly it! They're items not people in their own right!

Ironically I do think their quality of life/standard of living has improved since they first starred in the media. They go on several holidays a year and I assume get free technology (one of their portraits featured them holding up ipads)

I can't for the life of me imagine how they keep up with homeworks etc. Although the last prog showed daughter Chloe was a big help in that department.

Son Chris shies away from attention and usually doesn't feature in their publicity.

I don't blame him yankee he sounds quite sensible. Yes the older ones look after the little ones. I cannot for the life of me think how they get one on one time with their parents. They have Inforced this life on their kids, as soon as she's churned out one baby, she is thinking of the next one. No different to someone having 20 pets, it's an addiction. They need therapy, not another baby. When I saw that room with the three level bunks, it was sad, more like a prison than a bedroom. Kids have said its always noisy, they don't get time to themselves. I am sad their daughter might be following in their footsteps.

If anything happened to one if them, especially Mr Radford as he's the main breadwinner and driver, their stuffed. They have not thought this through properly at all.

I love their bunk beds. Noel built them because all the boys/girls ended up in each others beds anyway and preferred to sleep together. On holiday they hired 3 caravans and one ended up empty as the kids (by choice) all piled in together. They do seem to really enjoy each others company.

They are in a better position than most super sized families because they have the space and a mini van. The Hanns only have a seven seater and said in a previous prog that they can't all go out as a family and had never been on holiday.

I agree with what some others have said. I have no doubt that the parents love their kids but I don't think they have their best interest at heart when they keep having more. I find them both a bit strange and quite immature tbh. I have 3 kids and I constantly worry that I don't have enough time with each, that I am not tuned in to them enough and that I may be missing things that are happening in their daily lives like little worries, concerns with school etc. There is no way you can keep on top of all your kids developmental needs, cognitive and emotional development with 18 kids. I find their house very stressful so much noise and chaos and some kids will be fine and thrive on that but others won't and will no doubt find the environment quite stressful. I also think it is unfair that the older (but in my book not very much older) kids mainly girls seem lumbered minding the little ones. This is fine the odd time but not on a daily basis they deserve to be kids too without the responsibility of looking after younger siblings. I also find the weekly visit to the grave odd. I get it was a very traumatic event in their lives but her inability and somewhat reluctance to move on from it means none of them can. I think the mum needs to go to grief counselling to help her move on because I don't think a weekly trip to the grave is healthy for any of them. I also find their aspirations for their own kids somewhat limited - all they seem to want them to do is get married and multiply nothing about careers, travel etc. Sophie being pregnant with her 3rd kid at 21 I think is a bit sad she has missed out so much imo and there didn't seem to be any other option for her ifykwim. they don't seem to stress the importance of education etc that seems to be secondary to having kids

The thing that winds me up is the insistence that they don't rely on benefits when they bloody well do. Ok no JSA (which is a pittance) but thousands of pounds of CB and TC are never mentioned.

Imagine for a moment that one of the children was being bullied at school or suffering any sort of abuse. I imagine something like that would be difficult for any parent to identify. It must be virtually impossible in such a large family.

They will have to cope without tax credits soon. Once one of the older children comes off the claim, it will change so fall into the tax credits for two children rules.