14 Children and now what??

ORIGINAL: lexibelle

ORIGINAL: agilebasenji

My mother has some friends that have left it up to God as to how many kids they have.  However, mom dyes her hair.  (Anyone else see the irony?  Seems like God is capable of deciding the number of kids, but needs a little help with getting the hair color right.  Go figure.) 

Hahahaha!  Our world is full of those kind of ironies, and they provide excellent comic relief.

I can't imagine the purpose behind having that many children.  I assume they drive cars and use modern medicine, so why not use birth control, as well?  However, they do sound like an interesting family, and it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round.  []

 
There is no doubt that these parents love their children.....but there is a part of me that believes that they are constantly trying to beat their own record. We've had 13, why not 14....and then why not 15 and so on. They seem to like all the attention that they get from friends and the community (hence the tv show). 

Probably get a lot of free stuff and help too

wow...16 kids...
...not for us, we chose not to have any for a lot of reasons....
 
Could you imagine being pregnant for 12 yrs?
Could you imagine how many diapers were changed?
Could you imagine how much laundry this woman does?
 
 
 

I'd leave totally up to God - I don't think He pays enough attention to what's really going on.

 
Do you really mean this? That God does not pay attention??

ORIGINAL: momtomany

I'd leave totally up to God - I don't think He pays enough attention to what's really going on.

Do you really mean this? That God does not pay attention??

It depends on which perspective you look at it. Without getting into religion etc...  This couple is obviously not using any sort of birth control and therefore allowing "god" to determine whether or not they conceive. From a biological standpoint, they are obviously a fertile couple (I think that could have been determined by child #1-12, or 13).

As a previous member mentioned, how can one mother possibly have enough time to spread between all dozen and a half children. Obviously not. That's why the kids are each given a multiple chores to do on a daily basis. Is it fair to have a 10 year old child doing 10 loads of laundry a day??? Every day?? The only reason they are able to keep the family functioning is because the kids themselves are raising their younger siblings.
 
As for those who say, "well, if they can manage financially without being on welfare, so be it."  I think that's fair to say. But if you've watched the last show (I just caught the last 30 minutes right now), you can tell by how they react to their "new" home that most of the stuff was donated. By whom, I have no idea. All the modern appliances they have now were obviously not picked out by them. When they first see these appliances, they're all like "wow, this is neat!~" and so on...  As for how they seem like really nice people and what not....yes, they do seem really nice...a little too nice...kinda creepy.

No offense but what does any of that about their house appliances and so forth have to do with my question?

ORIGINAL: momtomany

No offense but what does any of that about their house appliances and so forth have to do with my question?

No offence taken. To answer your question: it has nothing to do with your question. That is why my third point began in the third paragraph. [8D] The paragraph also began with the words, "As for those who say". I'm addressing another point made my another member!~ []

See, I can't be objective about this because the thought of just one child sends me screaming from the room! 
 
However, that said, I think if we were to a point were we needed to pair the kids off into buddies and have things donated from people beyond just our parents, it would be time to stop.  If they are having trouble now, what about college and the future, college, weddings, etc. 
 
My goddaughter is one of five and it is a huge financial burden to my cousins.  I'm not saying they wouldn't have them all over again but it does take it's toll.  If they hadn't had me when I was a teenager nobody would of babysat for them, way too many kids.  I know they themselves never go anywhere and their life revolves around the kids.  It seems to never end.  

I think as long as they can support them it is nobody else's business. I saw part of that show and was impressed with them. I personally couldn't handle it, but they can.

I personally found labor and delivery TWICE to be enough.  Although there was a third at 5 months who didn't survive.  But, just cuz I don't want to do it, just cuz I don't have the patience or fortitude to deal with THAT many kids, doesn't make it wrong for everyone else.
 
I don't think it's a huge big deal that the community or whoever, came together and donated stuff to make their lives easier....I think we need MORE of that...neighbor helping neighbor.  That's kind of heart warming.
 
Not for me, that many kids, but who am I to judge?

Well, yes it's nice that people are willing to help them out.  But, IMHO I think they should be able to do it themselves.  They can't just expect people will help them, what if they didn't??  So, that's why  I said I'd stop at the point where WE (just we, without help) couldn't afford it anymore. 

I remember not too long ago, someone posted a link to a site where you could "donate" to help him raise his dog.  Well, he caught heck for that from lots of people here, why couldn't he afford his own dog, why did he get the dog if he couldn't afford it, etc.  How is this any different?? 

As far as it not being anyone else's business, it certainly is if others are helping them.  They also allowed a show to be made which obviously puts them in the public eye. 
 
Edited---I looked at the website and it seems to me they take the Bible extrememly literally.  I don't know, to me, this way of thinking just doesn't fit with modern day.  They would fit in well with the Amish. 

Actually it mentioned on the show that they did purchase their appliances. They bought a lot of the stuff on eBay and the kitchen appliances were purchased used from a restaurant closing.
 
TLC, the station who did the shows did send a designer to them when it came to designing the house, but the labor for the house was done by people from their church and their family.
 
They save money by making the family's clothes or buying them from Goodwill. They mentioned their grocery bill is like $1,000 a month.
 
They have a website if anyone wants to check it out. it's even got recipes[]
[linkhttp://www.duggarfamily.com/]http://www.duggarfamily.com/[/link]
 

Were things donated to them in the last episode, I haven't been able to see it yet? Also in the episodes I  watched they mentioned how many loads of laundry they did a day, I don't think it was ten loads a day and it wasn't all done by a ten year old.
 In the first episodes they didn't get any handouts.I was pretty impressed with them.As for time she spends with them, they probably get more attention than most kids nowadays whose mothers work all day, even though there are more of them.When they were talking about their chores, they had fewer than my hubby or I had when we were kids,and both our moms worked, we hardly ever saw them.

I went to school with a family who had 21 kids - and even in the 70s and early 80s, that seemed really unusual, but they were Catholic and that was "what it was".
 
I couldn't imagine having so many - I stopped at one - but then I'm not really a kid person.
 
Recently a local family had quintuplets (and they already have 3 other kids).  Central MI University publicly gave them (the quints) full 4-year scholarships to use when they are college-age.  Many people in the community are up in arms because they don't think having 5 babies at once is reason enough to deserve a full ride 18 years from now.   I dunno - I guess I'm indifferent about the whole issue.  Nobody has ever handed me anything, but that's okay.  A little hard work never hurt anyone.  I am in no way resentful.  My kid would probably blow it anyway! 
 
As far as the Duggars, I've not watched, but I guess if more people helped each other instead of the way things are in society now, maybe the world would be a better place.
 
 

My x-BIL grew up middle of 5 children. When he was 17 his mother looked at him and said "you know I don't even really know you and I apologize for that". And she was a stay-at-home mom. He simply got overlooked in all the day-to-day activities.
I adore my TWO sons....but I certainly don't/didn't want to spend my adult years being pregnant, changing diapers, and spending hours feeding babies.
At least she won't have to deal with empty nest syndrome...she'll probably continue to overpopulate the world till she's beyond menopause.
Nothing wrong with it since they don't ask for handouts...but what's the point?