Large families 4 or more kid’s

I think your brave - and wish I could have loads too. Id be quite inclined to tell them not to be so rude or mind their own business
People look at me like Im nuts for wanting another even though Im only pregnant with number 2 so I cant imagine how friggin anoying it is for you.
actually to be honest Id probably tell them to piss off

Good for you people pass judgement regardless of how many kids you have, even if you don't have any, people are simply judgemental.

Personally I was always envious of people from large families as they all seemed to have so much fun together.

Motherhood is tiring period! Its the job and it doesn't matter if you are wealthy/poor have lots of children or only one its always tiring.

Hi - we're currently TTC our #4 and I get the same comments as you do. It's SO annoying. I haven't even told most of my fam/friends that we're going for our fourth as more often that not I get such negative comments back.
And the finances thing is SO annoying too! Like it's any of their business!! Yes, it will be tight, but, by the time they're all at school and REALLY costing us money, then I'll be back in fulltime emplyment and it won't be an issue. I figure a baby won't cost much extra at first - I already HAVE everything I could possibly need - cot, pushchairs, highchair, clothes, nappies (b00bs hehehe) - so it won't be an issue for a while.
And you are SO still entitled to a bad day!!
((hugs)) and good luck!! I LOVE the idea of having a larger-than normal family and having them all nice and close (all going to plan, I'll have 4 under 6)

Also , if you have say , 6 kids, imagine how many grandbabies you might end up with , oooh !lucky !!! I've always wanted to be a nana , can go "coochy coochy cooo" and tickle their itty bitty feetie weeties , then give them back !
For that alone , I think your plan of having a big family is a good one .

I am all for big families!....and though at the mo DP and I have said we'll have 4....I may try and stretch it out to 5. I come from a family of 7 kids...and absolutely loved it...even if I was picked on lol. We had a roof over our heads, clothes on our back, and cars to get us around (though never the flashest lol), food in the cupboard. Our age range is (37-15) the older 4 were very close in age.....I came around 9 years later and then there were 5 year gaps between me and my lil sis, and her and our lil brother. My cousin has 6 children under 7 and she seems to be coping!

Don't let people's comments get you down. Carrying a baby for 9 months, being a mum..is the most rewarding and important vocation in this world....and you do not need anyones permission to be tired!....just tell them to go suck a fat one

No you aren't being over sensitive. Honestly, people can be so judgemental sometimes it really pisses me off. None of their bloody business. What if you turned around and made some comment about the number of children they have/don't have or how they afford to do anything/or even that they have too much money. I don't think they would appreciate it, so why do they think you appreciate their comments?

I come from a family of seven (five kids) all relatively close in age - 27, 23, 22, 20, 18. I loved it. We had loads of fun growing up and are all really close. Money was scarce but we managed. And we all know our parents love us and are super proud of all of us!

Feel free to rant all you want. Thoughtless comments like that really get my back up. There are a few people out there that want to put limits on the number of kids you can have (to avoid overpopulating the earth.....). Well, the five of us are very productive members of society thank you very much, moreso than some only children or two children families. My youngest sister is the most likely to be able to help the earth with her Environmental Planning and Resource Management degree - which she wouldn't be able to do if she hadn't been born because people "shouldn't" have five children!

Good on you for wanting to have a larger than average family! You guys will have lots of fun!

Edited by StaceyL

Good on you! I couldn't do it, as I need to work which isn't financially viable for us after more than 2 kids. I always saw myself with 4 when I was younger, now that I've had to go through pregnancy (child birth isn't that bad as it's over with pretty quickly) and the newborn stage I've reconsidered.

Having said that, I might be keen to have another batch in 5ish years when the other 2 are at school.

I honestly don't know how people afford it either, but I would hate to think that (unless you are in poverty to begin with) that should be a deciding factor. You seem to be a great mum so why not share that with more and more kidlets?!

Aww and Kelly, you've just made me want more babies after reading about being a Grandma! Maybe I'll just have to drum it into my kids that they need to have 5 kids each so I can have lots of grand-babies

Lulu wrote: I think you are being over sensitive (sorry if I offend!) - it is your decision to make and if you feel secure in that decision then why be offended at others thoughts and opinions? I must admit that I am one of those people that wonder how large families afford it in this day and age, but for me it is not just survival in the 'here and now' it is the future - school fees, uniforms, university, life insurance, health insurance, etc. I can see both perspectives as I am one of seven children (we had very little financially but had a wonderful family life and all that guff), but as a Mother I have decided to have an only child. I too get alot of opinion on my decision (you can't have a solo! The poor girl having no siblings. What if you both die and she's left all alone, etc etc) but TBH it is water off a ducks back to me as I am happy and confident with my decision.

I agree with you, too, Lulu. While I only come from a family of three, we were very, very poor, and while we didn't miss out on much as small kids, once we got to high school, it really hit home, as in one of us couldn't go to schol camp so the others sports fees could be paid and so on and so forth, it was that way for most of my teen years, and as much as we bring our kids up or we were brought up that the material things aren't important, once the peer pressure thing kicks in, it creates all kinds of drama.
I have to admit, I am one of those people who think how in the hell can you (not YOU, Butterfly mum) afford to have more kids when you can't afford the ones you have now, but it isn't my decision, business or right to say anything, so I don't. Mind you I also don't think having children is an absolute right either.

That said though, I am proud to belong to a wonderful preschool/church/school parish that has lots of lovely large families and I think they are all doing wonderful jobs, as i know you will too. One thing you need to keep in mind though is that now you have put it "out there" you will be a sitting duck for those comments so you might need to arm yourself with some one liners to shut folk up!

At the end of the day, wether you choose to have one child or eight, you will come under fire from those that think differently to you.

Good luck!

fattartsrock wrote: Lulu wrote: I think you are being over sensitive (sorry if I offend!) - it is your decision to make and if you feel secure in that decision then why be offended at others thoughts and opinions? I must admit that I am one of those people that wonder how large families afford it in this day and age, but for me it is not just survival in the 'here and now' it is the future - school fees, uniforms, university, life insurance, health insurance, etc. I can see both perspectives as I am one of seven children (we had very little financially but had a wonderful family life and all that guff), but as a Mother I have decided to have an only child. I too get alot of opinion on my decision (you can't have a solo! The poor girl having no siblings. What if you both die and she's left all alone, etc etc) but TBH it is water off a ducks back to me as I am happy and confident with my decision. I agree with you, too, Lulu. While I only come from a family of three, we were very, very poor, and while we didn't miss out on much as small kids, once we got to high school, it really hit home, as in one of us couldn't go to schol camp so the others sports fees could be paid and so on and so forth, it was that way for most of my teen years, and as much as we bring our kids up or we were brought up that the material things aren't important, once the peer pressure thing kicks in, it creates all kinds of drama. I have to admit, I am one of those people who think how in the hell can you (not YOU, Butterfly mum) afford to have more kids when you can't afford the ones you have now, but it isn't my decision, business or right to say anything, so I don't. Mind you I also don't think having children is an absolute right either. That said though, I am proud to belong to a wonderful preschool/church/school parish that has lots of lovely large families and I think they are all doing wonderful jobs, as i know you will too. One thing you need to keep in mind though is that now you have put it "out there" you will be a sitting duck for those comments so you might need to arm yourself with some one liners to shut folk up! At the end of the day, wether you choose to have one child or eight, you will come under fire from those that think differently to you. Good luck!

thanks ladies I did say be honest. I love honesty even if its not what you want to hear the difference here is I asked for your opions's I have never asked for stranger's ones. Or in that matter family and friend's my 22 year old BIL thinks he should get a say as well lol. We do feel secure in our decesion. I think as Mum's woman we all have the point when we just know we are done and if after one you get that then great part of mr would love to feel if we stopped now we would be satsfied, but deep down I know we would alway's feel like someone is missing. Right back to bed.
Thanks for the input from all of you love hearing from people who are from big families saying they loved it.

I'm froma family of 5 kids. Mum wanted more but the last one (6th) was stilborn at term and she just couldn't do it again.  Yeah we had no money, had hand me downs didn't get to go to mcdonalds or holiday much. But we all new we were loved and we were warm and fed.

I'm want 4, I tell everyone thats what were doing. I have a friend whos about to have her 5th and the odest is 5, she was a few more too.

Honestly tell people just to shut up. Yes having kids is a struggle and there will be patches of finanial hardship and feeling like your unable to cope. But I bet theres more days where you love every minute of having that many kids around. There is way more fun having half a rugby team than a chess team.  SOrry not to affend thos 1 child families.

it's your life hun do what you want. Tell people that your family has fertility problems so you need to make up for your brothers and sisters not having kids.