'Supersize' Families: The Joy of Having 8-Plus Kids

I think it's great that these large families seem to make it work. I don't know if I could do it, though!

And to all the environmentalist wackos freaking out of their CO2 emissions or whatever - don't forget that it's usually more conservative people who end up having large families. If you continue to limit yourselves to one, two, or even no children, all you are doing is ensuring that your extremist brand liberalism will die with you. : )

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I'm surprised at all the ignorant comments here. If you want 2 or fewer children then fine, you make that choice. But to call people "breeders", "child abusers", "selfish", or say that they should "be shot", you should be thanking them that they are raising future workers who will pay taxes that will fund you into your old age. And the comment about older kids raising the younger ones? Since when does anyone have children and NOT expect them to help out around the house? Kids who do age-appropriate chores, learn to make their way around the kitchen, manage time and resources wisely are learning to be mature, productive adults. Aim your hateful comments at an issue that's worth all that angst.

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#2 Opihi

Someone tie a knot in you tail?? Where do you get your proof that any of them are on welfare? Did you not notice that both parents are working in these families? Since you know so much you must have grown up on it when you lived in your hale..

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All you nay sayers , shut up and leave them alone. it's none of your business if they have a lot children,,,

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I am number twelve of fourteen children, and a retired school teacher...

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I think this is really a matter of choice on the part of families...

But, I also think that having upwards of 5 or more children naturally when there are so many children in this world who -need- homes is rather selfish. Have one, two, maybe three, but adopt the rest. We already have too many mouths that need to be fed and not enough good, responsible loving families to take care of them.

Just an example, my older brother is a product of "an unwed inner city mother" who had 4 kids before she turned 18 with two different fathers. He has a learning disability and asthma, and quite honestly, if my parents hadn't decided to adopt kids instead of having them naturally, he probably wouldn't have seen it past his 5th birthday, let alone to his high school graduation (with a normal diploma and all).

Great, they're not a drain on the state, but socially...if they wanted a large family, I would rather they have adopted. It's a win-win for everyone that way....

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I'm all for adoption and I admire and applaud those that do, especially adopt special needs children. Not everyone that wants to adopt is allowed to because of the rules and laws governing adoptions.

Someone earlier said something about it being nature for hunter/gatherers to have children 4-5 years apart-it was nature's intention that we humans not live so long either. In my opinion, it is not so much the people coming into this life, it's the ones not leaving. The ones kept alive for years beyond "quality of life" thanks to modern medicine.

Do not misunderstand, I like very much modern medicine and all the inellect that we humans use for the betterment (yes, I agree there is alot to be desired) for our society.

But if one is so concerned about the global issues then think locally and kill yourself-those that are so hate-filled and finger-pointing, we could do without you.

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Laura, it is not your business , you are not feeding those children, they are not asking YOU for anything...they have parents that are caring for them...your opinion is called control....you would control everything and everyone If you could...I am number twelve of fourteen, A retired seventy four year old school teacher..there are only two left from my family...an older brother and yours truly..my mother was Native American...

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I think it is great but most of all this article is very encouraging to me. We have 9 also the oldest 22 down to 4. We didn't plan this many God did! Thanks ladies for shareing it helped me.

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I don't think anyone who hasn't adopted has a right to tell anyone else that they should adopt. And few of us who have adopted would never say such a thing. Adoption is as personal as any other aspect of building a family. It's none of your business.

So a few people have a bunch of kids. There are a lot more people who aren't having any kids. If we think anyone has a right to engineer family size in the US, the policy would have to include forcing those women who have fewer than 2 kids to get pregnant. Please report to the nearest breeding facility for duty.

Nobody has ever reported a study proving that kids from big, stable two-parent families grow up to have tons of kids and/or trample the environment. I'd guess they have done studies, but have not reported them because the studies would NOT prove their point. Or, the evidence would not be PC (as in, white traditional families would not be the culprit).

My parents had 6 biological kids but only have 3 biological grandkids (and aren't likely to have more). None of them has ever been on welfare or in prison. The bio grandkids are gifted, high-achieving HS students, hence likely to be mega-taxpayers rather than welfare recipients. The 6 are also bringing up a total of 9 non-bio grandkids (so far). And we siblings are there for each other (and for our parents) when times get tough. So yeah, I guess my parents should be ashamed. By the way, they are still married after nearly 50 years, so maybe that has something to do with it.

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I am no longer going to post but appreciate reading the wide variety of comments from others. We are all just trying to get by in this world but some people do achieve some amazing things and I personally think raising children, whether one or ten, is a tough job and it is pretty amazing when they turn out well because so much is out of our control as parents. Some of the people commenting I would find very interesting to meet. Some others are quite unpleasant on line but I wonder if you would be the same way face to face. I will no longer post at this site.

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I am very disappointed that people are making such outstanding assumptions about large families. My name is Kierston, and I am Michele Rusden's 18 year old daughter.

Having a large family does not equal a polluted or stressed environment. In fact, I was just hired for a conservationist campaign to raise awareness about pollution, the lack of landfill space, the limited water supply, and the benefits of recycling. My family and I all recycle, are limited to shower use, know to turn the water off when brushing our teeth or washing the dishes, unplug our electronics, rarely watch TV, buy reusable items, donate to Good Will and other charities, and we do not water our lawn. I personally have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Haiti Relief Funds, the Red Cross, the Gift of Life Foundation, and several environmental campaigns in Philadelphia. If anything, my parents have produced 8 children who are becoming educated, going out into the world, and making a difference.

In this day and age, having more than 2 children does not equal a lack of social conscience. There are 6 billion in the world. 5% live in the United States. 14% of those have had absolutely no education in their lifetime and we use 21% of the world’s resources. We, on the other hand, are 8 people, all educated in private schools (not public, though public is paid by property taxes…), learning about the population, about the environment, and about sustainability. We are speaking for those without a voice and without an education.

Another few things. Not a single one of us (my parents included) have criminal records or jail time to be paid for by your tax dollars; my father is actually a police officer. None of us have ever been abused or neglected. I am the 3rd oldest and I do not “take care” of my siblings. They’re my siblings and I ENJOY spending time with them. I enjoy taking my youngest brother to baseball practice. Taking my 2 sisters to dance classes. I enjoy teaching them and spending time with them, and admire them for admiring me. Hey, 3 more people just there that know to recycle and know not to leave the water on and know that that extra box of Tasty Cakes isn’t necessary, because we are fortunate to have food at all, rather than the poor children of South Africa and India and other ailing countries. And unless those who posted degrading comments are doing something about the food and resource supply, they have no right to infringe on our family’s consumption. Not one of us is overweight and we conserve our resources to the best of our ability.

And yes, I would love to have 8 children of my own. Maybe even 14. But my decision to have many children does not reflect my neglect for our Earth. In fact, it reflects just the opposite. I want 14 little children rebuilding houses for disaster-stricken people. I want my children to know when and why and where to react to help someone else in need. I want more blood drives to be held, more organs to be donated, more lives to be saved. I want less ignorance and knowledge about our impact on the world. And until our living today recognize their own flaws, these things will not come. So rather, I’m going to have children to make the difference I want to make.

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