So let me tell you what it’s really like with 8 kids……
So many people are always asking me what is it like to have so many children, but honestly it is really hard to explain because it is all I have ever had. My children were born really close together so I have never really experienced having only a few children around.
On our street it is easy to spot our house. On the driveway sits the 15 seater van. A ford E350 extended wagon, a present from the hubby when I was pregnant with the twins. Then there are the bikes and scooters usually thrown about the driveway and then a few children running about – okay well they are usually screaming or climbing poles – especially if their name is Ryley.
Walk into my front hallway and there stands the 7 foot shelving unit I like to call cubbies, jammed with shoes, mitts, hats, and anything else the children can shove in. If you can walk through the front hallway without actually tripping on a shoe, toy, or any other inanimate object than congratulations you are the first to do so.
To this day I truly do not know how I came to have so many children (yes I know what sex is and yes I know what birth control is – it just doesn’t always like to work in my favour) what I mean though is that it was never a conscious decision to have 8 it just happened. Certainly having a large family is an attention grabber sometimes good, sometimes not so good. I have had children’s aid called on me, due to apparent neglect and abuse inflicted upon my 6 children at the time. How did this person come to this conclusion? Well my son had a cut above his eye, and when asked about how he got it he replied “My mom was mad at me and hurt me.” This person knew my son has Aspergers and everything to him is black and white. Had they probed a bit further they would have realized that my son had refused to take his medication that morning, went into sensory overload, and then attempted to hit me while having a meltdown. I blocked his fist and in doing so my finger nail scratched above his eye. THAT is how the cut got there. So my son wasn’t telling a lie. I was mad – at him having a fit and not wanting his meds, and yes I did hurt him. This person just took it upon themselves to decide that because I have so many children I must be stressed out and taking it out on all of them. I have had people hand me brochures on birth control and parenting classes and give me lectures on how I should be ashamed of myself for bringing so many children into this world.
However, for the most part people love the fact that I have such a large family, and probably give a big sigh of relief that it isn’t them who have so many kiddies running around! I am sure the cashiers in toy stores give a little leap of excitement when they see me walk in as they know there is no way I’m leaving the store without buying something! Unfortunately they are probably right.
One of the biggest hurdles in my house is space – lack of it! The girls have their own bedroom because there is such an age difference and girls (in my opinion) need more privacy than boys. My two boys with Aspergers insist on sharing a room which then leaves my 9yr old and 5yr old boys together. The babies currently are with me in my bedroom, but this arrangement can’t last much longer. I am actually hoping that a tornado will sweep me and my family up and drop us off on the yellow brick road leading us to a beautiful castle with tons of space. Considering the odds of that happening are next to nil I’ll just keeping buying lottery tickets and wish really hard.
If you ask my children what they think of having such a large family they will tell you all sorts of lies stories, but the truth is they really like it. Despite the constant arguments over toys, the TV, The WII and other such things the younger ones are always playing together and the older ones tend to get along most of the time. There is always someone to play with, talk with, fight with, eat with, and be miserable with.
This house really is in a constant state of total chaos – I can’t give it a better description but for some reason my family thrives on the constant bedlam and somehow it all works. People assume I am this super organized mom, and I am pretty organized, just not super organized. I have tried several times to sit down and organize weekly dinners but somehow it never works and I end up buying groceries weekly, so now you are probably wondering the following:
How much toilet paper do we go through in a day? Average of 3 rolls a day
How many loafs of bread do we use in a week? Minimum of 7
How many containers of Orange juice are consumed daily? 1 or 2 2.84L containers
Bags of milk: 3 bags in two days
Where do I shop? Costco for big purchases.
So now you tell me – how many loafs of bread do you go through in a week? How many rolls of toilet paper?
Until next time,
Chantel, momof8crazymonkeys
Jade – it is incredible how rude people are and then shocked at the responses we give! You are right they do act like wanting more than two children is against the law lol. Personally, I think it is great that you are open to having another!
I have four daughters and have become prepared for the reaction I get when I say yes to “will you try again for a boy?” You would think it was against the law or something! LOL
Hey Kath I have to have a sense of humour or else I would go completely batty! I love Costco for most things but I do watch out for sales in other stores. Sometimes if you are not careful Costco can cost you more:)
I can’t even remember the last time I only used one roll of TP in a day – Sigh…
DesiValentine – I have come close to smacking some people trust me! And it is crazy how some people feel that my life is their business! I hear you about the food phases – my oldest son right now is big time into OJ – an the cost of OJ these days is truly insane.
Julie it is amazing how rude people can be, however I have learned to let things go in one ear and out the other but sometimes it isn’t easy and some things are very hurtful. Your story of your husbands Christmas made me laugh. Sounds like my house! Hilarious!
Hi Tracey I try to keep the food in the fridge but some children just keep eating it all LOL ….. I do buy a lot of things in bulk (and always look out for the sales) and then freeze a bunch of stuff which helps.
Thanks Caitlin! You can assure your hubby that Number 3 is the easiest – they just follow after the others lol. As for me I envy those that can shop and get pedicures – can you believe I have never had one? Seriously, never. Haven’t been to a spa either – Sigh I can dream though..ha, ha
Wow, with three females in the house, we don’t even go through even one roll of TP in a day, and maybe one loaf of bread a week? Milk? 2L in a week; OJ, ditto. I am full of admiration for you Chantel, and somehow you still manage to maintain a wicked sense of humour through it all! And yes: Costco was made for families like yours 🙂
Wow! First thing: My mum was the youngest of 10, and I can’t imagine ANYONE ever questioning my grandmother’s parenting, birth control, or home situation. Really! Who DOES that! Kudos to you for not smacking anyone, ’cause boy would I be tempted!
And to answer your question: We go through three rolls of toilet paper a day (or 1 to 2 cases per week), and probably two loaves of bread a week. My crew is in a bagel phase, right now, so bread consumption is down considerably. And, because they’re all so wee, we go through about 16L of milk each week.
When I’m out with my crew, because they all look so different, no one assumes they’re mine. And no one has ever questioned my ability to provide proper care for any of them. Even when I’m obviously exhausted and my boys are doing their absolute best to drive each other batsh*t. I repeat: Who DOES that?!?!
my jaw hit the floor with the rudeness of those people! in this day and age people will honestly question anyone’s decision on how many kids! i’m floored.
my hubby’s dad has 13 brothers and sisters…all single births (3 wee ones didn’t make it way back) they grew up in rural pei and the stories! one christmas goes like this, one got a puck, one got a stick, one got a net….by lunch the stick was broken, the puck was lost and the net was ripped 🙂
they are all so different and all so amazing and all have such a strong sense of family and some great stories. when they are all older with families of their own, you will be treated like GOLD i’m telling ya!
So, that’s nine litres of milk every two days? Holy smokes, lady… where do you even keep all the food?! You knock me out – hats off, Chantel!!
I LOVE your blog. I envy the fact that you have eight children. I want that! But I cant even convince my husband that baby no. 3 is a good idea. I am afraid that I’d I fill my hearts desire of a big family, I won’t get to shop and have pedicures or even feed them! But a girl wants what a girl wants and I love seeing (and reading) about big families. It always makes me sad when people say they are done having babies. You go girl!