How many children are too many? How about 18? Read...

Way, WAY too many children. I have nothing against having a big family, I myself want 4 children. But there has to be a balance. I have seen the documentary on their family, and I just feel so much for the older children who have to take care of all the smaller children. It's okay to have chores, but I don't agree with taking their childhood away from them by having children taking care of other children. The girls do all the dishes and laundry and the cooking...I feel like that's too much, you know? Meals and laundry for 19 people is just too much! I wouldn't mind this at all if the family hired nannies to help, but I just don't agree with having the older kids tend to the younger ones. That's practically a housewife's job. An adult's job, in other words, not a child's.

I think it's kind of crazy to have that many kids. It's not fair to the kids. They don't get enough attention from the parents. There is no way that they possibly could. And they expect too much from their older children. They shouldn't have to do everything for all of their younger siblings. I don't understand why those parents want to just keep on having more and more children. They need to take care of the ones they have instead of expecting their older children to take care of them instead.

Yeah I saw this- I think WOW--- I remember reading about them in the People magazine- I thought then- this is too much- but I guess it’s up to them how many kids they want- and how many they can afford- If they aren’t abusing the system then all the power to them- I would go crazy with that many kids- I have a cousin who has 4 kids- I couldn’t do that either- and she is super busy- so I can’t imagine this many!

They're not on public assistance & their children are well cared for, I see no reason that anyone should say they have too many. I'm all set with having that many,but it's not my place to judge them. As far as the older siblings pitching in & watching younger siblings; I don't see a problem with that either. Most children today don't have enough responsibilities/chores. Children should have reasonable chores & be expected to do them. Too much free-time leads to getting into trouble.

All I can think to say is, are they nuts?!!!! i could not imagine having that many children. I think at times that my son is more than enough for me, he is quite hyperactive and in his preteens so I am struggling for control right now. I guess they would have to have a lot of helping hands, and as long as they are able to raise them and support them, more power to them. I know that there are some people who still believe in large families, but I would think three or four would be enough for me. Congrats to the whole family!

A few years ago, large families were good because the children could help their parents work on a farm and also medicine was at a much lower level so lives were much shorter. Today this is no longer the case. People are living longer than ever and we have become more urbanized to the point where we don't need to have as many children. I personally think that anything above 4 kids is a bit excessive and I don't think it is fair to your children to have to split your attention more than 4 ways.

I guess there are lots of twins among them. I always wanted a large family but could not have any, part of which was I married too late, and part of that was because I was told you will have plenty of time, and part of was because I was discouraged. I always envied people who could have five or more kids and they all turned out fine and not on welfare or in poverty as I was told what would happen. Good for them!!!