Keepers by the Dozen (raising large families)

National Catholic Register ^ | July 10, 2006 | GINA GIAMBRONE

[Salvation]

**This culture is so odd in that it glorifies having no responsibilities and yet every one wants to be treated with total respect.**

Yet they ALWAYS want instant gratification! Go figure!

[Salvation]

Oh, how sad. I was just thinking of posting the a and her family on the death of their son, Joshua.

thread about that book, so guess I will. God bless Regina and her family as they grieve the loss of their son, Joshua.

Angel in the Waters -- New Pro-Life book for children [Tissue Alert]

[jrny]

Thank you.

[kstewskis]

As a middle child I was feeling quite neglected and decided to run away. (We lived out in the country, so there were plenty places to go.) I left in the afternoon and was gone for 4 hours. I came back right before dinner, and no one even knew I was gone! ; )

Funny story!

You know, another comeback that your Dad could have used on that drunk, was to brag that "the Mrs. likes to hide the remote control, she can't help herself!"

[Campion]

I think it's wrong to have children to raise your children so you can keep on popping out babies.

In other words, you think it's wrong for kids to learn responsibility and practice parenting skills while there's someone there to look over their shoulders?

Not to mention that a teenage girl with experience caring for a younger sibling will think twice, three times, and maybe four or five or six times before hopping into bed with a boyfriend and making a baby of her own. She begins to have a clue about how much work is really involved.

And some of the reasons appear to be nothing more than creating offerings for a Church.

Yeah, can't give anything back to God. That would just be wrong, wouldn't it ... ?!?

[Kaylee Frye]

Wow, great article. I have so much respect for large families - they are a wonderful thing.

[redhead]

In our tiny parish, we have two large families: One, with all daughters, are all grown, but still all sit together with their mom. The other is a young military family. They have eight children: Six boys and two girls. The oldest boy is now a lector. When we lived in Minnesota, we were about 25 miles from an older couple who had had twenty-five kids. Yep. Two or three sets of twins, and all the kids were living.

I love to see large families out and about. I always compliment the parents for doing such a good job, because, almost invariably, their children are better behaved than any others to be seen at the moment, including my grandkids.

Any more, four or five children is considered a "large" family. When I was young, "large" didn't start until after the sixth child. I was the middle of seven.

[redhead]

"But it's just not possible for one parent to fill the needs of that many children."

"Two things. One, a lot of those "needs" aren't really needs, just wants. Two, part of the value of a large family is that the older children have to learn to help out. That's often a better thing for kids than having a parent all to themselves, to fawn over them full-time."

Two more things: There are usually TWO parents in large families, each with different roles, of course. And a parent's job is not to be pals with their kids, but to raise them to be good family members and good citizens. There's time enough for "friendship" after they are older and need less "hands-on" training.

[lastchance]

Thanks my memory bank was overdrawn yesterday.

[lastchance]

Dear Lord,

I pray that you will be a source of refuge and comfort for the family in this time of deep sorrow. May your holy angels be by their side. May your grace, love and mercy blanket their grieving hearts. May your sorrow for their loss remind you of your always loving presence in their lives. And may they one day rejoice with their son in heaven.

Oh Holy Mary Mother of God take this child in your arms, as you do all the children who must leave their earthly mothers. In Jesus name. Amen.

[RobbyS]

Probably you don't have a larger house because houses with five or more bedrooms are hard to find, at any price.

[ELS]

I don't know where you are now, but in New York and northern New Jersey, large Catholic families are all but nonexistent

You're just looking in the wrong places, at least as far as northern NJ goes.

[Clemenza]

Lets see: I'm just going by what I see in the Churches of friends in places like Summit, Far Hills, Saddle River, Linden, and Paramus. Is there some Brigadoon somewhere where Catholics have large families?

Interestingly enough, where my sister lives in South Carolina, you are hard pressed to find a family with less than four kids. Its very affordable and a good place to raise a family, whether Catholic or Protestant.

[Clemenza]

Lets see: I'm just going by what I see in the Churches of friends and family in places like Summit, Far Hills, Saddle River, Linden, and Paramus. Is there some Brigadoon somewhere where Catholics have large families?

Interestingly enough, where my sister lives in South Carolina, you are hard pressed to find a family with less than four kids. Its very affordable and a good place to raise a family, whether Catholic or Protestant.

[ELS]

When the indult Mass started in Jersey City, there were three families with at least four kids (they all have at least five kids now, with one I think having seven). One of them lives in Livingston and the other two, until recently, lived in Jersey City. One still lives in Jersey City and the other moved to NY state. Other young families occasionally attend the TLM in Jersey City, but are not "regulars."

St. Anthony's Chapel in W. Orange has several large families in the congregation. One of the mothers is expecting her 10th child in the next couple of weeks.

Regarding the cost of living, it is true that these families are not living luxurious lives. My parents, as a professor and high school teacher, managed to raise six kids in Short Hills. As the youngest, I received my share of hand-me-down clothes. It can be done. One just needs to know clearly what their priorities are.

[Clemenza]

It can be done. One just needs to know clearly what their priorities are.

True.

[VermiciousKnid]

Not to mention that a teenage girl with experience caring for a younger sibling will think twice, three times, and maybe four or five or six times before hopping into bed with a boyfriend and making a baby of her own. She begins to have a clue about how much work is really involved.

Excellent points here, Campion!

In my own experience, though my immediate family is small (just us two kids), the extended family is HUGE, and being one of the oldest of the scarce girls in the family (we are strangely top-heavy with boys, by a ratio of at least 4:1), I had TONS of practice caring for babies and young children while I was growing up. By the time I had my own kids (AFTER marriage; I was no dummy), I was practically an old pro.

As for "thinking twice about making a baby of my own" before I had a responsible and caring husband to help me...well...you ain't just whistlin' Dixie, Jack. I certainly did, as did all my cousins, too. No one out of 73 made that particular mistake (though we made plenty of others). It didn't hurt that I had a 6'6" Daddy who insisted on "meeting" any dates brave enough to come around, either. LOL

Regards,

PS: My uncle and his wife are the proud parents of 12 children. They hold the title for "largest single family" in our Family. They lived in a 2 bedroom house, where Aunt and Uncle had one bedroom, the 2 girls had the other, and 10 boys shared a barracks that was created in the basement. The other half of the cellar was the playroom. From watching how that family was run, I have come to the following conclusion: You don't need a mansion, you need ORGANIZATION. Auntie had it in spades.

[ninenot]

5. Feminine mystique goes out the window when you have 5 sisters.

It lands near the MOON when you have 7 daughters.

Take it from me...

[Tax-chick]

a teenage girl with experience caring for a younger sibling will think twice, three times, and maybe four or five or six times before hopping into bed with a boyfriend and making a baby of her own

I've often said that nothing puts a young woman off the opposite sex like changing a 3-year-old brother's diapers.

(However, doing laundry and cleaning bathrooms for six males is close.)

[Thorin]

>>>>>I'm just not impressed by it.

And I'm not impressed by you.