After two children, they have you outnumbered anyway

By By Michelle Blaylock, Mom’s Corner
I was talking to another Mom this week and we were, of course, talking about school starting. She made a comment about how difficult it was getting two kids ready for school. I kind of smiled and she asked how many I had in school. I replied, "Five."
She looked at me like I was crazy and said, "You have five kids?"
"Well, actually I have six, but I only have to get five ready for school. My college age child has to get herself ready. She goes and buys her own things."
The woman shook her head and replied, "I couldn't stand anymore than two!"
I thought that at one time. When we had just one, we had a friend that had three and I often wondered how on earth she ever even got dressed in the morning! The next thing I knew I was pregnant with our second child, then number three came along. I was tired most of the time, but we survived and I learned some things.
I learned that if you read a story to your kids, instead of doing the dishes, the dirty dish police didn't come and carry you away. Unfortunately, the good dish fairy never seemed to show up either. That's been about 14 years ago and I doubt seriously if my either my 19-year-old or 16-year-old remember the dirty dishes, but they remember mommy spending time with them!
I learned that if your five- year-old wanted to play Candy Land, that the load of laundry in the dryer could wait a while.
I learned that you could do quite a few things, like opening mail, reading a story to an older child, helping with homework, or even playing a board game when nursing your baby.
That's been about 14 years ago and I doubt seriously if either my 19-year-old or 16- year-old remember the dirty dishes, the wrinkled laundry, or the floor that needed vacuuming but they remember mommy spending time with them!
I also learned that after three kids, it doesn't really matter how many more you add to the mix. After three you're outnumbered anyway!
There are, admittedly, differences between small and large families. For example, instead of fixing one box of macaroni and cheese, I fix at least two, sometimes three. I usually fix about four to six pounds of chicken per meal. We do entire packages of frozen veggies and usually several cans of fruit. We average three gallons of milk a week and three half-gallons of soy milk. (We have two with a milk allergy.) I manage to keep our milk consumption down by not cooking with milk too often. I use powdered milk for making things like muffins, pancakes, waffles, bread and rolls when it is less expensive than liquid milk. I just read recently that the average American family has 1.86 children. I guess that explains why things packaged in "family" size doesn't fit my family. We're about 4.14 kids over the "average" family.
Another difference is in laundry. Instead of doing three to five loads of laundry a week, I do three to five loads a day. This doesn't cover the days I wash things like sheets and blankets.
Of course, there are other differences. My kids do wear "hand-me downs" or as they are now more frequently called, "pre-loved" clothes. I also sew quite a few clothes for my kids.
Another area I find a big difference is in medical care. I often feel we ought to get group discount rates at physicians' offices! I do try to do my best to keep us as healthy as possible; I have a steadfast rule about hand washing. It has made huge difference in how often we get ill.
Having a large family can be trying at times. The time we all came down with the stomach flu over the course of one week could definitely be described as "trying." When John accepted a new job in Alabama and left me with six children ages 4 months to 14 years with a house to sell was "trying." (He did come home on the weekends, but sometimes those weekdays were very long!)
However, I wouldn't change having a large family, because although it can be "trying" it can also be fun, heartwarming and exciting. Children in large families are like another child. They each have their own personalities, their own strengths and weaknesses. The most important thing I've learned is to look for the humor in the situation and don't tell hubby everything. I have found my husband is happier when he doesn't "know" everything. After all he goes to work each morning to support us, I'm not going to increase his stress by sharing things he doesn't really need to know. Right?
Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Of course, according to my mother the biggest reason to have a large family is that when you're old and gray there will be more people to take care of you. It's always been the family joke that mom says she figures with her seven kids she can spend about two months a year with each one and every seven years or so each child gets a year off. Of course, it's just a joke. I think, anyway.
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