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November 2009

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Driving Miss Cranky

Name: Karen Waldkirch
Kids: Son, age 20; daughter, age 16
Works: Freelance writer, stay-at-home mom
Favorite part of being a mom: Building strong bodies 12 ways.
Least favorite part of being a mom: Being immensely disliked quite often.
Famous for: Embarrassing my children whenever possible. (And watching far too much television in the 70s.)

Three's Company but is 18 More Than Enough?

By Karen Waldkirch
Friday, Sep 19 2008, 03:53 PM

 

How many is enough? At what point and when do you realize you are finished having children?

 

For some women, thanks to infertility, they don’t even get the luxury of that question. For others, it’s a concern weighted by elements such as health, family dynamics, faith or  finances.

 

When I was a young, unmarried woman, I thought that I wanted a big family. My sister, who is 13 years younger than me, was an infant during my adolescent years. To me, taking care of a baby was fun!

 

Fast-forward to marriage to a guy from a very large family (9 children.) I figured they’d give me the secrets to parenting a large clan. Alas, they didn’t, and eventually, we figured out that a large family wasn’t what we, or God, had in mind for our lives. (Turns out that while I was a snoozing teenager, my mom spent many days and nights working VERY hard taking care of my sister.)

 

On the other end of the spectrum, you have people like the Duggar family in Arkansas who are currently pregnant with their 18th child. Yes, I said 18. And it will be no surprise when I tell you that they are getting their own reality show. (Click here to read about it.)

 

It was interesting reading the comments from readers under that article. Some people were outraged and downright indignant.

 

I don’t know about you, but I worry more about teenage girls having babies than a seemingly stable couple whose house may be bursting at the seams. Who am I to say how many kids are right for them? I think they’re crazy and I’m kinda worried about that mom’s long-term health, but it’s their choice.

 

What do you think? Do you agree with their choice to have such a large family? If not, does it make you angry? I admit that I'll be watching to see how they manage...to stay sane! Share your comments below or e-mail me at misscrankyblog@yahoo.com .

 

Comments

Linda Mulholland   

Size doesn't matter.  I say live and let live.  Everyone has their own reasons for the size of their families and everyone else seems to have an opinion.  Having an only child can also be a stigma of sorts. Yeah, even in 2008, I still hear the phrase said almost in a whisper, "well, of course he is acting up - he's an ONLY CHILD" with that knowing bobbing of the head.  You never know why people have the amount of children that they have - I would have loved to have 3 or 4 kids - health-wise however, it was not possible for me.  So, I am happy with my one and only and our happy little family and yes, he gets lots of attention and love. So I say let them have their 18 babies - I won't judge them.  I am sure they are all happy and loved. Good for them and I will also watch their show to see how in the world they juggle homework and activities!

September 19, 2008 5:18 PM

eshea   

I love the Duggars and have been following them for years. Who cares how many kids they have? It is no ones business. I remember hearing about them getting a show and I will be an avid viewer.

September 20, 2008 11:42 AM

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About Karen Waldkirch

Karen is a freelance writer who moonlights as a stay-at-home mom of two children (ages 16 and 20). She freely admits to being a tennis and pop culture addict. During the fall and winter, if she is not on the indoor courts, you will find her in the stands at Green Bay Packer and Marquette basketball games.
 
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