What’s your ideal family size?
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- August
- 3
Even 17 isn’t enough for the Duggar family, who welcomed a new baby yesterday morning. Mom Michelle Duggar told reporters she’d “love to have more.” You may have heard of the Duggars, whose penchant for having kids has made them the subject of news stories and TV interviews as well as shows on the Discovery Health Network and The Learning Channel. Here’s a link to the Duggar’s own Web site, but it’s not loading right now  I suspect because of all the traffic generated by the birth of the littlest Duggar. Here’s a link to Google’s roundup of news stories about the birth.
As someone who became a mom in her late 30s, the chance for 7  let alone 17  kids is long gone. But I have to admit that a little part of me relates to Michelle and Jim Bob’s desire to simply accept all the “gifts” they receive. Although I was an only child who longed for siblings, I simply didn’t know I’d love being a mom as much as I do. If I did, I would have started earlier! My ideal family size  if I had a choice and were 10 years younger  would be 3 kids (5 if I were 15 years younger).
Of course, providing and caring for many kids is the challenge. Back when the Duggars had just (!) 14 children, mom Michelle told Parents magazine that the family spent $1,500 a month on food. They buy 50-pound bags of rice and beans! Of course, if you read more about the Duggars, you’ll learn they aren’t leading a typical American lifestyle. There aren’t weekly trips to the local McDonald’s  and I would be surprised to learn that even one of the kids has an iPod. The children are homeschooled, everyone chips in for chores and religion is a huge part of their daily lives.
If you had a choice  and money and age weren’t a consideration  how large would your family be?
This entry was posted
on Friday, August 3rd, 2007 at 2:49 pm by Julie Moran Alterio.
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As an only child, having one child per family seems perfectly normal to me. So having two myself seems like a lot, in my eyes. I can’t envision myself having more than two kids. I’m exhausted enough!
My wife and I just welcomed our son into the world on June 27th 2007. Sawyer is our second son, and seventh child. I can’t imagine not having a house full of children. They give us reason to breathe every morning. I was raised in a family of seven so to me this seems so natural. I am willing for more. I can’t say I would want 17 but eight or maybe nine sounds like a great number. Multiple the joy of a child by six and you can imagine the sheer joy that exist in my home!!! While it is not really cheaper by the dozen it is so totally doable!!
I have a 16 year old daughter and I had all the joys of raising her. I don’t see the nee of having two or more chidlren.