What makes so many mothers of large families believe that all women should have

1. 86

   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   What makes so many mothers of large families believe that all women should have the same
   
   lifestyle as they do?
   According to so many large family blogs and commentaries, mothers of large families adamantly assert that mothers of smaller families are "missing something" because they choose to have smaller number of children. They contend that THEIR lifestyle is the only valid one.  Has any mother of a small family experienced this from mothers of large families?
   
   

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2. 60

   kj forceposted 11 years ago

   Interesting question...I have known women who had large families and noticed a similarity between them...and that is they appear quite content and not easily
   agitated. While on the other hand mothers who tend to have fewer children often are more agitated and come across overwhelmed at times. Perhaps that is because with more children " who has the time to think about or stress over anything ? " As far as I am concerned it is a personal decision just like some mothers choose to have a career, while some choose not. Isn't it great that we don't always think alike and have options ?
   Look forward to what others think.....

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   1. 86

      gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Mothers of large families aren't easily agitated & content because they DON'T have to do the actual parenting of their children as opposed to mothers of small families.Mothers of large families  have the oldest children raise the other children.

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   2. 60

      kj forceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That's pretty much what I was thinking.. sorry if I mislead the answer...great question by the way...

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   3. 86

      gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I would be calm too if the oldest raise my kids.Mothers of large families have IT MADE.They don't have to do ANYTHING.The oldest child is on 24/7/365. It's the mothers of small families who REALLY PARENT their children. Thank you for responding.

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3. 75

   tsadjatkoposted 11 years ago

   
   
   I don't personally know any mother's of large families and not being a mother I probably can't make an intelligent comment about this subject. But I have had the experience of being a single parent of 4 adolescent children. I wish I could have gotten the older ones to help with the younger ones (4 in total each 2 years apart). Maybe that is my fault.
   I remember when they were born (of course they had their mother then). One was easy, two, twice the work and three - well that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Anything past three seemed it didn't matter as we were already in no mans land :-).
   I'd imagine any mother of more than three has no choice but to be content and not easily agitated or they would go insane! It's probably just a survival technique that takes the phrase "count your blessings" to a literal extreme. Being a man and sort of having been there I'm happy to give them the benefit of the doubt and not hold them accountable for a lack of empathy toward those who have smaller families. It could just be their way of coping with the hand they are dealt (or drew). When I think of what it would be like to have that big a family I wonder if I would have the strength to endure the greater possibility of tragedy or adversity that comes with raising children. God forbid that I might outlive any of them...that would be hard.

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4. 56

   PoeticFailosophyposted 11 years ago

   why do people in large families all get the same middle name?

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