Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Big Families Not For Christ?

Ummm....are there any big families out there just for the sake of having a big family?

I've been thinking a great deal about my big family (which yes at four I do consider big), and I've thought about the kind of rude responses I get from utter strangers and from people I know. I knew we had crossed the line between acceptable and too many when people started to do the head count thing as we walked through the door of a store. I've had people say "You must be Catholic" which is somewhat true but not the reason we have four kids. People comment on how "My hands are full." which is again true but really annoying to hear when you're doing a damn good job of shepherding wayward kids through Target.

I've been playing around with the idea of writing an article about big families as the only ones I've seen in mainstream magazines either focus on those with three kids or those with 17. There's a middle ground and I thought it would be interesting to find it. But when I started to do a blog search to see what was out there every on was a Christian family. Are there big families that are having lots of kids not for Christ but just because they like having a big family? I'm not knocking the big families for Christ (although I have have opinions about quiverful that I will not share here) but I'm kind of curious to know how secular parents talk about having a big family.

Now we're not 100% secular but we're very liberal and progressive. I struggle with guilt about over population just like any good liberal but with the added test that I have a lot of kids. And while I value my religion, it is not what propelled me into having children. I have no problem with birth control. But I do feel that my life is more complete with all the beasties. I feel like there has to be more big families not for Christ out there. Are they not blogging? Are they harder to find? Anyone want to send them my way?

3 comments:

Niki said...

We've got 4 kids (yes, on purpose) and are agnostics. And I love birth control. We just wanted that many kids.

:)

S said...

Wanna know a secret? B and I are talking about having another one in 2014....shhhh! And you know it's not for Jesus LOL

Unknown said...

Oh come on Sarah...:P LOL

I'll hit you guys up soon!