Again not to be judgmental, but there is another thing that has been on my mind, so again I go back to the show 18 Kids and Counting. This show fascinates me; they seem so normal and well adjusted, for the most part. And unlike so many really large families, they are somewhat stylish and attractive. I still haven’t figured out the no dancing thing, but that is for another post.
Anyway right after I had Turner, my mother-in-law who gave birth to eight children, made a statement that really bothered me. She said “I really didn’t start enjoying my family until about the fifth child when the older ones could take care of the younger ones.”
Now the tie in, if you watch the show 18 Kids and Counting, you will notice when they go on an outing it is the older girl’s responsibility to manage the younger kids. As a matter of fact I believe they are assigned certain younger siblings. Michelle Dugger even once said during the show, God knew what he was doing when he sent the girls first to manage all the little boys.
So here is my problem. Why is it the siblings responsibility to take care of the younger children? Why isn’t it the parents responsibility? How responsible is that?
Now the tie in, if you watch the show 18 Kids and Counting, you will notice when they go on an outing it is the older girl’s responsibility to manage the younger kids. As a matter of fact I believe they are assigned certain younger siblings. Michelle Dugger even once said during the show, God knew what he was doing when he sent the girls first to manage all the little boys.
So here is my problem. Why is it the siblings responsibility to take care of the younger children? Why isn’t it the parents responsibility? How responsible is that?
Now I’m not advocating for small families, but I don’t believe people should have more children then they can handle not only financially, which is a big issue, but emotionally and physically.
I have had conversations with my sister-in-law about how it fell to her to raise my husband because their mom was so overwhelmed with other things and how she was not able to do all the she wanted to as a teenager because she was needed at home to help out with the other children.
Now here is my opinion and this is just my opinion, but I don’t think it is fair that parents should expect older siblings to care for the younger siblings. Help out yes, but to place so much on these kids is irresponsible and selfish on the part of the parents. They are robbing the older kids of their childhood.
Again just my opinion!
I have had conversations with my sister-in-law about how it fell to her to raise my husband because their mom was so overwhelmed with other things and how she was not able to do all the she wanted to as a teenager because she was needed at home to help out with the other children.
Now here is my opinion and this is just my opinion, but I don’t think it is fair that parents should expect older siblings to care for the younger siblings. Help out yes, but to place so much on these kids is irresponsible and selfish on the part of the parents. They are robbing the older kids of their childhood.
Again just my opinion!
I could go off with you about this big time .... I have a neighbor who has seven children. It's not a lot, but she will take turns pulling one of the older kids out of school to come home and babysit the little ones. It drives me nuts. I am this close to calling the DCFS on this woman....but I won't.
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