Want a Big Family? Consider These Things First...

Want a Big Family? Consider These Things First…

Considering having a lot of kids and a big family? Great read for moms who wonder how many kids should I have.

Large extended family pictures outdoors

17 Dos and Don’ts For Your Large Group Photo | Click it Up a Notch®

When taking a large group photo it’s important to know what to do when so many people are looking at you. Have these DOs and don’ts down! %

Travel with a Large Family: You Can Do It!

Travel with a large family can be overwhelming but it’s always worth the effort! Read all the tips from Orlando Travel Blogger, Amber Likes as a mom of 5 for making memories while traveling!

Family Photo Ideas for Large Families Multi-Generational Grandparents Parents Kids Grandkids Outdoor

An overcast day over Memorial Day weekend at the stone bridge at the Manassas Battlefields proved to be a beautiful setting for this extended family photography session. The McIvor family was finally together again after over a year of being apart. Grandparents with grandkids, cousins reunited with other cousins, siblings finally seeing their siblings. It was really sweet to see everyone together, laughing and having fun. Especially sweet was seeing the little cousins reuniting after so long….

cosmetics styling

Big family photo shoot inspiration

Extended Family Photography | b&b Photography

Some of our favorite relationships are the ones we share with our extended family. Get the grandparents, cousins, and siblings together for an extended family photoshoot!

The Perez Family | Fall Family Photos | Large family photos, Big family photos, Outdoor family pictures

Sparks Lake, OR Family Photoshoot

Are you considering having a lot of kids close together in age or having a big family? This post will help you think on all the angles.When you can no longer fit your whole family into a sedan… that’s when I consider it “big.”When you can barely squeeze in a large booth at a restaurant. And when you start getting stares at the grocery store and people wonder if you’re running a daycare. A nurse who helped deliver my last two babies said, in her mind, a big family started at 5 kids.But I believe she had 7 kids which I class as an “extra large” family so there you have it.Size matters. It matters on the type of vehicle you have to drive, the size of house you might choose to live in, the amount of money you’ll spend on groceries, how many times you have to double a recipe, and the noise level in your home.Just to name a few things.If you’re considering having a lot of kids, however you define that, then I hope this post will help you think it through.Full disclosure: I have 5 kids and could not imagine my life without all of them. To me, obvs, big families rock.Husbands… if you only want one or two kids and your wife is letting you read this… don’t send me hate mail. :)Self-Care Habit TrackerDo you forget to sleep, bathe, eat, relax, etc.? NO MORE. This tracker will help you consistently live within your limits so you have more love to give to your family.It’s Not an Exponent, but It is a MultipleHaving no kids to having one child is a huge change. Having two instead of having one is less severe.And having 4 instead of 3 is more, but not exponentially more. You’re already changing diapers, reading bedtime stories, cutting up peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and handling tantrums.Now you’re just doing it with more kids.People say that after 3 kids it’s a nuthouse. I personally believe the nuthouse begins at 4 kids. For what it’s worth.Two you’re already outnumbered.Three you’ve got to keep a firm grasp to run a tight ship.Four requires an razor sharp brain and the ability to ignore some things you don’t like.Read: Daily Schedule for 4 Kids Aged 4 and Under
Christmas Tree Shopping ???A photo posted by Rachel Norman (@momfarfromhome) on Dec 3, 2016 at 8:58am PST
Daily Routine Brainstorm SHEETSGet my cheat sheets and find your family’s groove. Chore, independent play, meal, nap, bedtime, and MORE routine ideas!You Must Be (Or Learn to Be) A Major Majorer As A Big Family ManagerIf you are the type of person that needs everything a certain way or you don’t function, you either need to refrain from having a large family or you need to follow Elsa’s lead and Let It Go.I personally chose (by force) to Let It Go. I still love order, still want kids who mind and obey, but I’ve learned to Major in the Majors and Minor in the Minors.For us this looks like:Starting and ending the day with a tidy enough house, but not running behind my kids all day to clean up
Letting kids dress themselves because it saves work. If it doesn’t match or it’s highwater and it isn’t church or a family photo, I don’t care.
Loosening the grip on some rules and doing away with others altogether. I don’t mind if they run in the house if they’re playing, for example.
Read: The Stay At Home Mom Schedule That’ll Keep You SaneYour Home and Life Will Not Look the Same With A Big FamilyIf you have one or two kids and are still hanging on to the vestiges of pre-mamahood… those will be done away with when you have a large family.For starters, you cannot maintain tight control on everything with so many kids.It’s just impossible.Two, by nature of the fact you have a lot of kids you just won’t have as much time. Three, good luck finding someone who will babysit all the kids if you want to be gone during meal or bedtimes.At least, good luck finding someone to do it often.If Mama Ain’t HappyNeglecting your own physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional needs for so long―in an effort to be a selfless mother―leaves you depleted. Being well blesses your family! Learn WIN WIN strategies in my upcoming book!Learn MoreYour home can still be tidy, but imagine how big of a mess one toddler makes? Multiply that by 5 and, even if your kids know they must clean up after themselves, if you interrupt them mid-play the house looks like an episode of Hoarders.Family Culture Planning PackStrong and happy families have carefully crafted Family Cultures. They don’t let guilt drive them, rather they spend their time and energy digging deep into a few key family areas that pay off in spades.Learn MoreYou can still have drop zones, good organization, and good home systems, but your home will look like children live there.Because they do.Read: The Non-Obvious Reason Your Home is ChaoticLife School At HomeHelp prepare your kids for life, one skill at a time. Simple, easy skills every month!Learn MoreBig Family Energy Exists… Can You Handle It?You know you can go out with a group of friends or go to an event somewhere and you feel that energy?
That energy that says “Something is happening. Tonight is going to be fun.” 
Well, with a large family, that excitement is the norm. It always feels like something is happening. In fact, many things are always happening.I can sense it myself and other kids most definitely sense it. When one child comes over and all 4 of my (mobile) kids run up to this child smiling huge grins and welcoming them…I can feel that child feel it.It’s a sense of excitement, energy, and movement. If you are a quiet introverted type, this may be a struggle. Or it may just mean you get better at finding time for yourself in the everyday.
When you wake up on the Wrongest Side of the Bed and the only remedy is making all the kids match #momof4 #SundayStruggles #momofmany #momofboys #caboosebabyA photo posted by Rachel Norman (@momfarfromhome) on Jun 26, 2016 at 8:21am PDT
Food Shopping Is No Joke For Big Families…A dear friend is married to one of four boys. He said his mom would cook a normal sized dinner then throw a loaf of bread and some butter on the table to tell the kids to fill up.This is life with a lot of kids.They eat and eat and eat and eat and you better cook from scratch and let them go hungry sometimes or you’ll spend $356,346 on groceries a month.We do pretty well and don’t overspend the budget most months, but it is a factor. If you hate cooking from scratch and tripling recipes and want to cook every meal with nice cuts of meat and fancy fixins… it gets a bit cost prohibitive with a lot of mouths to feed.
When you buy groceries for 7 people for 1 month and it takes 3 carts, 2 grandparents, 1 baby carrier and a #cando attitude. #momof5A photo posted by Rachel Norman (@momfarfromhome) on Dec 1, 2016 at 10:25am PST
There is Less Time Per Child In a Big FamilyMost moms really want to spend one on one time with their kids. We love our little ones and want the to feel special, included, and cherished.The more kids you have the more creative you have to be. You have to capitalize on the little moments throughout the day.You don’t have as much time for grand gestures with each child.It’s possible, but it isn’t as easy.On the other hand, the kids are not sitting around lonely either. Even times when I’m wanting to spend individual time with one child, they often want to bring a sibling!I like to take one child with me on errands as much as possible. This is one way to fit it in. I have a fried who lets one child per night stay up half an hour later to have time with the parents.Each family is different, but you have to make it happen whereas when you only have one or two children, it happens naturally.Mom Problem Solving Worksheetpinpoint an issue
draw out how it’s affecting you
label what you don’t like about it
determine areas of responsibility
figure out how it’s showing up
say what you’d rather happen
brainstorm solutions
If you are wondering how many kids is the right number or if you can really handle it, I want to assure you.You’ll know.You’ll feel it inside. And no matter what, you can handle it.FAQs on Big FamiliesIs 3 kids considered a big family?If you only have 2 kids, then 3 seems like a lot. To “large families” 3 kids isn’t a lot, and a family is typically considered big with 4 kids or more. But this is all opinion :)What are the advantages of a large family?Lots of built in playmates, chances to learn sharing, responsibility, and getting along with others. More people to love!How do you manage a big family?With home systems, organization, and distribution of chores and household tasks. Lots of life skills learned.Are big families happier?Well, that depends on the family. Big families aren’t necessarily any happier than small families, depends on the people.What is the perfect amount of kids?Well, that totally depends on how many kids your budget can handle, your emotions can handle, and your level of sanity can handle.Are parents happier with only one child?Depends on the parents :). Some parents want one child but feel a lot of guilt since their child doesn’t have a built in play mate, etc. Lonely onlies end up just fine, but some parents suffer being worried about it.What are the consequences of a large family?Less money, less time, more people’s hearts and minds to cultivate, and generally a louder and more rambunctious home. This may be good or bad to you :)::