{"id":14412,"date":"2016-02-12T07:08:44","date_gmt":"2016-02-12T13:08:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/?p=14412"},"modified":"2023-03-25T07:15:03","modified_gmt":"2023-03-25T12:15:03","slug":"when-strangers-count-our-kids-and-ask-if-were-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/2016\/02\/12\/when-strangers-count-our-kids-and-ask-if-were-done\/","title":{"rendered":"When Strangers Count Our Kids and Ask If We&#8217;re Done"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids....jpg?resize=1024%2C705&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"When Strangers Count Our Kids &amp; Ask If We&#039;re Done | One large family&#039;s answer to the probing questions of curious bystanders.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"705\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-14423\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids....jpg?resize=1024%2C705&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids....jpg?resize=600%2C413&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids....jpg?resize=300%2C207&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids....jpg?resize=768%2C529&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids....jpg?resize=250%2C172&amp;ssl=1 250w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids....jpg?w=1632&amp;ssl=1 1632w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Large families are a magnet for probing questions.<\/strong> Natural curiosity compels complete strangers who count our kids to ask if we&#8217;re done &#8211;or to blurt out all manner of other deeply personal inquiries. Many people can&#8217;t seem to hold back when they meet a couple with a lot of kids. It&#8217;s open season as soon as anybody with more than the average number of children shows up in public:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li>Are they all yours?<\/li>\n<li>From the same husband?<\/li>\n<li>Don&#8217;t you know what causes that?<\/li>\n<li>Did you have them naturally?<\/li>\n<li>Were they all planned?<\/li>\n<li>Do I need to buy you a TV?<\/li>\n<li>Are you going to have any more?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>People don&#8217;t wait until you have a full dozen to start asking, either. <strong>Sometimes a third or fourth baby is all it takes to put you in the hot seat concerning your reproductive gameplan.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/2014\/11\/01\/children-are-a-blessing\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Family-Size-Comments.png?resize=1024%2C680&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Big Family Comments\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-26458\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Family-Size-Comments.png?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Family-Size-Comments.png?resize=600%2C398&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Family-Size-Comments.png?resize=300%2C199&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Family-Size-Comments.png?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I usually don&#8217;t mind such questions &#8212; <strong>they&#8217;re great conversation starters<\/strong> &#8212; nor do I normally take offense when people want to know more about what makes our family tick.<\/p>\n<p>But when a reporter recently asked me, &#8220;Are you done?&#8221;, I think <strong>it triggered a more visceral response<\/strong> than he was expecting:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gNGhwLqNVFU?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Which begs another question: <strong>Is it really <em>crazy<\/em> to want a lot of children?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s what I&#8217;ve been hearing for my last ten pregnancies.<strong> There&#8217;s nothing like having a random stranger pronounce you insane based entirely upon your family size!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In our heart of hearts, <strong>we can&#8217;t see anything crazy about wanting a bunch of kids<\/strong>. In fact, we can rattle off a lengthy list of <a href=\"http:\/\/lovinglifeathome.com\/2014\/02\/13\/15-unexpected-benefits-of-big-family-living\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">benefits to having a big family<\/a> &#8212; not the least of which is postponing <a href=\"http:\/\/lovinglifeathome.com\/2012\/04\/01\/my-empty-nest-list\/\">our empty nest<\/a> for a few extra years!<\/p>\n<p>But the world calls us crazy, so we&#8217;ve learned to embrace that label. And in one sense, it fits: <strong>We are crazy in love, and we don&#8217;t care who knows it. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We love each other. We love the Lord. And <strong>we love all the wonderful children He has entrusted to our care<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Are you &#8220;crazy&#8221; about children, too? <strong>What&#8217;s the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/children-are-a-blessing\/\">weirdest question<\/a> you&#8217;ve been asked about your brood? <\/strong>Share in the comments below, along with your standard answer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you know another &#8220;crazy&#8221; mom who might be encouraged by this post?<\/strong> Please share it by clicking on one of the social media buttons below. And thanks for helping spread the word that it&#8217;s okay to want kids. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids-Ask-If-Were-Done-One-large-familys-answer-to-the-probing-questions-of-curious-bystanders..jpg?resize=924%2C1536&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids-Ask-If-Were-Done-One-large-familys-answer-to-the-probing-questions-of-curious-bystanders\" width=\"924\" height=\"1536\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-14428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids-Ask-If-Were-Done-One-large-familys-answer-to-the-probing-questions-of-curious-bystanders..jpg?resize=616%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 616w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids-Ask-If-Were-Done-One-large-familys-answer-to-the-probing-questions-of-curious-bystanders..jpg?resize=600%2C997&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids-Ask-If-Were-Done-One-large-familys-answer-to-the-probing-questions-of-curious-bystanders..jpg?resize=181%2C300&amp;ssl=1 181w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids-Ask-If-Were-Done-One-large-familys-answer-to-the-probing-questions-of-curious-bystanders..jpg?resize=768%2C1276&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids-Ask-If-Were-Done-One-large-familys-answer-to-the-probing-questions-of-curious-bystanders..jpg?resize=250%2C415&amp;ssl=1 250w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/When-Strangers-Count-Our-Kids-Ask-If-Were-Done-One-large-familys-answer-to-the-probing-questions-of-curious-bystanders..jpg?w=840&amp;ssl=1 840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 924px) 100vw, 924px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Large families are a magnet for probing questions. Natural curiosity compels complete strangers who count our kids to ask if we&#8217;re done &#8211;or to blurt out all manner of other&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[16,251],"tags":[891,10267],"class_list":["post-14412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-parenting","category-video-clips","tag-big-families","tag-humor"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>When Strangers Count Our Kids and Ask If We&#039;re Done - Flanders Family Home Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What always seems to happen when strangers count our kids? 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