An interview with my mother (Mom to 13 children)

My Mom is one amazing woman!  She raised (and is still raising some of them) 13 kids.  Wow. This takes on a whole new meaning now that I have three kiddoes of my own.  The amount of rough days, diapers, toddler meltdowns, messy bedrooms, toys on the floor, books read, birthday cakes made, crazy trips to the grocery store, and silly moments that we all deal with as moms, but amplified on a large scale! Thirteen children!? — It’s a wonder she hasn’t gone crazy. I know some days I feel crazy. But she has been selfless enough to give most of her life to raising a tribe of children into adults, some of who are out raising their own families now.

As a mom to littles, would you like to sit down with a mom who’s made it through the exhausting years of having tiny ones and toddlers at the same time, and just have an encouraging chat? Would you like to hear what a mom with more experience than some of us will ever have, has to say about raising kids? Well, read on, my friend, this post is an interview I did with my own mother.

{My parents}

All these pictures were taken on a recent family trip to Tennessee. (PC: Jack McDonnell) It was our first big family vacation, and every single one of my siblings + their spouses + their kids + my grandma, made it out for a few days together. I put captions under the photos so you know who is pictured. 😉  We made some unforgettable memories on this trip. I hope you enjoy this insight into my family!

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{My siblings}

What was one of the prayers you prayed for every one of us kids? (not necessarily your greatest prayer.)

That the girls would be feminine, boys would be masculine, and both would be glad of it.

{My sister, Mindy, holding Michael}

Picture the time when you only had kids that were 8 years old and under. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself during that stage of life?

I wouldn’t have raised my voice, I would have talked softer and kinder.

{My sister-in-law, Nicole, with her boys.}

We young moms have certain things that we stress over, and this differs from person to person. What is something you used to stress about, that you realize now wasn’t worth worrying over?

I wouldn’t be concerned about what other people thought about my parenting style or how I was parenting. I would simply do what was best for my kids, and not worry about other’s opinions.

{My sister, Molly, and our nephew, David}

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Why didn’t you have a TV, or even a way to play movies for many years, in our home?

Dad and I felt like it would be difficult to control what and how much we would watch. Not having a TV was a way to force ourselves to do right.

{My Nephew, Ronan}

A lot of people look up to you as a friend and mentor in the area of raising children. What is the question that is most commonly asked?

The question I get the most often is, “How do you afford it with 13 children?”  My answer?… If I would have waited until I could afford children, I wouldn’t have any. 😉 But seriously, as we had more children, God always provided for our needs.

{My grandma with her great-grandson, Judson.}

On the crazy parenting days, what do you recommend?

When I had crazy days, I would have everyone get on their beds with books and read for an hour. Sometimes they would fall asleep. During that time, I would sit down with a good book and read for awhile, or have a cup of coffee, or even call a friend or sister to talk for a little bit.

{My sister Kaity’s kids}

Favorite children’s book?

“All the Places to Love” (little ones), “Charlotte’s Web” (elementary), “Carry on Mr. Bowditch” (5th-7th)

Favorite quote about children?

“Where there is room in the heart, there is always room in the house.” -Thomas Moore

Favorite Bible verse about children?

 “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Psalm 127:3

{My parents with all 12 grandchildren.}

{The entire family. I’m so thankful for each and every one of them.}