The Nitty Gritty of life in a Big Family

[MamaAtHome]

What works for your family in your daily life? Let’s share our ‘systems’ and ‘ways’ on this thread.

How many people do you have in your home?

What is the age range of your children?

Single income or double income?

What is your educating status (home, public, Catholic)?

What do you drive?

How many vehicles do you have?

How many bedrooms and children per room do you have?

How many potatoes do you make for a mashed potato side dish?

How much do you spend on groceries weekly?

Do you have a laundry system?

What chores do the children do?

Do you and your spouse have a regular date night?

How often do you go to mass?

Do you separate children during mass?

Where does everyone keep their toothbrushes and other personal toiletries?

Okay, I’m sure there is more, but these are the kind of things that I wonder about. There are so few large families these days, and in the previous generation, it’s often hard to learn from others in real life. I’ll post my answers tomorrow.

 

[CathyD]

We only just had #3, so we don’t really qualify as big, but I read some of your questions and had to answer. Can I also add, "On the rare occasion that you travel, how many hotel rooms do you occupy and do you lie about the number of children so the hotelier doesn’t force you into a dozen rooms?

How many people do you have in your home? 5, plus Chang the betta fish.

What is the age range of your children? 9-4 mo. (9yrs, 7yrs and 4mo.)

Single income or double income? Double. My husband teaches in an inner city school.

What is your educating status (home, public, Catholic)? Public

What do you drive? 91 “blumina” (blue Lumina) and 99 Olds minivan

How many vehicles do you have? 2

How many bedrooms and children per room do you have? 3 bedrooms. The baby is currently with us, but will be moving in with his brother soon! Anne has her own room…for now.

How many potatoes do you make for a mashed potato side dish?
hahahahahahahahaha husband and sons are potato kings! the equivalent to one baker per person, plus a little extra. Potatoes were the baby’s first solid, just last week!

How much do you spend on groceries weekly? Don’t know. I get paid monthly, so we do one big trip and then little trips. I’d have to figure that one out!

Do you have a laundry system? Yes. Basket in our room. Husband starts laundry when he gets home I keep it going and put it away. Does that qualify as a system? What I wouldn’t give for a laundry chute like my mom had.

What chores do the children do? Feed Chang, clean rooms, make beds put some of their clothes away, help set the table.

Do you and your spouse have a regular date night? No, regretfully.

How often do you go to mass? Sundays and then I go once during the week. My husband and I also share an adoration slot. He goes one week and I the next.

Do you separate children during mass? We try!!! It’s the only way to keep the peace.

Where does everyone keep their toothbrushes and other personal toiletries? In our bathroom mostly. At least it seems to drift that way. I put them back in the kids’ bathroom and back they come on the counter in ours. It’s not very organized.

 

[Nicole]

MamaAtHome:

What works for your family in your daily life? Let’s share our ‘systems’ and ‘ways’ on this thread.

Well, we have three kids and are adopting a fourth, and hopefully at least one more, but as of now I don’t know if we qualify as big. But what the heck… Nicole

How many people do you have in your home? 5, 1 dog, 1 cat

What is the age range of your children? 6-12, soon to be 3-12

Single income or double income? Single since '95

What is your educating status (home, public, Catholic)? Two in Catholic school, one homeschooled

What do you drive? Minivan now, minivan for the forseeable future

How many vehicles do you have? Two

How many bedrooms and children per room do you have? Four bedrooms, youngest’s sits empty and he sleeps in ours. Right now, each child has his own room, but that will change soon, or most likely, we’ll have one more in our room!

How many potatoes do you make for a mashed potato side dish? Probably six

How much do you spend on groceries weekly? $150-$200

Do you have a laundry system? Sorted bins in our closet, one bin on landing for kids, don’t take out of dryer until there is time to fold the whole load.

What chores do the children do? Unload dishwasher, mow grass, babysit (oldest), sweep, vacuum, clean rooms, take up laundry, help with cooking.

Do you and your spouse have a regular date night? Not regular, but we do get out at least once every two weeks, even if for coffee

How often do you go to mass? 3-5 times per week

Do you separate children during mass? Yes, just in our row, one adult between each kid for now.

Where does everyone keep their toothbrushes and other personal toiletries? Daughter in her own bathroom, everyone else’s in ours.