Friday 27 January 2012

27.1.12 Fifteen Kids and Counting

I saw this programme the other day, as well as the one the week before.  The dynamics and likeability of families with numerous kids are widely variable.  This week we had Mrs Lewis, a woman with a slightly warped view of her offspring whose apparent purpose in life is to satisfy a mother's wish to win 'beauty' competitions.  These tragically naf pageants and low-level 'competitions' bring out everything that's wrong in girls.  Encouraging them is hardly sensible, and these endeavours always seem to highlight the not-so-attractive in the participants, rather than the attractive elements.  Get a life, woman, and leave the kids alone.  The one male seems not to have been nudged into competition, unlike the twelve females.

The other family this week was a weird collection, with various kids from different relationships and families all under one roof.  The family name was 'Bland' but life was anything but!  Anyone trying to live in such an atmosphere would struggle, so these kids are on an uphill journey.  It was the incessany bickering, fighting, shouting and squabbling that made me feel claustrophobic just watching.

More interesting though was the previous weeks episode.  The first family featured (the Radfords from Morcambe) was marvellous.  Fourteen kids, and one on the way!  The parents were wonderful, the kids were totally decent and all worked together.  It was actually amazingly uplifting and everyone worked so hard as a team.  Fair play.  However, down in Kent, the other family, the Sullivans, was skewed.  Sorry, luv, but you cannot 'home school' kids ranging from age four to age thirteen round the same table in the kitchen, and expect a decent standard of education to be gained.  Nine kids, with twins just being born, is hardly sensible if you're going to deny them the chance to mix with others of their ages.  Denying access to TV, school, and insisting on reading the bible is not something I am applauding you for!  Spouting shit about 'what God wants' and making yourself out to be some sort of saint for having loads of Catholic kids is not going to get you into heaven.  I notice that you're against condoms because 'what will be will be' and there 'shouldn't be intervention' - but it's rather two-faced then to accept a caesarian birth because it suits!  Divine?  No, fucking mad.  Talk about cherry picking your ideals. 

Having loads of kids can certainly work, and be good for some.  However, whether the families themselves realise it or not, most are well fucked up.  For every wonderful example, as in the Radfords, there are many which raise severe doubts about the sense of large families, and the mental state of the parents.

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