The Twelve Children Of Christmas.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2251912/Twelve-children-Christmas-Mother-dozen-young-mouths-feed-December-25--200-pay-all.html

Anyone else think these pictures of this seemingly very happy family are a joy to behold especially at Christmas time?

[Answerprancer]

Twelve kids! She must have a m!nge like the Blackwall Tunnel.

[Answerprancer]

Ahem, to answer your question - yes, they look like a lovely happy little bunch.

[boxtops]

They do look great, and all look well cared for - but twelve is a bit over the top, her support from the State each week must be phenomenal. I know that sounds parsimonious, but she's in Kent, my taxes are paying for some of that food mountain.

[albaqwerty]

AP, you do have a way with words. :-)

If that's the same couple who both work and only get CB, then good on them.

[baza]

nice picture of a happy family, unlike the usual stuff printed of tattooed vermin that breed like rabbits and scrounge.

[Mick-Talbot]

Anyone else besides who?

[boxtops]

She's only 38, too - apart from the first 3, it's almost one a year!

[marje]

It does say they both work full time.

[New Judge]

No it does not marje:

"She used to work as a recruitment consultant but runs a website, www.largerfamilylife.com, which gives advice on how to run a large family."

Mr Sullivan is self-employed as a part-time joiner and helps out with the website and at home when he is not working."

Yes they look very happy.

But nobody should have twelve children. All the “environmentalists” who want us all to sit in the dark until the wind blows hard enough to generate a bit of juice to light our unsuitable light bulbs should be jumping up and down with rage. The root cause of almost all the world’s problems of dwindling resources and stretched services is over-population

All is not quite what it seems on the befits front either. Every time this woman gives birth the taxpayer gives her an additional £700. Apart from a bill for child benefit of a little short of £10,000, I note that Mr Sulivan works “part time” which, depending on their income, probably makes the family eligible for Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit of about £10,000pa.

But quite apart from this, we are constantly being urged to think about the harm our very existence has on the environment. I’m told I cannot use a conventional light bulb for the fear of the harm it may cause. Yet a couple can churn out twelve children and all we are encouraged to see is how happy they are. The environmental harm that such a large family brings gets not a mention. It’s a funny old world.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2251912/Twelve-children-Christmas-Mother-dozen-young-mouths-feed-December-25--200-pay-all.html#ixzz2Fnp0FB2g
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[BRIGHT SPARK]

Give NJ a gold badge.

[Answerprancer]

Oops! I offended the moral minority ;-)

[Answerprancer]

Give New Fascist a putty medal.

[New Judge]

How do you equate a suggestion that to have twelve children might not square with the current urgency to "save the planet", with Fascism, AP? My OED definition of Fascism:

"an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. "

So it is authoritarian (or "Fascist") to suggest that perhaps the best way to help "save the planet" is perhaps to limit the size of one's brood to a sensible number. But it is not so to prohibit the sale of conventional (perfectly acceptable) light bulbs. I see.

[B00]

Totally agree with NJ too.

[Answerprancer]

Just my tongue in cheek way of underlining the fact that I see you as one of AB's more right-wing posters.

[Answerprancer]

It was your inflammatory use of the term "environmentalists" that set me off.

[New Judge]

I don't know how else to describe them, AP, but apologies if that upset you. But to be described as a Fascist if you believe in tackling over-population (which I do and which will do far more to "save the planet" than poncing about with light bulbs and windmills) is a little harsh, tongue-in-cheek or not.

[boxtops]

NJ, I am right behind you - you said in a more forthright manner exactly what I am thinking.

[spudqueen]

I'm pretty sure that this family were featured in a programme about large families. The other family, from Morecambe, owned a bakery and had a large Victorian house and they all looked healthy and happy. This family on the other hand lived in a standard semi and whilst I'm not saying they weren't healthy or happy there was one child who was crying the whole way through. This was on numerous visits by the camera crew to their house, so not an isolated incident. He was just left to cry, nobody ever tried to comfort him. Also I thought the mother looked ill and out of her depth. I understood that the husband was very much the head of the household and what he said went. They were very religious and I think that may have had a bearing on the decision to take the children out of school and home school them. They also had bible study every evening.

[NOX]

I have a large family ( also home schooled as it goes) and I claimed no benefits for them AT ALL( if that's okay with everyone). Your taxes therefore have NOT been spent on my children to any greater degree than mine have been spent on you. My taxes have been spent on you in the following ways, since I seriously doubt that there is anyone who hasn't used a local library, swimming pool, park, hospital, Drs surgery or other facility provided for by our largely civilised society for the betterment of everyone. I pay a lot of tax and I don't begrudge anyone anything, so why this unpleasant dislike of large families by those with either no or fewer children? It's quite a common prejeudice and one which I really find pretty odious to be honest. I don't hate people who play tennis because my taxes get spent on council tennis courts, but maybe I should start.
As for the ' environmental' issues mentioned, I think if the people moaning about it are happy to bin their cars, not go on planes on holiday and not use unsustainably sourced items then they might have a point- but in my experience no-one actually lives like this, so they can like or lump my large family until such time as they do.