Fourteen children

Perhaps with so many they didnt notice an extra two or lost count.

16? Had they just mislaid two? Left in the supermarket, forgotten at the back of a cupboard? Where are the rest?

Just read the article in yesterdays DM, the family actually have 16 children and I must say they all look well cared for and happy.

harrigran

I watch 'Wanted down under' and it is obvious that many people think NZ is some sort of Dubai with very high wages. They get a nasty shock when they find the average income is quite low, and property prices lower down the scale are quite high (although you can get a lot of land if you are prepared to move further away from the towns).
MY own income from three pensions will be nearly as much as the national average for families - but health insurance will take a big chunk.
My son-in-law could double his salary if he took a job with an Australian shipping company, but they love New Zealand.
MY grand-daughter has one more year to complete her nursing degree, then she has to work for a year in New Zealand, but I think she will be there for a long time to come!

emigration/brain drain is the problem in NZ. about 25% passport holders not in NZ. pay in Oz etc much better.

I think she has been exercising her pelvic muscles a little too well absent

Just googled 'New Zealand statistics' - birth rate is down 13%, and there was a fall in visitor numbers for some months - NZ is not immune to the global economic crisis.

Not yet, Greatnan but our families seem to be making a serious contribution.

Not much of an over-population problem in New Zealand!

Of course there was a time – and not all that long ago – when large families were the norm. My ma was one of seven surviving sisters and had four surviving brothers. I'm not absolutely sure how many neonatal and childhood deaths there were in the family – at least two.

I hope that Mum still does her pelvic floor exercises.

Polulation? Pullulation? I meant population. L is too near P on this keyboard.

Brainwashing, glitabo It is emphasised everywhere that world polulation is soaring and it is important to keep it down, so any couple who do more than replace themselves assume the role of greedy monsters.

In a country where the national average fertility rate of 1.7 children per woman, a few large families born into responsible green economical homes are not going to send replacement rates zooming higher, but they still eliciy the knee-jerk reaction.

Note the italics on a few I am not advocating mass philoprogeniture (ask Jo about that, she has Googled it, as it bamboozled her) but a little variation and individuality won't sink us.

Social footprint. I meant ecological footprint.

Why are there so many negative comments about this family?
They are not living off the state.
They are not anti social and they are not involved in criminal activity.
They appear to be happy and caring.
As for their social foot print, I would say that mine is proportionally larger as i heat and light a whole house just for one person.

[like] emoticon

There speaks the proud grandmother greatnan. Quite right too, they sound like a family to be proud of.

Imagine trying to remember the names?

NannaB just imagine that ? and I thought I had a headache choosing presents for my 7 DGCs this Christmas you would forget which child belonged to who I would think.

I am grandmother to one family of six children and,believe me, it is wonderful. Even separated by 12,000 miles, they remain close and loving and the older, successful son helps to fund his sister at university.The three in New Zealand are now taking care of the home, animals and garden whilst my daughter has a broken ankle and torn ligaments. I am immensely proud of them and I am quite sure they will contribute much to the sum of human happiness in their chosen professions.
So there!

Imagine being the Grandparents in that family!!

Long way to go to equal the world record of 69 children.

They'll probably grow up with a good work ethic and hopefully support their parents when the time comes.

In the future this family's ecological footprint will be huge!

Aaaaah! It's like a double episode of The Waltons. Where's Grandma?