Couples are often asked, “How many children do you plan on having?” to which they respond by either smiling and shrugging, or a firm answer: “Two.” “Four.” “We’re good with one.” After all, family planning benefits all: parents, kids, and society. For some, though, the plan is to just keep going. Why? Because for some people, the bigger the family, the better. And there really is no denying that big families come packaged with enormous amounts of laughter, love, support, and chaos to balance it all out.
Just like this couple from North Carolina who don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Patty and Carlos Hernandez have not three, not five, not eight, but thirteen children altogether. Yes, you read that right – thirteen! Now, they’re growing the family again as Patty is expecting.
With three sets of twins and another baby on the way, it’s only natural for people to wonder just how they manage to do it all. Imagine how crazy a household with five boys and eight girls is!
And since we’re talking numbers, Patty reveals that each grocery trip costs them $400, and that weekly, 7 gallons of milk and 50 diapers are consumed. She also shares that she spends at least five hours every two days for folding clothes, and does laundry at least four times a week.
Having so many kids means barely catching a break. But despite not being able to go on date nights or even experiencing that much needed alone time most parents crave on occasion, the couple shares how they don’t mind one bit.
“We’re just doing what God tells us to do. If God wants us to have 30 kids, I’ll have 30 kids.”
That was Patty’s simple, straight to the point explanation in an interview with SWNS. To give you a glimpse of what it’s usually like in their household, Patty shares a little about their daily routine. She wakes up before 8 AM to prepare breakfast for everyone. Even if some of the older kids can prepare their own breakfast, Patty still does most of the cooking.
After sharing a meal together, the family proceeds to do their Christian Devotional which includes singing, praying, and reading together.
Then, when the school bus arrives for the older kids, Patty shifts her focus to the smaller children and the chores she has to get done. “I try to do everything while they are at school because that’s when I have the most free time. If I have an appointment, I take all of them with me.”
Despite the load of housework, Patty still stays optimistic. She and her husband continuously try and train the kids to help out with housework and pick up after themselves instead of letting the kids get used to having everything done for them.
Like most moms, Patty admits it gets a little too crazy for her sometimes. But despite the chaos and stress, the couple don’t feel the least bit regretful of their decision to have a big family.
Patty and Carlos sure know how to set the bar high for parents the world over!
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