I know what she is going through. My husband and I have 4 beautiful children and people do make those rude comments all the time. We planned to have 4 before we got married. It's not like we are sitting at home collecting welfare, but people don't know that. They just see 4 small kids and assume that it's such a big deal to take care of them. I'll admit that it isn't easy, but we do just fine. Having 4 has taught us how to share and care for others. I love each and every one of my kids and would turn into a mother bear if someone told me that we should not have had so many. People should just mind their own business if they don't have something nice to say. That's what my mother taught me.

I think we have a partial explanation of how you gained your nic. Your nipples must be as chewed up as an old T-Bone wrapped in bacon.

She might be needing a transplant about now if they're THAT chewed up! (an old T-bone wrapped in bacon, indeed... LMAO!)

:o)

For further references to nipples... please see Schuyler's thread in which Tonto and others have beautifully outlined the full array of color palettes...

I come from a similarly large family. I must admit that I've made comments like "What a large family!" or other references to numbers when I encounter them. I do so in awe and respect for the tenacity and patience the parent(s) must have, and I want to share that feeling. I could see how these comments might be construed as disapproving, even though my intentions are to familiarize and connect with the parents, rather than alienate. I'll certainly think twice before commenting in the future.

Reminds me of when my Aunt Jane took her three children, my sister, brother & myself to see a movie back when we were kids... She got all these funny looks walking the six of us into that movie theatre. We looked 'staggered' (at least a years worth of difference in ages from one to the next) so I guess those people thought Aunt Jane was mother to every one of us kids (ROFLMAO!)

:o)

Its not so much the number of children as the ridiculous closeness in age. People assume (and usually correctly) that there are more kiddos on the way. If the words "brood" or "flock" are coming up, maybe one of your rugrats was running amuck. I usually only let one of my "use birthcontrol, for god's sake" comments fly when I've almost lost footing over trying to avoid an egocentric (not an insult, we all as humans are egocentric until age 8 or so) toddler meandering unchecked in my way.

God bless the roadblocks, but honestly, don't make yourself a baby factory. I'd have lots more respect if you adopted one or two of the little terrors than just popped them out uncontrollably as thousands of homeless, parentless, poor children die each year of abuse and neglect and starvation.

Not your problem, you say? You want something of your owe loins to live on, you say? We're all connected, so what's yours is mine, sista. And overpopulation IS your problem. Our country kills land and animals and pumps out a buffet of chemically poisoned produce and preservative-ladened products to "feed" you so you can live a decade or two less than you normally would (even less if diabetes or heart disease gets ya) and make room for that family down the street with the "more, the merrier" mentality.

Don't sink the ship.

"God bless the roadblocks, but honestly, don't make yourself a baby factory. I'd have lots more respect if you adopted one or two of the little terrors than just popped them out uncontrollably as thousands of homeless, parentless, poor children die each year of abuse and neglect and starvation."

I am glad you are giving back as well. How many have you adopted?

I've yet to understand how this comment is supposed to be considered valid to my point. When I'm not lobbying for improved adoption methods/defrayed costs, I'm working to pay off my college loans so I can adopt, if I adopt. Either way, I won't be adding to the population...which should make you happy. ; )

So if I decide to do it the "right" way and adopt, one of those homeless parentless children will just be handed to me? I won't have to impoverish myself through years of legal wrangling to the point where I may jeapordize the little one's standard of living? That sounds improbably utopian to me.

I'm sorry to hear that you believe your assumptions about other people's future reproductive plans justifies your being rude. I think it's sad that "pre-existing" children, adopted or not, are exposed to as much rudeness as is the norm in our society. What good can that do? More likely to foster yet another generation of boors; just what we need!