Supermum with FOURTEEN children admits she’ll ‘never say never’ to having more babies
Bartamaha (Nairobi):-Having just given birth to her 14th child, Sue Radford could be forgiven for wanting to have a rest and put her feet up.
But in her busy household of seven boys and seven girls – and with the demands of two-week old Tilly May – time off for relaxation just simply is not on the agenda.
And although the 35-year-old – who lives in a nine-bedroom Victorian house with her family, including husband Noel – believes now could be a good time to stop extending the clan, she says she can’t rule out having another child.
‘I’ve told people Tilly will definitely be the last,’ Mrs Radford – who has been pregnant for more than 10 years altogether – told the Mirror.
‘But then I said that the last time… and the time before that.
‘I love being pregnant and having babies around. Deep down, I know I can never say never.’
Mrs Radford admits she and Noel, 39, never planned to have such a large family and were going to stop after their two oldest children, Christopher, 21, and Sophie, 16, were born.
However, the supermum soon became broody and Chloe, 14, and Jack, 13, quickly followed.
Then – 11 years ago – the couple found their dream home in Morecambe, which, with its nine bedrooms ‘was crying out to be filled with children’.
‘A year after Jack was born I’d started getting really broody again and we’d already decided to try for a fifth,’ Mrs Radford said.
So, Daniel, 11, followed… then Luke, nine; Millie, eight; Katie, seven; James, six; Ellie, five; Aimee, four; Josh, two, and then 18-month-old Jack.
With all 14 children still living at home, Mrs Radford’s day is non-stop – with at least four loads of washing a day – the first at 7am – as well as having to do the mammoth school run and a mountain of ironing.
While going on a food shopping trip is an experience itself – with the Radfords consuming 15 pints of milk a day and three loaves of bread.
So it’s a good job that the couple’s bakery business manages to bring in enough money to sustain the family, without them having to claim Government benefits.
However, Mrs Radford also admits to having to make sacrifices along the way – with family holidays and nights out alone with her husband a rarity.
‘We try to give all the children the best we possibly can, but they know that if we genuinely can’t afford something then they can’t have it,’ she said.
‘I tend to do all the clothes shopping at Asda and all my food shopping at Netto.
‘If we don’t need something, we don’t get it.’
She also explains how the couple set the children ‘clear boundaries’ and ‘routine’ while trying to be ‘good parents’ – making sure they sit down together every evening for dinner, which the youngsters help to prepare.
And in order to earn pocked money, the children have to carry out chores.
‘That’s their incentive to help out,’ Mrs Radford told the Mirror.
‘We also have a rule that all bedrooms have to be tidied before they go to school.’
The mother of 14 also admits to not wanting her oldest son, Christopher, 21, to move out, despite him working full-time, saying she loves having everyone under the same roof.
She added: ‘People think large families are a nightmare. They think the kids run riot and the parents are at their wits’ end.
‘But then when they meet us they can’t believe how many kids there are, purely because we’re so laid-back and the children are so well-behaved.
‘I wouldn’t change it. I love being busy and I love the noise and excitement. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself when they start leaving home.’
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Source:- Dailymail.co.uk
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