Wow, there was a comic in the paper the other day that really surprised me.
I can't remember the name of the strip (I almost never get a paper and even more rarely read the comics), but it had a family with 3 little kids, going to a restaurant. The hostess says, "wow! Three children and one on the way!" (The mom was pregnant.) "You must have your hands full!"
(At this point, I realized the comic strip writer must have "been there, done that" as that is something we with large families hear a hundred times a day!
The mother says, "Yes, we're blessed, and actually we're having twins." (During this short conversation, the mother is also trying to keep the kids from climbing all over the table.)
The hostess says, "Haven't you figured out what's causing that yet?"
And the mother replies with some snide comment about, "I love to talk about my sex life with people. And are YOU getting some lately?"
Which was kind of funny, having been asked that question myself so many times, and have been tempted more than once to answer snidely!
The questions are ALWAYS the same, and the jokes are always the same few jokes. ("Don't you have a tv?" is my favorite.)
But the truth is, when people ask these questions, or say they don't know how we manage with so many kids, or when they make these jokes, they almost always mean it kindly. And it is truly a rarity - a family with tons of kids in a city, especially, is not something one sees every day!
So when I get these comments, I smile, and answer with a kind answer.
And, if you're a mom with lots of little ones, just know that any negative comments will go away as your kids get older. I really only got them when I was pregnant (maybe a throwback to the days when pregnant women were supposed to stay at home and out of site?)
If you would like to see my kids:
Kid Universe