Have you seen the movie The Family Stone? When my husband and I first saw it, we both loved the picture it painted of a big family that gathers for holidays. It started a burning in our hearts for a large family. 

 

Fast forward 10 years, and 3 more children, and here we are. Living the dream! Wouldn’t you say, Dear?? Don’t answer that.

 

While we honestly couldn’t imagine having a smaller family, sometimes our friends think we are absolutely crazy for creating so many dependents. So, I’m here to shed light on what it may be like to be friends with a mom with lots of kids. 

 

Let’s just assume she has four, for the sake of this post. 

At all times, your friendship is outranked by 5 other people, her spouse, and each of her four children. She is eager to meet for coffee and have some face time with another person other than her offspring, but she is always on call for them. This is true for all mamas, she just has more people needing her.

 

Sickness happens and when it does, she will not be available until it passes through everyone. This could take one week or six.

 

Also, she is quick to cancel plans if your kid “just got over the pukes 3 days ago.” The thought of having that in her household and the laundry it would create is crippling. 

 

When you ask for an update on her family, this will take awhile, or she will assume you want the short version in which she will share about the two most pressing situations in her home. It’s not because she doesn’t want to share, it’s more that she doesn’t want to overwhelm you with everything going through her brain at any given moment. 

 

You may think you’re wasting her precious time, that she has enough to think about without keeping tabs on you, but it is so refreshing to have friends who take you as you are. And that show interest in your circus! 

 

When you complain about the amount of laundry, dishes, bills, groceries needed…. she completely gets it. She doesn’t roll her eyes at your needs. 

 

She isn’t trying to be the “one-upper”, but she really does have a story or situation that can relate to almost anything! She lives her own life plus is a large component to five other people’s. She is bound to have something to relate to your story! 

 

Even though my family is large and requires my attention often, I still want to be friends!