four plus children is the preserve of the wealthy alpha female - Discuss!

[handmedownqueen]

or so said an article in my Red magazine today. So how alpha are we all and does anyone REALLY feel their brood are looked on by others as a status symbol?

I have five, a chaotic household, a semi successful career only achieved by going self employed and part time, money wise we are Ok though saddled with the big mortgage we needed to get the space for them all

[sagacious]

Red magazine is bollocks

[expatinscotland]

Red magazine sucks royally.

[thefabfour]

I find the words 'wealthy' and 'large family' in the same sentence interesting.

[K999]

I hate Red too....nearly all of it is adverts...

[Basementbear]

What does Alpha really have to do with it anyway? You can be highly successful and well educated without earning much money. And you can earn loads and be successful without having had much of an "education". Have as many kids as you like, provided you can support them all yourself.

[fiplus4]

Not feeling very alpha at the moment. Unlikely to meet Wednesday's copy deadline (MN classic displacement activity) and none of the brood seem familiar with the concept of sleep this evening.

[catweazle]

What a load of codswallop. Certainly not alpha in any way. When the 4 older dcs were tiny we were looked down on- far from status symbol.

[noonki]

I am interested because I do only come across large families that are either pretty well off or on benefits,

most people I know, who are working, struggle to have more than two or three kids,

I have never read red coz it looks like rubbish though

(also I want more kids (we have 3 - two of them mine, one a DSS) but money is becoming an issue more and more in the decision))

[Madlentileater]

huh????
dd1 (smirks)
am certainly NOT an alpha female
all dcs in charity shop/hand me downs 75% of the time till youngset aged 6 and I worked OH.
tis bollocks.

[OneLieIn]

Tis bollocks.

[KayHarker]

oh look, you've all said the b-word for me so I can be all genteel and not do it myself.

We live in a boxy little 2 and a half bed semi with 6 people. Although I do lie around all day eating chocolates and watching soaps. Am I an omega female, perhaps?

[alysonpeaches]

Soon to be 4, no money and ordinary semi. The ones with a single child seem to be quids in round here.

[lumpsdumps]

I read that article and laughed, then told my husband, he laughed and said he wished he was rich!

[MarsLady]

Hmm.... must have misplaced the cash! Certainly got the kids.

[MrsWeasley]

'wealthy' and 'large family' I wish!

[amidaiwish]

the only people i know with 4+ children are very wealthy. lifestyle of nannies, housekeeper, large house, children at private school. mum not working, dad in the city or own business - home based a lot of the time etc, long holidays in holiday home abroad

not saying that is normal nationwide btw.

[Judy1234]

We have five and worked full time but had a nanny, housekeeper, gardener at one point, 5 sets of school fees, large house etc.

But large families come in all shapes and sizes. I certainly found when we moved to this big house and had spare money, decided I'd rather have more children than a yacht or holiday cottage etc that the nicest thing you can do is have children to love and look after and give to in terms of time and love as well as money.

[handlemecarefully]

Oh well it must be true then!

[Imnotok]

We have 5 and a lot of people look down on us IMO,I am skint not on benefits and not alpha

[handlemecarefully]

My friend is quite convinced that people look down on her for having 3 children. I rather suspect that some people just look down on you for having children full stop, irrespective of how many there are....

[pointydog]

xenia, are you on holiday? This is the second warm fuzzy post I've come across from you recently

[Anna8888]

Four children (at least) is certainly a status symbol for quite a lot of rich couples (it does take two to make a baby) here in central Paris.

[ilovemydog]

Wasn't in Red magazine where there was that article about 'Women and Maternity leave...' where uber women started their own businesses during maternity leave and it's now a multi million dollar organization. They all act coy and comment 'it was just a bright idea I had while breastfeeding and decided not to go back to my million dollar job in the City, and now work part time out my barn in 10 acres...' blah blah blah.

[arewenearlythereyet]

jesus I wish no of kids were a status symbol. only way I'll earn one! seriously have been variously looked down on, pitied, villified and shouted at. find myself arguing 'I do have a phd you know' in order to 'justtify' 6 kids. which makes me as bad as them I guess