Mother of 16 says she has no regrets
Published: May 11, 2008 at 2:45 PM
KANSAS CITY, Kan., May 11 (UPI) -- Jeri McDonnell of Kansas City, Kan., has 16 children but she says she has no regrets, despite the struggles that came with having so many kids.
McDonnell, who said she expected to work at her job at a Kansas City eatery on Mother's Day, told The Kansas City Star that while a lot of people appear to be appalled at the thought of having 16 children, it has been a dream come true for her.
"Most people don't want a large family, and they can't even fathom it," the 46-year-old said. "People say, 'I'm glad it's you and not me.' And I say, 'I'm glad it's me, not you.'"
McDonnell said she and her husband, Tim, have to monitor their family's spending as though they were running a corporation to make ends meet.
Bargain shopping is one of her personal keys, McDonnell said, along with teaching her kids independence and a strong work ethic.
"My family is my passion, my love, my hobby," she said. "They are what keeps me going day after day. They make me who I am."
McDonnell, who said she expected to work at her job at a Kansas City eatery on Mother's Day, told The Kansas City Star that while a lot of people appear to be appalled at the thought of having 16 children, it has been a dream come true for her.
"Most people don't want a large family, and they can't even fathom it," the 46-year-old said. "People say, 'I'm glad it's you and not me.' And I say, 'I'm glad it's me, not you.'"
McDonnell said she and her husband, Tim, have to monitor their family's spending as though they were running a corporation to make ends meet.
Bargain shopping is one of her personal keys, McDonnell said, along with teaching her kids independence and a strong work ethic.
"My family is my passion, my love, my hobby," she said. "They are what keeps me going day after day. They make me who I am."
© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
An Iranian woman enters to a carnival ride while pictures of American Spider-Man (L) and Shrek (R) are seen in Mellat park in Qazvin province, 91 Miles (165 Km) west of Tehran, Iran on May 21, 2008. A Iranian judiciary official warned against the "destructive" social-cultural consequences of Barbie dolls and other Western toys. Prosecutor General Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi said in an official letter to Vice President Parviz Davoudi that the doll and other Western toys are a "danger" that needs to be stopped, USA Today reported. (UPI Photo/Mohammad Kheirkhah)
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