100 + reasons to have 10 or more children

Yesterday on twitter  someone referred to an article giving 5 (or was it 10?) reasons to only have one kid. Well I jokingly responded back that I could give 100 reasons to have 10. She took me up on it and said she would love to hear it :). So here goes.

But first my disclaimer. We have 8 children, and would love to have more. My list was compiled by my husband, myself , and anyone who wanted  to respond to my status question on my facebook page, and my comrade in the faith Jacque Dixon. There were moms of  2 who responded and moms of a dozen or more. Most reasons are definitely prompted by our love for Jesus which gives us the revelation of what blessings children really are. God’s Word is true. Some of the reasons are slightly silly but still true. Some reasons are repetitive but the wording just blessed me so much I couldn’t lump them together.

I will also say that even though children are truly a blessing, having a certain number does not give a status in God’s Kingdom. It really isn’t about how many you get, it is about recognizing the value and desiring what is truly valuable. If we were talking about 100 reasons why we wanted a $100 bill no one would argue.  As I sit here today, at the moment surrounded by my 5 daughters, one of my sons, my son in law and my first grandchild, I say that I am a very very rich woman.  

1. To build the kingdom of God
2. Learn the kingdom of God
3. Understand what it is like to be a father
4. To understand how to value life
5. To see Him in them
6. They are cute
7. They help out with chores
8. You can accomplish more in life with an army
9. They are the greatest cooks
10. Free labor J
11. More grandchildren
12. They are fun
13. My own baseball team plus one
14. Fill my church
15. Fellowship
16. Never be lonely
17. Make me laugh
18. Make me experience joy
19. I have fans
20. Enjoy horseback riding with ten
21. Enjoy sports with them
22. Boys cut firewood
23. Never too quiet
24. Have my own choir
25. To wash dishes
26. There is always a birthday party
27. Enough for our own family worship band
28. So when we get old we have children to take care of us
29. Physically, emotionally and mentally challenge me to grow into a bigger person
30. Keep me on my toes
31. 8 is not enough
32. They keep me young
33. enough for family football
34. We can almost overthrow the government J
35. We can seriously influence our community
36. Never a dull moment
37. Always someone to cuddle with
38. Great conversation
39. Always someone to arm wrestle
40. More helping hands
41. More fun siblings for each
42. They are my retirement program
43. Big family can out number bad influences
44. We can have more fun longer
45. Incredible family reunions to look forward to
46. Always have someone to pump your gas
47. God says they are a blessing, I want ALL the blessings He has for me
48. To be workers for His Harvest Field
49. Bigger family can accomplish bigger jobs, physically and spiritually
50. No need to hire a moving company
51. Joy times 10
52. With several children you can’t eat too much sweets, they beat you to it J
53. As parents we will never be lonely
54. Our children will never be lonely
55. T hey will always have each other to turn to
56. Makes us more like Jesus, love multiplied
57. Makes us more dependant upon the Lord, we can’t even pretend to do it by ourselves
58. Big families actually usually thrive on less, I spend less on groceries than most families of four and we eat better
59. More children teaches less selfishness
60. Children are gifts, I LOVE gifts!
61. More prayer warriors when I need prayer
62. Every day is like a holiday
63. No need to worry about socialization, breakfast is a social event
64. The children learn how to interact with different age groups instead of only their own
65. The children learn responsibility hands on
66. Children learn how to share
67. Children learn how to give
68. Children learn how to teach younger ones
69. Children learn how to work as a team
70. Children learn how importantly their own behavior affects others
71. You get group discounts at places
72. More hugs and kisses
73. So you have a crowd to watch Charlie Brown
74. So you have more reasons to hang out at toy stores and not look foolish
75. So there is always a baby in the house
76. If you are really blessed you start having grandbabies about the time you stop having babies
77. you have enough for a game of family basketball
78. When riding bikes you can hog the whole country road
79. When riding horses you are a posse
80. You have a big enough crowd to rationalize making turkey suppers more often
81. Your house will always be full of laughter.
82. Perfect training ground for children to have on-the-job-training with babies and small children before they have their own.
83. You are training up more adults who will love and serve the LORD.
84. You are training up more adults who will be respectable citizens.
85. More children to take care of you when you are older.
86. Tax exemptions.
87. Childbirth keeps your body in shape and young.
88. Chasing children and playing with them keeps you in shape.
89. You will never run out of questions to ponder upon.
90. A built-in community of Believers to rejoice in the LORD with.
91. Guests you like at holidays.
92. You can play any sport without having to invite others over.
93. Because the LORD said children are a heritage.
94. God commanded his people first to be fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth.
95. There is always someone singing a happy song.
96. You get to see the fullness of your teaching and training passed down when your first children get old enough to help with the younger ones.
97. You can have your own band.
98. You can have your own singing group.
99. You will have employees for a home business you can trust.
100. With fewer children being born, the world is experiencing a Demographic Winter in many countries.
101. Daughters who know how to cook will cook for you for years.
102. More people in the Kingdom of God
103. More hands to sow the garden.
104. More hands to weed the garden.
105. More hands to harvest the garden.
106. More hands to can the food from the garden.
107. Baby kisses in your old age.
108. No need for a mid-life crisis – and no time for one!
109. More grandchildren.
110. More arrows in your hand – makes you a mighty warrior.
111. The teacher always learns more than the students.
112. Children are closer to the ground and can pick things up for you when you are old.
113. Children love to do things for Momma and Daddy.
114. The more the trials, the stronger the person.
115. When they marry, you gain more children to your family.
116. They can do the laundry (for more years than just a couple of children).
117. You will have your own blog community when they are old enough.
118. More children to carry on your wisdom and legacy.
119. Jesus said we are to come as little children, and we will have more experience of knowing what a little child is like.
120. People like to see large families with well-behaved children.
121. More opportunities for your children to learn to share.
122. With so many children, they will have to learn to be content.
123. More ideas of what to make for Thanksgiving dinner.
124. Your children will have many good friends they can count on for the rest of their lives.
125. Better family camp-outs.
126. Enough players for holiday skits.
127. They can do the grocery shopping when they are older.
128. They can complete your scrapbook albums for you.
129. Diversity in training.
130. Children are like flowers and add fragrance to your home. (The fragrance they add is up to you!)
131. Combat stupidity in the world by training up thinking children.
132. You will have more children good at different things – complementary things to you and each other.
133. More reasons to touch the hem of his garment.
134. It keeps you humble.
135. Girl-time with more girls. Or boy time with more boys.
136. Many sons make light the heavy work.
137. Endless back-rub offers.
138. Makes any activity more active and more memorable.
139. Think of all the questions you get to answer from adults who want to know “if you know what causes that”.
140. It will bless you back.
141. Oh, yeah, they learn to be good parents because they have to actually help with the babies.
142. They CAN’T be spoiled. There’s just no way. Mom can’t baby them too long, either.
143. Lots of siblings means if they get tired of playing with one or get in a fight, they have someone else to play with.
144. Built-in babysitters when the oldest children get old enough.
145. having 10 kids is an automatic queue into the gospel……you can talk about Jesus when people ask you how you handle it all 🙂
146. More children means more workers to help pull our economy out of the toilet.
147. Built in life skills class…human relationship skills basically…
148. also forces more recycling (hand me downs) so is more “green” friendly.
149. Gives adults an excuse to… Read More watch kid movies and play on the parks which keeps us younger.
150. More kids = more talents brought to the table so more strengths and diversity within the family.
151. They keep you from overeating. I mean how many m&ms can you actually end up with?
152. ok well let me see a great reason is because they will always have someone to turn too in a time of need.
153. and because the bible tells us that if we are faithful God will bless us with many children. and as a mother we will never be lonely and neither will our children.
154. As Christians, we should desire to grow our own “army of the Lord”, that as adults, can continue the work of the Lord.
155. God commanded us to “be fruitful and multiply” and that command has never been reversed :o)
156. they are precious
157. Many siblings ….always have a playmate or 2 around.
158. Many siblings….help to take care of mom and dad when they get older.
159. Helps to share the burden of caring for each other when times are tough. 

 this was a really fun tackle for this tuesday