The Reality of Raising 12 Kids | Real Families Full Episode

most people stop at two a brave few reach three or four but for some extraordinary families when it comes to having kids they just keep on going there's someone born almost every single year I think my family is huge this series Reveals All About Life in Britain's biggest families getting ready is a military style operation shoes on ready for scho now we'll a a your ground roll down before you go dinner is like feeding the troops in one meal we could use 7 and half kilos of potatoes this is a big family we a big appetite so I need a big pig to fill them sibling fights become epic battles being in a big family is horrible [Music] and the ranks keep getting bigger shows anymore that's it this house won't F Us in tonight's show we meet a single Mama of 14 who is getting vilified in the Press disgusting how I escape the baby making machine 15-year-old daughter pregnant but of course she's done benefits like her mom this baby is mine and my family's business nothing to do with you or anyone else and the family of 12 whose kids are getting grief people like call us scrubbers and stuff like that just because we're a big family sometimes I feel as if I'm ashamed of being me for wanting such a large [Music] family squeezed into a council house in gery lives a woman branded Britain's most prolific single mother Joe Watson a mom of 14 whose family survives largely on state benefits has become infamous I was in town one day they looked at me and they said look who it is it's a baby making machine I just glared at him s all of them this is the way I am welcome to the [Music] Watsons y get up it's 7:00 a.m. and the morning Rush is about to start I just really had home [Music] dream Joe separated from her husband 2 years ago now the responsibility of supporting her kids and getting them ready for school is solely down to her you stop mocking about please With a Little Help from Georgia her 15-year-old daughter to help out I like get this queen comes out and lunch boxes I open but you get your fr Charlie finally everyone's ready to go almost oh you got your trouses the wrong way h upom no I said get your shoes on right now Family Life for Joe wasn't always like this for 20 years she was married to John the father of all 14 of her children he always said he wanted a lot of kids for the way he was brought up cuz he said he didn't have a good background I was in love with him I The Watsons didn't always fit The Stereotype of a big [Music] family they weren't on benefits all the kids were beautiful blonde and immaculately turned out to cap it all Joe had a figure that any woman let alone one who'd had so many kids would die for I mean people think that I'm Big Ed and oh look at the size she is but it's the way I am it's not my fault roughly a week after I can get into into my normal jeans just the way I [Music] am sometimes holiday makers would like see all my kids in a line when they much younger like when I when I first went in the paper and they would like ask if they could take a picture being the press's darling big family earned the Watson's thousands but as papers clamored to get the story of the birth of their 14th baby Joe wasn't prepared to play happy families in the public die anymore da mirror I think it was and I refuseed to do it do it because my husband had phoned them up and I said no I'm not prepared to go and sit and advertise like with some happy family is not right and I wouldn't do it Joe's marriage was crumbling I just couldn't take no more the way we were arguing I didn't want my children to hear it anymore and one day I just did it put all these clothes together and I just said got to get out Revelations were about to cast an even darker light on the illusion of the perfect big family the hamlins a family of 12 in Yorkshire live close to the breadline they survive on a modest carer's wage but apart from Child benefit refuse to claim State handout financially we ain't got a secret millionaire living in a seller you know it don't happen we're just normal we just know how to budget we know how to survive cuz we've always had to as far as I'm concerned you can keep your money and you know what I'd rather be skined and have my kids than have all the money in the world this is the Hamlin family [Music] off to do the weekly [Music] shop Le's found a novel way of cutting costs morning Le I'm just come to pick me half a pig up right take the shoulder off Le yeah no I don't want head we order half a pig one week the following week I have a full lamb and then we'll go back to us half a pig it's a lot cheaper than supermarkets you're going to pay 20 25 C for a Lego lamb you can buy full lamb for 85 quid from your local butcher there's a big family with a big appetite so I need a big pig to fill them what age range are you children Le oldest one's 19 youngest one's three oh my word you've done your bit for queening country that's it yeah [Music] there's people out there all probably saying well I'd do do it oh we didn't just wake up one morning and have 10 kids our families progressed but it just means that we've got to watch the pennies despite being expert scrimps the family spends £200 a week on food that includes 84 pints of milk 21 loaves of bread and 24 toilet room s after all the weekly bills there's not much left from Lee's wage as a carer we'd like a nice car we like a Jeep we can't afford it you know we' like other luxuries but we don't get it but our kids are our luxuries money is tight but to Emma having a big family has always been the priority it was just me and I used to think oh God I'd love a big sister or a big brother and I didn't want my children to have nobody I don't understand people just wanting one child Emer and Lee may be proud of being a big family but they're aware that the world sees them differently when we moved here everybody and anybody knew we moved here before we even come here just because we're a big family it don't bother me when people say negative stuff to me it's when they make stupid comments to my kids I just feel like we constantly we spending his life proving himself to people and it shouldn't be we like that come on tea timee we all eat together that saes a fortune really by all eating the same thing because if you were all having individual things we w't be able to afford to do it our tasty is that me no that that's why it attached the head shut up fed back at the Watsons birthdays are an expensive business single mom Joe has to pay for 14 of them a year and this is a special birthday Joe's eldest son Bradley has turned 21 today even ex hubby John has joined them for the occasion oh thank you who are the who are these from me thank you for two decades John was seen by the world as a model [Music] father and I do feel like pretty sore for what's gone on in the past I mean you know I've been married for 22 years so it's been hard and I've been a good father I've always been there from and I've worked hard from and nobody nobody whatsoever can turn around and say I happen cuz I have happy birthday to you but after an accident John wasn't able to return to work then the pressure of providing for for 14 children led to him not declaring income at the same time as claiming benefits I did get done for benefit fraud okay right and I paid my punishment I went to prison and I paid all the money back I know what he did was wrong but he wasn't we weren't doing it to go on holidays and to buy cars and mobile phones he was doing it to for us the Watson's publicity bubble had burst and things were about to get worse can we all stay together a small army of hamlins are visiting the local fair but a simple day out can cost a fortune when you have 10 kids are you ready for this do I get a discount for the no right I want 11 Cheese N toes and I want 11 14 cans pot they might only be cheap snacks but multip by 12 it soon adds up when you have these big orders and people even think you're joking or look at you as if you've got two EDS or whatever else the attention isn't always welcome we turn around and see people giving us dat to looks talking about his sniggering and it's just pathetic because we've done nothing wrong so why should people do that people like call us scrubbers and stuff like that just because we're a big family and I don't see the point to start proud Emma whose hardworking family does not rely on handouts is becoming fed up with the Prejudice her family suffers same thing goes don't it oh they've got a big family they must be on doll and must be on in Council houses and stuff and actually no we're not sometimes I feel as if I'm ashamed of being me for wanting such a large family come on then in your bed there is another reason the children are being singled out primary school they asked me like is your mom and dad married or are they like split up and stuff like that everybody asked if Mom and Dad are married and then I just said say no get your follow I'd wish mom and dad got married you know I'm good at brushing air don't you cuz so times I have to brush mine very I've got loads of it just sdes away don't let anybody see it except me when Emma met Lee she already had four children Lee has always treated the children as his own but he's yet to tie the knot with Emma night licky licky night night Lee has decided to put an end to the playground taunts unbeknownst to Emer and the kids he is planning to pop the question tonight cuz it's either going to go extremely well or and she's going to be in floods of Tears or she's going to be really annoyed that I've done it and not told her so I don't know which one it's going to be 7:00 tonight see what happens really nervous I decided we needed to put down his roots officially should I say it's needed for us as a family not just for me and Emma but for kids as well I don't know where we're going I don't know what what we're doing all I know is that we're going out for a meal and that's it and I feel really nervous like I could cry nervous beautiful amazing like a princess be hello good evening how you been about four years since we've been out for the meal is it yeah what's up what's the matter what's matter what's up no we need to celebrate because end of this month we're getting married at whle Hall yeah what's happening dihe it so will you man me atly all then yeah of course I will I can't believe that's brilliant thank you listen list eager to let the kids know the good news Lee and Emma dragged them out of bed I've been keeping a bit of secret from your mom uh I've been planning our wedding we're getting married at end of this month in about 3 weeks time now they hope the finger pointing can finally [Music] stop what are you crying for you cried as well yeah okay Dylan was sobbing and I asked him what on Earth's a matter and he said you don't realize how happy you've made me you don't realize what this means he's happy aren't you mate we made of course I will stop cry that's [Music] so in gery in the Watson family home 15-year-old Georgia is trying to snatch some private time hi I've had enough of you following me it's so annoying I won't eat them baby but it's not long before duty calls and she helps her mother put the children to bed get out now you're tired e nearly 9:00 um I put in Jan to bed and um like I bath her then she gives me like cuddles and kisses and then I put her into bed and say good night she's saying all the stuff to me like I love you and like that night Anna my class has like my child [Music] growing up in the Watson family isn't easy I was like in the newspaper when I was in year four year three I think it's like if an AR gets put in the newspaper everyone talks about it at my school you SE the newspaper SE the newspaper I'm just like yeah I am in it it I'm I'm and then when you go on the like laptop there's like people talking about you on Facebook there'll be like over 100 comments fore about you and like not even one good one enre people your friends one day I went into class and this boy was like oh what's the whatson doing here and I went well I go to the school I have been here since year7 and he goes yeah you shouldn't be here cuz there's so many of you we're already a family we're like everyone else squeezed into this ordinary looking ex-council house in dunde Scotland live a family of 14 we got to nine you know I thought we were were big now and all of a sudden it was like a a sudden leap and we were at 12 and now I look and and it almost seems a ridiculous amount but we think that family should be together forever welcome to the Han [Music] family to be like his children God gave us family to us become what he wants us to be hand family also face Prejudice but they are bound together by their Mormon [Music] faith we we have a big family cuz we chose to have a big family um we both come from big families and um loved you know I mean I always wanted to have a lot of [Music] kids I won't be dictated to you know you may be able to one or two I just wanted that that was a decision I would be able to make myself that no one would tell me how many I could have but as in other big families the hand children have had their share of criticism one of the downsides of being in a big family is the amount of comments like negative comments you would get from like just people on the [Music] street the hands also share the other big family concern [Music] money dad Roy earns £43,000 as a specialist nurse but with the food bill alone being £1,000 a month things are still tough probably go through seven eight paints of milk in a day bread so 14 loaves of bread maybe have you know 20 30 Bananas coming in at one time and oh 20 30 apples but even that might not even get us through the wheat in one meal we could use 7 and half kilos of potatoes 5 dozen eggs it is huge it's a huge thing thank you no bother all that one and the costs keep mounting gas and electricity is another £00 a month as Emma faces a mountain of washing up to six loads a day the laundry is horrendous I think that's really the hardest thing we try and use the the the dry in thing outside but the reality you mean you're lucky if you get a couple of loads out wash and drive but you're running that thing all day Emma doesn't accept the public criticism that a big family is bad for both the environment and the taxpayer not asking for anything off anyone else six people in a room with one light bulb it's the same as one light bulb with one person and there are people who have no children there people who have lots of children and each has their own right to make their decision I also kind of think there's no old fults homes in India where their families are big and they look after each other you know these people who have no children will need our children to take care of them okay we're going to say blessed on the food before we eat okay do you want to say the prayer for us Jonas no no okay we'll get um not me [Music] me in Yorkshire Lee Hamlin has promised partner Emma that they will get married in just 3 weeks but he's struggling to cover the costs we did have savings and know a strict budgeter Lee returns to The Butchers to nose out a wedding bargain what sort of wedding Kake are you having cuz we do a fantastic Pok P Cake honestly right good we don't need to meal then do we I are you are you having the I can cancel Buffy we can have pie and peas I've just saved me sent a grand pot pie wedding cake bow of peas mint sauce on every [Music] table even though he saved money with a pork pie wedding cake Lee's Last luxury item will have to go I've got to sell it um to contribute towards wedding cuz we need things for wedding so it's got to go unfortunately it's going to be sold [ __ ] happened real is it you know one of them things put winding about it is he and it's not only Lee who's having to make sacrifices if I miss a horse riding this and I don't really care about that as long as you get married I need some new trainers that keep saying they'll buy me some but all right now it needs to save up for the weddding and I want them to get married more than the [Music] trainers back in gery despite being recently divorced and 40 single M 14 Joe Watson hasn't lost the desire to have even more children she started a relationship with 34-year-old Leisure Center worker Craig I was on my own till around 15 months then I met my boy friend Craig he got me pregnant the national press were quick to jump on the story and D boyfriend Craig Britain's bravest [Music] man the doctor said would you like to know what you're having and I goes go on then tell us and he said little boy my eyes up these a biles [Music] memories these scan [Music] pictures mom lost um the baby called Billy it was like really sad it's like me and Kaitlyn we go to school and for like three days because we just stayed at home like helping cuz Mom can do it but they do his little hand print and his little feet just 2 weeks later there was more devastating [Music] news for the next day I leave what I [Music] saw disgusting how I escaped the baby making machine do you know if they think they've hurt me by everything they say by wanted me down losing holding these little babies in your arms dying in your arms that's what hurt it what they're doing to me that ain't hurt slagging me [Music] off in just two weeks mother of 10 Emma Payne is marrying long-term partner Lee but the wedding was a complete surprise and she still doesn't have a wedding dress that's too mer not Meri but it's too Gypsy Wedding if you know what I mean really I want to scream yeah I'm getting married but then I think if I do that something bad might happen and it all just fall through and I'll look a complete nuted tit really [Music] [Laughter] [Music] so hi I'm Lee hi Le he John nice to meet it Callum hello it's my best man Stewart do your Lads want to try a couple of waste coat on that and get some ideas for colors then so wow look at [Music] you now do you like it is it still let's not or is it badman I'm not sure I don't know I think I need to try some on to see what yeah ready obviously I'm going to wear Wellies with the wedding being done on a shoe string all the outfits are being hired even Emma's dress with five bridesmaids and five ushers it still won't come cheap how beautiful are they do you like yours but for Lee and Emma the wedding is worth any cost so it's not just about me Lee actually getting married it's actually yeah this family is going to be complete Emma also hopes it will stop the world looking down on her family when we get married I hope people see that we are solid and that we're a family complete family and that's that I just wish people would get past their Prejudice and see us through we are what's wrong with that you laugh and joke about it but that looks extremely smart you want to wear that with dad and mom's wedding like two people wearing the C no it all needs to all needs to mat it's going to look silly we need we it's all about people knowing that we are one family what Mason's wearing now is what we'll go [Music] with over in gery there is little chance of the taunt sending for the Watson children ever since Georgia was a little girl she has been paraded through the press in the past her parents have profited but they can't control what the Press say it can be like really annoying because I just find people are nosy and um they're always like oh you're on the newspaper like why you just such a big family like why' you do it you have to be even tougher to be a Watson [Music] boy oldest Bradley is teaching his 7-year-old brother Charlie how to defend himself Bradley's recently turned professional so so now he gets grief in and out of the ring if you're uh your name's watching then it doesn't go down too well you know people are laughing and behind your back but they never say anything to your face you know just your ears are always burning don't like it but uh there's you know there's nothing you can do is it back at home Joe is mounting her W come back looking for a good-hearted [Music] man quite fancy you how can he say that 40 years old and 14 kids she still hasn't given up hope of having a 15th child but it's not easy one dating agency Point Blank refused to have her on their books sh had in tears you know and then she said uh I'm not looking down at you and I'm not judging you but the men that I've got here wouldn't want to date someone that's on state benefits someone that's got loads of kids and someone that lives in where I live D is in charge but I trust her 100% I SC out for a dance really going Nows George you're in charge and I'm going to ph up and I'm out okay to make sure everything F's okay all right I got my on okay okay bye bye bye is there any men is there any decent men out there cuz I don't know bye in Dundee the hands are paying their own price for having a big family flever give me a hug specialist nurse Roy is about to put in another 12-hour night shift I have to go work I always have to go work why cuz I got to put the Pennies on the table he works nights at the hospital so putting the 12 children to bed is down to Emma we kiss when I'm at work I'm gone for 12 hours it's a long night she's got the kids all through the night she's got to settle them down get them to sleep oh come on everyone L down is okay with you what is it you're watching I don't know should we turn it off when Roy's working it can it can feel like a mountain to climb the task is huge it it's just a nightmare getting out of bed it's 10:00 and the kids still aren't in bed yeah I'm going to night night nice one Jonas come on quickly we're not doing this anymore it's getting late you're not doing what you're told you don't get much sleep cuz someone's screaming or [Music] crying people don't sleep always where they're supposed to sleep finally all the kids are asleep [Music] almost Emma has her own personal reasons for wanting a big family I was only 17 and a half when I found I was um pregnant and I was 2 weeks pregnant before anyone knew so like decisions were made and the baby was adopted I don't know how anyone recovers from that kind of experience to have given your child away and especially when I don't think she probably really even wanted to do that and I was young I was I just turned 18 and I didn't really um I don't think I really had a strong voice and um and it was it was really really hard I kind of promised to God that if this had to be if I had to have her adopted that please let me be able to have as many children as I wanted I mean it's with you every day you can't ever Shake It Off you it's um it's you get on with life but I mean there'll always be this void that will never never ever go with it you can never replace it and never fill it although we have the 12 children to me I'll always be that I have [Music] 13 get ready despite the sacrifices Emma has no regrets I feel really grateful for our future money will always be tough and you know we'll never have a perfect house and it'll never be tidy enough clean enough we'll never have great cars and that but oh my goodness what we have is just amazing and it's possible that in the future the hand family could get even bigger we've never said we're not going to this is it you know we've just kind of taken it as you know we come to a point where now is the time to have another we could have another child if the if we get if we are able to you know if God lets us have another baby and in gery it turns out there will be a new Watson baby if you just lie down here is baby moving all right lovely you're now 35 Plus 2 days it's all right but this time it's not Joe's on which side do you feel more movements of the baby can you say that normally her 16-year-old daughter Mariah is 7 months pregnant feels like okay now you can cover your Tommy up again I wish you all the best okay see you soon thanks byebye the day she told me she was pregnant so I was angry I think any any parent would be angry I just cried my eyes out not because I was jealous cuz I thought no no not at that age it's not right you don't want that for your daughter worse still the pr have found out 15-year-old daughter pregnant but of course she's on benefits like her mom now it says I'm jealous of my PR of my daughter's pregnancy yeah it's just a week before father of 10 Lee is due to TI the knot he's on his way to London with his oldest son Mitch come on M cuz we need to be going soon hurry up before he and Emma can be begin a new chapter in their life he wants to close the door on a painful part of his past I left home at a young age I hour 14 14 and a bit didn't tell anybody I would going I just went come on let's go and just ended up in London when I first met Lee it was a complete and utter knob head underneath that knob head I could see that he weren't at all like that and a lot of his Persona really was actually because of his childhood let's just say I don't feel that my child will like [Music] theirs after Lee ran away to London he spent the next 5 years living rough the experience has made him all the more determined to provide for his kids it feels feels weird really because I can remember it being busier than this and noisier but I don't know whether it's cost I was so young I'd lost I'd lost my way in um hygiene self-respect confidence just I suppose just general life skills and trust in people I used to get jealous watching kids walk past with a lollipop I'd get jealous seeing kids eating the night scream it's crazy a't it you don't need to let it bother you it's a long time ago it's 25 years ago Mitch but if all that wouldn't have happened chances are I wouldn't have met your mom everything happens for a reason that happened for a reason I am very protective some I don't know whe I'm too protective or whatever but I just I just like to know my kids are all right my kids are safe forget about it now yes don't we while ever I'm around and I'm breathing that will be all right you know there's nobody will ever hurt any my kids never I want allow it mother of 14 Joe Watson is about to become a grandmother for the fourth time 15-year-old daughter Mariah is ready to give birth we're just waiting for things to start really nervous excited [ __ ] shut up ex-husband John has stepped in to help with the kids he's as excited as Joe about the prospect of a newborn baby the moment I just want this little I want this little man to come out so I can s hold him yeah [Music] it's a bit eptic because I bur the pizza having their dad back at home is a painful reminder of when the family was together half of the time like I wish he came back here like just to like live yeah back at the hospital the papers are hunting Joe for another story but this time she's decided not to play ball I don't think it's any of your business with without being rude that my daughter's having a baby this baby is mine and my family's business nothing to do with you or anyone else and I don't appreciate people comeing to my house trying to get a blem and dirty story out of us cuz that's all you've done to us why don't you just leave us alone 12 hours later another Watson is [Music] born despite all this happened the divorce the benefit fraud the bad press there is one thing about big family life that Joe will never Tire [Music] of it's just the most beautiful feeling in the world yeah the first cry and they're just looking at you in your [Music] arms in Yorkshire it's the day of the wedding a day that will finally unite the Hamlin family that looks great didn't it that's brilliant yes wow I made these children the one good thing out of life I've ever done is made these children it's BR everything is ready the dresses the flowers the Kilts even the pork pie wedding cake pass me that drink thank you I need this I'm going to try not to look at Lee cuz I'll cry cuz I am an emotional wreck anyway but the blessing one do is [Music] cry I see climbing a tree and I know [Music] EAS sorry I'm trying not to cry but it's really difficult you're look lovely thank you bu is's going to have to be 8:00 when sorry he is a brilliant dad although I don't tell him I never I don't tell him and I should we're now going to have a reading by Shannon the little things are the most important things is never being to our da Dan remembering to say I love you oh come on you st me come on just take a deep breath and start again right my D is not my biological dad but he's always been there for me and always been there for his kids I don't think one could marry anyone better to be honest it's not only marrying the right person it's being the right [Music] [Applause] partner all that I have I share with you all that I have I share with you all the time am I give to you all the time am I give to you in love and in trust in love and an interest we're here to make sure that our kids are happy because they didn't ask to be born we asked them we we wanted them here so by us wanting them here it's our duty to bring them up to the best of our ability and it's now my pleasure to declare that you're together as there is no difference whatsoever in having a large family and a small family you need three things you need love you need structure and you need respect congratulations that concludes today's Su ladies and gentlemen Mr Mrs Hamlin will be pleased if you'll join them for drinks and photographs we're all hamlins now instead of one just being odd like my mom used to be oh look at that that's my bit pop pie anybody and if you're on this side of the Bri and com now I'm F I finally after all these years got same s name as my kids and that means wind going that way that didn't work didn't it is that it oh that [Music] was e

Channel: Real Families

Views: 3,516,266

Keywords: UK's biggest brood, big brood struggles, big families in the UK, big families survival tactics, children upbringing, family growth, family hardships, family size impact, family survival stories, family values, large families in the UK, large family struggles, life with 12 kids, parental attention, parenting challenges, parenting dilemmas, parenting experiences, parenting insights, real life families, real life parenting

Id: 8_w0xnkZPxA

Length: 46min 36sec (2796 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 30 2017