How to Mom 18 kids without burning out? (ep-161)

16Jul

Today on the podcast I’m chatting with Jenn Taylor from www.momof18.com.

Jenn is mom to 18 kids. Yes, you’ve read that right, eighteen.

Some of those kids are biological and some are adopted and others are from foster care. I loved how Jenn said, ‘all of them are mine and don’t ever ask me that again’.

18 children have blessed her life. She went through infertility, seven pregnancies and has 12 years of foster parenting under her belt, plus a few more working at a non-profit with foster kids.

She’s been a stay-at-home Mom, homeschooling and making baby food from scratch, a Mom working in the corporate world and an Entrepreneurial Mom. She’s been divorced, and a single mom and She’s also experienced life with a blended family.

In the end, she was blessed to end up with kids from everywhere. More than “Yours, Mine and Ours” – an amalgam of foster children who aged out, adopted children, stepchildren, biological children and even a foreign exchange student.

Man, if that’s not inspiring I don’t know what is!

This was a conversation where I was listening more than talking because quite frankly, I find it fascinating and even impossible that someone can raise 18 children and come out on the other side not burnt out.

So, yet again, I was wrong.

As usual, I was projecting my own crap and fears.

If you find raising children wearying and if you believe that you’re burnt out because you have multiple children, wait until you hear Jenn’s story and more importantly her outlook and mindset.

By the end of this conversation, I observed myself feeling more empowered and trusting my abilities to raise ‘only’ tree kids.

You’ll hear Jenn respond to this comment with a beautiful analogy that changed everything for me. No matter how many kids we have, we are all parents. Being a parent is hard. It’s exhausting and challenging on so many levels but it’s also the thing that builds us up.

Motherhood and parenting allows us to be in the valley between mountains of opposing energies at all times.

You’re tired and energized at the same time.

You’re angry and in-love at the same time!

You’re inspired and depleted at the same time!

You’re happy, ecstatic and annoyed at the same time.

That’s the gift of motherhood for me.

Learning how to be OK ‘in the valley of motherhood’.

Because motherhood is simply one aspect of who you are, but you are so much more than that, Jenn is a great example of that.

She’s a mom of 18 kids, and also a minimalist, athlete, wife, bursting with sarcasm and humour. I just loved this conversation and can’t wait to share it with you!!

Buckle up mama, this interview will blow your mind!

Enjoy listening!