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Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Erin on Raising a Large Family

 Erin and Chad Paine

Growing up, Erin Bates Paine often wondered how her parents handled all the work that comes with raising a super-sized family, but looking back, she says it has certainly been worth all the energy her mom and dad have invested.

"I hope that [Chad and I] can bless others the way my parents have really been an encouragement to people they meet," Erin shares in an UP interview, shown in the video clip below.


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Photo/video courtesy of UP

27 comments:

  1. Are the couples told they have to hang on each other for every interview?

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    1. Because it's not possible that they love each other so much that they want to be close to each other?

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    2. It's probably a nerve/ comfort thing. Zack and Whitney don't do it but they seem more secure and comfortable with the cameras. Same with Alyssa and John. But Erin and her mom both come off as quieter and more shy than some of the other women in the family so I think they use the guys as a kind of security blanket. I doubt they realize they're doing it.

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    3. They also seem to like physical contact more.

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  2. I really admire their relationship. Chad and Erin seem to truly love and respect each other. They always really pay attention to each other and have the cutest smiles for each other. They are an inspiration already, just like her parents.

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  3. I don't quite understand Erin's comments. She has only 2 children and a dog and she is a stay at home homemaker. How is it so hard for her? What is so hard?
    After the medical issue she had with her past pregnancies, what are their plans for future children? Is she planning on having more and risking her health? What about the cost of those shots she received? I'm sure it's perhaps not the best thing, health-wise to be injecting yourself with especially year after year if she's not going to monitor future children.

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    1. 2 kids so close together (though many have had children much closer than 15 months)is a lot of work...especially since this family, since they are eternally going somewhere. Erin not only has to teach and train 2 young children, but has to look and be "on" whenever the cameras are around. That would add a LOT of stress to anyone's life. It's not normal, and for as much as they claim it is a "ministry" for their family, it has potential to be a big problem.

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    2. 8:01 I think she was primarily referring to her parents raising 19 kids as being really hard and a challenge. She did admit that having two of her own was not easy, either, but I don't think she was comparing her situation with her own parents. The fact of the matter is having kids is an adjustment, whether it's one or more than that. And yes, it's unrelenting work and worry. As I can attest, that worry doesn't end when they grow up and leave home either. Is it worth it? In my experience, most definitely!
      Regarding Erin's future plans for more children and medical issues, I don't think she's obligated to keep the general public in the loop on all of that. Her husband has a regular job and likely has insurance to cover medical costs.

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    3. Maybe things are hard because she's sleep deprived, with two children until the age of 2? Having been through that myself, that would be my guess! :)

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    4. She also teaches piano and who knows what else she has going on? She is only on the show for a few minutes each week, so we don't see a majority of her life. I know her husband is fixing up furniture, so she probably helps with that too. Having two small children is a lot of work. Toddlers have non stop energy.

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    5. What is so hard?? I hope God does not judge you as harshly as you have judged this woman. I have no children and sometimes my life is hard. May God bless you and keep you: and those you criticize!

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    6. I suppose she means raising children is difficult in general. Though I agree with you, being a stay-at-home mom to 2 kids isn't really a "hard" job. Most jobs require work.

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    7. That's nothing! Johann Bach had 21 kids! Now that's what I call a big family!

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    8. It's unfair to assume that having two kids and being a stay at home mom isn't a hard job. I would never say anything so asinine. You don't know people's specific situations. What if you have a child that doesn't sleep well and you spend most of your days sleep deprived? You can't go without adequate sleep for very long before it starts to wear on you. There could be underlying physical or mental health issues that make the day to day stuff difficult. Or, in my case, your first two kids are not only close together but both have special needs. I'm thankful that I've had a harder time of it though because it's taught me to never make assumptions about someone else's life.

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  4. The Bates family is truly amazing!

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  5. To anonymous above I am assuming with a comment like that either you have no children or you have a nanny as well as you have never experienced infertility, because you would never have said "what is hard about having two babies and being a stay at home mum! I have been both a stay at home mum and a working mum and trust me there are days I would rather go to work then stay at home, both are hard hard work!!! Being a stay at home mum does not mean you watch TV all day and eat bon bons!! What you said was insensitive. To Chad and Erin you are a beautiful couple with gorgeous kids!

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    1. I completely agree with you. I have been a working mom and stay at home mom. It is way easier to be a working mom. Keeping up with little kids and house all day is very hard work. Little ones have to be constantly monitored and entertained. It is more rewarding to be at home with the kids and develop closer bonds with them, but it is definitely more work.

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  6. These inexperienced married children still act like they're on company behavior with each other long after the wedding. Just not normal if you ask me.

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    1. Yeah I agree. It must be weird to go from. Not kissing on Friday to boom married on Saturday. Like Michael and Brandon honeymoon seemed super awkward to me.

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    2. I don't think they do.

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    3. I don't know what you mean by your comment that they are on company behavior. If you mean they seem somewhat awkward with each other at times, I think that would have more to do with the camera in front of them than with their relationships. I think it is very rude to call them inexperienced married children since they are adults not children. How do you gain life experience? You live life and learn. That is what they are doing. They aren't newlyweds anymore. Michael and Brandon didn't seem awkward at all on their honeymoon. They seemed very happy. It isn't awkward to go from not kissing to being married. That transition is not hard to make at all.

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    4. Wow for a bunch of Christian folks some of these responses border on nasty. Everyone sees the show differently let's all calm down and yeah I'm sorry but I think Michael and Brandon seem awkward around each other.

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  7. Erin and Chad are lovely and the whole family seems quite nice, but the logic here is goofy. Having a large family is hard, but by doing it well they can be an encouragement to others who have a large family? What if people just had manageable-sized families and didn't need a source of "encouragement" because it's so hard? To each their own, but there's nothing especially admirable about procreating more times than the American norm. It's a choice, and in a lot of cases it's a poor choice for parents who cannot support or care for all of them.

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    1. How many kids is "manageable" is dependent on their families. For some people 19 is manageable for others it may be one or two. What is admirable about their family is the fact that they are raising respectful children who love the Lord. Their kids are not running wild or running around all dirty and ill taken care of. I have never heard any of them say everyone should have the same size family that they have, but if someone chooses to have a large family the Bates have a lot of good advice.

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  8. Anonymous restates: Yes, I was a stay at home mother with 2 children and a husband who did not help at all with anything. So, I know how it is. If it's a hard thing for Erin to do it "all", why do they continue to appear on the show? It's not necessary for them to contribute if it's a challenge for Erin to "be on" a lot and camera ready. I like Erin, don't get me wrong, but she came from a house with 19 kids, so two and a nice small home shouldn't be difficult for her to manage. I did it myself.

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    1. It makes me sad to see these negative and somewhat judgmental responses on here ...... how do any of us know how hard someone else's life may be? I have only three daughters, but I had them pretty close together and I loved every minute of it .... but there were days that I was sleep deprived and exhausted 😩 And on those days life could seem pretty hard !! Erin seens line a smart and confident wife and mom!!! I think as Christian women we should try to be understanding and uplifting to each other !! ❤️

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  9. Wishing all the Bates a Blessed and happy Easter. God bless.
    Joan,Marion and Marilyn

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