Kids by the Dozen- Parenting the Hivemind?

I have previously written an article on reality tv families, you can find that at this link: The Duggers, John and Kate, and Political Correctness. In that article I explored some common questions that arise when speaking about these shows. Since it's writing both out of a morbid curiosity and to find out more about these families I have been doing more research.

I have read words written by one of the mothers on this show. She was very concise clear and quite obviously had a true love for each individual member her family. She showed a real pride for each one of their separate accomplishments.

I was trying to see things from her perspective, yet I still felt something. A twinge of wonder, how can someone do this. I have a daughter, could I in theory raise fourteen or more of her? It was in that question I realized something interesting. Something this mother of fourteen had no doubt already known, something I can easily see due to the way she speaks of her children.

They are individuals to her.

There it was in black and white. Right in front of my face.

Families with so many children that do not realize this one important fact are missing a huge chunk of what makes their kids special. There are a few families on these shows that are parenting a singular mentality, painfully few see the individuals. They are not parenting eighteen separate children, they are parenting a hive mind. That was my realization, I would not be parenting fourteen or more versions of my own daughter, I would be parenting fourteen or more separate identities.

Children need love and attention, not time slots, and not siblings. They need their mommy and daddy. This is painfully selfish on those parents whom force their children to take on far too much responsibility at once.