My Unconventional Life as a Single Mother of 12

The love of motherhood is truly an indescribable feeling that brings so much joy and purpose to my life. I’ve always known I wanted to be a mother, but it wasn’t until after getting married and trying several times to have children of our own that we were faced with the hard reality that this wouldn’t be possible for us. With so many children in foster care awaiting adoption, we knew there was something more we could do to help and decided adopting three newborn triplets would be the perfect solution for our family.

My Story

I lost my job after having my triplets. I never thought I would be living in poverty, but with six kids and hardly any income coming in, I felt like my family and I had hit rock bottom. Being a single mother was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, and during those difficult times, it really tested my faith and determination to make something good out of what seemed to be an impossible situation. We turned things around completely when we sold our house (due to foreclosure) and moved into a rental with just two bedrooms. Now our family is thriving on just one income—and we couldn’t be happier!

The Highlights

Raising children is hard. There’s no way around it. It takes lots of patience, understanding, and dedication. In my opinion, single mothers deserve respect and admiration for what they do on a daily basis. Mother’s Day is coming up soon—and it makes me reflect on how lucky I am to have such wonderful kids who bring so much joy into my life every day. I’m also thankful that they love me despite my shortcomings.

The Challenges

The hardest part of being a single mother is having to do everything on my own. People usually see me around with my kids and think wow, that’s awesome she’s such a great mom and has so many kids! But what they don’t see is how much work I put into my children and our home every day. My life may seem unconventional by today’s standards, but I wouldn't change it for anything! Each day I wake up ready to take on whatever challenges lie ahead. All moms go through some struggles in their lives—whether you are married or single—and those difficulties can be made easier if you have some advice from someone who has been there before.

What I Love

I love being a mother, even though it's sometimes hard. I enjoy my kids and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Parenting is hard work, but it's also rewarding to work. It means sacrifice and daily effort, but that effort pays off in so many ways. Each child has her own strengths and challenges; she is born with unique qualities, talents, personality traits and quirks. The very act of parenting causes us to grow spiritually and emotionally because we are living out God's purpose for our lives through our children. They are gifts from God who teach us about ourselves and about Him—and about what it means to be human in general.

Tips for Women Thinking About Having Many Children

As our country’s fertility rate falls, studies show that more American women are having fewer children than ever before. But what if you’re looking to have large families? If you’re thinking about having more than one child, it’s important to take some time to consider what kind of life your future children will have. While growing up in a large family has its own unique challenges and joys, there are many reasons why some women might be happy with only two or three kids in their lives.

What People Do Not Understand about Us

People often focus on what I do not have. The number one thing people usually say to me is, You are so lucky you don't have to pay for daycare. That may be true, but having no husband is really hard. A lot of my peers at church see my kids in my arms and their first question is, How many children do you have? When I tell them I have twelve children, they always say some version of Wow! You must stay busy! or I could never handle that many kids! While these things might be true (in fact being a single mother and doing everything by myself is HARD), it's nice for people to sometimes look at what we do have.