A couple who has 37 kids has revealed that they may not be done expanding their family, as they detailed the harsh realities of having such an enormous brood.
Paul and Jeane Briggs, from Falling Waters, West Virginia, have adopted 32 children and welcomed five over the years.
While Paul, 71, and Jeane, 69, have admitted that taking care of so many kids, who range in age from 10 to 47, comes with its fair share of difficulties, they recently confessed that they are still open to adopting more.
‘If someone knocked on my door with a child … I’d prefer one that’s not a baby,’ Jeane joked during a chat with People.
Paul explained to the publication that when they first got married in 1976, five years after meeting at a conference for youth Methodist leaders, they didn’t plan to have such a large family.
According to the dad-of-37, it just happened.Â
‘There was never any talk of a mega-family,’ he said. ‘There was never this, “Well, let’s try to get to this number or that number.” It was really just a series of events that continued to bring more children in.’
He explained that after welcoming five biological kids, they decided to adopt a blind baby boy from Mexico who had been ‘abandoned.’
Paul and Jeane Briggs, from Falling Waters, West Virginia, have adopted 32 children and welcomed five over the years
While Paul, 71, and Jeane, 69, have admitted that taking care of so many kids – who range in age from 10 to 47 – comes with its fair share of difficulties, they recently confessed that they are still open to adopting more
After that, they became devoted to taking care of children in need, particularly, those who are older or hard to place because of disabilities or illnesses.
They’ve cared for children with cancer, polio, scoliosis, leg deformities, kidney problems, learning disabilities and autism, among other medical conditions.Â
They currently have 14 kids living in their 5,000-plus-square-foot-home, and Paul told People that everyone has set chores they have to do to keep things running smoothly.
‘When you have that many people under one roof, if they don’t have anything to do, they’re going to find something to do,’ he said.
Grocery shopping requires a ‘structured routine,’ and the older children take turns helping as ‘Jeane’s assistants.’
Cooking for so many people is a massive task, but Jeane vowed that food is her ‘love language’ so she enjoys it.
They have two stoves and several fridges and freezers in the home to store all of the food.Â
Despite the difficulties, Paul and Jeane have insisted that they’ve mastered taking care of such a busy household.
They are devoted to taking care of children in need, particularly, those who are older or hard to place because of disabilities or illnesses
Cooking so for many people is a massive task, but Jeane vowed that food is her ‘love language’ so she enjoys it
Grocery shopping requires a ‘structured routine,’ and the older children take turns helping as ‘Jeane’s assistants’
‘If someone knocked on my door with a child … I’d prefer one that’s not a baby,’ Jeane, seen with many of her 37 kids, joked during a recent chat with People
‘We’ve heard parents joke that they struggle to get one or two children to church on time, while our entire family regularly arrives early,’ they told People.
Their daughter Mary Kate, 43, admitted that having so many siblings ‘was a lot’ while she was growing up, but added that it was ‘always very positive.’
She has now taken on a similar lifestyle and has 14 kids of her own.
‘Through it all, I have only the utmost regard for my parents. They have handled it very well and they’ve been thrown a lot,’ she gushed.
‘But because of how they’ve lived and what they’ve seen and how they’ve handled every situation, it’s truly remarkable.’
Back in 2014, the couple revealed to Today that they spend roughly $52,000 a year on groceries alone.Â
At the time, Paul said he had a ‘very, very good job’ with a credit card processing company, while Jeane, who has a background in nursing and teaching, was a stay-at-home mom.Â
He added that his employer pays the family $10,000 for every child they adopt.Â
‘I enjoy it. This is my career. I say to my kids, you’re the very air I breathe so I need you, I need that oxygen,’ Jeane gushed of being a stay-at-home mom at the time.
