Karissa Collins, a 42-year-old mother of 11 from Fort Worth, Texas, has responded to accusations that she is 'addicted' to pregnancy, insisting that her large family is the result of 'God's timing' and not an addiction.
Karissa, who shares her family life online with her husband Mandrae, says people often accuse her of being 'addicted to pregnancy' – but she insists that's not true. The couple, who are committed Christians, say their big family is down to 'God's timing'.
Trusting God with family size
'We do not have an addiction,' Karissa says. 'We just value life and trust God to give children in His timing and will, not ours.'
'After we got married, we were convicted to trust the Lord with how many children we have, and that is how we ended with 11 and counting,' she said.
Karissa and Mandrae's children range in age from one to 16 and are all named with the initial 'A': Anissa, 16, Andrae, 15, Annnistan, 13, Anjalie, 12, Andersyn, 11, Aynjel, nine, Ansyr, eight, Anchor, six, Anthym, five, Armor, three, and Arrow, one.
'God changed my heart, and now I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want this,' she adds.
Facing judgement
Despite having so many children, Karissa says pregnancy actually takes a significant toll on her body. 'The reality is that pregnancies are very hard on my body,' she says. 'I get really sick every time and have had several complications in pregnancy and birth.'
'I even gave birth at 29 weeks with my seventh baby.'
Karissa says many people struggle to understand the family's choices, but she's happy to educate them. 'I do welcome all questions, because I know people are curious.'
'They can't fathom someone wanting this. It is literally the best thing we have ever allowed God to do, and the greatest blessing we have and will ever have been given.'
'I respond to judgment with grace because this is the life God has given us, and I will never regret the life of any of my children.'
'It does make me upset that people are mad that my children are born, but I welcome it because it is a part of growing and learning.'
'Ultimately, God chose this for us, and we are over the moon ecstatic about the life He has given us.'
'I tell people all the time, we just trust God. If you are mad at that, take it up with God.'
There is one comment she finds particularly difficult, though. 'I do get frustrated with the “are you pregnant?” question because it is insinuating that I look 'fat' or pregnant, and I am struggling with my stomach area and not looking 'fat' in that area.'
'It is my biggest insecurity,' the mum admits. 'But I absolutely would love to be pregnant again — I just don't want to look pregnant if I am not.'
Raising a large family
Karissa said there are positives to having a large family. 'There is every stage of life, and the children absolutely love watching each other grow.'
'There is someone for everyone to play with – they have built-in best friends.'
'There is a big family dynamic where everyone has eyes on everyone and always has someone with them.'
'It is amazing how much they love to help, especially the younger ones, and it never ceases to amaze me how much they love each other.'
'I try not to discourage their help as much as possible and let them learn life skills as they grow.'
'The hardest part is getting them to stop helping,' she joked.
Dealing with finances
Having such a large family doesn't necessarily mean spending significantly more than smaller families do, Karissa continues. 'It can be a financial strain if you are not intentional about where you could save money.'
'For example, when we go out to eat, we can be eating with a family of four and spend less than them on our family's meal.'
'We know how to get food in bulk, skip the fountain drinks and come out good. Our average fast food bill is $60.'
'At Chick-fil-A we get two 30-count meals, seven large fries and 11 waters, and use rewards and end up with leftovers. Our average sit-down bill is around $100-$150,' Karissa explained.
'When grocery shopping, we have a Sam's Club membership to help with cost, and usually spend $650 on a month's worth of groceries.'
'And then I usually spend $350 a week on odds and ends that we might be missing for meals, and fruits, veggies and yoghurts.'
'We save a lot of money by drinking only water – the kids get soft drinks as treats once a week, or a smoothie.'
Karissa has worked out how to budget for family days out too. 'When it comes to entertainment, there are so many free events, but we also have a yearly get-out pass that saves us so much money, and we can go to all kinds of places all year long for one upfront cost.'
'The most expensive part of our family is getting into our weekly basketball tournaments, because we have so many kids to pay for. We average $300 a weekend for basketball games in the spring and summer.'
The family also saves money on clothes and other big purchases. 'We are great at thrifting and getting good deals on seasonal clothing, or getting options at Walmart for clothing,' Karrisa explains.
'And Facebook Marketplace is our best friend when looking for big-ticket items.'
'I strongly believe we all adjust to whatever income source we bring in – no matter how big or small our family is, we can all find a way to make it work.'
'It is much, much easier than it looks.'
Reflecting on the judgement the family faces, Karrisa said: 'I hope people will look beyond the size of our family and instead see what I see every day.'
'My children are valuable, loved, cherished, adored, obsessed over, and blessings to this world.'
