A mum-of-11 has rejected repeated claims that she is "addicted to pregnancy," saying she never actually wanted children and that building such a large family was God's will.
Karissa Collins, 42, a stay-at-home mum from Fort Worth, Texas, raises her 11 children alongside her husband, Mandrae Collins, also 42. The youngsters span ages one to 16 and all share names beginning with the letter 'A' - Anissa, 16, Andrae, 15, Annnistan, 13, Anjalie, 12, Andersyn, 11, Aynjel, nine, Ansyr, eight, Anchor, six, Anthym, five, Armor, three, and Arrow, one.
Not an Addiction, but God's Will
Karissa maintains that building such a large family was never their intention. "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. "People constantly make assumptions about our family.
"Everyone assumes I have an addiction to pregnancy and that is why we have so many, but the reality is that pregnancies are very hard on my body. 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. We do not have an addiction. We just value life and trust God to give children in His timing and will, not ours. The addiction thing is just funny because most women know the struggles that come with pregnancy."
Career-Driven Start
Karissa reckons many people find it difficult to comprehend her family's decisions. "They make assumptions because they don't understand it. They can't fathom someone wanting this, and the truth is that I didn't want this.
"I actually never desired children or being a mum and was very career-driven. God changed my heart, and now I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want 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."
However, there's one remark she finds especially difficult. Karissa said: "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.
"So it is my biggest insecurity. But I absolutely would love to be pregnant again - I just don't want to look pregnant if I am not," Karissa said.
Built-In Best Friends
Despite managing such a large brood, Karissa insists there are genuine advantages to raising children of all different ages together. "It is amazing. 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," she said.
"There is a big family dynamic where everyone has eyes on everyone and always has someone with them. But when it comes to meals, diapers, bedtime, baths, etc, mum is on the case. The hardest part is getting them to stop helping.
"I try not to discourage their help as much as possible and let them learn life skills as they grow. 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."
Financial Strategies
Raising a large family doesn't necessarily mean breaking the bank compared to smaller households, explained Karissa, whose husband works in finance. "It can be a financial strain if you are not intentional about where you could save money," she said. "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 (around £44). 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 (around £73 to £110).
"When grocery shopping, we have a Sam's Club membership (a subsidiary of Walmart) to help with costs, and usually spend $650 (around £476) on a month's worth of groceries. And then I usually spend $350 (around £256) 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. In the long run, we spend not much more than a family of four because we know where to go to save money and are very intentional about where we eat and what we spend.
"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 (around £220) a weekend for basketball games in the spring and summer.
The family also cuts costs on clothing and other major purchases. She added: "We are great at thrifting and getting good deals on seasonal clothing, or getting $5 options at Walmart for clothing. 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."
Facing Critics
She went on to say that she takes pleasure in talking about her family's way of life, as she fully appreciates why so many people are intrigued. "I do welcome all questions, because I didn't understand this life either, and so I know people are curious and I love to answer their concerns and questions and help women learn that they can do it too. It is much, much easier than it looks," she said.
"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. We must face our critics and learn to have thick skin in the midst of people not agreeing with our decision.
"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.
"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."
