Super interesting story! I hope to hear more about this family. As a homeschooling mom of 5, it’s kind of a shock to read a positive take on a large family. Thanks for this!
Kudos to you for Homeschooling! It is the best and only way to educate kids instead of indoctrinating them in our disastrous predatory school systems. Here is a curriculum I assembled: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-homeschool-your-kids. MSM hates large families because they are anti human. It is telling that my wife and I discovered the de La Mottes in different independent media contexts - her on instagram, and me on the FP.
Love their casual dismissal of critics, so comfortable with who they are. My daughter is a stay at home mom homeschooling her 4, I couldn’t be prouder and am grateful as a grandparent for the abundant blessings. The real counterculture has a lot to teach us.
Happy kids, growing and thriving wthout social media induced lunacy. Does anyone really believe our schools are healthy environments? The negative homeschool narrative is pure propaganda - got to protect the establishment monopoly! The homeschool curriculum choices are vast, the social networks with growing homeschool coops that provide ample social networking opportunities like drama clubs, sports teams and many other special nterest classes. Nervous? Public schools make me nervous
Let's fervently hope not, as the Kardashians are a family famous for being famous, and almost entirely bereft of talent, which this family displays in spades!
I’m a dad with one lovely girl who learned Suzuki violin from age 3 and I’m envious of these people. I married late, barely got one kid, and my wife was one-and-done. But we’re fortunate we got in the game before aging out. I wouldn’t trade fatherhood for anything.
Large families aren’t just unusual in most places; they’re despised. As Ms. Weiss mentions, the Orthodox Jews are the main other people having lots of children. Modern Orthodox easily 4-5, Chassids (fundamentalist) 10-12. How this phenomenon will remake the social fabric of cities like New York is little understood yet hugely important.
Last night we attended a Seder of 16 people, half of whom were childless. One rather odious person (she got my hackles up by speaking admiringly of Alvin Bragg) declared that she “didn’t believe in marriage”.
I hope there’s a turnaround in attitudes toward marriage and children in the developed countries. As Marc points out, we all have one appointment in life, and nothing we possess can come with us on that day.
I, too, got into the "game" late, mostly because my job and lifestyle kept me moving and precluded me from establishing relationships that could lead to marriage, but also because I wasn't mature enough to be a parent. My first was born 12 days before my 40th birthday, and even he was an "accident," though from the day I learned of his conception he was the best accident to ever happen to me. The second, born two years later, is one of those people who really could make the world a better place. I am, however, one of six, and since the passing of both parents over the past three years, I appreciate my large family even more and respect and am eternally grateful for the love and work that my parents invested to make us all productive citizens and good people.
Not mature enough to have kids??? Having children is a crash course in gaining maturity! The most fertile times in our lives are being wasted in today's society. Sure, there will be mistakes and misjudgments, but the same may be said about older parents who try to present a "perfect" environment for their only child. There are NO guarantees!!!
Absolutely! Having children is a crash course in gaining maturity. I also think that entering into a loving, committed marriage is a path to maturity and both paths are schools of SoulGrowing. I think back on the person I was at twenty-five---supposedly grown, supposedly mature, considered to be a nice, good person all-around. I was, however, a self-involved idiot. Only by giving of myself in the course of marriage and motherhood was I forced to be less selfish and more caring for others and for the world in general. Still working on it, of course.
Chag Samach Terry this odious person was it a him/her/they etc. Or even better which university did it come out of, was she even interested in the story of the exit from Egypt. I somehow doubt it
It was a group of liberals, with the exception of myself and my daughter. I will admit, most of them were too polite to yield to temptation and say stupid, divisive stuff, though they certainly have done in the past. I need to work on myself; my intentions were to be tolerant and just not worry about liberals ranting and venting; it's what liberals do. When I go to the rod & gun club, 99% of the people there are obviously pro-2A Republicans but no one ever talks politics. And if there were a liberal there, no one would give him a hard time. We're above that.
Terry you don’t have to keep quiet, that’s what the Seder is all about. It’s a time for questions and debates ... hence the 5 questions of Pesach these liberals need the it badly we can’t just sit there a be Schtum! Enjoy the 2nd Seder!
So sorry to hear about your Seder. That woman needs to read her Torah. She can't pick and choose what she likes and doesn't like, it's pretty much an all or nothing situation.
Even among us LDS, family size is decreasing. When I was a kid, 8 children was a normal "large family" in Utah. (As an only child, I was very much an odd one out!) Now five children is considered the normal "large."
Suzy, what no LGBQTMNOP in this story? Mozart, was he anti something so we can use the music to label these folks as Super Duper MAGA?
Actually, a cool story and nice to see some real life and even if you may not agree, some families are really happy with just being with family. I know I like my family more than the outside world and add in a couple of dogs and life is great. Not everyone needs to be embroiled in the crazy going on. Wish the family well and much happiness. Good story.
I thought the same thing. Other than the sale from their home, his occasional freelance work and the kids busking, there doesn’t appear that anyone is working to pay for these lessons and music schools. Assuming there are scholarships for the music schools but not likely for private lessons with world class musicians. It’s none of my business, really, but I was financially stressed out for them! I admire those who can make it work.
Hah - me too! I used to live on this block in Harlem, and I know how expensive it was for one person, let alone a family of 12! One thing I have found amongst homeschool families (having grown up in one myself), is that money seems to not be the focus or the goal. Typically they make sure they have enough to get by, and the kiddos figure out the rest (scholarships, jobs in early adulthood, etc). Homeschoolers are the happiest families I have ever met.
Fran Leibowitz had a great quote in her show on Netflix: "No one can afford to live in New York. Yet, eight million people do. How do we do this? We don't know!"
(But in this family's case, no, I have no idea how they do it. More power to them.)
I know, but when I think of all the money we spend on eating out-mostly lunches, I cook dinner-I shriek. I'm sure they wear hand-me-downs and head across town to COSCO for bulk size provisions. I'm not necessarily rooting for them to get picked up by sleazes like TLC who are going to ask them to amp up to create conflict and drama. I'm praying for God to provide and for them to remain happy and healthy.
There has to be money. Quite a bit. Food alone, short of clothes, instruments, etc., not to mention living in NYC... There's always money in the fabric of such stories, which is fine, it's just the thing that seems to never be addressed—the connection of life choices to available income. Don't know a single person who could afford all of this, why pulling that thread through a story is important.
I kept wondering how these folks pay for all this from the sale of a home that provided a nice windfall, but not millions. Maybe they've monetized the videos on Youtube, Instagram, Tik Tok etc.?
as a realtor I can tell you unless they paid cash for their LA home. they had a mortgage. Gavin ( or what ever Gov was thr then) took a chunk in taxes ( it is CA after all) so 500K is not 500K.
They aren’t living on next to nothing. They got more than $500,000 from the sale of their home in San Francisco and obviously they are making money on TikTok. The one area where the article most obviously falls short is the family’s finances.
They used up some of that $500,000 living in SF. ( And is that net or gross because even with 10 in the family, there will be cap gains. ) And buying the trailer thingie. They are spending 10,000 a month on rent alone which won’t last long.
I've become so conditioned that as reading it I found myself wondering how the NYTs would have covered this family--sniffing at the home schooling or commenting on their carbon footprint, perhaps? But, no, thankfully--it's just a well-written story about an American family. Beautiful.
The Times would not have covered it at all because there's no ethnic or religious-right angle to either praise or shame. Just a close-knit, hard working white family with old fashioned values. Can't have the public see that.
Hope? 80 million adult's brains dribbled out November 2020. More dribbled out on the otherside of the street middle of last year. This is one family that exited a deranged state and moved to a deranged city on the otherside of the country. An outlier of an outlier of a family, the adults of which, whatever else they might be, are clearly daft. Else the story is missing the middle.
Thank you Suzy and Free Press! It is wonderful to read a good and happy story. We need more of these. I firmly believe that the majority of people are happy, leading good lives and trying to do their best. News, however, is defined for some reason, by the negative, i.e., the car crashes, etc. We need to remember and highlight, the good and positive news that exists all around us.
What a great story. I hope they have more kids bc the world needs more families like them.
Unfortunately I fear the leftist misanthropes are going to try to skewer them, because that’s what they do best...in fact, tearing down the righteous is virtually the only thing they do, as I write here:
It's a damning telltale of what social media has perpetrated upon us all that people feel no reservation in publicly criticizing and name-calling this clan, based on the most superficial and brief readings of their story (readings much shorter than this bit).
Why do people feel so entitled to cast judgment upon others? One problem is that the old feedback loop - the instant reaction you see on someone's face when you say something to them - doesn't exist in social media. You can be the biggest p***k in the world without emotional consequence.
I was particularly struck by people judging them for overpopulating the planet, when the reality is that most first-world societies have a looming "underpopulation" problem. Below-replacement fertility rates are already aging populations and straining social security and pension systems, which rely on working age people to support retirees. If such are to stay solvent, populations need to grow.
I believe over-population is a myth perpetuated by Malthusian thinking and ideology. I have seen some families reproducing and following a path of generational disfunction and dependency. I have seen wonderful people with only a single child. This is a wonderful essay describing a family of intelligent hard-working adults and children, who will be launched into the future. Oh, I would love to see more people just like this. Our nation and world would be a far better place.
Developed nations have an underpopulation problem and need to encourage having kids
The overpopulation is mostly in Africa and parts of the Arab world (Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan), where girls are pulled out of school at age 11 and married at 12 that be a child Bride against their will.
Wholesome, talented family! Wow. Thank you for that “palette-cleansing” story. The perfect antidote for the noisy, political nonsense we are bombarded with. Make music...not discord. Hope to see them on tour!
Super interesting story! I hope to hear more about this family. As a homeschooling mom of 5, it’s kind of a shock to read a positive take on a large family. Thanks for this!
Kudos to you for Homeschooling! It is the best and only way to educate kids instead of indoctrinating them in our disastrous predatory school systems. Here is a curriculum I assembled: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-homeschool-your-kids. MSM hates large families because they are anti human. It is telling that my wife and I discovered the de La Mottes in different independent media contexts - her on instagram, and me on the FP.
Love their casual dismissal of critics, so comfortable with who they are. My daughter is a stay at home mom homeschooling her 4, I couldn’t be prouder and am grateful as a grandparent for the abundant blessings. The real counterculture has a lot to teach us.
I thought the same thing.
Happy kids, growing and thriving wthout social media induced lunacy. Does anyone really believe our schools are healthy environments? The negative homeschool narrative is pure propaganda - got to protect the establishment monopoly! The homeschool curriculum choices are vast, the social networks with growing homeschool coops that provide ample social networking opportunities like drama clubs, sports teams and many other special nterest classes. Nervous? Public schools make me nervous
whatever they become - may it not be "the kardashians"
The Kardashians are bereft of talent - they are the poster children for the current narcissism that pervades the country
The Kardashians' "talent" is marketing and promotion - I've never watched any of their shows but from what I can tell they are quite expert at it.
Let's fervently hope not, as the Kardashians are a family famous for being famous, and almost entirely bereft of talent, which this family displays in spades!
I’m a dad with one lovely girl who learned Suzuki violin from age 3 and I’m envious of these people. I married late, barely got one kid, and my wife was one-and-done. But we’re fortunate we got in the game before aging out. I wouldn’t trade fatherhood for anything.
Large families aren’t just unusual in most places; they’re despised. As Ms. Weiss mentions, the Orthodox Jews are the main other people having lots of children. Modern Orthodox easily 4-5, Chassids (fundamentalist) 10-12. How this phenomenon will remake the social fabric of cities like New York is little understood yet hugely important.
Last night we attended a Seder of 16 people, half of whom were childless. One rather odious person (she got my hackles up by speaking admiringly of Alvin Bragg) declared that she “didn’t believe in marriage”.
I hope there’s a turnaround in attitudes toward marriage and children in the developed countries. As Marc points out, we all have one appointment in life, and nothing we possess can come with us on that day.
I, too, got into the "game" late, mostly because my job and lifestyle kept me moving and precluded me from establishing relationships that could lead to marriage, but also because I wasn't mature enough to be a parent. My first was born 12 days before my 40th birthday, and even he was an "accident," though from the day I learned of his conception he was the best accident to ever happen to me. The second, born two years later, is one of those people who really could make the world a better place. I am, however, one of six, and since the passing of both parents over the past three years, I appreciate my large family even more and respect and am eternally grateful for the love and work that my parents invested to make us all productive citizens and good people.
Not mature enough to have kids??? Having children is a crash course in gaining maturity! The most fertile times in our lives are being wasted in today's society. Sure, there will be mistakes and misjudgments, but the same may be said about older parents who try to present a "perfect" environment for their only child. There are NO guarantees!!!
Absolutely! Having children is a crash course in gaining maturity. I also think that entering into a loving, committed marriage is a path to maturity and both paths are schools of SoulGrowing. I think back on the person I was at twenty-five---supposedly grown, supposedly mature, considered to be a nice, good person all-around. I was, however, a self-involved idiot. Only by giving of myself in the course of marriage and motherhood was I forced to be less selfish and more caring for others and for the world in general. Still working on it, of course.
I think if you embrace the role of parent and don't count on the village to raise your kids it takes you to a new level.
That seder sounds like a real gem of a party. Oye!
😂😂😂can you imagine my first thought was let’s it give it a “Will Smith” to the “ponim”
Chag Samach Terry this odious person was it a him/her/they etc. Or even better which university did it come out of, was she even interested in the story of the exit from Egypt. I somehow doubt it
It was a group of liberals, with the exception of myself and my daughter. I will admit, most of them were too polite to yield to temptation and say stupid, divisive stuff, though they certainly have done in the past. I need to work on myself; my intentions were to be tolerant and just not worry about liberals ranting and venting; it's what liberals do. When I go to the rod & gun club, 99% of the people there are obviously pro-2A Republicans but no one ever talks politics. And if there were a liberal there, no one would give him a hard time. We're above that.
Terry you don’t have to keep quiet, that’s what the Seder is all about. It’s a time for questions and debates ... hence the 5 questions of Pesach these liberals need the it badly we can’t just sit there a be Schtum! Enjoy the 2nd Seder!
Good points.
So sorry to hear about your Seder. That woman needs to read her Torah. She can't pick and choose what she likes and doesn't like, it's pretty much an all or nothing situation.
Even among us LDS, family size is decreasing. When I was a kid, 8 children was a normal "large family" in Utah. (As an only child, I was very much an odd one out!) Now five children is considered the normal "large."
"They look you in the eye when they talk."
I've found this trait in children to be a very reliable measure of parental success generally.
God bless the de la Motte family.
Home schooled children are cool, including Christian home schoolers. I've met a lot of them over the years and they are a cut above the average kid.
Suzy, what no LGBQTMNOP in this story? Mozart, was he anti something so we can use the music to label these folks as Super Duper MAGA?
Actually, a cool story and nice to see some real life and even if you may not agree, some families are really happy with just being with family. I know I like my family more than the outside world and add in a couple of dogs and life is great. Not everyone needs to be embroiled in the crazy going on. Wish the family well and much happiness. Good story.
I had the same thought. I bet longitudinal studies will later show that children raised like this don't "get gender dysphoria."
Interesting. I’m impressed they can live on seemingly nothing.
I thought the same thing. Other than the sale from their home, his occasional freelance work and the kids busking, there doesn’t appear that anyone is working to pay for these lessons and music schools. Assuming there are scholarships for the music schools but not likely for private lessons with world class musicians. It’s none of my business, really, but I was financially stressed out for them! I admire those who can make it work.
Hah - me too! I used to live on this block in Harlem, and I know how expensive it was for one person, let alone a family of 12! One thing I have found amongst homeschool families (having grown up in one myself), is that money seems to not be the focus or the goal. Typically they make sure they have enough to get by, and the kiddos figure out the rest (scholarships, jobs in early adulthood, etc). Homeschoolers are the happiest families I have ever met.
Sounds like the busking must pay off enough to get the basics. Though it perplexes me also.
Betting on themselves, what better investment would you suggest?
Fran Leibowitz had a great quote in her show on Netflix: "No one can afford to live in New York. Yet, eight million people do. How do we do this? We don't know!"
(But in this family's case, no, I have no idea how they do it. More power to them.)
Never mind the $9800 a month! rent.
I know, but when I think of all the money we spend on eating out-mostly lunches, I cook dinner-I shriek. I'm sure they wear hand-me-downs and head across town to COSCO for bulk size provisions. I'm not necessarily rooting for them to get picked up by sleazes like TLC who are going to ask them to amp up to create conflict and drama. I'm praying for God to provide and for them to remain happy and healthy.
That is so kind, insightful and well-intentioned. I wish we had a world full of you MM.
yup I have the same soap dispenser ..Costco
There has to be money. Quite a bit. Food alone, short of clothes, instruments, etc., not to mention living in NYC... There's always money in the fabric of such stories, which is fine, it's just the thing that seems to never be addressed—the connection of life choices to available income. Don't know a single person who could afford all of this, why pulling that thread through a story is important.
I kept wondering how these folks pay for all this from the sale of a home that provided a nice windfall, but not millions. Maybe they've monetized the videos on Youtube, Instagram, Tik Tok etc.?
as a realtor I can tell you unless they paid cash for their LA home. they had a mortgage. Gavin ( or what ever Gov was thr then) took a chunk in taxes ( it is CA after all) so 500K is not 500K.
They do not worship at the altar of the almighty dollar. Good thing too because it is not worth what it used to be.
They aren’t living on next to nothing. They got more than $500,000 from the sale of their home in San Francisco and obviously they are making money on TikTok. The one area where the article most obviously falls short is the family’s finances.
They used up some of that $500,000 living in SF. ( And is that net or gross because even with 10 in the family, there will be cap gains. ) And buying the trailer thingie. They are spending 10,000 a month on rent alone which won’t last long.
surly you jest. 500K. nope that wont go far
Surely you don’t read carefully or you are innumerate. They sold their home in 2020.
Ain’t that the truth.
I've become so conditioned that as reading it I found myself wondering how the NYTs would have covered this family--sniffing at the home schooling or commenting on their carbon footprint, perhaps? But, no, thankfully--it's just a well-written story about an American family. Beautiful.
The Times would not have covered it at all because there's no ethnic or religious-right angle to either praise or shame. Just a close-knit, hard working white family with old fashioned values. Can't have the public see that.
I love the "good news" story about wonderful people. It brightened my day and gave me hope for America.
Hope? 80 million adult's brains dribbled out November 2020. More dribbled out on the otherside of the street middle of last year. This is one family that exited a deranged state and moved to a deranged city on the otherside of the country. An outlier of an outlier of a family, the adults of which, whatever else they might be, are clearly daft. Else the story is missing the middle.
Thank you Suzy and Free Press! It is wonderful to read a good and happy story. We need more of these. I firmly believe that the majority of people are happy, leading good lives and trying to do their best. News, however, is defined for some reason, by the negative, i.e., the car crashes, etc. We need to remember and highlight, the good and positive news that exists all around us.
Well said
This made my day.
I’ve always loved classical music. What they’re able to do with those instruments is beauty.
This is a wonderful, cheering story. And these children read books! Lovely.
Great story about family!
What a great story. I hope they have more kids bc the world needs more families like them.
Unfortunately I fear the leftist misanthropes are going to try to skewer them, because that’s what they do best...in fact, tearing down the righteous is virtually the only thing they do, as I write here:
https://www.sub-verses.com/p/modern-liberalism-is-an-anti-human
It's a damning telltale of what social media has perpetrated upon us all that people feel no reservation in publicly criticizing and name-calling this clan, based on the most superficial and brief readings of their story (readings much shorter than this bit).
Why do people feel so entitled to cast judgment upon others? One problem is that the old feedback loop - the instant reaction you see on someone's face when you say something to them - doesn't exist in social media. You can be the biggest p***k in the world without emotional consequence.
I was particularly struck by people judging them for overpopulating the planet, when the reality is that most first-world societies have a looming "underpopulation" problem. Below-replacement fertility rates are already aging populations and straining social security and pension systems, which rely on working age people to support retirees. If such are to stay solvent, populations need to grow.
I can't wait until all those "I'm not having kids because the world's too crowded" people die out.
I believe over-population is a myth perpetuated by Malthusian thinking and ideology. I have seen some families reproducing and following a path of generational disfunction and dependency. I have seen wonderful people with only a single child. This is a wonderful essay describing a family of intelligent hard-working adults and children, who will be launched into the future. Oh, I would love to see more people just like this. Our nation and world would be a far better place.
Intelligent reasoning is not the nay-sayer's strong suit.
Absolutely
Developed nations have an underpopulation problem and need to encourage having kids
The overpopulation is mostly in Africa and parts of the Arab world (Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan), where girls are pulled out of school at age 11 and married at 12 that be a child Bride against their will.
Wholesome, talented family! Wow. Thank you for that “palette-cleansing” story. The perfect antidote for the noisy, political nonsense we are bombarded with. Make music...not discord. Hope to see them on tour!