“Table for Eight” by Meagan Francis: Help for All Families, Large & Small

Table for Eight, a new book by Meagan Francis, is about “Raising a large family in a small-family world.” In the interest of full disclosure, I need to tell you that I had an opportunity to contribute to this book when Meagan was compiling it back in the fall of 2006, but I never actually submitted anything as I was too exhausted keeping up after three kids and a baby.

I eagerly anticipated this book, because I have what is now considered a large family, though frankly I think of it as medium-sized. I am regularly in awe of people with 6, 7, 10 kids or more, as we struggled when my husband and I became outnumbered by the small people. I guess you tend to rise to the occasion of what you need, but it never hurts to get some help along the way and this book provides just that.

Ever wonder how they we do it? How do we house this many kids? How do we transport them to and from the many activities they participate in? (Just how many activities are we talking about here?) How do we afford it? How do we balance career and family pressures? How do we handle the metric ton of laundry we generate in a week? How do we manage to give each kid the space, time and attention they need? How do we get some of our own?

It’s all there, divided up by issue. If you are considering having a large family, this book is for you. If you have a large family and want to get some more coping ideas, this book is for you. If you have a small family and want some help with some of the issues you struggle with from super-veteran mothers, this book is for you. If you are just curious about how large families do it, this book is for you. If you have a large family and have ever been asked “How DO you do it?” this is the book to hand the questioner.

The only thing the book is missing is an index; maybe future editions will include it. The table of contents is thorough and will help you find the section you need quickly. Meagan Francis’ “Table for Eight” provides a unique window into the world of large families.

Written by Mary, who is a thirty-something SAHM of four under the age of eight. She is a lousy housekeeper, a voracious reader, and dabbles in art and music in various forms. She blogs to maintain her writing skills and her sanity in The Fish Pond.