I thought this article was a blessing to read. Our family is not large compared to theirs, but even a four-kid family gets "the looks". I was most touched by Carolyn's comment: "....I’ve realized that a child with responsibility is a much happier child than one who has none." Since I grew up with a never-ending list from my mother, I dreaded giving my children any responsibility or "list" to do. I know now that kind of thinking is just another extreme and not helpful at all. I'm actually looking forward to putting this into practice - consistently - this school year and beyond.