View source for Supermom With 16 Children Reveals Her Brood apos;s Lockdown Regime

A supermom with 16 children has revealed her grueling quarantine regime to keep her 'crazy' household under control during the COVID-19 lockdown. <br>Doris Phillips, 38, and her disabled veteran husband William, 42, are raising their giant brood on a shoestring budget in a four bedroom home with no backyard in Indianapolis, Indiana. <br>But with [/news/coronavirus/index.html coronavirus] sparking a nationwide lockdown, the family has been holed up together around-the-clock.<br>The only time tireless Doris has left their home is to embark on $1,000 grocery shopping trips to Costco where she stocks up on essentials for their children Jason, 19; Nicole, 18; Sophia, 16; Zander, 13; Sage, 12; Lance, 11; Kristella, 10; Giscella, nine; Liezella, six; Adeiric, seven; William, seven; Asreella, five; Adderin, four; Aleric, three; Viella, one; and Abella, seven months. The three oldest children are from Doris' previous relationship. <br>'The virus has forced my family to change our routine which has at times been completely crazy,' exhausted Doris admitted to DailyMail.com.<br>                Doris Phillips, 38, and her disabled veteran husband William, 42, are raising their 16 children in a four bedroom home with no backyard in Indianapolis, Indiana. But with coronavirus sparking a nationwide lockdown, the family has been holed up together around-the-clock<br>         The couple, who married in 2011, share children Jason, 19; Nicole, 18; Sophia, 16; Zander, 13; Sage, 12; Lance, 11; Kristella, 10; Giscella, nine; Liezella, six; Adeiric, seven; William, seven; Asreella, five; Adderin, four; Aleric, three; Viella, one; and Abella, seven months.<br><br>Pictured: Some of the couple's children <br>         William and Doris (pictured) got married on April 17, 2011 after meeting by chance at a Las Vegas hotel in 2005. And amazingly the amorous couple is considering having even more babies, despite pawning their wedding rings just to make ends meet<br>         Doris explained: 'They are up at 7am and if you don't get into the bathroom earlier and brush your teeth you'll never get in there.<br><br>Our day starts early and ends usually at midnight'<br>She continued: 'When lockdown first happened it was chaos because the schools suddenly closed and we were trying to do home schooling.<br>'The kids are up at 7am and when they had no school to go to, they were running around like wild little deer.<br>'The only break I have is when I am wheeling two shopping carts around the supermarket and getting food for the family - and even then people are giving me funny looks because they think I am hoarding.<br><br>If only they knew how many children I have.'<br>Before quarantine Doris and William were already spending at least 15 hours a day caring for their family with military precision to master family meals, schoolwork, endless hospital visits, bath times and family outings.<br>But that routine ended in mid-March when states forced families to isolate. <br>Doris explained: 'They are up at 7am and if you don't get into the bathroom earlier and brush your teeth you'll never get in there.<br><br>Our day starts early and ends usually at midnight.<br>'We've been trying to keep them busy with home schooling and various projects, including making crafts and coloring in books.<br>'Things have improved over the past few weeks but it's been tough with the children not being allowed outside.'<br>The tireless mom manages to occasionally get out of the house for a 30 minute run for her 'own alone time' but insisted she 'would not change it for the world'. <br>Her never-ending schedule would leave most in a frenzy but the adoring matriarch, who is of Nicaraguan descent, says she relies on loads of lavender oil and her love of Salsa music to help her stay sane. <br>         The only time tireless Doris has left their home is to embark on $1,000 grocery shopping trips to Costco.<br><br>She said: 'The only break I have is when I am wheeling two shopping carts around the supermarket and getting food for the family - and even then people are giving me funny looks because they think I am hoarding. If only they knew how many children I have'<br>         Lunch takes the form of a 'commercial buffet', which includes oversized dishes of mac and cheese, spaghetti, hot dogs, peanut butter sandwiches, rice and even more scrambled eggs<br>         While their average dinner takes a staggering two hours to cook and consists of 17 chicken legs, a giant industrial size bag of corn or beans and a mountain of mash potato<br>And amazingly the amorous couple is considering having even more babies, despite pawning their wedding rings just to make ends meet. <br>Doris said: 'We have a huge family, but I would not change a thing.<br><br>It is a never-ending job and it can get stressful at times. <br>'It costs a lot of money to have such a large family and we live off military benefits, so we are always struggling to make ends meet. It is tough. <br>'We have to rely on our wits to get by and be very careful with the small amount of money we have. <br>'I would say the key to success is patience and organization. But what really keeps me sane is the church, lavender oil and Salsa music. <br>'I love Latin music, as it is a big part of my heritage, and whenever I put it on all the stress I might be feeling simply melts away.' <br>An average breakfast for the gigantic family consists of 24 eggs, 3lbs of bacon, three loaves of bread and two big boxes of pancake mix. <br>Lunch takes the form of a 'commercial buffet', which includes oversized dishes of mac and cheese, spaghetti, hot dogs, peanut butter sandwiches, rice and even more scrambled eggs.<br>While their average dinner takes a staggering two hours to cook and consists of 17 chicken legs, a giant industrial size bag of corn or beans and a mountain of mash potato.<br>'With quarantine we make sure myself or my husband is in control of it - otherwise we would spend six hours cleaning up if we let the younger kids help themselves.  There would be pancake mix on the walls and ceiling,' Doris said. <br>However, as the family only has two bathrooms, the most taxing time of day is bathing, which has become a precise military operation orchestrated by William.<br>   RELATED ARTICLES  [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next]     [/news/article-8324683/Magician-Criss-Angel-opens-selfless-six-year-old-sons-ongoing-battle-cancer.html  EXCLUSIVE: Emotional Criss Angel opens up about his...] [/news/article-8328659/Three-children-infected-mysterious-illness-linked-COVID-19-range-symptoms.html  Three children infected with mysterious illness linked to...]    <br><br><br><br>Share this article<br>Share<br><br><br>Doris said: 'We have a huge family, but I would not change a thing.<br><br>It is a never-ending job and it can get stressful at times. It costs a lot of money to have such a large family and we live off military benefits, so we are always struggling to make ends meet. It is tough'<br>         When the oldest kids are helping to prepare breakfast, William marches the youngest six children into two separate bathtubs.<br><br>Then the four middle children double up in each of the two showers before the eldest kids take turns to use the bathroom once they have finished making breakfast<br>When the oldest kids are helping to prepare breakfast, William marches the youngest six children into two separate bathtubs. <br>Then the four middle children double up in each of the two showers before the eldest kids take turns to use the bathroom once they have finished making breakfast. <br>Logistics around the house aren't the only issue for the Phillips family.<br>Due to health issues with the young children and because Doris has been pregnant continuously for the last 18 years, the family spend half their time at the hospital. <br>Birthdays are another gargantuan task for Doris and William, having to celebrate at least one every month of the year except for November.<br>In August alone, they have four birthdays to commemorate and, hilariously, they have become so laborious, they just have a single cupcake to mark the occasion. <br>Doris added: 'When we cook breakfast it is like feeding a little platoon. It can get crazy.<br><br>We whip up pancakes like we are working in IHOP. And we pretty much do that every single morning, it is a lot. <br>'Dinner takes even longer, for example, we have to cook 17 pieces of chicken and that takes a very long time. <br>'Sometimes we grill but at least when it is cooking in the oven, it gives me a few minutes to sit down and take a breather. <br>The family receives about $5,000 a month in veteran disability benefits after William developed severe blood clots as a result of inoculations, which he took while in the military.  <br>         At times, the Phillips family have been so hard up they have relied on charitable handouts and their crafty ingenuity just to get by.<br><br>Doris and William even pawned their wedding rings so they could buy baby wipes for half a year<br>         Doris and William share one of the rooms with two of their kids while each other room is occupied by four of the children who sleep in bunk beds<br>That means William only has $294 to spend on each family member per month, which astonishingly also has to include the rent and all their bills. <br>At times, the Phillips family have been so hard up they have relied on charitable handouts and their crafty ingenuity just to get by. <br>Doris and William even pawned their wedding rings so they could buy baby wipes for half a year. <br>Doris and William share one of the rooms with two of their kids while each other room is occupied by four of the children who sleep in bunk beds. <br>While the living room has been turned into an 'internet café' with ten laptops laid out so the kids can all get on with their schoolwork. <br>William even canceled their cable subscription so they could afford a high speed internet connection to allow all the family to connect online at the same time. <br>Doris added: 'We don't have much space in our house but we make it work. <br>'You might think it is always frantic here, but the kids love each other, and we are all very respectful of each other's space. <br>'Don't get me wrong, it can still be crazy - one minute one kid might be swallowing a crayon, the next minute one might be falling over while another one of my children is stuck up a tree but that is all part of the fun. <br>         Incredibly Doris manages to spend three hours a night studying when the children have been put to bed.<br><br>She is trying to earn a Bachelors Degree in psychology from a university. But for now, she is content on living her super-sized daily life<br>         Due to health issues with the young children and because Doris has been pregnant continuously for the last 18 years, the family spend half their time at the hospital<br>'We have special fold away beds in the kid's rooms so we can capitalize on the space.<br><br>'When we aren't trying to organize everyone or go on one of our many doctor's visits, we are just like an average family. <br>'We love to sit around the TV and watch a film while eating popcorn. But let me tell you we have to buy a huge bag of popcorn.'<br> The Phillips family is so big that William, who is originally from New Jersey, carries around a list of his kid's names, so he doesn't forget them and is forced to transport his clan in an old airport shuttle. <br>William and Doris got married on April 17, 2011 after meeting by chance at a Las Vegas hotel in 2005. <br>William believes their chance meeting was down to divine intervention after he prayed for a loving wife and a big family while 'bombs were flying over his head' as he was stationed in Fallujah, Iraq. <br>The three oldest children are from Doris' previous relationship, though William sees them as his own and hopes to adopt them one day. <br>He is currently at school training to become a pastor so he can provide an extra income for the family. <br>William, who believes his wife is a 'superhero,' said: 'She is truly a blessing.<br><br>I thank God every day that I have her and my kids in my life. She is one of a kind.'<br>         William and Doris got married on April 17, 2011 after meeting by chance at a Las Vegas hotel in 2005<br>         William believes their chance meeting was down to divine intervention after he prayed for a loving wife and a big family while 'bombs were flying over his head' as he was stationed in Fallujah, Iraq<br>              The family receives about $5,000 a month in veteran disability benefits after William developed severe blood clots as a result of inoculations, which he took while in the military. That means William only has $294 to spend on each family member per month, which astonishingly also has to include the rent and all their bills<br>He added: 'Unlike my wife, who gets by on lavender oil, I need a lot of coffee.<br><br>I must go through about five pots of coffee every day. <br>'But you know we are so used to the routine now, that it might seem insane to others but to us, it is kind of normal. <br>'A lot of parents with just two kids struggle to take care of school, doctor's appointments and all those things parents have to run around doing. <br>'You know, some of them fall apart trying to do it all but not us.<br><br>We just keep going. My military training helps me keep them all organized. Sometimes I have to put the breaks on this, sitting down, watching TV and round them all up. <br>'I get them out in the kitchen, with brushes in their hands and get them to help do the dishes, sweep the floor and everything else. <br>'Sometimes our life really is like that movie Cheaper by the Dozen,  [https://singlemomzonenews.blogspot.com/2020/01/classic-potato-salad-recipe-and-2-more.html singlemomzonenews.blogspot.com] but the crazy thing is there is even more of us.' <br>Incredibly Doris manages to spend three hours a night studying when the children have been put to bed. <br>She is trying to earn a Bachelors Degree in psychology from a university.<br><br>But for now, she is content on living her super-sized daily life. <br>Doris added: 'We are an unusually large family but we are so thankful for our lives. We never let it get us down and we just keep on going. <br>'You know it is hilarious when I hear other parents complaining about looking after their two or three kids. I always chuckle to myself and think if only you know what I go through each day. <br>'But it is our choice and I would not change a thing.<br><br>I just hope the world becomes safer soon so we can try and get some normality and routine back in our lives.'<br>