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How A Mom Managed to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail with 13 Kids

23 points by ics 2y ago

kylebenzle 2y ago
Fixed the title: Woman takes extended vacation with kids on ex-husbands child support payments. (Yes, that really is what this article is about, taking that many kids away from their father pays out A LOT of cash since they get paid by the number). Article says, "after a recent divorce..." so she takes his kids and goes on a long vacation while dad works? How and why are these acts of extreme selfishness so praised?
- cma 2y ago
  > I have a child support budget of $2,400 a month and we came in under budget every month. Doesn't sound like a lot for that many.
- amanaplanacanal 2y ago
  "she takes his kids": the court assigned custody. She didn't take anything.
  - dyauspitr 2y ago
    Some guy out there is working his ass off while she waltzes around on a year long vacation.
    - willcipriano 2y ago
      In future court appointments her taking a year long vacation with the kids will be used as an argument that she should get them (and he should pay more child support) beacuse she already spends the most time with them.
      - kylebenzle 2y ago
        And now the father has been "estranged" for over a year he's lost not just the marriage but relationships with all 15 of the kids! Brutal!
    - polishdude20 2y ago
      I mean it may be cheaper for her to take care of her kids on this "vacation" than to hire a nanny while she also works. Also, since when it taking care of your kids a vacation?
      - kylebenzle 2y ago
        Seriously? Article is about the year long vacation.
dyauspitr 2y ago
Sounds like a great argument to get rid of no fault divorces.
- amanaplanacanal 2y ago
  Why do you say that? The article didn't mention the reason for the divorce. Could have been infidelity for all we know.
  - arresin 2y ago
    Still, imagine being the kind of person to have 13 children and then divorce. It’s a horrible crime yet there’s no legal consequences.
firesteelrain 2y ago
There is a lot more to this story and it’s been discussed in many places. This article paints a picture that is a little different from reality https://www.reddit.com/r/hiking/s/JtQHWoJce2 https://www.reddit.com/r/hiking/s/JtQHWoJce2 https://www.reddit.com/r/AppalachianTrail/s/8vJi35q8Gi https://www.reddit.com/r/AppalachianTrail/s/8vJi35q8Gi https://www.reddit.com/r/UKhiking/s/xK3VBfYVYS https://www.reddit.com/r/UKhiking/s/xK3VBfYVYS
mensetmanusman 2y ago
May be a good way for the kids to grieve. They take divorce worse than the death of a parent psychologically.
- Cpoll 2y ago
  > They take divorce worse than the death of a parent psychologically. I'd love to hear some support for this statement, because it sounds absurd.
  - aakresearch 2y ago
    Doesn't sound absurd at all to me. Divorce is bad enough so the child can perceive it as having the same "finality" as death, with additional burden of abandonment, disowning and guilt without any chance of reconciliation. Katy Faust in "Them Before Us" published in 2021 cites the study making this exact claim: "One study found the death of a parent inflicts less psychological damage on a child than divorce. It appears children fare better when they know their parents didn’t choose to abandon their family." The source link in the book appears to be dead, but searching for the title "Parental Divorce—Worse than Parental Death" surfaces plenty of similar studies, enough to satisfy an inquisitive mind.
wjnc 2y ago
Well here’s a story that easy to hate on. 15 kids, child support, divorced, pregnant 23 year old daughter. Let’s all go crazy. She spent more time with here children than many will in their children’s entire childhood. They’ve experienced something than will bring a moment of silence and respect to everyone considering the feat. Being proud of yourself and your accomplishments, regardless of what life throws you. Even the 4 year old has a life story now. Oh, and about as American as it gets. This story should make for great, interesting comments.

23 points by ics 2y ago

Fixed the title: Woman takes extended vacation with kids on ex-husbands child support payments. (Yes, that really is what this article is about, taking that many kids away from their father pays out A LOT of cash since they get paid by the number). Article says, "after a recent divorce..." so she takes his kids and goes on a long vacation while dad works? How and why are these acts of extreme selfishness so praised?

cma 2y ago
> I have a child support budget of $2,400 a month and we came in under budget every month. Doesn't sound like a lot for that many.
amanaplanacanal 2y ago
"she takes his kids": the court assigned custody. She didn't take anything.
- dyauspitr 2y ago
  Some guy out there is working his ass off while she waltzes around on a year long vacation.
  - willcipriano 2y ago
    In future court appointments her taking a year long vacation with the kids will be used as an argument that she should get them (and he should pay more child support) beacuse she already spends the most time with them.
    - kylebenzle 2y ago
      And now the father has been "estranged" for over a year he's lost not just the marriage but relationships with all 15 of the kids! Brutal!
  - polishdude20 2y ago
    I mean it may be cheaper for her to take care of her kids on this "vacation" than to hire a nanny while she also works. Also, since when it taking care of your kids a vacation?
    - kylebenzle 2y ago
      Seriously? Article is about the year long vacation.

dyauspitr 2y ago

Sounds like a great argument to get rid of no fault divorces.

amanaplanacanal 2y ago
Why do you say that? The article didn't mention the reason for the divorce. Could have been infidelity for all we know.
- arresin 2y ago
  Still, imagine being the kind of person to have 13 children and then divorce. It’s a horrible crime yet there’s no legal consequences.

firesteelrain 2y ago

There is a lot more to this story and it’s been discussed in many places. This article paints a picture that is a little different from reality https://www.reddit.com/r/hiking/s/JtQHWoJce2 https://www.reddit.com/r/hiking/s/JtQHWoJce2 https://www.reddit.com/r/AppalachianTrail/s/8vJi35q8Gi https://www.reddit.com/r/AppalachianTrail/s/8vJi35q8Gi https://www.reddit.com/r/UKhiking/s/xK3VBfYVYS https://www.reddit.com/r/UKhiking/s/xK3VBfYVYS

mensetmanusman 2y ago

May be a good way for the kids to grieve. They take divorce worse than the death of a parent psychologically.

Cpoll 2y ago
> They take divorce worse than the death of a parent psychologically. I'd love to hear some support for this statement, because it sounds absurd.
- aakresearch 2y ago
  Doesn't sound absurd at all to me. Divorce is bad enough so the child can perceive it as having the same "finality" as death, with additional burden of abandonment, disowning and guilt without any chance of reconciliation. Katy Faust in "Them Before Us" published in 2021 cites the study making this exact claim: "One study found the death of a parent inflicts less psychological damage on a child than divorce. It appears children fare better when they know their parents didn’t choose to abandon their family." The source link in the book appears to be dead, but searching for the title "Parental Divorce—Worse than Parental Death" surfaces plenty of similar studies, enough to satisfy an inquisitive mind.

wjnc 2y ago

Well here’s a story that easy to hate on. 15 kids, child support, divorced, pregnant 23 year old daughter. Let’s all go crazy. She spent more time with here children than many will in their children’s entire childhood. They’ve experienced something than will bring a moment of silence and respect to everyone considering the feat. Being proud of yourself and your accomplishments, regardless of what life throws you. Even the 4 year old has a life story now. Oh, and about as American as it gets. This story should make for great, interesting comments.