An American mother who is raising 20 children has offered a rare glimpse into the extraordinary reality of managing one of the world's largest families, detailing everything from a £8,000 annual Christmas gift budget to spending hours each day simply preparing meals.
The Formation of a Family-of-22
Desiree and Christopher Hart-Spegal, from Spokane in Washington State, first met in October 2013. At the time, Desiree had three children from a previous relationship, while Christopher had eight. After tying the knot in July 2014 and blending their households, the couple made the remarkable decision to continue expanding their family.
"We were going to stop after we got married and had 11 combined kids," Desiree, 37, explained. "But I just couldn't bear the thought that someone is supposed to be here and I'm preventing them. I chose to just walk in blind faith." That faith led them to welcome nine more children together, creating their current family-of-22.
Their children range in age from Gavin, 24, down to their youngest, Zavior, who is just seven months old. The full roster includes Skyler, 23, Braden, 21, Maliki, 20, Makaila, 19, Kaden, 18, Sarayia and Jayden (both 15), Donny, Chevelle and Andrew (all 12), Christa, 10, Izabella, 9, Chris Jr., 8, Lily, 7, Heavenly, 6, Ellie, 5, Briella, 3, and Ezekiel, 2.
The Daily Grind: Meals, Laundry and Logistics
Desiree candidly admits that one of the most daunting aspects of her life is managing meals for her enormous brood. The process requires immense planning, execution, and cleanup.
"Holy... yes," she joked when asked if each meal felt like a huge task. She revealed that breakfast alone can take between one to three hours to prepare. Once that is done, she immediately begins work on lunch, followed by hours of cleaning. The kitchen, she says, is practically her second home due to the sheer amount of time she spends there.
The pros, she notes, include being able to buy food in bulk, which helps reduce costs. The family spends an astonishing $26,000 (approximately £20,500) per year on groceries, averaging about $500 (£395) per week. She creates restaurant-style weekly menus so her children know what to expect.
"The con is that you are needing to do this every single day three times a day plus snack," she said. "And this means dishes and clean up."
Beyond the kitchen, household management is a relentless cycle. Desiree does two loads of laundry every single day, a number that balloons to ten loads every Saturday. Keeping order in their 3,200-square-foot home, which has five bedrooms and three bathrooms, is a collective effort. Each child has age-appropriate chores, but Desiree still finds herself cleaning constantly.
Financial Realities and Family Time
The financial scale of raising 20 children is staggering, especially during the festive season. Desiree told the Daily Mail that Christmas gifts have previously cost nearly $10,000 (around £7,900). This year, they are aiming to keep the budget under $5,000 (£3,950).
Outings as a complete family are a major logistical operation. They travel in a 15-passenger van, and Desiree employs a strict system to keep track of everyone. "I name count all throughout any event to keep track and have each younger kid take an older kid's hand at times," she explained. "I usually caboose it so I can watch for any stragglers and dad leads the way."
Despite the inherent chaos, Desiree and Christopher are fiercely committed to ensuring each child receives valuable one-on-one time with their parents. "We especially make time on birthdays as we love to celebrate our children. We have private conversations [with each kid]," she said. They also take individual children with them on errands so everyone gets a turn.
Facing Scrutiny and Looking to the Future
The couple shares their life on Instagram, but their choice to have such a large family has attracted significant negative attention and scrutiny online.
"People literally say we are overpopulating the earth, we're being selfish," Desiree shared. "We've had people call CPS stating there's too many to be taken care of. There's some pretty vulgar comments..." In response, she simply states that critics often have no comprehension of her point of view.
After welcoming baby Zavior in May, the couple has decided their family is complete. They have scheduled a vasectomy for next April. Desiree joked that, as they don't use contraception, anything could happen before the procedure, but added, "I think we should be fine as my body has been slowing down as I'm getting older."
The story of the Hart-Spegal family offers an unparalleled look into the extreme organisation, immense cost, and boundless love required to raise 20 children in today's world.
