Bates family blog: “I Love You Day” Gift Giving – Bates Style

The Bates family celebrates Valentine’s Day in a unique and creative way. Instead of flowers, chocolates and conversation heart candy for all, they give a gift to a family (or extended family) member to show their appreciation for them. It’s just a small way to say “I love you.”

Photo credit: UP TV

When you have a family with 19 kids — including three married couples — there’s a lot of giving going on… and keeping track of who gave who what can make for a lengthy list!

Family blog: 50 doesn’t seem that old anymore lol!

Nathan has been dreaming up the idea of this surprise party for a year! We have a lot of big parties at our house, but Nathan wanted this one to be really different and special. He wanted it to focus on old friends from Gil’s early childhood and college days. It took so much coordination and planning to keep it a surprise and still work out all the details. We are so grateful for all of the kids creativity, help, and love that was so evident.  It really was a birthday to remember and a great way to end the first season of Bringing Up Bates. We hope you enjoyed sharing in our memories.

Family blog: Thanksgiving in South Carolina

Let’s hear it for Papa Bill’s grits! The whole family loves spending time with their Grandparents, not only for the grits, but for the effortless love that exudes from their home. By the time we were finished telling what we were thankful for, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. How fortunate we are to spend a holiday all together with the ones we love. No matter how far the distance or how many potty breaks we might take, we Bates know the importance of togetherness.

Family blog: Someone New

As I hope you could tell in tonight’s episode, our family is so very happy for Michaella and Brandon. When a courting partner comes to visit, we want to make sure they feel special and like they’re already part of our family. The best way we know how to ensure a successful visit is to set some clear parameters from the start. After all, when everyone knows what’s expected, things run smoother! The first rule (and perhaps the most obvious) is that the courting couple cannot be in a room alone together. Of course, in this household, good luck to anyone trying to be alone in our house! We do realize though how overwhelming this experience can be so we try to give them some personal space and some one on one time with smaller sized groups and with each other. It’s important to us to have bonding time, but it’s also important to us that the boyfriend/ girlfriend feels comfortable enough with us that they can share their thoughts, goals, concerns and opinions. Our goal is for them to feel like family because they probably will be soon!

Family blog: Making Traditions

Setting traditions is an important part of keeping any size family together, but it is especially important for a super-sized one! Whether it’s getting together for Sunday dinner, having a movie night, or hosting an arts and crafts gathering, family time is quality time.



The Bates strive to focus on family time – meals out, park adventures, playtime, nursing home ministry, family singing opportunities, and family Bible study. But with children flying the coop, they have to work even harder to plan activities that will unite them and keep them close at heart – getting the families together for supper, games, and Bible study are just a few new family traditions with the new married couples.  What kinds of traditions do you have in your family to encourage spending time together?

Family blog: Motherly Advice

 With 19 kids, there’s a ton of advice to be given out! Whether it’s getting up and walking to help induce labor or how to save money by thrift store shopping, there are countless tidbits of info to be passed along to new moms.

We want to hear from you! What advice do you have for Zach and Whitney… and soon to be Alyssa and Erin?

Let us know in the comments :)

Family blog: Giving Back

As part of a big family, it’s important to consistently encourage one another. However, it’s also essential to encourage others!

Here are just some of the ways to give back:

• Singing and preaching at nursing homes & assisted living residences
• Visiting hospitals room to room to pray for patients & families
• Singing at hospitals
• Delivering goodies to neighbors and the elderly
• Taking meals to families with a member who is suffering with an illness or need
• Writing Thank You’s and Notes of Cheer to others
• Delivering goodies to those who serve in community services – policeman, fireman, dispatch workers, EMS workers, etc
• Write letters of gratitude to those in public offices
• Send letters & packages to those in the military
• Send letters & packages to missionary families
• Saying “I Love You” and “I Care about You” in both words and creative actions of thoughtfulness

How do you encourage others?

Family blog: Encouragement

Once a project has been started, sometimes the more challenging part is getting the kids to complete it!

Bates advice for encouraging your children to see a project through from start to finish:

• Key is praise and positive peer pressure/examples
• Motivate your children to make them feel like they can do anything
• Be around positive role models to help encourage teens to strive to reach goals
• For the younger kids, turn the task into smaller, more “do-able” parts
• Make a game out of it to lighten their load and add enthusiasm

Family blog: Budgeting, Bates Style

Budgeting is key when it comes to raising a family, big or small! Here are some of the key budgeting rules when it comes to keeping the Bates family running:

Shop at discount shops such as consignment stores
Head to the sale sections first
Keep an eye out for extra promotions and in-store coupons
Narrow down your selections once at the cash register
We want to hear from you: What are your budgeting secrets? Let us know in the comments section!

Family blog: Vacation Rules

Putting a family trip together is a major operation for the Bates, and Kelly Jo is at the helm, making sure everything runs as smoothly as possible for this supersized bunch!
Want to make a big trip of your own happen? Here are the cardinal rules:
Make a checklist. There are many integral parts of having your trip go off without a hitch. Keep them all in one place!
Assign tasks. Make sure that the people joining you on the trip pull their own weight. Whether it’s picking up the food, driving to the location, or packing, it’s important that the work is divvied up.
Have fun! Planning a big trip is a lot of hard work, but once you’re on the trip, remember to sit back, relax and enjoy!