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Lisa Schrenk is 33 years old. And has ten children. How does life as a big family work? How do you organize everyday life? A visit to an unusual family.
"Warning, I'm not wearing any make-up and look finished," Lisa Schrenk, 33, sends us a quick text message before we see each other for the video chat. When we met, she was still pregnant. The baby is now born - and Lisa ten times mom.
"Our second youngest, Josef, had a bad night," says the native of Vienna. "We have a large family bed, the four youngest ones actually sleep with us, but my husband Johannes (note: 39 and studied food technologist) mostly emigrates to the sofa. And when the children follow him, he brings them back to me." The 33-year-old slept through the night with ten children between the ages of zero and twelve not in a long time. She laughs: "It is normal to wake up four or five times. Josef (1) sleeps half on me, and Frieda (4) crawls on me at some point." The morning is more or less timed: "We get up around seven o'clock, then my husband and I split up - I make the snack boxes, he attracts the children. Otti (2) and Josef are still at home anyway, Adam (5) and Frieda go to kindergarten. The twins Anton and Greta (7), Emil (8), Oskar (10) and Finn (12) go to school."
Last year was a big challenge with home schooling and lockdown. "We hated it," Lisa says directly. "Yes, we made a choice to have a lot of children, but we can't all roles at the same time take over. I never wanted to be a teacher. In addition, it seems to me that the children are not so motivated by their own parents. Fortunately, they are back at school now. "And the family's processes are more organized again:" Because of all the back and forth, we have them Structure a little lost in everyday life. " On the first day of the lockdown in March 2020, baby Josef was born: "Our Corona-Peppi!"
The social isolation was extremely difficult for everyone, "also because we normally do a lot with the children - we go swimming, meet friends. It is important to me that we outside every day at least go for a walk or play in the garden. "Besides, the family is also in the middle of moving. In the next few months they will be moving from their condominium in Pressbaum to a house in Mödling. The 150 square meter apartment has become too small in the Then everyone has enough space in the new home for themselves.
Chaotic, colorful and loving
"Johannes, what's in Josef's mouth?" Lisa suddenly calls out to her husband during the interview. "A piece of bread, okay" - good cue! Does she actually always know where her offspring are right now: "Sure! I never need to count, one look is enough, and me see immediately if someone is missing. " Lisa also writes about her life as an extended family on her blog 9imglück.at. The Viennese woman has built up a considerable community there, and her hobby has become a job.
Now Lisa has to change the title - she came a few days ago, on May 23rd Baby number ten a boy named Ludwig, to the world. Lisa, who grew up with three siblings, never had the plan to live as an extended family. "It turned out that way," she says. "In between I kept thinking: It's over now! Somehow it turned out differently. But now we are really complete! I also notice that my body is no longer playing along as it did with the first pregnancies. "Nevertheless, she is convinced: You grow with your tasks, even as a mom. With the first child, Lisa recalls," naturally I was too still uncertain. And much more dogmatic: no sugar in the first year of life, etc. Twelve years later I'm much more relaxed - Otti put the first Schlecker in Josef's mouth at the age of six months. "Constant background noise in the Schrenk house: dishwasher and washing machine." They're running all day long."
Lisa has been with her husband Johannes for eleven years. The eldest son, Finn, is from a previous relationship: "Ours Everyday patchwork works very well. We are still friends and have already been on vacation together. "It will work, the 33-year-old is convinced," because we all straightforward are with each other. You have to reduce your own ego. If something bothers us, we talk to it directly. "The mom influencer has a few rules that are important:" We regulate the consumption of sweets and media, otherwise they would sit in front of the television all day. "And everyone has to be at eight o'clock at the latest When she is in her room, she usually lies next to the little ones with headphones on and listens to an audio book or a podcast.
"I see a lot easily",
says Lisa, when asked about her parenting style. "We probably shape our lives more freely than other parents do. If they don't want to put on shoes, they go barefoot. I trust my children. Otti only recently went out without a jacket, it was really cold. After for ten minutes she came by itself: 'Put on your jacket!' I expect them to do something that's why they are also well developed in terms of their motor skills. "Every now and then someone comments online that the children are uneducated. Lisa knows these accusations and now only shrugs her shoulders:" If you have a large family, people specifically look for mistakes. They don't want to admit that it can work. "In general, one always has to justify oneself:" If you don't want children, you are branded as an egoist. If you have a lot, then it is said that they are definitely socially weak and yet just overwhelmed."
Time for yourself is already scarce with mothers. How is it when you have ten kids? "It must have been six or seven years since I was alone in the apartment was ", ponders Lisa." My husband and I only talked yesterday about the fact that we had to take some leeway. I always have a remorse, but I know it's important."
What about in a large family, however never worry must: "That you are alone."
