Everyone has something to say to Brad and Angelina
Image details: Cannes 2008: ‘Kung Fu Panda’ - Premiere served by picapp.com
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie may not be novice parents but they’re new to the world of twins and it seems a lot of people are shouting out with words of wisdom, advice, good cheer, and even babysitting offers.
This week’s issue of People magazine has Brad and Angie on the cover (actually so does every other weekly magazine that I saw in the store today), which you can see here. Inside, Wyclef Jean, a friend of Angelina said “I’m willing to babysit for them!” which is a brave offer when there are six kids! Babysitting aside, he feels they’ll be more than able to handle the large group of children, saying “they will do well”.
Meanwhile, People also interviewed an everyday non-celebrity family who have something in common with the Jolie-Pitt family in that they had four children already when they added twins to their family. They advised them that sleep is even more elusive with twins, that they often didn’t get to bed until 1 am by the time they got all the kids to sleep and took care of their own things, and that the father fell asleep while being driven, blindfolded, to a surprise party just because he was so incredibly tired.
Even the family’s eight-year-old daughter was able to give a piece of advice to Maddox Jolie-Pitt. She said, “The babies may stink up the house a little, and they might make some noise. It may be hard, but being the oldest of six can be fun.”
How cute is that?
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Jolie-Pitt babies, Magazines
33 opinions for Everyone has something to say to Brad and Angelina
BlessBrangelina
Jul 18, 2008 at 2:09 pm
That was sweet article by People mag and I hope it makes some people think twice before they attach the “weird and abnormal” monikar to B&A regarding a large family.
There are people out there with big families, some bigger and they are normal and happy with their “brood”!
Sherry
Jul 18, 2008 at 2:11 pm
BlessBrangelina - No kidding! I’ve always thought about how incredibly insulting it must be to the numerous families who have four or more children to keep hearing people trash talk Brad and Angelina for having some “abnormally huge” family.
kim
Jul 18, 2008 at 2:51 pm
from what I hear 3 is the new 2 where kids are concerned. It was once common for every family to have 2 children, now most people I know have 3. I only have one I sometimes think it would be easier if we could have had more they would have entertained each other. At the moment my son is very time demanding, always wants someone to play with. Anyway the JP’s are only double that at the moment so I don’t think it is a huge family, look at the show Jon and Kate plus 8, now that’s crazy. I could not imagine having 2-6yr olds and 6-2yr olds all at once.
sarahc
Jul 18, 2008 at 3:07 pm
I feel that if anyone is capable of handling six children it is the Jolie-Pitts. With the help of three nannies, 2 grandfathers and 1 grandmother I think they will manage beautifully.
BlessBrangelina
Jul 18, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Sherry: Yeah I always wandered why most of them did not write to their newspapers and stations (radio&TV) to complain.
@Kim, that’s another blessing of having more than one, they entertain each other no end.
I actually think Jon & Kate do a great job, those kids are very well behaved and loving. But they are also kids; curious, troublesome at times, entertaining and very LOVING to each other and their parents.
Kari
Jul 18, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I think it’s pretty well known that having two kids who are relatively close in age is easier than just one. They totally entertain each other. Actually I had a younger brother and sister who were close in age and they pretty much raised each other. The parents were very busy with their own stuff and they weren’t that hands-on, but it was OK.
Yeah, Kim, I can imagine it must be kind of hard to have one kid. They need you to play with them all the time — and you are not a kid ! Easier to have two or to allow your kid to stay/play with other kids a lot when he gets older (that’s what happened to me and as soon as I was surrounded by other kids a lot I was much happier).
Sherry - I have a comment on the last post under moderation…
Neela
Jul 18, 2008 at 3:51 pm
blessgrangelina, thanks for mentioning jon & kate. i love the gosselins. my sister and i were thinking it would be a hoot if the gosselins met the jolie-pitts ;) they can share parenting advice with each other, and it might be cool if the kids get to hang. heh.
BRANGELINA FOREVER
Jul 18, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I think its rude to how they say that its not normal to have a large family. In fact, I think its kinda funny, because my parents both come from huge families. My father has 9 brothers and sisters, and my mom has 6. Now that’s a big family! I grew up with my extended family, and I consider my cousins my brothers and sisters. I had so much fun growing up with them and never felt alone. I loved it and wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. Plus, we’re all Brangelina fans! I have 50 cousins in total, and grew up with about 14 cousins. (The rest are in another country.)
Mary Ann
Jul 18, 2008 at 5:13 pm
How about the Duggars, they have 18 children and might be expecting #19. Boy, I could never handle that. Brad and Angie love children and they will stop adding to their family when they feel that they would not be able to handle more. But I don’t see that happening any time soon.
ligaya
Jul 18, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Thanks for bringing this up. I’ve been thinking about this forever - everybody was treating the JPs as if they were circus freaks with 4 kids. I said, wait a minute, I have 3 siblings & we all handled it just fine. In my parents’ generation, the norm was 6 kids, and more if living in the Philippines. My dad came from a family of 13 kids, my husband’s great-grandparents had 14 kids. My husband’s co-worker has 8 kids, no help.
And what about that family of 17-19 biological kids I read about in Parade or People? There wasn’t an outcry against them, or crude suggestions like the mom keeping her legs closed - was suggested of Angelina in one blog. The derisive comments were almost always directed against Angelina. The sexism is so blatant.
ligaya
Jul 18, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Never fails - my 2 cents are under mod. I’m going to start counting how many of my posts go under moderation & how many don’t.
Sherry
Jul 18, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Actually, the Duggar family does take a lot of hits for having such a large family. I don’t know how Michelle Duggar’s body can handle giving birth so many times, but everyone is different. I loved birth and enjoyed pregnancy to a degree, but it was hard on my body at times so 18 or 19 times would be out of the question to me. But they seem to do very well and take care of each other so who cares?
My grandmother came from a large family, six girls and two boys and they were actually smaller than the other farming families in the area. My other grandmother was an anomaly of her time, she came from a family of three children.
If I could handle it and afford a large enough place to house them all, I’d love a bigger family, three or four kids, but for me two will suffice.
But for people to freak out because Brad and Angelina have six kids is just… weird to me.
Mary Ann
Jul 18, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Ligaya you are the moderation queen and Victoria is in second place. Ligaya, I believe you have missed your calling in life. You could be an entertainment reporter, every day I learn something about show business from your comments. My husband came from a family of 15, in Puerto Rico that was no big deal.
Emilie
Jul 18, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Off topic, but it looks like paparazzi might have had helicopters, although I am sure Brad and Angelina have prepared a way to leave the hospital unnoticed….
“Paparazzi chopper probe
Local authorities have launched an inquiry into a number of helicopters believed to have broken aviation laws, in an attempt to get photographs of Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and their new babies at Nice’s Lenval Hospital. With the first snap of the twins potentially worth millions of dollars, the paparazzi have been going to extraordinary lengths to get pictures. Low flying choppers have been hovering over the hospital, annoying patients and residents.”
From rivieraradio
angela
Jul 18, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Emilie, that’s really sad. papz will do just about anything to get a photo of the million dollar twins even if it means invading (again) the JPs privacy.
I actually came from a big family - 6 kids. I guess people critize parents with many children when they know or can see that both parents can’t raise their children properly like giving them their basic needs and wants like clothing, food and education because raising a child is not an easy task, with all the prices of food and oil and almost everything is getting higher, you might want to think about it again. But with Brad and Angie, i don’t think it’s a problem - at all. They have enough money and they both love kids. I guess it’s just another attack on them.
Growing up in a big family is fun and a wonderful experience. I wouldn’t want to trade it for the world.
Thanks sherry, it’s a really nice topic to discuss.
ligaya
Jul 18, 2008 at 8:25 pm
(Happy 90th Birthday, Nelson Mandela!)
I read a study some while ago that said every child took a year off a woman’s lifespan. I don’t remember if it was just for the birthing and/or the childraising. And parents are basically sleep-deprived for 18 years.
I think it’s human nature to talk & have opinions. Is it human nature to be judgmental, to be absolutely sure that your beliefs/standards are the only right ones, and to condemn those who don’t conform? If the Duggars are happy & things are working out for them, then that’s what matters.
And nannies? We’ve always had nannies, except we called them older sisters/brothers, Granma & Granpa, auntie/uncle, cousins, co-madre/godmother, babysitters, au pairs, mother’s helpers & housekeepers.
ligaya
Jul 18, 2008 at 8:27 pm
another moderation - that’s 1 for 1
ligaya
Jul 18, 2008 at 9:49 pm
(I posted why Zahara is my favorite of the kids’ names in the “score high” thread.)
Star has Shiloh on the cover (Shiloh MEETS the TWINS!) . No mention or sight of her 3 non-biological, adopted, multiracial sister & brothers. Inside, a full page photo of Shi. Only photo of her siblings is Zahara peeking out when Brad carries her & Shi into the hospital. The article made it seem as if Shi had gone to meet the twins & got a special visit with Mommy by herself. One sentence mention of Mad, Pax & Z.
Not everybody agrees, and I hope I’m wrong. I said before that with Shi’s birth, we would see more coverage of her than the adopted, multiracial kids who would fade into background. I think this will be more pronounced with the addition of Knox & Vivienne. There’s a societal bias for biological kids. And since all the adopted kids are multiracial, it begs the question of race discrimination.
A la the Disney Princesses discussion we had, seeing ourselves mirrored/reflected by the outside world helps us have a strong identity & self-esteem. Just imagine if all the black, latino, asian American actors disappeared from the movies & tv. It used to be like that when I was growing up. The Star story isn’t true but it’s the perception they spread that matters. Perception becomes reality – even when it’s false.
I have 40 friends & family members who’ve adopted with varying success. i’ve dealt with this issue in my work. Without fail, when the adoptees are treated even a little bit less than biological , it’s been disastrous.
irma
Jul 18, 2008 at 10:30 pm
I came from a big family & it was always a riot I mean it in a nice way. Our parents are very proud of all of us & how we all become & what we have accomplished in life. Having lots of children specially Brad & Angie will manage just fine. They have the means to do it. They will make a lot of adjustment now with the arrival of the twins. I hope, they get extra help this time. They have to & they need to. Oh, by the way, I bought a copy of People Magazine today. Didn’t like the pictures though. God bless the Jolie-Pitt’s.
Matilda
Jul 18, 2008 at 11:38 pm
My mum always said that the ideal number of children is four, because then all the kids have at least one special friend among the bunch that they get along with and share their childhood experiences with, and no one is left out (which can sometimes happen with three, anecdotally). That’s why I think it’s so cool that the Jolie-Pitts have six children, because they seem to run in pairs - Mad and Pax are the older boys, Zee and Shi are the younger girls, and Knox and Viv are the babies. And when they grow older they’ll probably find other ways to relate to each other and make new pairs, experience things together and sharing memories. It’s all so much fun.
I am the second youngest of four kids, and it definitely adds another dimension to your childhood having many siblings. Parents are wonderful but they just can’t replace the laughter and the teasing and the sleepovers and the candy swapping siblings go through with each other.
sue
Jul 18, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I come from a family of 11, five boys and six girls, I’m the eight. We did well, I mean VERY VERY WELL!
DuDu!
Jul 19, 2008 at 4:38 am
They will stop adding to their family when they feel that they cant handle anymore!
having 6kids its not that weird!!!!!!Loved little girl advice to Mad!Its so adorable!!!
ANGELINA LEFT THE HOSPITAL WITH TWINS!
Angelina Jolie has left the French hospital where she gave birth to twins last week.
The Lenval hospital in the southern French city of Nice said in a statement on its website: “Angelina Jolie left the clinic Santa Maria of Foundation Lenval around 4AM on July 19 with her babies, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline. The mother and her babies are doing very well.”
The Fondation Lenval also thanked the Jolie-Pitts for choosing the hospital. It also thanked the hospital staff “for the attention and care they paid to the family” and the “journalists around the hospital who did their best to respect their privacy.”
No word on where Brad, Angelina, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne are headed to next…
JustJared
Rach
Jul 19, 2008 at 5:38 am
I read on http://www.bbc.co.uk that Angelina had left the hospital unnoticed on saturday morning. I’m so glad she’s out of there and sleeping in her own home and her own bed with her lovely man :) I bet everyone is so happy. Maybe very tired also but very happy! Can’t wait for the pics of the lil cuties.
Neela
Jul 19, 2008 at 5:59 am
dudu & rach, thanks for the update. so happy to hear they were able to slip safely out of the hospital.
and i basically agree with everyone else’s stance on big families. my mum had grown up with 6 other siblings, and all but two of them have kids, so family gatherings are quite fun.
Kari
Jul 19, 2008 at 7:11 am
With regards to big families: I agree, big families are better, if you can handle them. I know it from the other side, being virtually a single child (my younger brother was 7 years younger — which is a BIG difference when you are kid). I was kind of lonely and depressed actually when we lived out in the countryside and no one but me. Then I discovered this wonderful family nearby they had 3 kids all around my age group. I basically for all practical purposes started living with them and I would say they raised me. After meeting them, I never felt the angst I had felt as a lone child.
Phoebe
Jul 19, 2008 at 7:29 am
yes the Duggars have so many children and NO nanny! 19?! last i heard they had 15! LOL
i could never do that!
i am pretty sure Angelina and Brad will adopt again soon, perhaps after they have managed the first wave of work with their twins…didn´t ANgie say that they have an extra nanny for the newborns?
big families are great as long as the parents can handle it.
ligaya
Jul 19, 2008 at 7:55 am
AP & Reuters also reported Angie & twins (no word on Brad) leaving the hospital early this morning. Love that!! Wonder if they left in one of those black Mercedes vans with blacked out windows. I laughed when I read several of them would circle the hospital & the paps couldn’t tell which one the JP family was in, or if they were in any of them at all. ;-)
Mary
Jul 19, 2008 at 8:06 am
The inference that Brad was not there is annoying to me. He was never admitted so of course, he was not discharged. He probably made all the arrangements in the first place.
I am pleased they are away and hopefully happy and enjoying their lives. I am not sure about a quick adoption though. Maybe if they had a single, but with twins, not so sure. Thanks.
ligaya
Jul 19, 2008 at 12:12 pm
ABC4.com reports that Brad was part of the group.
ligaya
Jul 19, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I think it’s weird of people to come down on Angelina for having a large family. And what’s even more freaky - for those concerned about overpopulation - is Angelina being bashed for adopting. I mean, isn’t she helping the individual kids she adopts? Isn’t it helping that she doesn’t have all 13-17 kids they want via the biological way?
ligaya
Jul 19, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Mary Ann, I’m ready to abdicate being Queen of Moderation. ;-)
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, I was a movie reviewer for a hot minute for a tiny nation-wide newspaper. I’ve been a movie buff since I was 8. I watched a lot of Disney in movies & on tv, lots of WWII, western & Universal horror movies. I used to read the descriptions of all the week’s movies on the tv guide - so I knew something about a lot of movies, even when I hadn’t seen them. I watched rom-coms too, and the 1970s were a wonderful time for movies. I was in college by then & learned about indies, documentaries, foreign movies & classic U.S. movies. I’ve always been interested in how things work -especially behind the scenes. With Ryan becoming a writer/director, I’ve got a great inside view.
angela
Jul 20, 2008 at 9:19 pm
ligaya, that “long time ago and galaxy” is hilarious… since you’re ready….here it is…
HAIL TO QUEEN LIGAYA for bringing excitement and fun to this thread! :)
ligaya
Jul 20, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Victoria’s right - SHE’S THE QUEEN! Hail, Hail Victoria!! Goddess bless the Queen! :-)
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: