Inside the busy life of Australia’s largest family When Jeni first met her husband Ray, she was clear that she had no desire to have children. Ray wanted at least four children, which I thought was ridiculous. For instance, who has that many children? Jeni told Mamamia. Now, more than thirty years later, they are the happy parents of sixteen children. Weekly grocery expenses of $600 You may have heard of the Bonell Family if you’re from Australia, but it was pretty shocking to me when I first started reading about them.
Jesse, 35, Brooke, 34, Claire, 31, Natalie, 30, Karl, 28, Samuel, 26, Cameron, 25, Sabrina, 24, Tim, 22, Brandon, 20, Eve, 19, Nate, 17, Rachel, 16, Eric, 15, Damian, 14, and Katelyn, 10 are the nine boys and seven girls that comprise the Bonell family from Toowoomba, Queensland. The Bonells are raising 16 children in Australia, and their life is anything but normal. Jeni and Ray Bonell have mastered the art of juggling everything, from caring for their enormous brood to navigating the chaos of daily life, and doing it with a healthy dose of humor.
It takes a lot to keep everyone fed in a family of eighteen, including eight children who are still living at home. Jim Gaffigan, a comedian, once joked about what it’s like to have a fourth child: Imagine being handed a baby by someone while you’re drowning. What’s it like to have sixteen children, then? Jeni, the mother in charge, spends an astounding $600 a week on groceries to keep their pantry stocked, and that budget has increased by $50 due to the extreme inflation. The weekly grocery list is very impressive: Four dozen eggs, fifteen boxes of cereal, forty-five tubs of yogurt, and seventeen three-liter bottles of milk.
The Bonell family’s routine is meticulously planned, but for others, it’s a logistical nightmare. Jeni laughs and remarks, “It’s hard to get a good family photo.” There’s always someone with their eyes closed, making a goofy face, or averting their gaze, so you need an extra-wide lens. Nevertheless, we like those little eccentricities in the pictures; even though they aren’t picture-perfect, that adds to the enjoyment. When you have sixteen children, it’s more important to keep up with the hectic pace of daily life than just taking pictures. Imagine managing a household with sixteen children, a full-time job, and part-time jobs. That’s Jeni and Ray’s reality.
The Bonell family dynamic is perfectly reflected in their nighttime routine: Jeni laughs and explains, “Our evening routine is like multiplying an average-sized family by eight.” Jeni adds, “I used to think that having young children kept me busy, but now that I have older kids, I’m definitely busier.” Managing three separate schools, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and the academics of the older children is a balancing act, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Bonells are masters at making the most of every dollar. Jeni says, “Dinner is always great.” “We have eight people at the table some nights, and over twenty others on others!” Jeni is famous for her cheap lunches, which typically cost between $2 and $10. She regularly shares her grocery shopping trips on YouTube to help others control their food expenses. Jeni says, “Everyone is struggling right now; we’re all feeling the pinch with the budget.” Jeni divides household chores using a chore chart to keep things organized and make sure that everyone,