TESTING TIMES
The Radfords share chaotic back-to-school life including a ‘horrendous’ shoe bill and strictly NO hand-me-downs
IF YOU think that the school run is hectic, you might want to spare a thought for Sue and Noel Radford.
With 22 kids in tow, the parents have their hands full when it comes to getting everybody up, dressed, fed and at school on time.
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The family’s hectic morning routine is revealed in the new Channel 5 documentary, 22 Kids & Counting which airs tonight.
In tonight’s episode, Sue and Noel, 45, are preparing for their bumper brood to return to school after five months in lockdown, and it’s no easy feat.
The Morecambe-based couple have eight children in school and two of them in college and September saw Max, who has recently been diagnosed with autism, starting secondary.
In addition, over the past 20 years a new Radford has started primary school and last year was little Phoebe’s turn.
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Between them, the kids go to four different schools which means that Sue and Noel are faced with an abnormally large uniform bill.
Speaking on the show, Sue says: “We’ve got the uniforms to sort out which we get once a year (and) the dreaded shoe bill.
“Sometimes you can reuse a PE kit because it still fits them from the year before but definitely not the uniforms, they just get a bit shabby.”
Noel says that they feel strongly about not giving their kids hand-me-downs.
He adds: “Sue especially is conscious that we’ve got lots of kids and because they come from a big family they should be handed down clothes.”
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But kitting out the kids in new uniforms every year doesn’t come cheap with this term’s uniform bill coming in at around £418.
When it comes to the school run, it’s all hands on deck.
The younger Radfords are at two different primary schools meaning that Sue and Noel split the school run each morning.
After making their way through four litres of milk and two boxes of cereal, the kids are ferried to their different schools only for mum and dad to repeat the process six hours later.
But despite the chaos, Sue is desperate to get her little ones back behind their desks.
“I think it’s nice for them to get the normality back into their lives,” she says.
Who are the Radford kids?
The busy parents, who support themselves with a bakery and don’t rely on benefits, currently have 19 of their kids living under their roof - which can’t have been easy during lockdown.
This includes Millie, 19, who is still at home after giving birth to her first child Ophelia in September.
The other kids that live in the house are Chloe, 25, Jack, 23, Daniel, 21, Luke, 20, Millie, 19, Katie, 18, James, 17, Ellie, 15, Aimee, 14, Josh, 13, Max, 12, Tillie, 10, Oscar, nine, Casper, eight, Hallie, five, Phoebe, four, Archie, three, Bonnie, two, and Heidie who was born in April.
Little Heidie was born during lockdown on April 3.
Meanwhile, their eldest kids Chris, 31, and Sophie 26, have flown the nest, although frequently feature in the family’s videos and photos.
Sadly the couple’s 17th child, Alfie, was stillborn on July 6, 2014.
“They need their friends and their schooling, they need their routine back.”
Before the pandemic, Noel said the family relied heavily on routine - but acknowledged how the younger children have struggled in lockdown.
He added: "We often get asked, ‘how do you run such a big family?’ And it’s usually down to routine. But there’s just been none of that [in lockdown]. We’re really clutching at straws trying to think of things to do to keep them occupied.
"Six or seven weeks for summer is hard enough but we’re getting on to six months now. It’s just a nightmare."
22 Kids & Counting airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5
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