The youngest of my eleven children takes care of me, but some say she just wants attention
A MUM-OF-11 has sparked a heated debate after sharing a heartwarming video of her youngest child on Instagram.
Being a mother to a huge brood is no easy task. That's why Brenda Martin makes sure her children do the dishes and serve them breakfast.
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While the days can certainly be stressful, Brenda recently revealed that there is a special someone in the family who always cares for her the most: her youngest daughter.
The mother – who has five strict rules for all her children to follow – recently posted to Instagram a clip that “pays tribute to her kindness.”
According to Brenda, who regularly shares parenting-related content her pagethe youngest of the family 'voluntarily does sweet things, such as preparing a nice warm bath' for her mother.
Serving a delicious breakfast consisting of fresh strawberries, a fried egg with some toast and a glass of refreshing juice is also something the child has done in the past – and Brenda really appreciates it.
''Not to say kids #1-10 aren't great. We cannot imagine life without them and cherish them all immensely,” the mother told her 130,000 followers on the platform.
“But our youngest has surprised us with more acts of service than I can count, so this is a tribute to her kindness.”
She continued, “And this is also to make a point. If we had listened to the naysayers and those who ridiculed, we wouldn't have so many precious souls as part of our family.
“Extra blessings come with 'extra' children!”
But despite the beautiful message, the video sparked fierce debate as people remained divided by the youngest child's actions.
A fellow mom said, “I don't mean to be mean but she's probably doing that to get noticed.
“The only reason I regret not having more children is because I hate being an empty nest and not having anyone to care for, but those are very selfish reasons.”
Luckily, the comments section was mostly positive, as friendly viewers rushed to hit back at trolls and meanies.
One parent said, “Every time I get some weird, backhanded comment about the number of kids I have, I'm so tempted to say, 'Which one shouldn't be here?'
''To (the outside world) they see them as numbers and any number greater than four is looked down upon.
For us, they are unique individuals worthy of the world!''
''Precisely! How can you say no to another blessing?'' chimed in another.
Another mother wrote: ''Our #11 & #12 are two heroes of our family and I can't imagine life without them either!! Totally agree!''
But how does Brenda keep the house running smoothly? Earlier last year, the mother revealed the five most important rules for all her children to follow.
Not only do her children have to prepare their own breakfast, but the family also eats lunch and dinner buffet style.
I'm not the nanny. We are a team
Brenda Martin
Brenda also refuses to 'provide meals by serving dishes at the table' and by the age of eight everyone has to do laundry.
Last but certainly not least, the parent also hands out the daily and weekly household chores.
“And I'm not the nanny… we're a team.
“They help carry the load and feel so needed and appreciated!”