I’m a single mum-of-7 – my kids drink 8 pints of milk a day, I do hours of laundry and we all share ONE bathroom – The Sun
A SINGLE mum-of-seven has opened up about her crazy life – getting through three loads of washing and up to eight pints of milk every day.
Gemma Turnball had her first child at 16 and was a mum-of-four by the time she was 22.
Now 34, she saw her family grow further when she became the legal guardian to her sister's three kids seven years ago – making her a mum-of-seven at the age of 26.
At the time Gemma, from Pembroke Dock, Wales, was living in a two-bed house with her ex-partner and four biological kids – sharing just one bathroom between nine of them.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous Digital, she revealed: "Our house was absolute chaos. I had five kids sharing a bedroom.
"My son, Joe, had his own room. It was hard work but I didn't question whether I could do it."
Mornings in the Turnball household are unsurprisingly hectic.
Gemma now lives with Sophia, 16, Joe, 15, Amber, 14, Ruby, 11, Leonie, 10, Shaun, nine, and Jack, eight, in a five-bed house – but they still share just one bathroom.
The youngest three are her niece and nephews.
They were just three, two and 11 months old when they joined the household, meaning they're very much part of the family.
"We go through four to eight pints of milk-a-day, as well as a whole box of cereal, a loaf of bread and at least two toilet rolls," Gemma said.
"The kids all have clean clothes every day. I do two to three loads of washing-a-day, not to mention around four hours of ironing on the weekend."
Our house was absolute chaos. I had five kids sharing a bedroom
Gemma, who grew up on a council estate and left school without a single GCSE, said: "When I was younger, people did a double take when they saw me with seven children.
“It's amazing how judgemental and people can be because you have a big family – without knowing anything about you or your circumstances.
"I've heard all the jokes but hurtful comments no longer fazes me. My children are very happy and well cared for and I love them all so much."
Gemma added: "When I took my sister's children on, some people were concerned I wouldn't be able to cope, but I did.
"I believe if you are determined to do something you will do it. I wanted my niece and nephews to stay together and I made sure that happened.
"The key to it all is structure and routine – children need those things very much."
When I was younger, people did a double take when they saw me with seven children
Gemma admits going out as a family can be tricky, especially as some of the kids have complex needs.
She said: "It can be a lot of work keeping an eye on them all when we are out but I love it when we are all together.
"Of course the kids have their squabbles but I always make sure they are speaking by bed-time.
"The girls are worse than the boys – I guess it must be their hormones. I know deep down they all love each other very much."
GEMMA’S LIFE IN NUMBERS
Weekday breakfast: 4-8 pints of milk-a-day, a whole box of cereal and a loaf of bread
Laundry: 2-3 loads of washing-a-day and 4 hours spent ironing every week
First house: 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom between 9 people
Gemma's degree: 6-year part-time course which she graduated from this summer
As well as looking after the kids, Gemma spent the last six years studying part-time at Swansea University – and has just graduated with a BA in Humanities.
"I left school with no qualifications and one of my teachers told my mum that I wouldn't amount to anything," Gemma said.
"I wanted my children to be proud of me and I wanted to teach them how important education is.
"At first I worried a lot about how I would cope being a student again, but I was determined.
"I had seven children to look after and it was hard.
"I remember falling asleep in the bathroom at 4am after trying to stay up all night to do an essay. I was so tired but I got through it."
Gemma now plans to continue studying and get her GCSEs in Maths and English, so she can qualify for a PGCE – and fulfil her dream of becoming a primary school teacher.
"You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it and you want it badly enough," she said.
"The journey has made me a better mum – everything I do is for the children and I think learning and going back into education is the best thing I have ever done.
"I wouldn't change anything. Life is what you make of it – you can either sink or swim.
"I adore all of the children. I actually cope better with seven children than I did with four."
Earlier this week, we spoke to mum-of-21 Sue Radford about her ‘crazy’ summer holiday – with £350-a-week food bills and three hours of tidying EVERY night.
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