By Melissa Grant
Having lots of kids under one roof isn’t common these days, but having a large brood is second nature for Michelle Verleg.
Michelle grew-up with nine brothers and sisters and has 10 children of her own with husband Steve.
The couple, whose children range from 3 to 20 years in age, say they’re used to people often being taken aback when they reveal the size of their family.
“It (large families) was very common in the past. It just seemed normal,” Michelle said.
“It isn’t common now and sometimes people are really surprised. But we think it’s a very positive thing.
“I couldn’t imagine not having a heap of kids – it’s fun but it’s busy.”
There’s James, 20; Catherine, 19; Joseph, 17; Christopher, 16; Stephanie, 14; Joanna, 11; Bethany, 9; Oliver, 7; Gemma, 5; and Majella, 3.
They all live on the family’s two-acre property in Maryknoll, although Catherine has spent the past few months working as a nanny in France and won’t return until December.
Steve works as a roads inspector for a road maintenance company, while Michelle’s focus is purely on raising the children.
“I consider it my career – the kids and family,” Michelle said.
“My focus is on raising good people. It’s very satisfying seeing them grow-up.
“It’s so interesting to see what paths they take. We just really enjoy having them all around us.”
Bringing 10 children into the world is a herculean effort in itself. Michelle has spent seven-and-a-half years being pregnant and most of the last 20 years changing nappies.
All pregnancies, bar the last which had a few complications, were smooth sailing.
“I really enjoyed those times. They were good pregnancies,” Michelle recalled.
She had her first child, James, when she was 23 and just before her mother gave birth to her youngest sister.
“My mum had her last child just after James was born.
“They were in the same class all through school!”
One of Michelle’s sisters has five children, while most of her other siblings are just starting their families.
Michelle said having half a dozen younger children was actually a lot harder than having 10 kids.
“When you have five or six and they are all little – that’s the hardest patch. (Now) we have built-in babysitters which is awesome,” she said.
Michelle and Steve said there were a lot of misconceptions about large families.
“They think of a lot of little kids,” Michelle said.
“We have older kids who can do a lot in the household. They help with the homework, the readers, maths. They can help if someone needs to get dressed. They each do their part.”
The Verlegs have always aimed to instil independence in their children, which also helps ease the load.
Michelle said she only supervises when it comes to making school lunches and has ensured each child learns basic life skills.
“They can cook, iron and sew. The boys can put on a button and iron a shirt. I think that’s important. If I did every single thing they would be extremely spoilt and I would be run ragged.”
The Verlegs have a busy schedule, with each child pursuing their own interests.
James is studying engineering at Swinburne University, while Catherine plans to study French and English at Melbourne University next year after returning from abroad.
James, Joseph and Christopher all play football for Garfield, and Joanna, Bethany, Gemma and Oliver all do Irish dance classes in Warragul.
James, Joseph and Christopher also have part-time jobs. So it’s no real surprise that logistics is the biggest challenge for the Verlegs.
Fortunately, the family can all fit into a 12-seater Hiace van.
James also helps out with the driving duties and in Year 12 drove his brothers and sisters to school, St Thomas Aquinas College in nearby Tynong.
Steve says space is another challenge, although the Verlegs are about to extend the family home to create more living space.
The Verlegs grocery bill is fairly large, but Michelle keeps costs down by not buying pre-packaged food. The family also have their own chooks and a veggie garden.
“It’s just a bit extra than what other people do,” Michelle said.
“I cook the same as everyone else – I just cook bigger batches and I get a couple of loads of washing on every day.”
The Verlegs make a point of making sure they sit down together for dinner, which is often curry, spaghetti bolognese or pot roast.
The family also loves going canoeing together, and during the school holidays you’ll often find the children drawing, sewing and doing craft.
“We do more day trips because, as you can imagine, getting accommodation is difficult,” Michelle said.
The family has been camping in Bright and did a big trip to the Blue Mountains four years ago.
The children also go on summer camps and the older boys often do snow trips funded by their part-time jobs.
However, some entertainment options are off-limits for the Verlegs.
“Family tickets don’t apply to us. We do have to choose where we go,” Steve said.
But when you have such a large family, Michelle says, lavish outings or holidays aren’t a priority.
“For us it’s not about the flash cars and overseas holidays. The children are our treasure, not the material things,” she said.
