‘I often get the question if I have all those children with one woman’

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Who knows

“When I met Cynthia 28 years ago, she immediately said: ‘I want to have at least six children when I grow up and live in the center of Amsterdam.’ Both wishes have come true.

I often get the question whether we are finally done with having children. Rationally yes, but not yet in our hearts. Last week I saw a mini newborn, such a mess with murmuring sounds. Then my proverbial ovaries start rattling again. Recently I read a beautiful name in the newspaper. I then save it to my phone. You never know.”

Remains difficult

“The hardest thing about parenting is consistency. Because I’m not always. One day I allow the little ones to climb on the table, the next day they don’t. When I’m low in my energy, I get angry more quickly. For example, if there is a delay in getting dressed in the morning. But if I do feel good, then I just turn it into a game: who can get dressed the fastest? That trick always works.”

Good tip

“Every year the children give me a daddy day as a Father’s Day gift. That means I have 24 hours to myself. Then I go to a nice city on my own, I book a hotel and I go out for dinner and to a museum. Then I come home fully charged.”

Read also – Mother of eight children: ‘In a large family everyone raises each other’ >

show off

“I am not only a father, but also just Iven and Cynthia’s partner. I am a bit of a show off, I like to do my best to make her laugh. Time for the two of us is not difficult, because we have the oldest children as a live-in nanny. And yes, we sometimes pay them for that.”

Look at that

“We are quite a sight when we are out with nine of us. People often turn around so they can count our heads, sometimes blatantly pointing fingers. Somehow I get it, we are also an invasion together. When I say that I have seven children, I often get the question whether that is with one woman. I’m used to it now, but I think it’s a remarkable and stereotyping question.”

Letting go

“It’s twofold: I want my children to go their own way, make mistakes and do things that make their hearts beat faster. And at the same time I want to protect them from everything. Jazz said to me the other day, “Dad, I want to be able to make my own mistakes.” With tears in my eyes I agreed with him.”

Iven became known through the TV show A house full. He is a writer – his new book was recently published Daddy! Experiences of a father of seven children — and he creates the podcast Who knows may say. Follow him on Instagram at @ivencudogham