Czech Republic: Romani quintuplets spend holiday with grandparents
Christmas can be an onslaught to the nerves of many a mother, what with finding the Christmas tree, buying presents, cleaning, cooking, baking cookies and caring for the youngest family members on top of it all. What about when six children gather in one home and five of them are only a few months old?
Alexandra Kiňová, the mother of quintuplets, spoke with online daily TÝDEN.CZ about these challenges before Christmas. The holiday was an interesting test for her, as the family is spending it without the aid of professional assistants.
This will be her first experience of a somewhat chaotic Christmas time. Until this year she was accustomed to holidays full of peace and quiet.
That changed with the arrival of five infants. "When we just had one boy, everything was regular, it all turned out well for us. Now I’m curious whether we will manage it all," she told TÝDEN.CZ.
On Christmas Eve the aides were still coming to the house to help the young mother prepare Christmas Eve dinner. On Christmas itself, however, the family was on their own.
Other adult family members do help care for the infants. Despite receiving state-sponsored aid, the household has still encountered many problems, such as how to even arrange the buying of presents.
"It’s a pickle, we don’t have any way to get outside," the young mother said just before the holidays. The Central Bohemian Regional Authority and volunteers have helped by sewing blankets and pillows for the children.
"It really takes your breath away, literally. The children don’t sleep much during the day, so someone has to pay attention to them all the time. Grandma and grandpa will be on duty," Kiňová told TÝDEN.CZ.
Despite the hard situation the family is addressing, they continue to be met with envy and misunderstanding. Kiňová has a very clear New Year’s wish.
"I would like people to understand that we don’t have it easy. My resolution? That everything be better than it was this year. We have received the most beautiful gift. The main thing is that the children and healthy and so are we, but I’d like everything to be even better," Kiňová said.
