american express business travel: Six Little McGhee's - The Journey on Parenting Multiples

Black Celebrity Marriages

by Ayanna Black ?|? on December 24th, 2012 ?|?

I was glued to the TV with great anticipation waiting for the first episode of the Six Little McGhees.? As a mom of triplets I wanted to see how another African American couple of multiples kept from pulling their hair out and crying along with the kids.

I remember the first time I heard of the McGhee?s. I?d come across a Facebook photo of the family and thought? ?Oh my God!? Is that six babies? What?s in the water that we are drinking!? as I begin to count all of the cute little faces in the picture.? I was fascinated with anyone else that could possibly relate to my joy, fear, disbelief, anxiety and sleep deprivation.? So I waited patiently, knowing that I?d see more of this amazing family.

The first episode began with Rozonno and Mia McGhee introducing us to their family of eight and the four most important people in their existence, The Helpers.? The McGhee?s invite viewers into a look at their impoverished beginnings which established a great bond between the two and journey to now making history as Columbus Ohio?s first family of sextuplets. Their bond was a divine way of preparing Rozonno and Mia for their greatest challenge yet, sextuplets.

As the McGhee?s discover they are having sextuplets, their reaction was the same as any family seeing more than one dot on an ultrasound screen? ?what!?!??? ?are you sure??? ?you must be mistaken!? ?Oh my God, how many??, then silence! After that the mental and emotional roller coaster begins. The first thing that comes to mind is what am I going to do with all of these babies? You think, pray then begin preparing for your babies. On June 9, 2010 Rozonno and Mia welcomed Olivia, Madison,?Rozonno Jr., Josiah, Elijah and Issac to the world.

We get a look into everyday life with Rozonno, Mia and the sextuplets. We experience church on Sunday morning, bedtime and getting the family ready for the day in the morning.? I was particularly amused at the scene when you see a baby hop out the bed and take off running?it?s always one!? Then another scene where the babies team up and knock down the gate and everyone scatters. We see the McGhee?s shop on a $1,450.00 budget purchasing items for the month. These items include 50 fish sticks, 90 biscuits, 84 bananas, 72 eggs, 10 loaves of bread, 7 gallons of milks, and boxes upon boxes of diapers.

We get to see the McGhee?s on a doctor?s visit and the mayheim that goes on during a visit. I started to feel their anxiety about the doctor?s visit myself.? This is always a gruling all day adventure. It?s totally different dealing with multiples in public than at home.? At home you can somewhat control your surroundings, in public it?s a totally different ball game.? You have to always be on alert. Always taking a head count and making sure you haven?t lost anybody. Trying to control the noise levels, I don?t know about anyone else?s multiples but mine are extremely loud ALL the time.? Keeping kids off of furniture? And then waiting to hear what the doctor has to say about the development of your children. ?It?s just something you have to mentally prepare for.? But God knows exactly who to bless with multiples. It absolutely requires lots of patience, diligence, dedication, strength and PRAYER!

The episode ends with the McGhee?s giving their family and friends a barbeque to show their appreciation for all of their support.? We get to see Mia and Rozonno work their way through the terrible two?s. The biting, throwing, tantrums, hitting, fighting and challenges faced with running a family business to support the family.? We get a closer look in the second episode, at some of the struggles parents of multiples face?frustration from the kids, finances as well as limited time to yourself. We?ll see how the help is not always so helpful. These are some of the fortunate yet unfortunate realities of families with multiples but in the end the headaches, heartache and sleepless nights will be all worth it.

That love, support, bond and faith in God, Rozonno and Mia established in their early years is ultimately what?s going to carry them through their marriage and the rearing of the sextuplets.? Early in the show after the babies were put to bed, you see Rozonno and Mia hug and high five each other and say ?team work?.? That continued team work is going to be one of the things that?s going to make ?this ride a little easier. One is going to have to rely on the strength of the other and they? both will have to totally depend on God. Things will get quite interesting at times, emotionally, physically and even spiritually, but all in all there will absolutely be more good days than bad which gives you hope and loads to look forward too.

I?ll definitely be tuning in next week to see the McGhee?s journey through this crazy thing called multiple parenting.

Watch Saturday nights on OWN at 9pm/8pm CST.

What would be your reaction to finding out you were having multiples? Do you watch Six Little McGhees? What do you think of the show?

About the author

Ayanna Black is the founder of A. Black Web Design, a web customization firm based in Chicago. Ayanna enjoys blogging about parenting her triplets, marriage and technology. Ayanna and her husband Damion are a featured couple in Ebony Magazine?s ?Partner Project?.