Mother of 12 Facing Backlash for Using Baby Pool Instead of Dishes to Feed Her Family

In a tale of resilience and love, Josh and Alicia Dougherty’s path to parenthood took unexpected turns. Alongside the joys came challenges, but their unwavering dedication and creativity shaped a remarkable family dynamic.

The story of their big family had its ups and downs, but the start was rough.

After getting married in 2003, Josh and Alicia Dougherty faced infertility and suffered through 11 miscarriages. As a result, they decided to adopt their first child, Alex, who was five years old at the time. They discovered they were pregnant with Zoey, now eleven years old, six days later. The couple went on to have three more biological children and adopted eight children, including two sets of biological siblings.

The “Dougherty Dozen” family has a massive online following, with 6 million TikTok followers and almost a million on Instagram. They share various aspects of their lives, including trips, laundry, and information about child adoption.

On school days, Alicia wakes up at 3 a.m. to have coffee, make breakfast and lunch, and check the kids’ homework and water bottles. The teens wake up at 6 a.m. and leave by 7 a.m. Alicia then wakes up the next group of children to get them ready by 8 a.m.

The biggest challenge of having a large family.

Feeding a big family is like running a marathon. It takes time, effort, and a whole lot of energy.
With hungry mouths to feed, picky eaters to please, and dietary restrictions to consider, meal preparation can quickly become a daunting task. But fear not for Alicia.

While Alicia regularly posts about her life behind-the-scenes on her TikTok channel, her latest video went so viral that it divided her fans in two.

In the video, Alicia shows how she prepares the “nacho party.” And at the end of the clip, the kids gather around the pool, eagerly awaiting the delicious meal they eat with their hands while laughing and enjoying the fun and unique experience.

Because there were no dishes to wash, the pool platter was a hassle-free feeding method. However, many viewers were shocked by how “unsanitary” the mom’s “nacho party” was. Some even said she’s “vile” for doing this.

Despite all the negativity, there were people who praised Alicia for her creative and fun meal-time idea.

• “My entire family said we need to try this (that’s 13 people) I’m still not sure, haha! Thanks for the Inspiration,” said an enthusiastic fan. — natural.simpleliving
• “This is how memories are made !!!! Amazing job Mom!” — pastamac
• “You put the perfect amount of everything!” — anaya.s09
• “Dang, just one thing to clean. Genius. ” - roxyy_0219
• “That’s the best non-pool use for a pool ever.” — stacicrisman

Suppose 12 kids sound like a lot. How does having almost 100 children sound to you? Adults are biologically made to feel attracted to babies’ adorable faces and round cheeks, and some people don’t want to stop having those lovable faces around.