PEOPLE think Mitch, Chela and their 10 children are a cult. The couple got married then welcomed twins Orial and Chena, now 16. Did they always want a big family? Mitch said: “I just went with the flow. Twins came first. And after that third, fourth, fifth, sixth. Just ball kept rolling, and I just kept on bowling.” The family colour coordinate everyday - a family member picks a colour each day for them to wear. It started with Chela dressing the twins the same, then their next child Chelece wanted to join in and it continued from there. Mitch said: “It just looked so good, you know? I mean, it's like an entourage. Whenever we go to a shopping centre or something like that and everyone just looks and it's not that we want the attention, but that's what happens.” They share their family’s life on social media and have had a lot of encouragement but have also received negativity. People question why they dress the same, how they could give each child enough attention and if they’re a cult. Mitch said: “Even the doctors, when you were having the last child, we were in the hospital. [They asked] ‘Are you guys a cult?’” Chela responded: “When you go to school, we all dress alike, and you belong to that community.” The couple described their family as “live entertainment” and would like to have more children, “the more the merrier” Chela said, and they have some exciting news for Chela’s mum, Susi - how will she react?
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00:00People think our family is a cult.
00:02We're parents with 10 children.
00:05Would you like colour coordinating with your family?
00:07Even the doctors, are you guys a cult?
00:10We would like to have more children.
00:12Okay, look, I thought I'd give you some good news.
00:17Oh my God.
00:20I'm a little bit disappointed, really.
00:22Where's mum? I'm the first one in the kitchen today.
00:25Are you the first today?
00:26There you are.
00:28Alright, what have you got for breakfast?
00:30What would you like?
00:31Pancakes.
00:32Alright, pancakes it is.
00:34My name is Mitch and I'm 62.
00:38My name is Chella and I'm 40.
00:40We have 10 children.
00:42The oldest are twins, Oriel and Sheena.
00:45They're 16.
00:47Chelise, she's 15.
00:50Shayla is 13.
00:53Orion is 12.
00:55Orison is 10.
00:58Renee is 8.
00:59Chelise is 6.
01:01Shandel is 4.
01:03And Azrael is 2.
01:05We all eat the same foods.
01:08We don't cook different meals, really.
01:10Unless someone doesn't particularly really like something.
01:13But that's not often, so.
01:15How much do you spend on groceries a month?
01:17About $3,000 to $4,000, yeah.
01:21Do you usually make breakfast for your family?
01:24Yeah, but everyone kind of like helps.
01:26How did you two meet?
01:29Ooh, goes back many years.
01:31I was singing at a restaurant and she requested a song.
01:36Yeah, the rest unfolded later on.
01:39Mitch, did you always want a big family?
01:42Well, it just happened, you know.
01:44I just went with the flow.
01:46Twins came first and after that,
01:49third, fourth, fifth, sixth, just ball kept rolling
01:52and I just kept on bowling.
01:55How do you make time together as a couple?
01:56Or do you make time together as a couple?
01:59As you can hear in the background,
02:01it's very hard.
02:02I think there's no time for us, but...
02:04There'll be plenty of time later, hopefully.
02:06Now, taste that.
02:08Taste that?
02:10First you're going to give me a taste.
02:12Ah, it's really good with the maple syrup.
02:14So we've got the time there when we go shopping
02:17or to the beach or to the park, you know.
02:19We're all together.
02:21Always all together.
02:23Let's go.
02:26You all want to go and have a look?
02:27Purple? Purple, you like the shirt?
02:29So we're wearing purple tomorrow.
02:31Do you want to wear a skirt with that?
02:33We like colour coordinating as a family
02:36because when we go to the store,
02:38we all see this top and we all like it
02:40and want to get it.
02:41Colour coordinating is an everyday thing for us, so...
02:45Yeah, we enjoy it.
02:47Why do you colour coordinate as a family?
02:49The colour coordinating started
02:53well, with the twins.
02:54I used to dress them the same and then
02:56Chelise came along and
02:58she wanted to wear the same outfit as the twins did, so...
03:02But it just looks so good, you know.
03:03I mean, it's like an entourage.
03:05Whenever we go to a shopping centre or something like that
03:08and everyone just looks and...
03:10It's not that we want the attention, but...
03:13That's what happens.
03:14How much do you spend on clothes a month?
03:17Probably three to five hundred on clothes,
03:20depending on the month and whose birthday it is.
03:24What's it like having nine siblings?
03:25Crazy and fun.
03:28Yeah, you always got someone to play with, so...
03:29Yeah, you're never lonely or anything.
03:32There's always screaming or something.
03:34Yeah.
03:35Who's the eldest?
03:37I am.
03:38I have some responsibilities as
03:42making sure that no one gets lost in the shops.
03:46We all kind of do that.
03:48Yeah, we all kind of do that.
03:49I watch them.
03:54You want me to sit in the front?
03:55Oh, thank you.
03:56How many can you fit into your car?
03:58And now we've got one and it seats 14, so...
04:0014 people in there.
04:01All right, let's go to the park.
04:08The challenges with having a big family are
04:11probably more the outside people.
04:14You get treated different.
04:16So, some of the comments we got online are
04:18I feel bad for them.
04:19Two parents could never give 10 kids
04:21the amount of attention they really need.
04:23I don't know why they would say this.
04:25They go wherever they want.
04:26Yeah, we're always with them, so...
04:29Yeah, plenty of attention.
04:30Too much, I think.
04:31Too much attention.
04:32Why do you always dress them alike?
04:34They need to have their own style.
04:36I think they dressed us alike.
04:38They don't want to have their own style.
04:39They just want to have everyone the same.
04:41Why didn't you give them normal names?
04:43Normal names?
04:45We've given them beautiful names,
04:47but somebody else's opinion is...
04:49Yeah, I'm happy with their names.
04:51They're happy with their names.
04:52They're happy.
04:53They look like their own cult.
04:55Even the doctors, when you were having the last child,
04:58we were in the hospital.
05:00Are you guys a cult?
05:02Well, when you go to school, you all dress alike
05:04and you belong to that community.
05:07Yeah, even when you go to work,
05:09you all have to dress the same.
05:11Same.
05:12I guess we're all a cult.
05:13At the end of the day.
05:14In one way or another.
05:15One way or another.
05:17Would you like to have more children?
05:18Yeah, we would like to have more children.
05:20Yes, definitely.
05:21We're definitely trying.
05:24Just a matter of time.
05:25We did try to have another one,
05:27but that ended up in a miscarriage.
05:29Miscarriage last year.
05:30What do your friends and family
05:32think of you having another baby?
05:34They just say, you're crazy.
05:36Why would you want to do that?
05:39And I haven't told her mum yet,
05:41but I think that's what she's going to say.
05:45Yes, Susie, hi.
05:47Hi.
05:48How are you?
05:48Had a good day?
05:50Yes, really good.
05:52Alright.
05:53Okay, look,
05:55I thought I'd give you some good news.
05:57What's that?
05:59The good news is
06:01Chella and I,
06:04we're trying for a baby.
06:06Oh boy.
06:08Are you crazy?
06:09But you've got 10 lovely children already.
06:12Why do you need more?
06:13Why not?
06:15You heard it from your daughter.
06:17Why not?
06:18More the merrier.
06:19More the merrier.
06:20Oh my God.
06:22Really thought that maybe the 10 was enough
06:25and you're both pretty worn out anyway.
06:27You're getting on.
06:29And by the time that baby's 20,
06:32you're going to be an old man.
06:35Sorry, say that again?
06:36I don't look old and I don't plan to age.
06:40I'm a little bit disappointed really
06:42that, you know,
06:45you don't agree with Chella and I.
06:48All we needed was a little bit of family support
06:50and you're not being rude,
06:53you've let us down.
06:55It doesn't mean that I'm not going to support you.
06:57Of course I will.
06:59You're entitled to your opinion.
07:01Yes.
07:01We're entitled to ours
07:02and I guess we have to agree to disagree.
07:05By the way, I'm still young, Susie.
07:08I'm not an old man.
07:10I don't have any grey hairs.
07:12Not today.
07:14There's no grey hairs on me at all.
07:16Susie, even though you don't agree with us,
07:20we still love you and
07:23yeah, we're going to have to love you and leave you
07:26and goodbye for now.
07:28Yeah.
07:29I love you too
07:31and I will always go along with you.
07:33Thank you very much.
07:35Goodbye.
07:36Alright, have a good night.
07:37See ya.
07:39What we hope the future holds for our family is
07:42more kids.
07:43One word to describe the family?
07:46Fun.
07:46Fun, loving,
07:49yeah, live entertainment.