My life with a gaggle of girls: Boy with 12 sisters says having his own bathroom keeps the peace!
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Charles with seven of his 12 sisters. Pic: Closer magazine
His mum, Tracy has been pregnant for 10 years of her life, and is the proud mum to 12 girls and Charles, who still lives with eight of his sisters, aged between 28 and eight.
Charles says living at home with the girls is bearable, because he has his own bathroom!
"It'd be a nightmare if I didn't have my own bathroom, but I like it at home. I get quite pampered - my sisters do my ironing and make me tea," admits Charles, who works in customer services.
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Sometimes I have to take sanctuary in the garage with dad, but I miss the screams and giggles when I'm away. I can be very protective. I'd never let any of my mates date my sisters. And I always say if I think their outfits are too skimpy - though they rarely take any notice!
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Mum Tracy, a cashier, met her husband Peter, a self-employed coach builder when she was 17.
The couple only planned on having four children, but after welcoming Carly, 28, Tracy, 27, Samantha, 26, and Charles, they changed their minds and went on to have Lyndsay, 23, Danielle, 22, Chantelle, 20, Charlotte, 18, Georgia, 17, Candice, 16, Shannon, 12, Shaznay, 11, and Porsha, eight.
When the children were young, the family had two seven-seater people carriers and got through 360 nappies a week. But even now Carly, Tracy and Samantha have moved out (and have six children between them), the family's six-bedroom home in Dorset is still full to bursting.
Closer magazine
There are two girls in each room, and with Charles the proud owner of his own bedroom, the youngest two still sleep in mum and dad's room.
The family get through 50 towels, 30 bottles of shampoo and conditioner, 15 shower gels, seven tubes of toothpaste, 50 loo rolls and 30 packets of cleansing wipes a week - costing £100!
Tracy and Peter make sure the family pull their weight at home, but Charles, funnily enough, seems to get away with more than his sisters!
"They've always got pocket money in return for housework. They all work now - even Georgia, who goes to college part-time - except the youngest four, so that helps us financially," explains Tracy.
"Charles gets away with the housework a bit. He manages to get the girls tidying his room - they really look up to him. Although it must have been hard for him sometimes growing up, he doesn't do too badly! Peter always played lots of football with him and he had his own room and bathroom."
The girlie factor is upped even more at home thanks to Samantha, Lyndsay,
Danielle and Chantelle who regularly compete in beauty pageants, but Charles seems to have taken it all in his stride:
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It was a bit overwhelming as a teenager, especially with all the pageants and the girls nicking my CDs and DVDs, but I kept my head down!
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"They'd beg me to let them use my bathroom, but I never did - let one and they'd all want to. I didn't mind being the only boy though. I even got some of the girls playing football! They can be very sweet - bringing me a beer if I'm down. I'm probably a bit spoilt. That's why it's quite nice being home.
"I'd never go to my sisters with girl troubles - they can't keep a secret. It'd be around the family in no time! They come to me with man moans - though I tend not to get involved - and generally someone's always hormonal - so it's best to stay out of the way!"
Thank goodness for that bathroom then, Charles, eh?!
Are you from a big family?
How do you find it?
The full feature appears in this week's Closer magazine, on sale now.
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