17 children?

I'm sure most everyone has heard of the Duggar's, the family that just welcomed their 17th child into the family. Maybe I am different from everyone else, but why have so many kids? I guess I just feel sorry for the kids. The parents are so proud of how the older ones take care of the younger ones and raise them, but why should the older children be penalized? Of course they (the children) all love it because they don't know any different, but I did have a childhood and goodness knows I didn't want or need the responsibility of taking care of anyone but myself at that age. I just think they need to be kids. If the parents want to have all 17 and raise all of them and parent all of them , that's great! I don't expect my 9 year old to bathe my 13 month old or dress him, change his diapers, or get him to sleep at night. (I believe the mother has full charge of the child until age 2 and then she passes it on to another)

Who knows, maybe I am the weird one, but I'm glad I had a childhood!