How this mum-of-nine juggles parenthood with being a busy salon owner

A salon owner from Staffordshire has shared how she juggles her career with being a mum to nine children.

Amy Edwards, who's from Brindley Ford, does three loads of washing every day, two food shops every week, educates her children from home and owns a hair salon.

Mrs Edwards, who is 36, and her husband Shane, bulk-buy all essentials, with the family through three large bottles of milk and two loaves of bread every day.

She also owns her own hair salon - Colour Code - where she works two days a week.

Mrs Edwards said: "Our day starts at around 10am. I home-school the children Monday to Thursday. It means the children have a long weekend which is nice.

"Home-schooling allows us as a big family to take it in our stride, no rushing, no dragging people out of bed. We see each other so much and it makes us so close.

"We eat together every evening and my table has to fit 12 people as my son's girlfriend is often around as well, but it works for us. If it wasn't for space, I'd probably have another baby.

"I cook everything pretty much from scratch. I chuck it all in the slow cooker in the morning. I make huge lasagnes, chillies and potato pies.

"It's like feeding time at the zoo. I have a bell that I ring when it's dinner time and they all come running down the stairs and it saves my voice.

"I only make the same meal for all the children. I learned that the hard way years ago when I fell for making different meals. I haven't got time for that."

'We do budget, that's why I do a lot of online shopping so I can see what I've got to spend'

Mrs Edwards added: "We have to stick to a budget because it is expensive. We do a lot of shopping online so we can see what we're spending. We do a couple of online food shops a week and we still find ourselves in the supermarkets.

"We buy everything in bulk. When we had the toilet roll shortage during the pandemic, it was terrible. The shops were only selling limited amounts and it was the same for loaves of bread.

"We go through one loaf of bread at one lunchtime, but there weren't any exceptions for larger families. What would last people two weeks, would only last us three evening meals.

"The only thing that suffers is my house. I like organisation. If it's not organised, it really bothers me, but it comes at the bottom of the pecking order. But the children help out too.

"We also only have a seven-seater car which isn't big enough, so for family days out we have to do it in two trips.

"The big ones go first and then Shane will come back for me and the little ones."

Mrs Edwards said she enjoys going to work as it gives her time to herself and she can have some adult conversation with her clients.

She said: "When I go to work, that's my time to myself. That is my adult time, it's my adult conversation.

"Some days, I'm so busy at home that I don't get out of my pyjamas until midday, so it's nice to get dressed and prioritise myself to be out for work.

"I had a few weeks off on maternity leave with Jesse, but I was still doing bits.

"I have nine children. I'm prepping meals, washing, ironing, breast feeding and working.

"It is difficult, but my husband is a self-employed window cleaner and he helps out lots. He helps with the cooking and the cleaning."

Amy says she has always wanted a big family and will even consider fostering when all her children have grown up.