The Ross family now consists of nine children: Denny, 17; Paula, 16; Amy, 14; Jamie, 12; Kelly, 11; Travis, 11; Ashley, 11; Cory, 11 and Mikey, 9.

Deciding to Be a Stay-at-home Father
For the last 15 years, Dennis has been a stay-at-home father, caring full time for his nine children. "We thought it very important that we raise our own children and instill in them the values we considered important," he says.

Lois, a contract computer programmer, always supported Dennis' desire to stay home with his children. "Our children have always been our top priority, and we agreed that even if things got a little tight on the budget, it was worth it to be able to raise our children with our beliefs and values," she says. Lois says the kids stayed healthier and happier being at home with Dennis, and it was actually a relief to her. "I didn't have to worry about how well they were being cared for – Dad was in charge."

A Well-oiled Machine
Keeping a family of four organized and in control is difficult, so how does Dennis manage a family of 11? "Routines and working together," he says. "The children are all assigned specific chores and are expected to complete them each day. This helps for a smooth-running household and teaches the children to be helpful and earn a small allowance."

Extracurricular activities have not overwhelmed the family – yet. "They sometimes have something at school, but not very often, and the elementary school is in walking distance from our home," says Dennis. "The older children are the ones who seem to be staying more active these days. They are in several clubs at school: Honor Society, Key Club, Beta Club, etc., and those organizations all require earning points for civic activities. So the older kids are always going somewhere to volunteer in soup kitchens or car washes or just meetings after school." Denny and Paula now have their driver's licenses, so they help take and pick up or drive themselves, taking a load off Dennis and Lois.

Dennis always has time for his kids, especially in the summer months. "We join the reading program at the local library each summer, and the kids earn coupons at local restaurants for ice cream and such for every 10 books they read. I take them swimming at the local recreation center, and we usually try to attend a couple of vacation bible school programs." They also enjoy visiting the park, riding bikes and camping.

The Maury Povich Experience
In 1997, the family took a trip to New York City together to appear on The Maury Povich Show. Flying with one child is hard enough, but Dennis found a way to do it with nine with only a few snags here and there. Lois, who was in Florida at the time, lost her plane ticket in Orlando. Dennis and the kids flew out of Nashville, Tenn., and were late to the airport, almost missing their flight. Dennis says they called over the speaker trying to locate "Dennis, the party with nine kids." The airline held the flight for Dennis, and The Maury Povich Show purchased Lois another ticket. "Thank goodness," says Dennis.

The Chicken Pox Experience
The Ross family gave a new meaning to the term "chicken pox party." All of the children had the illness at the same time! "The chicken pox ordeal was challenging to say the least," says Dennis. "I watched the children all day by myself, and they were miserable. I would take turns filling the bathtub with oatmeal solutions and letting them sit in the tub to ease the itching and discomfort. The quads were not quite 2 at the time, and I would use the double kitchen sink to set two of them in oatmeal baths in the sink. Then I could take a plastic cup and just pour the bath solution over their shoulders and backs to try and ease the discomfort." When Lois came home, it was her turn to do the whole routine again.

Back to Work!
Now that all the children are in school, Dennis has returned to work as a substitute teacher. "This gives me the ability to be home to get the younger ones off to school and be back home for them when school is out. It also makes it flexible enough to be able to stay home if someone comes up sick."

The kids were excited when Dad returned to work. "I sometimes see them at school and even get the opportunity to have lunch with them if I am substituting in their school on any particular day," says Dennis. "Obviously, the extra income helps with things around the house or birthday and Christmas also."

Lois cannot say enough about her husband. "He has invested the last 17 years into raising our children and has done a wonderful job of teaching them to be caring and helpful individuals," she says. "The children can see his role as leader of the family is important, but he lets them know that a family also needs to make joint decisions to be fair and happy. Being at home with the kids all these years has built a special bond between father and child that years ago was usually only between a mother and child. He is a treasure to me and the kids."

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