Only 1 Bates Family Member Appears to Be on Track to Have a Massive Family for Now

Kelly Jo and Gil Bates’ house is getting less crowded day-to-day, but their family is still expanding. With 10 of the Bates kids already married, two more in relationships, and a couple of confirmed pregnancies, it’s only a matter of time before the Bates family grows more. Still, only one Bates kid seems on track to have a family even close in size of their parents’ family. Tori Smith and her husband, Bobby Smith, are parents to four children under four in less than five years of marriage.

The Smiths are on pace to have a large family 

Tori and Bobby Smith welcomed their fourth child, Cambree Layne Smith, on August 2. Cambree’s birth means the young couple has four children under four, all born before Tori and Bobby’s fifth wedding anniversary. The pace at which they have children means they could easily have a house full of kids by the time Tori’s childbearing years are over. 

Tori and Bobby’s children have all been born less than two years apart. Their third and fourth child are just 14 months apart. Their third child was born in June 2021. Tori’s mother, Kelly Jo, had her youngest child, Jeb Bates, in 2012 when she was 46 years old. Assuming Tori has her last child at the same age as her mother had her last child, she could reasonably conceive 15 to 18 children during her marriage if everything remains as it is. Tori is currently 27.

Tori and Bobby Smith don’t have the most kids right now, though 

While Tori and Bobby appear to be the couple most likely to compete with Kelly Jo and Gil Bates’ massive family size, they aren’t the couple with the most children currently. That distinction goes to Erin and Chad Paine. Erin and Chad are officially the parents of five after welcoming their newest addition, Finley Paine, in January 2022. 

The couple might have the most kids now, but Chad and Erin’s fertility journey hasn’t been smooth sailing. Early in their marriage, Erin had several miscarriages before doctors learned that she had a blood disorder that made it impossible to carry a pregnancy to term without proper medical intervention. Following four successful pregnancies, Erin once again dealt with reproductive issues. The mother of five had one entire ovary and part of another removed in 2021 after ruptured cysts caused bleeding. While Erin and Chad were able to get pregnant for the fifth time following the surgeries, Erin’s future fertility is still a question mark. 

There are several members of the Bates family who remain unmarried 

While Tori and Bobby are the ones most likely to have a supersized family like Kelly Jo and Gil Bates, they are far from the only Bates who could conceivably compete. Several other Bateses still remain unmarried or have yet to welcome children, making it difficult to say how quickly they’ll grow their own families. 

A few more contenders might be entering the ring soon, though. 25-year-old Trace Bates is engaged. Trace asked his girlfriend, Lydia Romeike, to marry him in March. The couple publicly announced their engagement via Us Weekly. Trace had a failed courtship in 2020.  

Lawson Bates, 30, recently wed longtime love Tiffany Espensen, and Jackson Bates, 20, is in a relationship, too. Katie Clark, who married Travis Clark last year, is expecting her first child soon. Esther Bates, who married Nathan Bates in October 2021, is also expecting a baby. Several other Bates kids are still too young to court.