Raising Eleven Children Comes with a $1,200-Per-Week Grocery Challenge for the Dougherty Dozen

17 August 2025

The Dougherty Dozen. Courtesy of Alicia and Dougherty Dozen

Alicia and Josh Dougherty, who’ve captivated over 12 million online followers as the “Dougherty Dozen,” are the proud parents of 11 children including adopted kids with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and they recently opened up about the steep cost of filling their family’s plates. Once spending between $500 and $750 a week on groceries during the “pandemic-ish” years, Alicia now finds herself pushing $1,000 to $1,200 every single week as prices rise.

What was once manageable has turned into a logistical balancing act. Inflated prices on staples like steak like the $101 ribeye four-pack that caught her eye have her rethinking menus and swapping in inexpensive proteins like chicken. She jokes that if the kids had their way, steak would be on the menu every day, but budget constraints suggest otherwise.

Inflation hasn’t changed the family’s tastes it’s simply raised the tab. Their once-comfortable weekly grocery splits ballooned in the past year to nearly double. On a monthly scale, they now spend as much as $4,800 enough to make four overflowing shopping carts feel routine.

Managing such frequent, bulk hauls once meant hopping among stores to satisfy everyone’s preferences. Now, Alicia opts for wholesale shopping, for the sake of both efficiency and price. She admits that reducing trips from store to store saves precious time and mental energy something only a parent of 11 could fully appreciate.

The interview also highlights deeper anxieties: Medicaid changes loom over six of their children who rely on it, and while Josh’s excellent private insurance currently covers them, the potential fallout for the 400,000-plus children in foster care who depend on Medicaid worries Alicia.

The Dougherty family composition is similarly complex and touching. Alongside their four biological children Zoey (13), Dashel (11), Bodhi (8), and Harlee (6)—they’ve embraced six children with FASD: Alex (19), James (18), Patrick (16), Bree (14), and twins Jordan and Jason at age 10. In 2022, they welcomed Dayshawn (now 15). Though he doesn’t yet carry the Dougherty name, they say he’s one of them in spirit.

Their livelihood is intertwined with social media. What began as casual family updates have blossomed into a full-time job for Alicia, who spends approximately 75 hours weekly creating and posting content managing a unique blend of motherhood and digital brand-building.

But this visibility isn’t without cost. Alicia describes being on the receiving end of harsh backlash from strangers who accuse her of exploiting her kids. In response, protective instincts overtook performance: she began pulling her children from digital content even hiring security when the negativity grew particularly invasive. She never loses sight of what’s at stake and keeps asking herself “Should I even continue?” yet chooses to stand her ground for her family’s future.

Yet amid the chaos, moments of pride shine through. Alex has stepped into adulthood with confidence, living independently and working in construction supply. James pursued culinary arts with passion. Despite the challenges of parenting adults especially dealing with issues like bipolar disorder and FASD Alicia remains steady. She admits that parenting adults may be the hardest role yet because they resist direction but she meets them with patience and perspective.

The messes, the noise, and the whirlwind of activity are framed not as burdens but as temporary chapters. Alicia reminds herself that one day, those messes will be gone one day they’ll all be gone and that thought is enough to quiet any irritation.

This is not merely the story of grocery costs it’s a nuanced reflection on family, resilience, love, and digital motherhood. The Doughertys continue to share their story with honesty and heart, reminding us that even amid viral attention, the messy truth of parenting is what truly resonates.