This week's Spin Cycle topic is kids, so I thought it would be fun to ask the question: How many kids do you think makes a big family?
This is something that I think depends a lot on culture and background. I come from a family of five kids. Firebirdluver comes from a family of six kids. Where I lived growing up, this was normal. Most of my friends came from families of about 4-6 kids, so to me, that is an average sized family. Two or three kids was a small family. I only knew a handful of people who were only children.
Anything more than six kids is a big family, but those were not as unusual as only children. I had friends growing up who came from families with anywhere from 7-10 kids. I don't think I've personally met anyone from a family with more than ten kids, but I know of a few.
As I have gotten older, I have learned that this isn't the standard way of looking at things in our country, although there is a current fascination with those really big families. It's been hard for me to get used to seeing people refer to anything over two kids as a "big" family. I've never known how to answer when people ask if I come from a big family.
What do you think of as a big family? How many brothers and sisters do you have? Would you want to have a lot of kids?
(Note: This does not mean we are already thinking about when to have #3, although we have always intended to have as many kids as we can.)
8 comments:
I personally know someone from a ten kid family, and I am from a family of 4 kids. So I understand. I once met a woman who had 16 kids - and I thought that was huge! Until I heard about the Duggar Family who have 18.
http://www.duggarfamily.com/
My mom comes from a family of 7 kids, my dad from 2. There were 2 kids in my family and John comes from a family with four kids. I think we're all over the place here. I wanted 3, will settle for 2, and John is happy with one. Hm, this comment is all over the place too..
I thought a family of four was normal in size, and a family the size of my mother's was huge, but I think the bigger families have more cohesiveness since everyone tends to have a place. Great Spin and awesome take on it! How's Little Fish adjusting? (Hint, pictures!) You're linked!
Personally, I am one of 8 kids (Irish Catholic, can you tell?). My dad was 1 of 6 kids and my mom 1 of 10 kids.
Growing up, more than 5 was a big family. Nowadays, if you have more than 2 kids, people think you have a big family. I don't know what constitutes a large family. More than 5 I guess.
But you know what they say; if you survive your 3rd child, you can have any number of children! Maybe that's why I stopped at 3!
I had the impression growing up that Catholics and Mormoms were about equally "yoked" with reputations for big families. But I had two Catholic friends, one was the second of two boys and his brother was about 10 years older than him, and a girl who was an only child. Both of them seemed incredulous when my mom was pregnant with number 7 (and then we adopted an 8th).
I really figured we would have about 5-6 kids, but had only the three boys. And if the miscarriages were boys too, I have probably been saved some grief. Would have been nice to have a sister thrown in there.
So from my perspective, 4-5 is about normal. Of course this doesn't align with convetional wisdom, but look where that has gotten us.
I'm one of six siblings and it was thought to be a big family.. I'd say 2-4 was normal for around here...
My TWO are a houseful...enough. we're done.
The deffinition of big family depends on your view point...if you are the parent 5 or 6 seems like a lot more than if you are just the neighbor of said children. I always thought I wanted five, but at the moment 3 is just fine...maybe too many.
Where I grew up 2 to 4 was the norm. And PB is one of 5. I think "too big" depends on your situation. If you are having to scrimp and cut corners to keep your kids in food in clothes, that's too many. Everything at a cost, though, right? I will say, when I see someone on social services and expecting "another" baby, that frusterates me.
Like Sprite's Keeper, I want 3, will settle for 2, and PB keeps saying "lets see how 1 goes." then "lets see how 2 go". We'll see, I guess! Great spin.
Dude I have no idea! I have a younger brother who's 12 (I'm 23) and the only think I know for sure is that gaps that big are no good. I love him dearly but it feels like we cant ever really share moments together.
Back when I was young (and oblivious) I used to think I wanted three kids. But now that I'm older (still oblivious, just not as much) and I work with kids, I don't know if I want any at all. It's weird. But, in an ideal world, where finances aren't an issue, where time is plenty to spend and educate, and where the husband/father would be around to help, I think 3 or four would be great. I like the IDEA of a big family.
Good spin.
I spun too!
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