I have run across relations in my genealogical research with a considerable number of offspring…mostly from the early 1900s. Since most aren’t around to ask, thought I’d post the question here…
Let’s pull a number out of a hat and put the cutoff at 6 or more…what was your childhood like with so many siblings? Thanks in advance.
I don’t know that you’re going to find many Dopers who fit that profile, as the demographics that produce loads of kids tends to skew in directions that aren’t really the same as this board.
If you’re interested in the experiences of multi-child families, you could look into books on the Amish or Mennonite cultural experience, or if you want to stay online, you can check out the Quiverfull or ex-Quiverfull blogs (google searching “quiverfull blog” will give you pro and con results in the first page).
As a bonus, most Amish/Mennonite/Quiverfull families also endorse strict patriarchy and rural/self-sustaining living, which makes them more like historical farming families than many other modern lifestyles.
However, there are a wide variety of viewpoints and memories and opinions on growing up in many-sibling households, even within a relatively homogeneous movement like the ones I mentioned, so even there I don’t know that you’re going to get much useful information out of a whole lot of anecdotes.
Both my wife and I were past your cutoff point growing up (and we’re past the cutoff point together as well).
Basically it seemed kind of normal. Still does. I think you guys are the odd ones. What was that like?
Raised Protestant with seven sisters and two brothers; no more than 9 of us have ever been in the same place at any given time. Childhood was loud, especially when the girls were having a slumber party.
I’m not sure I qualify. I’m the youngest of 6. Is it 6 or more siblings, or 6 or more kids?
2 brothers, a sister, a grandmother, mom, dad, dogs, cats, hamsters, tropical fish, snake.
Endless bickering, rage & belittlement. All sins were ultimate. Nothing was ever forgiven.
I took refuge in books. And withdrew from others.
Forgot to mention: for most of my childhood (summer of '73 to summer of '79) there were no more than six of us at home except on holidays and anniversaries.
6 kids is plenty :). Got any stories?
Both my wife and I meet your specifications. Speaking for myself it was great fun having lots of siblings. I feel sorry for people who didn’t and my wife feels the same way.
I was an only child, not to hijack but why would you feel sorry for me?, you enjoyed your situation and i enjoyed mine
Beyond how it was growing up, it’s a pretty nifty thing to have once you’ve already grown up. (If you have a good relationship with your siblings of course. I used to take that for granted, but ISTM that a lot of Dopers have issues in this area.)
I’m one of six. There are thirteen years between my oldest and youngest siblings. It’s hard to come up with a pity description of my childhood experience. It was busy and funny and noisy and musical and untidy and full of Muppets.
Responsibilities and geography being what they are, these days we’re only all together in the same place every few years or so. Those are special times.
I’m the oldest of nine. The first eight of us were born within ten years.
It’s probably simplest to explain how we felt about growing up by saying that my parents have nine children, and only five grandchildren.
There are only 5 of us, as one set of twin died at birth. My mother had 7 children in 6 years. I have 42 first cousins.
My brother was the oldest and only boy. He was like the “test” child, the one my parents learned to parent on. Not that they both didn’t have lots of siblings to help raise. Three girls quickly followed, including one set of identical twins. The next set of twins died. At 29 my mother gave birth to me, the last girl, and had a hysterectomy because of uterine cancer she had while carrying me. I tell my siblings that they stopped trying when they finally got it right. There’s no telling how many they might have had had cancer not intervened - she said she always expected to have kids right up to the point where she couldn’t have them any more. 29 wasn’t were she thought she’d end her reproductive career.
Five of us within 6 years of each other? There was always someone to play with or fight with. I’m closest to my oldest sister. The twins always had that twin thing going on. I don’t always agree with the things my siblings do, but they’re my siblings and we’ll always have that bond.
StG
I’m 7 of 8. Growing up meant by the time I can remember much my 2 oldest siblings were already married and having kids. My oldest nephew and younger sister are only 9 months apart (with her being the elder). There’s 25 years between the oldest and the youngest siblings.
There’s 5 years between my next older sister and me and 4 between my younger sister and me. So not much in the way of clothes sharing happened.
I did spend every summer with time spent between the 2 oldest siblings’ households. I “babysat” as a mother’s helper.
The next 3 oldest siblings I didn’t spend much time with as #3 was mentally ill and spent a lot of time institutionalized, #4 went into the military, and #5 ran away at 15 and started her own life.
#6 and I were pretty close since we were swapped around to the various families at the same time. Kind of a package deal right up until she, too, decided our sucky home life was just that and she ran away at age 16.
#8 last until she was 14 and then she, too, ran away.
Me? I just kept my head and down, was a “good kid” and managed to not get molested (#8 wasn’t molested, either, she just wanted what she wanted and wanted it all now). I was almost always treated as the “baby” of the family since #8 had a different dad than the rest of us (and ours died when I was 7).
Today? I talk about twice a month with #1 and #5, have disowned #6, haven’t heard from #8 since her father died except she did send me an FB friend request about 4 months ago, haven’t seen or talked to #2, 3 or 4 in a few years… with the saddest part being all of us except #8 live within 3 miles of one another (well, #4 lives about 8 miles away and #3 I have no clue where he lives but he does visit #1 now and then). An icky thing came to light and it fractured the family. Lightning struck twice is the nice way of putting it.
The one that makes me laugh thinking about it is that my parents piled all of us into a station wagon every summer and we took long road trips driving all over the US. I was in all 48 contiguous states before I was 8. One of the big problems was (and is!) that I’m prone to car sickness, so one time we packed up, got in the car, drove two miles, and I barfed all over my mom. Good times.
Christmas was insane. Lots of fun, lots of loud people (we’re a loud family), lots of presents, tons of people, huge trees, many games of euchre, absurd amounts of pumpkin pie, etc. Most family things were huge affairs. Someone mentioned first cousins upthread: I have over 100. I don’t know most of my cousins other than vaguely by family name.
Huge political differences between all of us, though we all get along really well when we’re together. My siblings are fun people who all happen to be nuts.
Two of you have mentioned that your spouse had a lot of siblings too. And **Frank **mentioned that their large family did not multiply at the same rate.
How about the rest of you? Did you marry someone who also had a large number of sibs? Anyone marry a person who was an only child? And did you go on to have many kids or any kids at all?
My first husband had one sibling. My husband now is an only child. No kids.
Of the six in my family, two had two kids, one had one, two had zero, and then Mr. Outlier: My brother Joe has eight.
There’s 19 years and nine months between me and the oldest, she joined the Marines shortly after I was born and returned when her tour was up then spent the next dozen or so years as a yo-yo. Move out, move in, move out, move in, move out, etc.
#2 joined the Army the following year; I have no memories of him living at home.
#3 went off to college a couple years later, #4 the year after that.
I do remember #5 being at home. She went off to college when I was five.
Don’t recall when #6 started college. Would have been a year or so before #7 simply rode off on his ten-speed, for which the youngest ones were quite grateful.
#8 remained at home until Dad’s transfer forced the rest of us to move.
#9 left for college the year after the move. Oldest nephew, first child of #4, was born that spring.
I’m #2 of 6, my late wife was also #2 or 6. My mom was an only child until adulthood.
Me: (5 boys and a girl) + an add on
It was always loud and holidays were lots of fun. Some fighting but most of my sibs are alphas so I guess that’s to be expected. There is 13 years between the oldest and youngest. I am/was Responsible Sibling. I’m kind of people and crowd adverse to this day. I get along well with #3 and #6 the relationship between 4 & 5 is kind of meh, but not antagonistic. I will never speak to #1 again if I can help it. I have 3 bios and two add-ons of my own.
My late wife: (4 girls, 2 boys)
More tragedy than a little bit. I’ve only met 3 of my wife’s sisters and 2 are gone, of here two brothers one was gone before we met and the other is not doing well. Her poor mom is likely to survive all but one of her children.