Of course, there are upsides and downsides to being a part of a big family. However, I think that there are so many more upsides than downsides. Although a big family can be overbearing at times, there are a lot of positives to having a big family. For example, you always have someone there for you, no matter the situation. If you’re currently fighting with your family, maybe this list will help you reconsider and think about what you love about the crazy bunch.
I was recently watching 19 Kids and Counting when one of the Duggars said something to this affect, and the more I thought about it, the more I knew how true it was. Especially if you live in the same area as everyone else, there is always someone who can drop everything and be with you when you need it. A few months after I got my driver’s license, I got in a car accident when my mom was out of town and my dad had just had surgery (great timing, I know) and within minutes four of my aunts and uncles were there. There are so many people that someone will always be there for you.
Whenever there’s something new happening in a big family, I can guarantee that everyone will hear about it in a matter of minutes. Whether it’s good news or bad news, expect your family to find out immediately, which really just means that you have more people to celebrate or mourn with!
Big or small, families fight. There’s no getting around that. However, when you’re in a big family, even if you’re fighting, you can always find someone that you get along with. In fact, you may even find someone to commiserate with. Beyond that, though, when you’re in a big family, there are a lot of different interests. Chances are that one of your cousins will love the same band or TV show as you, because when there are that many people, your chances are pretty good.
It’s often said that the best kind of friends are the ones where you can go without talking for months but when you talk again it’s like no time has passed. That’s what it’s like when you have a big family, because even if you lose touch for a month or two due to busy lives, you’re required to see each other again at family events. Especially when you have a big family, you’re used to not being able to keep up with everyone regularly. This is just part of the territory.
I’ve noticed with a lot of my cousins that we’ve gotten closer as we got older. It’s funny, because as a kid, a six-year age gap feels like an eternity. However, when you’re an adult, six years feels like nothing. You may find that the older you get, the closer you grow with your cousins because the age differences aren’t as distancing.
As someone who loves reliving my favorite memories, it’s great to be surrounded by my family. We can dedicate entire family events to reliving old memories, and no one gets sick of talking about the old days. You can’t exactly do that with anyone. Of course, that goes both ways, because family doesn’t forget anything. I’m still paying for that one: twelve years ago my cousins and I created a girl band and “performed” on Christmas and we’re still mocked for it today.
There aren’t many family-related movies and TV shows out there that you haven’t seen, and you probably relate to a character from each one. You’ve watched Parenthood, Modern Family, The Family Stone, and This Is Where I Leave You, among so many other movies and TV shows, and every time you see a new one, you assign characters to each of your extended family members. “You’re being such a Haddie!” is something you may or may not have shouted at your cousin during a fight.
What are your favorite parts of being in a big family? Let me know in the comments!