Is it better to grow up in a large family or a small family?

I'd say the answer to your question is going to be rather subjective.

I know people from large families who are quite happy with their circumstances and wouldn't trade their many siblings for anything. And I know people who are only children or who have only one sib who were content growing up that way.

On the other hand, I have a friend who is an only child. He'd have given anything to have had brothers and sisters.

I have several sisters myself and when I was growing up I almost hated them. I regularly wished I was an only child. Now, however, I cherish all of my sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews; step family, in-laws, etc.

You need to learn to appreciate what you have while you have time.

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Really, it's up to you and your husbund how many you should have. What you can and can't handle and afford. It is very expensive to have many children, but i have 7 older brothers, and i wouldn't trade it for a thing. But it is hard for my mom because my dad died a few years ago. Most of them are in the Army though so she is lucky, but it's still hard for her no matter how fun it is for us.

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I have 5 children and have to admit that its wonderful to watch them help each other out, teach each other, and to just watch them show emotion for one another. It is hard to have alot of children though. You need to have a steady job and alot of spear time. Considering that children take up alot of energy and work it would be alot easier for you to have a small family. Your children would probally rather it as well. But then again soem children in small familys want big familys. My oldest daughter is all ways telling me how much she hates her 4 little sisters, but whenever her friend comes over to help her babysit I always her hear tell my daughter that my daughter is very lucky to have so many sisters.

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I'm an only child. Most of the time, I love it, but there is still those moments when I could talk to a sibling or someone other than Mom and Dad about life stuff, school stuff, and other non-parent/teen topics. All in all, I like being an only child, though I do tend to be more of a recluse than I think I might be with siblings. It really depends on what you want/can do.

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I am a mother of 7 children. They range in ages from 16 to 10 months. I have 5 girls and 2 boys. I came from a rather average size family. I have 1 older brother by 6 years, and a younger sister by 6 years. I absolutely hated being either the younger one or the oldest one growing up. I never said that I wanted a large family, it just kinda happened. I actually never planned on having any children. I am so glad I did. I cannot imagine ever being without them. I love each of them for being different. Their many (so very many) personalities. They make life fun. I am looking foreward to having holidays with them when they are grown. I guess I was made for this. It all takes a bit of organization, and patience. That means for every one of us. The children must also exercise patience and understanding. Our family has taught us to work together as a FAMILY. We are not always so concerned about ourselves. This is a FAMILY unit. All of the schedules, meals, church functions, school, projects and so very much more. This is what life is all about. More children should grow up with the responsiblities of a large family. It teaches every one to work well with others, and to respect others. I can only pray that my children view this the same way when they are grown with their own families.

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I HATE to answer subjective questions, and I don't intend to sound opinionative, So I'll use a nuetral standpoint and list pro's and cons. (Of a large opposed to small, we will say) That I can think of, Feel free, of course, to edit!

Please Account that all Pros ARE assuming that you, as a parent, are fully capable of supporting ALL of the children equally under attentative and financial circumstances. And that they, the child, are mentally healthy.

PROS- As a younger child, developing in a household with more direct siblings, the intelligence and comprehension that comes along with the constant and widely varied socializing is awesome. Children learn at younger ages to understand things, Widen there vocabulary, Improve all positive aspects of there social lives, and (IN MY OPINION) tend to be more strong willed. They seem to have more self esteem. As they grow older, and you grow older, (They are around there 20's) Chances are they're going to love you of course, and you will have all your children ready and more than willing to help you with anything you may need.

Cons are basically, in this case, what CAN go wrong.

CONS- It is difficult for a parent or parents to raise lots of children, it is tiring, and at the youngest ages the attention factor is crucial and difficult to keep up with. As children grow older there own social lives improve, but the hardest times are young. It is a financial trainwreck providing children, as they grow, with the wants and needs of todays standards, which is perpetually increasing in price and amount.

But this is a pretty difficult question to answer, other key decisions are the population of the areas where you raise your children in compatibility with how many you have, the boy-girl factor... goes on forever I did my best

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I was an only kid, and I personally loved it. I didn't have anyone I had to battle for my parents attention, and I learned at an early age how to entertain myself by reading and hobbies that you can do by yourself. I now am the single parent of an only child that is 13 years old. When I ask him if he ever wishes he had brothers and sisters, he says "No way!" I think only children tend to invest more in their friendships with other people. One pitfall as a parent of an only child I know I need to be aware of, is spoiling him. I want him to realize that just because he doesn't have anyone he has to share things with, doesn't mean that you don't have to work for what you get, and other life lessons that go along with being a multiple, that only children might not experience.

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It's often said that the internal structures of small and large families tend to be different. In small families, the children *tend* to have more contact with adults than in large families. In the latter they usually have much more contact with some of their siblings. I've also heard it said that in really large families the kids tend to 'cluster' in two or more groups.

First answer by tina. Last edit by Joncey. Contributor trust: 1572 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 217 [recommend question]