There are several advantages of growing up in a large family. Essential life lessons can be picked up more easily and contribute to the development of children’s characters. There are many factors that influence the size of families and if you are pushing for a large one, here are six reasons why you should.
Sharing is Caring
Children who grow up with multiple siblings are found to be more socially adept. They learn to share, cooperate, and compromise from an early age. This leads to greater interaction skills when it comes to making friends, being kind to other children, and being sensitive to others’ emotions. Studies show that sharing a bedroom can benefit children and aid in the development of abilities like emotional intelligence and conflict resolution. Sharing becomes a fact of life and is ingrained from an early age.
Friends for Life
Many parents and teachers notice that children who have more siblings get along better and develop sibling love earlier. Since there is always someone to play with, having more than one sibling improves a child’s capacity for friendship, empathy, and acceptance of responsibility. Children from larger families very rarely feel lonely. They never have to bribe their parents to join them in the pool or for a game of chess; they simply pick a sibling, and the fun starts immediately. Having multiple siblings means you have friends for life.
Love Increases Love
It may sound like a cliché, but a parent’s love grows larger with every child. The capacity to be loved and to love increases proportionately and exponentially. After all, love makes the world go round. The love you show your children in turn teaches them how to love. Even though people don’t always get along, the vital deep connection of love is always present. Perhaps the greatest benefit of a large family is this. You can choose to share this love with others by finding out about short-term fostering. The love within and around your family can be given the opportunity to explode and multiply and assist others.
Teamwork
Larger families quickly realise the importance of participation. When the family/team works together, chores become much simpler and quicker to complete. Cooperation lessens any burden. Even the mundane task of unpacking the groceries after a shopping trip can be made that much lighter when everyone pitches in. Children learn about responsibility through chores, especially if they are organised. A large family can also help children to develop good sportsmanship. There is little chance of boredom as they keep each other entertained. Playing together teaches them how to use their imaginations and be creative.
Older siblings support and encourage the younger ones through typical growing pains – this forms an exclusive bond and support system that is hard to emulate and even harder to break.
Compassionate Companions
Children from large households are aware of what duty really means. They discover that others will suffer if they don’t do their part. Their moral development thus shifts from “self” to “others”. They develop into givers instead of takers. They discover that the world does not revolve around them and that they should consider others. Families always have each other’s backs. They stand up for each other and know that they can rely on each other. They learn about forgiveness and reconciliation. Sibling rivalry and arguments may be par for the course, but these are an opportunity to educate children on how to become peacemakers.
Learn from One Another
Older children usually enjoy helping and instructing their younger siblings. This could be as simple as a bedtime story or as complex as a mathematics assignment. They both benefit greatly from it. They enjoy learning about new topics and educating the family about them. The variety of personalities and abilities within any family enhances its diversity. Each family member contributes their own unique strengths, personalities, and abilities. This is what makes family life fun: some people are shy while others are outgoing; some are generous and kind; others are fearless, independent, and motivated; some are creative while others are sporty.
The diversity within a family unit needs to be utilised to its full advantage when it comes to organising outings, solving problems, or simply deciding what to make for dinner. Every family member will get to experience a strong feeling of self as well as a sense of being needed and wanted if their differences are appreciated and explored.
There are many more advantages to growing up in a large family, but the truth is that one kind of family is not superior to another. Every sort of family has advantages and disadvantages. The love and support shown are what matter most.