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Strollerderby
Growing Up in a (Kinda) Duggar-Sized Family
Enormous families are fascinating to me.
I’m not sure why, but maybe it’s because I have only one sibling. Or that my mom was the second youngest of nine. Or maybe it’s because I watched a loooot of TV growing up. Those Cosbys, all those teens on “Eight is Enough,” the Bradys, that kooky blended family in the oft-repeated Saturday afternoon movie, “Yours, Mine and Ours.” Everyone had so much fun! All problems were neatly solved in fewer than 30 minutes with enough time to spare for a hug on the side of the bed!
Of course, my friends who came from really large families make it clear it’s not always peachy.
ABC News has a kind of all-over-the-place piece about some of the negative aspects of large families. One person, Rachel Carroccio, the fifth in a brood of 10, sheds some light on one of the most complained about aspects of the Duggars — the fact that their older girls, for the most part, take care of the younger kids. The boys aren’t expected to do that as much.
Carroccio, 28, said she and her sisters, too, raised the younger siblings when their mom went out to work. As a result, they burned out on childcare.
From ABC News:
“None of us really want many kids,” Carroccio said, referring to the girls. “My brothers, on the other hand, all want to have kids. I have one brother about to have his fifth child.”
Purely anecdotal, but of the people I know who came from really large families, the younger ones tended to have fewer — or often zero — kids. I’ve always wondered if that’s because they were born into a crowded house, so why the hell would they intentionally force themselves to share space ever again? Or is it because they see the older ones covering grandchildren production so, you know, they’re off the hook. Perhaps it’s something biological, like, DNA is surviving just fine with me.
Did you come from a big family? Do you have one? How do you think the size of the family you grew up in influences the size of your family now?
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[...] Growing Up in a (Kinda) Duggar-Sized Family [...]
Baby Name Guru Thinks ‘Sparrow’ is For the Birds | Strollerderby commented on Sep 10 09 at 12:46 pm[...] siblings — from within families — or from all-boy vs. all-girl families. Famously, the Duggars rely heavily on their daughters to take care of the family, while the sons get off the hook for the most part. But I’m [...]
Even Young Girls are Pulling a Second Shift | Strollerderby commented on Sep 30 09 at 4:20 pmjeannesager commented on Sep 08 09 at 5:08 pmMy dad was one of seven, and no one in his family had more than three kids (he had two, one has none and another has two stepkids but no biological). His mom was one of eight. Neither was uncommon when they were growing up, but all those huge families that my dad grew up with spawned much smaller families. I wouldn’t doubt cost plays a role?
Rosana commented on Sep 09 09 at 12:15 pmWe were four at my house growing up and I loved living with my siblings even though we fought in many ocassions. I originally wanted five kids but my husband wanted two but finally settled for four kids.
T commented on Sep 09 09 at 8:02 pmMy husband and I were both only children. We now have 5 of our own. My mother was the youngest of 3. My father was the youngest of 7. My MIL is the oldest of 4. My husbands grandfather was 1 of 12.
jenny tries too hard commented on Sep 10 09 at 9:28 amI think T’s situation–children of small families having large ones is probably roughly as common as the opposite. I know my dad, who had only one sibling, ten years older than he, was fascinated with my mom’s seven siblings. They decided to split the difference and have four kids, and I loved being one of four so much I have four of my own. Every single one of my mom’s siblings had at least three kids. Now most of my cousins are having largeish families, or planning to. And no, my family is not Mormon and my husband and I are the lone Catholics (converted as adults) in the bunch.
Teigen commented on Sep 10 09 at 12:08 pmI am the oldest of 7. There are pros and cons. I think it was very good for me in many ways, the main one being that I was quite mature and responsible at a younger age, and that now as a childless 25-year-old I am very comfortable around children and infants, and have even made it my career. I do not want children right now, as I’m at a place in my life where I’m traveling and enjoying my freedom, but I wouldn’t mind having several children should I ever choose to settle down. I would probably adopt rather than have a lot of my own kids, but I do think big families can be great.
Manjari commented on Sep 10 09 at 3:59 pmMy brother and I were raised separately, so I was an only child. If we won the lottery tomorrow, I would want to have more kids (we have two).
d herrman commented on Mar 08 11 at 3:40 amI just heard tonight that the last 2 dugger babies were both one for a time.
how much breastfeeding and bonding do with number 18 when she was in the
hospital with 19not much i would say while the older girls are gone she has had grandma and
2 other helpers. as mother of the year cant she take care of her own alone
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