Reply to What’s the key to having a big family? How does it work? What’s needed?

Forum Index » Family Relationships

Reply to "What’s the key to having a big family? How does it work? What’s needed? "

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I grew up as one of 6 kids and with parents who were also from large families. Sure, things like travel are easier with money, but we didn't have it growing up and neither did any of our aunts/uncles. We still spent a lot of time together. I think geographic proximity is the key. Also, my parents really viewed their siblings as friends. We got together with family way more than any family friends. We went to each other's houses for dinner, parents played cards together. We had picnics at parks. With so many cousins there was always a graduation party, wedding, baby shower to go to so we saw a lot of family. Now I live 1,000 miles away and rarely see my cousins, but they still see each other quite a bit because most of them all leave within an hour of each other. It does help to have someone take the lead on planning. [/quote]

Same.  My mom is best friends with her sisters in law - she calls them her sisters, and vice versa.  They had a family of multiple siblings and multiple girls, but they welcomed mom in like their own.  Cousins on both sides also had big families, so weekends were spent together at the beach, their pools, or whatever. People used to look at us like they could not believe how many people were in one group, but now (since covid) it is common to see bigger groups like this in gatherings.  Celebrations, weddings, birthdays, milestones were always fun!

DH's family is different - not as warm, and exclusionary.  It is all about one sister in particular - always has been, always will be.  If we go away with them (meet them there for a few days), it is more about the sister sneaking out of the house, doing what she wants.  One example: She would not let our grown son join a golf outing (an adult could have traded places, easily), so he was pretty hurt.  Kids aren't stupid, and they remember those things. She just plans what she wants around monopolizing the grandparent's time, it seems.  It is really strange, as if she wants her kids to be the only grandkids - just like she wants to be the only sibling, it seems. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics