Growing up in a big family has shaped me into the person I am today. I never thought it was odd to have six siblings until I couldn’t fit everyone into family portraits we had to draw in first grade or when I couldn’t list all of my siblings on college applications. Even with such issues, I love having a big family and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Here are the six best things about having six siblings.
1. Support system.
Your siblings are always there to pick you up when you fall and there is always someone to talk to. You will always be there to support your siblings and they will always be there to support you. It's the best group of friends you could ask for.
2. Alliances.
With so many siblings, there are bound to be fights. The good thing is that even if you’re fighting with one sibling, chances are at least one of your other siblings will be on your side. You form alliances which means you get to practice politics from a young age. But, seriously, there will always be someone on your side (unless you literally know how to annoy all your siblings at once in which case you deserve an award for “best little brother/sister”).
3. Instant "in" with teachers.
If you’re the youngest, like me, it is rare to have a teacher that one of your siblings didn’t have. This is great because you can make an instant connection with them and they will most likely like you better because of it. You just have to hope that your sibling was a good student in that teacher’s class.
4. Gossip control.
Your family is known around town (maybe because you make up half of your town’s population or because you could form your own sports team). You’re kind of like your own gang. This means that nobody will utter a bad word about any of your siblings when you’re around (and if they do your siblings will be the first to defend you). Since there are so many of you, it’s hard for people to find a time when one of your siblings isn’t around. Congrats, free gossip control!
5. Never bored.
There is always something to do! Whether it’s just sitting on the floor of your sister’s room and talking or playing Xbox with your brother, you’ll never be bored. If those don’t sound exciting, there’s normally one sibling doing something they shouldn’t so you can always help with that. And an added bonus -- you’ll always have enough people to play board games.
6. Strength in numbers.
The golden rule of big families: siblings must stick together. If five kids tell your parents that they didn’t see you break that expensive vase, your parents will believe them. When that bully wants to steal your cookies, they better be prepared to face all of your siblings. It's you and your siblings against the world.
