You know the old saying about families: you can’t choose them. That being said, each family is different. Some are big, and some are small. I can only speak for the first of the two, growing up in a family with a lot of siblings is intense, crazy, and a lot of fun. I have a blended family, resulting in eight brothers and sisters of my own to love (deal with). Some days might be crazy, and some days you might fight nonstop for five hours, but here’s the reasons why I love growing up with a surplus of siblings:
You Learned to Voice Your Own Opinion
From a very young age, you have to learn how to stand up for yourself. If you don’t constantly remind your parents of where you need to be and at what time you need to be there, face it, you’re not going to get there on time (or at all).
You Learned Teamwork
Without teamwork and organization, nothing would get done in your house. You have to work together to clean, cook, and especially how to work together to hide things from your parents.
You Learned How to be Protective
You love your siblings, and you never want anything bad to ever happen to them…ever. You would do whatever you could to keep your little sister from a heartbreak, and you still get worried when your older brother goes out a night and you haven’t heard from him by morning. It’s your instinct to worry about everyone 24/7 because you know they do the same for you and you don’t want anything bad to happen to them.
You Learned the Art of Compromise
Whether it’s about whose turn it is to choose a movie or who cheated in the card game, fighting in any family is inevitable. With a large family, it just means more people to argue with. Learning how to deal with arguments and coming to an arrangement that will make both of the siblings happy teaches you how to be an effective negotiator in the future.
You Learned to be Competitive
Growing up (and even today), our family was always very big on competition. From card games, board games, and even the infamous “quiet game” played on long car rides when our parents wanted a few moments of peace, we saw every challenge as an opportunity to prove that we were better than the rest of our siblings. Although this will most likely be useful in the future, growing up it was the main cause of arguments amongst us.
You Always Have a Support System
Having a lot of siblings is like having your own personal cheerleading squad. No matter where I go or what I do, I know I will always have a team behind me rooting me on (even if they know it’s a failed plan from the start). And when things don’t work out as anticipated, they are there to catch me when I fall. I know that no matter where life takes us, I will always have them to believe in me and push me in the right direction.
You Learned to Fend for Yourself
While you have a family to support you and your dreams, you also learn the importance of fighting for what you want. Whether it’s pushing your way to the front of the line to get dinner first or defending yourself when you get accused of something that one of your siblings did, you learn how to fight for what you want and how to argue effectively
You Learned Responsibility
Whether you were the oldest and had to take care of the younger ones while your parents were at work, or you were the younger one being overlooked in the commotion of daily life, you learned how to take care of yourself to some extent, and to look out for those you cared about around you.
You Learned the Meaning of Family
Face it, your family was crazy, obnoxious, absurd, and maybe even at some points, outcast. You all fought, sometimes with arguments so big you thought you’d never forgive each other, but at the end of the day, they are what shaped you to be the person you are, and you wouldn’t trade any of them for the world. You love your family, and you know that no matter what life throws at you, you can get through it as long as you have your crazy brothers and sisters by your side to cheer you on.
