How big is your family?
By nanajanet
@nanajanet (4436)
United States
June 17, 2008 7:17pm CST
My husband is the oldest of eight. I grew up the youngest of three.
My husband has, in order, a brother Joseph, a sister Deborah, a sister MaryLou, a brother James, a sister Stephanie, a brother Christopher, and a sister, Fredericka. His mother was 100% German, his father was 100% Italian.
We had two children, a son Keith, a daughter Tara. His brother Joseph and his wife had two sons. His sister Deborah and her husband had daughter and a son. His sister Marylou had one son. She married later, but not the father. His brother James and his wife had two sons. His sister Stephanie and her husband had two sons. His brother Christopher and his wife had one son. His sister Fredericka and her husband had one son.
My father was German and English, my mother is Dutch, Scottish, Irish, and French. I have an older sister, Barbara. She and her husband had two sons. They both are married, they both each have one son and one daughter. I have a brother, Michael who is not married nor does he have children.
My son passed away four years ago and my daughter has our beautiful granddaughter (see photo) who is one year old as of last Saturday.
Our extended families with aunts, uncles and cousins are very large.
We have a few family members we only see at weddings and funerals, and others whom we are very close to. I am very close to my sister, Barbara, and her husband. My sister and I are best friends. We are also very close to my husband's brother, Joseph, and his family.
My daughter and granddaughter live with us, which is a great joy for us. One day they will move out and it will be sad, but we can always visit!!
I would love to hear about your families. I would get into more details but I don't have a lot of time right now. I just thought that would be an interesting topic.
7 people like this
24 responses
@jashley1 (746)
• United States
18 Jun 08
I grew up the youngest of a family with 3 boys and 3 girls. We had wonderful times as kids. My mother passed away at a very young age and then everything changed from there - my dad owned his own business and commuted home on the weekends only so when that happened, things shifted dramatically. I was then raised by my grandmother, my sister closest to me in age lived with a distant aunt, and my other brothers and sisters lived in our home and took care of themselves for the most part since they were already in high school and/or out of high school. It's sad because my grandmother always reunited the family during holidays, but she passed away December of 01. But now I have my family and we are super close and close to my husband's side of the family.
@jashley1 (746)
• United States
18 Jun 08
Wow, that's a lot of family! That is great though! That's why I always wanted to have lots of children (after 3 I am done LOL)...but seriously it was because I always couldn't wait to have grandchildren and have family get togethers and all those sorts of things. My side of the family was never that close and certainly hasn't been for a while, but my husband's side is - except they live in Louisianna, Texas, Atlanta, etc., and we live in Southern California. We don't really want to move so we only see them once a year if that. We'd like to see them more often though.
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
18 Jun 08
My husband is the oldest of two. His younger brother, Jack has a daughter and a son.
I am the youngest of four girls. My oldest sister, Cahty has two daughters. My next sister Connie has a son and a daughter. My next sister Cindy has one son and three daughters.
My husband and I have one son.
My family moved around a lot when I was a child and as a result we were never really close to our cousins. Then me and my sisters ended up spread all over the country and our kids have not grown up close with each other.
My dear nanajanet, I am so sorry to read about the loss of your son. I know you must enjoy your granddaughter living with you and hope that you find strength in the love you are able to share with her daily.
1 person likes this
@nanajanet (4436)
• United States
18 Jun 08
Thank you for your condolences. We are handling it. We always miss him but time does help you accept it. The baby has really helped bring joy back into our lives. She is a comedy act, all by herself!! LOL
Hugs!
@cripfemme (7698)
• United States
30 Jun 08
I have my mom, mu bio dad (who I never talk to, but that's another story), my stepdad, and step brother. There's also my aunt, her three boys- all older than me- the youngest is married and has 2 kids and is married. I have an uncle and a grandma, too. I started this discussion thinking that I had a pretty small clan, compared to you, but I guess not, when I think about it.
1 person likes this
@suprema (297)
• Philippines
22 Jun 08
So there's my dad and my mom, my older sister and my three younger sisters. I don't have a brother (talking about the immediate family. But I have a lot of half-siblings). Then there's my aunt who lives with us but is currently on vacation. So on any ordinary day, there'll be 8 people on the house.
@metschica25 (5399)
• United States
21 Jun 08
Growing up it was just me and my younger brother Chris .We have always been close and we both want bigger families . We lived with my mom and dad. plus my gram so that was nice.
My father came from a big family .He has 5 brothers and 5 sisters .To me it is the more the merrier 
@YOULANLIU (311)
• China
18 Jun 08
The traditional chinese family size was great,just as the generation of my grandfather.He had raised six children and his family was rather great.However,since the implementation of the family planning policy,the extended families are gradual disappearing and in their places are small-scale families.Just like my family,parents and one child.that's a typical chinese family.Small-scale family indeed reduce the financial burden on the family,but also has brought some impact on the children's growth.For example,children easily become withdrawn,selfish,ect.
1 person likes this
@chari_dc (492)
• Philippines
18 Jun 08
my father has 11 siblings. my mom has 5 siblings. you can imagine how many cousins and nephews and nieces i have... then my husband's dad has 6 or 7 siblings and his mom has 4. so he's got a lot too.
i have two brothers. my older brother has 2 daughters and 2 sons. my younger brother has one son.
now my husband and i have a son and a daughter, both under the age of 6. they're familiar with most of my family members and relatives and some of my husband's cause they live far from where we are.
when i think about it now that you started this topic, i should make a family tree for my kids to see their roots. and also find out who they know and don't know yet. :)
@Zelmarq (12585)
• Cebu City, Philippines
18 Jun 08
I am the eldest of seven children and now we have been fatherless for the past fourteen years. Growing up a without a father is something wierd but I have outgrown it and have survived through life with just my mother beside me. IM already 32 years old and very much single. My 3 youner sisters and three brothers are also single. THe girl is in taiwan working while the soncond to me which is a boy is working away from us. The forth just graduated and having her masters, the fifth is also at home not studying, the sixth is on her fourth year in psychology graduating next year and the youngest is on his second year in high school.
Its nice sharing these things here.
have a nice day and happy mylotting.
@kellys3ps (3723)
• United States
9 Sep 08
I grew up with only one brother. I hated having such a small family, and now have 6 boys of my own.
@Countrymom (371)
• United States
18 Jun 08
My dad is the oldest of 11, my mother is the middle child of 4 (2 deceased). I am the oldest of 3. I have 5 kids, my dh has 4 kids from a previous marriage. Holidays at our house are really really fun with lots and lots of people. With 8 living kids, 2 foster kids and a miscellaneous number of other displaced kids our house is rarely quiet. When it is I cherish it but for now I am embracing the joy of family. One day this too shall pass and quiet shall prevail and I will go and visit my kids and their kids. Until then, I cherish every moment.
@curious888 (1212)
• Malaysia
18 Jun 08
I have two brothers and seven sisiters, I am the 6th. So, my parents have 10 sublings.
My wife side has six sisters and one brother. She is No. two in the line but eldest in girl.
1 person likes this
@freedomg (1684)
• United States
18 Jun 08
I have a brother that i grew up with and 2 sisters I just found out about that I'm getting to know. I'm close to my brother and my oldest sister ( I'm the oldest of all of us)but my youngest sister is 4 years old so it's a little harder to have a long distance relationship with her right now. I hope that will change as she gets older. My hubby is the oldest of 3 boys but they don't talk to each other. His brothers both have mental problems and refuse to get help so he doesn't want them near our kids. They had a different Dad and he had problems too.
Now we have 2 boys and two girls and the older two are very close and the younger two are pretty close but the boys have a hard time with each other because one is 15 and the other is 8 and the girls have more of a second mom type of relationship. They are 14 and 4.
@chubzlife (95)
• Philippines
18 Jun 08
My father was the youngest of seven. My mother is the oldest of 13. I have a lot of cousins on both sides. I have 4 brothers and all are married. I'm the 4th of 5 and the only girl and not yet married. My eldest brother has two children. The second brother has 6 children. The third brother has 4 children. And our youngest brother has 2 children. I'm living with my aunt (my dad's sister, who's the 5th of seven and the only one who did not marry among the 7).
1 person likes this
@cishi1230 (197)
• Philippines
21 Aug 08
my father has 8 siblings but we're not close to either of them. my mom is the only child since my grandmother is a widow but remarried and got widowed again..we're not close to either side maybe because we live far from them..
@sylvia13 (1850)
• Nelson Bay, Australia
18 Jun 08
I come from a family of seven: my parents, myself, two brothers and two sisters. We lived together for many years, but then we separated and now we all live separately in different countries: Austria, Australia, Spain, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and the USA!
@vipulchawla (2220)
• India
18 Jun 08
Oh, do you count it from your great grandparents ?
First of all, to tell you I stay away from home. I am a working guy and i live in a different city other than my hometown with my friends.
To start with my family, we stay as a joint family. I have my grandparents from my father's side living with us and my father's youngest brother along with his wife and 2 children live together in the same house. Oh to tell you about my small family, my dad,mom, elder brother and his wife and me constitute the family. all 3 of us are working in a location away from home.
Then my father has 3 more brothers each of them living in the same city each of them living with their family constituting their wives and 2 children each in different houses somwhere near around 5 kms away from my home.
Only one of my cousins is married from my father's side. and ya my father has one sister also who is married and stays in a different city.
@longbangod (1785)
• Philippines
18 Jun 08
Ours is even bigger. I came from a family with 9 siblings and I'm the fifth. Our eldest got 4 kids, the next have 9 kids also, 5, 2, and then mine is 4, nest has 2, 3, 1 and then we only have one brother who's still single.
See how big family we are?
@taqinaka (429)
• Malaysia
18 Jun 08
Hello janet.Well,let see.Where can i start?Ok.My father has 5 siblings including himself.All of them have 3 children except one of my aunts.She have 4.Gee.She broke the chain.:p.My mom has 8 siblings including her.She's the last one.The 1st one has 2 children.The second one has 5 children.The third has 2 children.The forth has 4 children.The rest have no children yet.So,i guess that's all i can tell you about my family.Actually there's more but it's too long to write.LOL.
@ljforte1024 (150)
• Canada
18 Jun 08
Hi,
I have six brothers and six sisters and I'm the youngest girl. I used to love being the youngest when I was little because I was spoiled. Now I'm 29, I have a college degree, I've been married, I have a child, and I have my own place but they still treat me like I don't know anything when I'm doing better than alot of them. I get upset sometimes but I just stay away most of the time.
