Family: How big is your family?

Philippines
January 4, 2007 6:03am CST
I come from a big family (13 children). Though we were hard up and we were trained to do housework, I enjoyed my childhood because there was never a dull moment and my parents were super. I also had to work my way through college -- I started working at 16 -- as did my other brothers and sisters, except for the younger ones who had the benefit of the older siblings taking care of them. I remember I scarcely had extra money for snacks and I envied classmates who could buy coke and cookies during recess. Even my school uniforms were overused, as I only had two sets. Our tuition fees were usually paid late, and fortunately since my dad knows the registrar, our promissory notes were always approved. Would be nice to hear your story too!
15 people like this
133 responses
• India
4 Jan 07
We are just three brothers, one sister, mother & father. One brother is married, have two children.
2 people like this
@ajithlal (14716)
• India
4 Jan 07
My family is also small family. I have a younger brother who is studying as well as working. My mother who is a house wife and does also stitching and my father who is working.
• Romania
4 Jan 07
I have two brothers younger that me and I had a brother who die at 7 years because of cancer, I hope that hes alright.
• United States
5 Jan 07
I came from a relatively large family as well. I am one of seven children. We were poor as well, and I went to public school. I didn't have a paying job until I was 18. I babysat on ocassion for my neighbors. I really really tried to find a paying job. I had hand me downs as well, but oh well.....I survived and now I have a well paying job. I have wonderful kids, and a small family. Just the four of us. It is perfect!
• United States
5 Jan 07
I grew up on a dairy farm in Michigan with one older brother, but my cousin was over just about every day. We learned the value of a hard day's work and didn't have a lot of toys, but we had fun. We joked around a lot and enjoyed eachother's company. We definately were loved!
@absfive (145)
• Philippines
5 Jan 07
i dont know if i belong to a big or small family, im the eldest and we are four plus our parents..
2 people like this
• India
5 Jan 07
its fantastic to hear your story. so you enjoyed working by the age of 16.i story is quiet opposite . very lazy.no need to work for money .father pays for every thing and i have to study well in response . i am doing my work perfectly.so my father is very happy.and he spends more for our enjoyment.
@jyoti23 (47)
• India
5 Jan 07
I come from a small family of four members that's my father mother me and my elder brother .my early days i enjoyed a lot but i am married into a big family of 14 members . At first it was just as tough as it was for me to adjust with them but i m learning but being a lady that too indian brahmin community ,its rules and regulations after marriage is tough and still tougher when u are working.
@elixir (1456)
• Guam
4 Jan 07
I come from a family of five members.I have two brothers.One younger and one elder to me.Each and everyone take care of me including my friends
2 people like this
• Philippines
5 Jan 07
if i tell my family story you will be crazy!!!the member of my family is only 7, im the second oldest...im still studying and still finding a job...were 5 of children...the eldest 20, me 18, the third 16, the fourth 14, and the youngest one is turning to 12....my parents is very responsible and yet we dont have any regret because were living a happy family//,,,....
2 people like this
@smille (829)
• India
5 Jan 07
it always has plus and minus points of being in a large family you enjoy life fully but simutaneously u hv to compromise on few things too and hv to start work @ early age. for me i have only one brother n i had a good childhood but had to look after my mom as i ws elder one and nobody to share chores @ home. about clothes n all it was a normal thing to hv very few sets of clothes in india in 80's. so it was a common factor with all my mates, just eat n enjoy!!!
2 people like this
@nidahali (446)
• Pakistan
5 Jan 07
I come from a family of 6 with 3 siblings. My grandmother and my father's aunty also live with us. I've only one brother and we have loads of fun together. My parents believe in the concept that everyone should learn to be independent so they help us out but prefer that we should try to solve our own problems first before going to them. I admire this concept as it has helped me face alot of problems that otherwise I would have never thought that I could solve myself.
2 people like this
@sahergul (774)
• Pakistan
4 Jan 07
well :) that was cute... mine wasn't like that :p
2 people like this
• India
5 Jan 07
my family is a small family only. i had only one younger brother .i enjoyed a lot in my childhood
2 people like this
@aquilavn (59)
• Vietnam
5 Jan 07
I live with my parents and my sister. My parents are teachers so i have to study very hard. I know that my country is poor so we all have to work hard.I hope in the future, we'll have a better life.
2 people like this
• Malaysia
4 Jan 07
Big family does not mean that you are having hard time financially.God has created all of us with our own fate.We shoul learn how our older generation has managed to brought up us until we have achieved what we have today.
• Italy
4 Jan 07
in my family there are only 3 persons....my husband,my daughter and me...
2 people like this
• United States
4 Jan 07
I come from a family of six, but being the youngest I was raised pretty much alone. My youngest sibling is eight years older than me. I lost a brother about 3 years ago, he was 43. I lost my Mom in Sept. 2006, and things are very sad in my family right now, but I had a wonderful childhood with my family. My Dad had 15 originally in his family and my Mom had 11.
2 people like this
@samson17 (240)
• Romania
4 Jan 07
i don't come from a big family.we are only 4 members : me ,my brother ,my father and my mother .
2 people like this
@one5415 (380)
• Canada
4 Jan 07
My family have five people.My father, my mother, my two sisters and me, not a big family. My father has four brithers and sister, my mother has sis brothers, bot we don`t live with them.
2 people like this
@MusicOnly (328)
• Croatia (Hrvatska)
4 Jan 07
My family isnt that big( 13 children), i have two brothers and one sister. Its pretty hard to be the oldest child because you are to them like parent, they are trying to be like you in everything. We aren`t poor( my father has very well paid job) but i always have that feeling that i have to be rational with money, not to spend it on something that i really dont need. I also worked and i think that every teenager should have part time job because it teaches you to be rational with money. My personal experience: we were in entertainment park where you have those bumping cars, and my friends wanted to take a ride. The ride was 2 minutes long and after that ride i realized that i needed to work one hour to ride for 2 minutes. Since that day I m new person when it comes to money!
2 people like this
4 Jan 07
wow big family. i am 1 of 3 brothers, im the oldest which is cool tbh =) my 2 brothers are twins
2 people like this