Go forth and multiply: students say large families are worth the chaos
Members of large clans learn to cope and enjoy the hectic lifestyle
Betsy Woodruff
Issue date: 2/19/09 Section: Focus
With the advent of cheap and effective birth control, large families are going the way of the buffalo. Nonetheless, we've all seen them: the fifteen-passenger vans, ten-year-olds with toddlers on their hips and dark circles under the eyes of overworked mothers. But what's it actually like to grow up in a large family?
"You're never bored, and you learn how to deal with all kinds of people," said freshman Michelle Jenson, the second of seven.
Jenson said her family helped her learn how to cooperate with different habits.
"I can be pretty accommodating of almost everybody," she said. "I can sleep with the light on."
Junior Sarah Howard, an art and English double major, said being the oldest of eight children brought plenty of challenges.
"You really have to learn to be with other people and be unselfish," she said.
Her brother Zach, a junior majoring in history, said he carried extra responsibilities as an older sibling.
"Whether babysitting or staying with all different personalities growing up, it matured me a lot quicker than some other people," he said. "It allowed me to enter college with a pretty high sense of responsibility."
On one vacation that his family took, three of the children were in car seats. His parents valued the help he and his sister provided.
Assistant Professor of Political Science Nathan Schlueter, the father of five kids ages one through nine, said he finds family vacations challenging.
"We call it herding butterflies," he said.
Nonetheless, he loves having a large family. He and his wife both had six siblings.
"From the outside looking in, it looks like work," he said. "From the inside looking out, it's joy."
Sarah said she is especially close to 7-year-old Lydia, the youngest member of the Howard family.
"She's just marvelous, just fantastic, greatest imagination, cutest personality. She adds so much vitality to the family," said Sarah.
Lydia once sent Zach a card with a bizarre story that didn't make much sense to him, until he learned that she had to write a story containing words from a spelling list as a school project.
"You're never bored, and you learn how to deal with all kinds of people," said freshman Michelle Jenson, the second of seven.
Jenson said her family helped her learn how to cooperate with different habits.
"I can be pretty accommodating of almost everybody," she said. "I can sleep with the light on."
Junior Sarah Howard, an art and English double major, said being the oldest of eight children brought plenty of challenges.
"You really have to learn to be with other people and be unselfish," she said.
Her brother Zach, a junior majoring in history, said he carried extra responsibilities as an older sibling.
"Whether babysitting or staying with all different personalities growing up, it matured me a lot quicker than some other people," he said. "It allowed me to enter college with a pretty high sense of responsibility."
On one vacation that his family took, three of the children were in car seats. His parents valued the help he and his sister provided.
Assistant Professor of Political Science Nathan Schlueter, the father of five kids ages one through nine, said he finds family vacations challenging.
"We call it herding butterflies," he said.
Nonetheless, he loves having a large family. He and his wife both had six siblings.
"From the outside looking in, it looks like work," he said. "From the inside looking out, it's joy."
Sarah said she is especially close to 7-year-old Lydia, the youngest member of the Howard family.
"She's just marvelous, just fantastic, greatest imagination, cutest personality. She adds so much vitality to the family," said Sarah.
Lydia once sent Zach a card with a bizarre story that didn't make much sense to him, until he learned that she had to write a story containing words from a spelling list as a school project.
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