Guest blogger Christine Bartsch: Growing up with five sisters and three brothers was a lot of fun, but believe me, it's not all cute and cuddly. Here's a rundown of what growing up will be like for the California octuplets.
Pros:
Friends in Family - The beauty of so many siblings is that you're never at a loss for a playmate or barhopping buddy you can trust. My sisters have become some of my best friends -- now that we've survived the large family chaos of eleven people yelling.
Expanded Wardrobe - Once I hit the teen years, it was kinda nice to have five other wardrobes to pull from. Of course, we'd end up fighting over the same sweater -- because when you share clothes with so many, you tend to forget who owns what.
Less Parental Supervision - When fundamental family activities have to function in military fashion to get accomplished in a timely manner, parents become exhausted and easily distracted, so it was easy to sneak off into trouble. Unfortunately, my oldest brother and sister picked up the slack, so they became almost like a second set of parents who were hip to our schemes. I can't imagine having seven or eight other kids my own age fighting for supremacy. I mean, how much of an edge can being fifteen minutes older than your siblings really give you?
Cons:
Stretching Food - I grew up drinking powdered milk and plenty of pasta to supplement the more expensive meat and veggies. It wasn't until my twenties that I realized people made chili without noodles -- ours was basically tomato soup dotted with hamburger, kidney beans, elbow macaroni and a dash of chili powder.
No Privacy - For several years, all six of us girls were stacked three high on two sets of triple bunk beds in one tiny bedroom -- so much for secrets.
Forever "One Of" - When I visit my hometown, people don't remember me, they remember that I'm one of the Bartsch girls. At least I had the individuality of being the youngest. If my siblings had all been my same age, it would have been a bloodbath as we struggled to be individuals on the conveyor belt of large family life.
Waiting in Line - If you think waiting in the bathroom line at major sporting events is annoying, imagine waiting in one every morning. At least as I grew up, the numbers dwindled. I can't imagine the drama with eight teenagers fighting for mirror time. Despite the not-so-great parts, I wouldn't trade being one of nine kids for anything in the world -- but thinking of the California Eight, I'm glad I wasn't a twin.
What do you think the pros and cons of being one of eight would be? Comment below.
Friends in Family - The beauty of so many siblings is that you're never at a loss for a playmate or barhopping buddy you can trust. My sisters have become some of my best friends -- now that we've survived the large family chaos of eleven people yelling.
Expanded Wardrobe - Once I hit the teen years, it was kinda nice to have five other wardrobes to pull from. Of course, we'd end up fighting over the same sweater -- because when you share clothes with so many, you tend to forget who owns what.
Less Parental Supervision - When fundamental family activities have to function in military fashion to get accomplished in a timely manner, parents become exhausted and easily distracted, so it was easy to sneak off into trouble. Unfortunately, my oldest brother and sister picked up the slack, so they became almost like a second set of parents who were hip to our schemes. I can't imagine having seven or eight other kids my own age fighting for supremacy. I mean, how much of an edge can being fifteen minutes older than your siblings really give you?
Cons:
Stretching Food - I grew up drinking powdered milk and plenty of pasta to supplement the more expensive meat and veggies. It wasn't until my twenties that I realized people made chili without noodles -- ours was basically tomato soup dotted with hamburger, kidney beans, elbow macaroni and a dash of chili powder.
No Privacy - For several years, all six of us girls were stacked three high on two sets of triple bunk beds in one tiny bedroom -- so much for secrets.
Forever "One Of" - When I visit my hometown, people don't remember me, they remember that I'm one of the Bartsch girls. At least I had the individuality of being the youngest. If my siblings had all been my same age, it would have been a bloodbath as we struggled to be individuals on the conveyor belt of large family life.
Waiting in Line - If you think waiting in the bathroom line at major sporting events is annoying, imagine waiting in one every morning. At least as I grew up, the numbers dwindled. I can't imagine the drama with eight teenagers fighting for mirror time. Despite the not-so-great parts, I wouldn't trade being one of nine kids for anything in the world -- but thinking of the California Eight, I'm glad I wasn't a twin.
What do you think the pros and cons of being one of eight would be? Comment below.
See Also:
- Holy Moly! Octuplets Born in California
- Eight is ENOUGH
- How Much Are Octuplets Worth?
- I Wish the Octuplets Weren't Born in California
- Will Mom of Eight Ever Sleep Again?
- Breastfeeding Eight Babies?! Yikes!
- Octuplets Are Gross
- Earth Doesn't Have Room for Octuplets!
- Octuplets: Scientific Miracle or Life-Long Danger?
filed under: family
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