Check It Out: Big families enjoy big benefits

By Joan Janzen

Someone who grew up in a large family once said getting a turn in the bathroom required a schedule more complicated than an airport departure. Lately I’ve been reminded of how many Canadians grew up in large families consisting of a dozen or more siblings.

Many have fond memories of their childhood and say they wouldn’t trade it for all the money in the world. In spite of crowded living conditions, hand-me-down clothing, daily chores and primitive modes of transportation, they remember big families enjoying big benefits.

They learned responsibility beginning at a young age. One six-year-old rode two miles on horseback without a saddle every day. He then fed and watered his horse and cleaned up after it in the school barn. A five-year-old was responsible for feeding her baby sister breakfast while her mother worked in the garden. Yet no one complained.

Being born into a large family didn’t prevent Celine Dion from gaining celebrity status. She was born in 1968 in Quebec, the youngest of 14 children.

In a television interview years ago, Celine said, “We never had money, but my mother was an amazing cook.” They couldn’t afford dessert plates, so at mealtime they would flip their dinner plates upside down and put dessert in the middle of the back of the plate.

She said that at every meal her mother would count to be sure everyone was present. Then she and her siblings would make music by tapping on glass pickle and ketchup jars and bottles.

Her mom, dad and siblings were all musical and gathered together in the evenings, filling their home with music. Celine began singing as soon as she could talk. She would stand on the kitchen table as a makeshift stage and perform. Her professional career began at age 12 when she co-wrote a song with her mother and brother, recorded a demo tape and mailed it to a music manager in Montreal.

Her story is encouraging for youngsters who are currently growing up in large households. Both large families from decades ago and those of today have one thing in common: they enjoy living in a home filled with loved ones and can list many advantages.

Those advantages include always having a friend to play with, and chores are easier and faster when more people are helping. Having sisters means there’s usually tasty baking available, and the family has a ready-made book club for discussions and recommendations. Younger children enjoy riding on a tractor or truck with their older siblings, and everyone gets to eat birthday cake almost every month.

The children also learn teamwork and how to be good sports. Younger kids often acquire an extensive vocabulary at an early age and learn to read quickly because they have so many books read to them.

Learning to care for a baby brother or sister prepares them to babysit for others and later equips them for parenthood.

Living in the country also makes a difference, where there are gardens to tend and animals to enjoy. Children are more likely to eat vegetables if they help grow them, and some even have little gardens of their own.

The large families I’ve visited are very organized, and every child knows what his or her responsibilities are. The structure seems to help children become more stable, especially when new foster children are welcomed into the family.

Each family member learns how to get along with siblings of different ages and personalities. The challenges families face together help build character, with a built-in support group always close at hand.

It appears that, in spite of continually increasing inflation, there are still many advantages to being part of a large family.

You have to learn by necessity to work things out, and I think relationships are richer and deeper as a result.”