AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP
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Post by AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP on Jan 26, 2014 20:30:32 GMT -5
there was probably little to no extracurriculars. You can't really have Bobby, Suzy, and Mikey doing soccer/softball/whatever if they are essentially raising their younger siblings... I would have hated to be an older child in a huge family - it seems like you basically have no childhood. Ranging in age (now) from 22 to 37, they likely had help from their kids raising the kids. My sister has five- and it sounds overwhelming until you realize that she has a 15 and 16 year old that do plenty to help with the 5 year old and the 2 year old twins.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 26, 2014 20:49:46 GMT -5
Seems like a better alternative to teenage pregnancy. Here, you want to care for a baby? Ill just have another one for you to take care of.
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milee
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Post by milee on Jan 26, 2014 21:11:52 GMT -5
Seems like a better alternative to teenage pregnancy. Here, you want to care for a baby? Ill just have another one for you to take care of. It's like a real world version of that old school project where they have teens carry around a sack of flour for a week to show them how much work a baby is... except when it's your younger sibling, the project never, ever ends.
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Jan 26, 2014 21:54:02 GMT -5
...:::"It's like a real world version of that old school project where they have teens carry around a sack of flour for a week to show them how much work a baby is... except when it's your younger sibling, the project never, ever ends.":::...
New meaning to the phrase "got baked with my younger brother".
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 27, 2014 7:15:31 GMT -5
You see, I think this goes along with my mantra of "you breed em, you feed em." No way do I think older siblings should be caring for younger ones. You are young once. I'm not talking an occasional babysitting. DS did that for DD up to a certain age. Not if we were going out but if I needed to run a quick errand. I can think of no better way to build resentment among siblings that sticking them doing YOUR job. I also made him carry her bad diaper to garage occasionally as well but in no way would I have thought it was HIS job to care for what I brought into this world. He was almost 6 years older so at some point I could have "used" him for free babysitting and other chores. It would have never have occurred to me to do that to him. He had a life as well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2014 12:03:33 GMT -5
There are 17 of them. My mom had 5 and sometimes we'll go years between all getting together. My brother has been stationed in Hawaii for the last few years, so it's tough for him to make it back to family gatherings. I live in California. Before that I was stationed out of state. With 15 college educated adults, I doubt they're all still living in the same home town they grew up in. At least a third of them probably live out of state. They've got their spouses family to coordinate events with as well. It doesn't seem that weird that they've gone awhile without all of them getting together. I'm sure most of them make it to most family gatherings. Yeah, but what about the weddings? All those weddings over the last 15-16 years? The best they could do is a bunch of photoshopped pictures with all of them together?
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Jan 27, 2014 12:17:06 GMT -5
If I had 14 siblings I probably would have skipped a few weddings too.
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ambellamy
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Post by ambellamy on Jan 27, 2014 12:36:51 GMT -5
I don't think that the stories about the Mormon church are the exception rather than the rule. As its been told to me by friends who moved to UT, the church has incredible resources, a lot of control, and it is tough for outsiders to make it there. The culture is different than other parts of the US. I'm sure everyone's experience is different; I just don't think that the stories about patriarchal families and reach of the church are rare. Dark has a point that it would be very hard to get every single family member together at once. I'm sure that would require years of advance planning and then still have someone have to duck out. The article may have unintentionally made it sound worse than it is. I'll admit that Utah is "special" when it comes to certain things... especially in the "bubble" near Salt Lake and provo/orem BYU area... but when you move away from the fanatics (and lets admit, every religion has them, but unlike most religions, with Mormons most like in that bubble), things get a little lost. When you move outside the bubble, you see a different side of the faith. Were out in So-Cal and that's a good fit for us.
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AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP
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Post by AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP on Jan 27, 2014 19:47:48 GMT -5
Seems like a better alternative to teenage pregnancy. Here, you want to care for a baby? Ill just have another one for you to take care of. I'm sure it is abused in some families, but I said "help" not rear. I think it's a lot healthier for kids to be helping out around the house and looking out for their siblings and then GETTING OUT than it is for the one and two kid families to let Jr. stay home until he's 45 and executor of the will.
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AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP
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Post by AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP on Jan 27, 2014 19:59:50 GMT -5
In short- not to hijack the thread, but I think "childhood" is overrated, and largely misunderstood. In American culture, it's viewed mainly as a time for play and fun with markedly few, if any, real world consequences. I view play as life-long, not to be restricted to "childhood", and I view childhood as a time to learn responsibility that goes with it, so that childhood play doesn't forever taint or squelch play the rest of one's life. It sounds more complicated and contradictory than it is- but basically, if you want to have an enjoyable life, it's best to get to the adult part of life sooner rather than later. Delaying your grown up years, or weighting childhood so full of an excess of play without responsibility is a recipe for life-long misery.
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