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Original poster

How many cousins have you got and do you see them/keep in touch?

230 replies

NiceDayatlast · 20/04/2024 12:19

I have seven cousins. I see one occasionally via another family member. Other than that, I seem to have lost touch with them apart from a Facebook happy birthday message! I used to enjoy big family get togethers but there haven’t been any in recent years. Do you see your cousins regularly?

OP posts:
Groovy48592747 · 20/04/2024 13:07

Several. Haven't seen any of them for years.

JenniferandJuniper · 20/04/2024 13:12

3 male cousins. Not in touch now. Were more when older relatives were alive.

One cousin offered to do shopping for me during lockdown as I'm immunosuppressed but after a few weeks he stopped. Think he got bored. That's ok.

Starbugg · 20/04/2024 13:13

28 on my dad’s side. 10 on my mum’s.

On my dad’s side, stay in touch regularly with 4 of them. But a lot of them are the same age range as my dad as some of his siblings are a lot older, so it’s my second cousins I’m closer to. Each of those 28, bar one who passed away, have at least two children each and they are closer in age to me. We talk a few times a year but as everyone lives in different countries, only see each other at big family reunions.

On my mum’s side, speak to 3 of them regularly.

EventuallyDecluttered · 20/04/2024 13:16

12 (11 living). Two on one side who I didn't know growing up as my mum fell out with their mum but we are in contact now and if it wasn't for the fact that we live several hundred miles apart would see each other more often than we do, we can talk for hours. The other side I was close with growing up and again there are 200 or so miles between us and all of them but we keep in touch, visit when we are in their part of the country etc and would be there for each other if needed. I am very fond of every single one of them.

bingoringo4 · 20/04/2024 13:17

25 cousins and I only see and talk to one regularly

Desecratedcoconut · 20/04/2024 13:17

I have seven cousins. I see them at the big family events. We aren't hugely invested in each other lives. My kids have eight cousins. They see each other more often - holiday together, Christmas together, cards for birthdays, message on Whatsapp, things like that.

LesserSpottedAlligator · 20/04/2024 13:18

24, and only really in touch with 2 of them. Occasionally hear from 1 other. Never even hear of 10 of them.

WhiteLeopard · 20/04/2024 13:21

I have 3 full blood cousins. I see one of them regularly but infrequently (once a year or so), one of them live in NZ but I see him when he's back here on holiday, one never.

I also have 2 step cousins and 2 adopted cousins who I never see.

Librarybooker · 20/04/2024 13:21

I’ve got about 25, several I haven’t even met. Parents were both over 90 when they passed away and were among the younger siblings of big families. Us younger cousins in our 50s and 60s have always been in touch but the others not so much.

TubeScreamer · 20/04/2024 13:21

None

MintyCedric · 20/04/2024 13:22

7 cousins, 4 significantly older, 2 much younger and 1 the same age. All spread round the country my entire life so with the exception of the one the same age we’re not overly present in childhood.

I’m in touch with two of the older ones via FB, have nothing to do with the rest, although Mums in touch with one of the other older ones.

Two fell by the wayside when my dad passed away (one got the hump at not being invited to the funeral despite being on my mums side and not having seen my dad for about 30 years).

The other one is sadly the one I was closest to, but his mum (my dad’s sister) treated my dad like shit when he was dying so I no longer have anything to do with any of them.

Ilovemyshed · 20/04/2024 13:23

Wish I had some.

Pieceofpurplesky · 20/04/2024 13:25

Lots. Mum one of 11 and Dad one of 8!

See mum's side regularly as they come and visit and a couple are amongst my closest friends. Dad's side not as much but DS sees my cousins DD often.

DS has grown up with my cousin's kids as his cousins.

BouleDeSuif · 20/04/2024 13:27
  1. Haven't seen them in years, much more than 20, except when one was on MasterChef a while back.
marmaladegranny · 20/04/2024 13:31

No cousins (despite having 6 aunts and uncles) and no siblings but I do have a couple of 2nd cousins that I exchange emails and Christmas letters with. I do encourage my DC to maintain contact with each other and their 2 cousins from my DH side.

Neverpostagain · 20/04/2024 13:34

12 first cousins and yes we keep in touch, even though we live all over the place but mainly in the UK. Someone would suggest a meet up if we haven't had a wedding (or a funeral) recently. It would be unusual to go a year without seeing nearly all of them. We all get invited to big birthdays, parents big birthdays etc. My cousins are brilliant!

OutOfTheHouse · 20/04/2024 13:39

4 that I can name.
2 from my mum’s brother and 2 from my dad’s brother.
Dad had another brother who I think has children but I don’t know how many or what they are called.

Kitkat1523 · 20/04/2024 13:42

3 cousins…..2 not seen since childhood….1 cousin that I WhatsApp most days

Waitingfordoggo · 20/04/2024 13:43

I’ve got about 25, spread out across the country and some overseas. Most are older than me. Quite a lot of them I don’t have any contact with, some I see at funerals, some I have on FB and occasionally exchange messages with. One lives locally and I see him maybe once a year or so. I do miss the big family get togethers I remember from my childhood but those were always organised by my grandparents, aunts and uncles, almost all of whom are now dead.

CosmosQueen · 20/04/2024 13:44

I had one on my mother’s side, he died a few years ago, none on my father’s side.
DH has literally dozens on his father’s side ( was the second youngest of 16 children ), 4 on his mother’s side. Never ever visited, kept in touch or anything. Rather sad because I would have loved to be part of a bigger family.

Ketzele · 20/04/2024 13:45

I have 25-30 cousins (probably more). I'm not in regular contact with any of them.

Chasingsquirrels · 20/04/2024 13:47

16 - 10 on dad's side & 6 on mum's.
I've got a few in my friends on Facebook.

I've met up with one on my mums side a few times in the last few years as I've stayed with her mum when taking/collecting ds from uni near to them and she's come over for a meal.

I haven't seen any of the others for years, and most for years and years.

My 2 kids don't have any cousins.

mamaduckbone · 20/04/2024 13:47

I have loads. 6 on my dad's side, at least 10 in the U.K. on my mum's side, plus another 10 or more in Australia (big family!)
Most of them are much older than me so I don't see them apart from at family events - more usually funerals than weddings these days unfortunately.
We had a spate of big birthdays and wedding anniversaries last year and it was good to catch up - we all get on but just live our own lives.

Glitterblue · 20/04/2024 13:49

I’ve got 2. One I keep in touch with here and there by text, he’s 2 years older than me. I last saw him at our granny’s funeral 14 years ago! His brother is the same age as me and he moved to America about 25 years ago and I’ve not been in touch with him in that time. They’re on my dad’s side and he’s not at all close with his brother, they’re like chalk and cheese.

DD has 3 cousins and she’s extremely close to them, the one closest to her age is like a sister to her. I’m close with my brother though so I think DD and her cousins will remain close all their lives.

stargirl1701 · 20/04/2024 13:49

I have 43 cousins. I 'see' them on Facebook and at weddings/funerals/christenings/big birthdays/big wedding anniversaries.