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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask how big your family was?

145 replies

Deliainthemaking · 17/03/2011 16:57

Coursework statistics

past & present families
and the general view in the past families were bigger.

How big was you family?
How big is your family of children?
Do you come from a big/small family do you think it affects you??

I'd like to see who comes from the biggest :)

OP posts:
OldLadyKnowsNothing · 17/03/2011 16:59

I am 48, born in 1962 (so not 48 for much longer. Grin). I had three siblings. I have two DC, my elder sister has 3, my brother two, and my little sister has five.

FabbyChic · 17/03/2011 17:01

I am 46, born in 1964. I had two siblings, I have two DC, my younger sister has 2, my brother three.

Rabat · 17/03/2011 17:01

My nan was an only child
My mum was an only child
My mum had two children - different fathers (so I have one half brother from her)
My son is an only child

My dad was one of six
He had three children (me and another two half siblings - but older - I never lived with them)

Original poster
Deliainthemaking · 17/03/2011 17:02

you had a pretty similar number to your own then,
My mum wanted 4 but my sis has SN so stopped at 2, was very lonely especially as she's severly autistic can't make convo.

I think this has a lot to do with my urge for a large family.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 17/03/2011 17:08

I am 38y. I have a brother and a sister - so 3 children to my parents.

Dh and I have one DD, aged 8y.

My mum, born 1953, comes from a family of 6 children.
My dad, born 1953, comes from a family of 7 children.

PILs are about 5 or 6 years older than my parents. MIL is from a family of 2. FIL is from a family of 3.

BornThisWayBaby · 17/03/2011 17:11

I was born in 1990.I had 3 siblings including stepsister.
I have 3 DC my sister has one and my other siblings have none (which is a relieve seen as one of thems 13!!)

reinitindear · 17/03/2011 17:11

My Grandmother was one of 5 only 3.
My Grandfather was one of 10.
Mum was one of 3.
Dad was an only child.
I am one of 2.
I have 2 children and my brother has none.
My family is very small and I think it makes us very close but can lead to having no privacy as everyone knows everything.Family gatherings are cheap though!!

reinitindear · 17/03/2011 17:12

only 3 survived past the age of 1

upahill · 17/03/2011 17:12

No you are not being unreasonable to ask.
Although I would have thought this was more of a chat subject.

Why do you think you are being UR to ask?

harassedinherpants · 17/03/2011 17:14

Mum was 1 of 2.
Dad an only child.
I was born in 1970 and have 1 sister.
Sister is childless, and I have 3 children and one step child.
My ds1 has one child.

Dh is one 4, 3 of the brothers have two children each and one has one.

DevonDumplin · 17/03/2011 17:16

I am 23, I have 5 siblings, 4 brothers and 1 sister, all younger. My dad comes from a family of 6 children and my mum from a family of 7 children(one little girl stillborn who we consider family but not sure if that's included in your stats). Maternal grandmother was an only child due to birth injury to her mother (my greatgrandmother), my maternal grandfather was one of 8, 4 of which died in infancy. Various aunts and uncles have between 2-4 children. Various cousins have between 1-3 children. So in my family there's an obvious decrease in number of children.

I'm yet to have a family but am certain that this trend will not continue, I'm having 3 max. I think I didn't enjoy coming from a larger family especially being the eldest because the number of mouths to feed, as it were, was way disproportionate to the financial state of my parents and their willingness to put the effort into a larger family. In the sense that I have worked since I was 13 as have my brothers (sisters too young) and I have no financial support and very little emotional support from my parents, often having to be the surrogate parent myself. However a friend is also from a large family and loved it and already has 3 of her own with every intention to have more.

Looking forward to seeing how other people relate to this.

Rhian82 · 17/03/2011 17:23

My mum was one of four, my dad one of three. I'm an only child, as is DS (and he'll stay one!).

Imnotaslimjim · 17/03/2011 17:25

I am 1 of 5
My mum is 1 of 6 - 1 died at birth
My dad is 1 of 6
My nana has 15 siblings
My granddad has 18 siblings - 2 died before they were 5

Beyond that I don't know

I have 2 children and would have loved more but was medically advised to stop

JoBettany · 17/03/2011 17:26

Mum was one of three children. My father was one of three children. I have two brothers.

My DS is my one and only. I don't think I would have wanted anymore.

I didn't particularly enjoy being the only girl, but I do love my DBs very much!

MillsAndDoom · 17/03/2011 17:26

Mum was one of four, Dad was one of 6 - 3 half sibs, 2 full sibs

MIL is one of 3, FIL was an only

I am one of 2, DH is one of 4

I have 2 DCs, dsis has 2 dcs

BIL has 2 dcs, SIL has 2 dcs

My side of family v close, DHs dysfunctional not so close

altinkum · 17/03/2011 17:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

topsyturner · 17/03/2011 17:29

I am 41 .
I have 2 children .
I have 1 sister .
She has 1 child .

izzybiz · 17/03/2011 17:31

My dad is one of 4
My mum is one of 4
My mum had 4
I have 3

JemAndTheHolograms · 17/03/2011 17:35

Me and DH have 3 (although 1 is my DSD).

I'm 32 and have 1 sister, DH is 36 and has 1 brother.

My mum (54) has 6 brothers, my dad (54) has 1 brother.

MIL is 66 and has 2 sisters.

headfairy · 17/03/2011 17:37

I am one of two
dh is one of two (he has a half brother he's never met)
we have 2 dcs

My mum was one of 4
My dad was an only
dh's mum was one of 4
dh's dad was one of 2

my mat grandmother was one of 4 - her youngest brother died aged 6
my mat grandfather was one of 8 - two different wives

I have no idea about my dad's side of the family, not very close.

Dh has no idea about any of his family... reeeeeally not close.

headfairy · 17/03/2011 17:38

forgot to add, my sister has 2 dcs, but her dh also has 4 other dcs.

ratspeaker · 17/03/2011 17:43

DH is 1 of 2
His mum was 1 of 2
His dad was an only child

I am 1 of 2
My mum was 1 of 3
My dad was 1 of 4

we have 4 children
neither of our sibling have any children

NoWayNoHow · 17/03/2011 17:44

I am 32, have one DS. I am one of two DD, sister married no DC yet.

Mum is one of two DD. Her sister is divoeced, one DS.

Dad is only child (adopted)

Paternal GP both dead (she was one of 2 DD, he was only child)

Maternal GP both alive (he was one of two DS, brother dead, she is an only child)

If it helps your study at all, I've done my maternal grandfather's family tree back to the late 1700's, and the families were indeed much larger. However, there were markedly more infant/early deaths of children, so I think having these large families was a way of ensuring that you had surviving children to look after you in old age.

gonerogue · 17/03/2011 17:49

I am 30 - I am the 5th out of 10 children ( my youngest brother is adopted)

My Mum had 4 siblings 2 died in infancy.
My Dad had 9 siblings too.
One of my uncles had ten children (the eldest of my Dad's family)
Most of my Dad's other siblings have between 1 and 3 children.
My Mum's sisters have between 2 and 4 children.

My sister has 2 children, another has one child and I have one so far (planning on 3).

I don't see any of my siblings having moe than 3 children and there are 2 that are definite that they won't have any (one aged 37 and one aged 28)

eatyourveg · 17/03/2011 17:49

grandmother had 12 siblings (9 made it to adulthood - the rest died in a scarlet fever outbreak aged 2-10)

dad had 3 siblings

I had 3 siblings

I have 3 children

brother has 3 children

Other brother has 2 and so does the other brother