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AIBU?

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Original poster

What constitutes a “large family”?

195 replies

LucieMorningstar · 04/10/2018 18:50

Wondering what people believe constitutes a “large family”? More than 3 kids for example?

Just interested really as it’s something I hear a lot, but I’m not talking Radford family size!!

OP posts:
Mercurial123 · 04/10/2018 18:54

Four or more children.

beany5 · 04/10/2018 18:54

Once I got to 5 children I felt that I had a large family. 4 was medium sized ;)

Armchairanarchist · 04/10/2018 18:54

I think more than four. I have five brothers and two sisters.

Itsear · 04/10/2018 18:56

4+ children.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 04/10/2018 18:57

I think 4 and more.

Howmanysleepstilchristmas · 04/10/2018 18:57

4 children or more. It’s the sort of size family where they have to share bedrooms (round here at least) because houses only tend to have 2-4 bedrooms as that’s all most people need.

eatyourveg · 04/10/2018 19:01

4 is fine 5 is large

MarshaBradyo · 04/10/2018 19:02

4+

IHaveBrilloHair · 04/10/2018 19:02

More than 4.

zzzzz · 04/10/2018 19:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
LucieMorningstar · 04/10/2018 19:27

@zzzzz

I don’t think so at all. Times gone by where huge families lived in 3 bed Victorian terraced houses and had to also share beds!

OP posts:
Glumglowworm · 04/10/2018 19:37

4+

DaisysStew · 04/10/2018 19:39

I think it depends. I was one of 4 and it didn’t feel like a “big” family, but now I’m a mum (of just one) more than 2 children seems big.

My dad was one of 7 and his mum was one of 13! Those are definitely big families.

upsideup · 04/10/2018 19:42

4+ children

LaDameAuxLicornes · 04/10/2018 20:20

5+ children.

Howmanysleepstilchristmas · 04/10/2018 21:48

No, not dreadful to have to share bedrooms at all. I just think that if 4 children were more typical, more 5 bed houses would be available! Trust me, I can’t find one for love nor money (short of a lottery win!) I have 4dc. 2 share a room. It was just that house hunting while pregnant made me realise by family definitely seems to be too large for house builders to accommodate it routinely in new builds.
As a side note, 4 dc feels a lot to me... though maybe that’s just my 4!

Pickupthephone · 04/10/2018 22:13

I actually think I’d count 3 or more as a big family these days. Family sizes seem to be getting smaller though (hardly surprising, given the cost of living).

zzzzz · 04/10/2018 22:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Aprilislonggone · 04/10/2018 22:17

I have 11. Large.
But we have a TV and sky now so all good!!

IdahoCrow · 04/10/2018 22:19

5+ probably where I'm from. I grew up with kids who shared beds as well as bedrooms. I had my sister's hand-me-down clothes and school uniform which was hilarious as I was six inches taller than her from the age of 10. Luckily my parents let me wear my brothers' cast-offs instead.

MrsStrowman · 04/10/2018 22:20

I think once you can't fit in one normal sized family saloon (car seats not withstanding) it's a large family. So more than 3 DC

Booom · 04/10/2018 22:21

we have 4, feels busy not large!

AutoFilled · 04/10/2018 22:21

I think 4 or more. I see many families with 1 to 3 kids. I agree with the poster saying because of the normal family sizes you don’t see houses normally have more than 4 bedrooms. Also look at all the family passes. They tend to be for 2 kids and 2 parents, occasionally I have seem 3 kids, never 4.

Welshmaiden85 · 04/10/2018 22:21

4 or more

occasionalalice · 04/10/2018 22:21

These days 4+ would be large to me. Just because it’s not that common.
Even 3+ is fairly unusual. Everyone I know has one or two children.
Exceptions being blended families.

But that’s only because the birth rate is the lowest it ever has been etc and people opt for smaller families now due to modern lifestyles.
40-50 years ago I probably would have thought 5+.