For those of us with very small families...

[crochetmonkey74]

Inspired by the best friend thread, a number of us on there have very small families. There's only me and my sibling now and I do really feel the aloneness of that. Anyone got a tiny family , how do you find it? Any coping tips?

Yes we are a small family. DH and I are childless and have no surviving parents, DH is an only and I have one sibling who has a partner and teenage child. They live quite close fortunately.

OK yes, sorry. Understood.

I’m an only, married to an only. A few cousins on my side but I’ve not seen them since I was a child. My parents are in their 80s and I’ve never been close to them as an adult. His parents not that old but mindset is. At our wedding it was all friends.

I think that I might be pregnant, I’m 42 and bringing a child into the world with literally no family doesn’t seem like a sensible thing to do.

i did want to say though that as a child as an only I had the best childhood, loads of friends, always out, I never felt like I missed out. It’s only now I’m older I look around and realise what I haven’t got.

Ah, this is such a difficult scenario and I really feel for you. I too am an only child, as is my partner and it's the reason I feel unable to have a child (or even children). There would be just no family at all for them. Who would look after them should anything happen to us. It's so sad. Good luck and best wishes with however you proceed.

Quite. One of my adult DC definitely won't be having children, the other one doesn't want any, and in isn't in a good place mentally.

It is what it is.

As long as your healthy and managing that's all.that matters.
Family is overated anyway. You've only got to read this forum to see all the family fallouts etc.
Family do.not always have your back or care anyway.

Has this thread been posted before under a different username? Seems very familiar to me

I prefer just ds and me as that is all I have. He is 19. Just because people have an family doe s not mean they get on.

Ds has family on his dad's side to visit plus friends so he isn't isolsted.

It's from a few months ago and has been resurrected.

I'm from a huge family. Lots of uncles/ aunts/ cousins. They're all
Really close. My parents estranged themselves from their families though when I was little so they have no contact with them. I see pictures on social media all the time of the extended family getting together and I feel so isolated and left out. I have sporadic contact but it's usually when they want to try and link in with my parents as opposed to put any effort in with me so I've just accepted now that's how it is. Im mostly ok with it just being me DH and DD, but I feel sad for DD tht I can't give her to big Xmas family do etc. all her friends hve big families and spend time with them whereas in comparison special holidays are spent just the three of us (or sometimes just two as one of us might have to work bank holidays etc).
DH has a biggish family but it's broken so days when we get together are rare.
Sometimes I feel lonely but I accepted that. The biggest hurt is that I have let DD down by not providing a big welcoming family for her, even though I know it's now my fault, I feel like I've failed her.

My situation is pretty similar. I am very lucky to have a partner, but without him I would be entirety alone. The future fills me with anxiety and fear.