Not in my family’s case, and I’m including every branch from both maternal and paternal lines.
Family doesn’t always gather for celebrations, as everyone has their own life and some live far away. But we always try to make the effort to reunite. Seeing everyone at least once a year can be tough and doesn’t always happen, but whether the gathering is big or small, it’s always fun.
I have two children, while my siblings, who are in their late 20s to early 30s, don’t have any yet—maybe they never will, I’m not sure. My cousins have between two and four, my parents had four, my grandparents had nine, my great-grandparents also had nine, my great-great-grandparents had ten, and so on.
We’re all from farming stock, so older generations had plenty of children, while younger ones tend to have up to four.
Farming families once had large households to ensure plenty of help for the demanding work, with everyone pitching in. But times have changed—government policies, taxes, financial pressures, and the rising cost of living have led to smaller families. Adding to that, today’s culture often views farming negatively, so many younger people choose different careers and move away from farm life, though there’s still some fresh young blood joining in.