AIBU-to ask how big families 50+ years ago did it?!

[mamabeeboo]

DM and MIL are both one of 7, great aunt is one of 14, FIL is one of 12...and the families just get huge going back only a couple of generations... How did they do it?

I'm interested to know how the general set up was and day to day life...

Where did everyone sleep? How big was your fridge? Did you all shower everyday? Was there a conveyor belt of 200+ nappies a week?

I've asked DM who said they all used to sleep in a king sized bed top and tail, and they had "partners" so the older kids would partner with the younger kids to get everyone ready and out the door for school.

Would love to hear from those from big families back in the day - when you didn't have a prep machine, shopping delivered and washing machine on the go 24/7!

We always had to be the best turned out and behaved as my mum wouldn't have people talking about them having lots of kids that they couldn't care for. Also had lots of fun as they were very hands on even though we had little.

Unusually for the time, my dad would take us to the park and get us playing games like rounders etc and my mum would follow on with a picnic lunch in the shopping trolly.

No holidays really but day trips to the beach and when my elder brothers started driving, 9 of us (and sometimes a few extra) would pile into the car for a trip out. Often having to push the car at some point...

Lots of reasons why they coped are due to using family and older children for childcare. Children were outside for most of the day . The older children helped with housework and childminding. The girls cooked and cleaned, the boys did the yard work and fires.

Many children did not get a hot meal until they started work. They only bathed once a week and had clean clothes once a week, including underwear.

My nan had 10 children but the eldest 5 were all at work when the youngest 5 were born. My Nan was born in 1886 and, unusually for those days, she worked as well. She was a self employed florist, she sold flowers outside the Law Court in London and took the babies with her, looked after by the 5 year old.

A friend of mine grew up in a large family. She told me she was pretty much entirely raised by an older sister as her mother couldn't be bothered with being a mum by the time she came along. She has a love-hate relationship with the sister who she says still tries to mother her, which she objects to (I see the sis's POV) and she has very little to say about her actual mother.

In my childhood (1970s) it was very common for children to have a bath once a week, to play outside all day long, to walk to and from school alone even at primary and junior, to walk back from parties late at night as teens - no being picked up by parents. Loads of 'latchkey kids' who were home alone after school until parents got back from work. There was simply a lot less parenting happening.

My nan grew up in the 1920s in a Welsh mining village. She was only one of three but their next door neighbour had 14 children.

The older ones (all boys) took a night shift in the mines and then slept in the beds during the day and the younger ones would have the beds at night. Goodness knows when they washed the sheets!

My dad was from a big family. He was always hungry, shared a bed with 4 brothers, they had to share bath water. The kids also all worked from about 7 doing paper rounds or other work. He speaks fondly of his childhood, though.

He was born in the early 1950s and was one of the youngest of 11

Another thing is that we had a lot less stuff. Less clothes, less toys, less household goods. Less to tidy, clean and wash. Smaller houses etc. So whilst there were less household appliances, you weren't trying to hoover a 4 bed fully carpeted house. You were sweeping floors and shaking mats or rugs outside.

@florentina1 including underwear surprised me!

50 years ago, my mother did have all the modern appliances, and our house was fully carpeted. 50 years ago was 'only' 1974, not Victorian times.

It looks like you missed the plus on the title of the thread,which can take us back as far as we want. I am also referring for those with larger families to comment, which you haven't touched on, so going to assume this thread isn't relevant to you.
Thanks for the comment.

@barbarahunter

But lots of people didn't have all the appliances in 1974 or carpets

My nan didn't have an indoor toilet or bathroom of any description until 1985.

There are also a fair few families today who do not have all the appliances. The two launderettes near me seem quite busy

I did contribute earlier in this thread, as being one of 5 siblings who experienced childhood 50+ years ago, but feel free to ignore my contributions.

Underwear was changed daily . Other clothes not as much as there were no automatic machines back then and washing could take up a good part of a day . Most people didn't have heated racks or tumble dryers. So tended not to wash clothes as often as they do now .

I remember the cold Lino in my bedroom and having a small rug to stand on . Three siblings sharing a double bed And the ice inside the window much to my DC annoyance and eye rolling 🙄 when I mentioned it . Don't know they are born 😂