ESOL Magazine March 2014 March, 2014 | Page 6

The Advantages of Having a Large Family By Inga Grasmane I come from a big family, there were 5 children in our family. And all my life I was sure that I would have at least three children. Now I am an expectant mother of three. Very often people ask me why I have more than 2 children which is the ideal family model. Some of them are really very intrusive and damnatory as if it were their life not mine. Some think “Oh, she is so young and to have so many kids, what she saw in her life...” etc. I really hate it – this is my life, I am responsible for it and it’s my decision to have a big family! Sure in some cases I agree that a big family has many disadvantages such as: not so quiet at home, not easy to keep all the house clean, not easy to pay attention to everyone at the same level, hard to go for a holiday or have your own time. But there are so many advantages that I think are more important.  First of all – there is less chance of the children being lonely as they have other siblings to play with and talk to. What is most important for me is to be sure that after we die they wouldn’t be alone because they have brothers and sisters.    Being in a bigger family with more people to talk to and play with may help a child develop quicker because they can learn from their siblings. They also learn how to share with each other, how to make relationships, to understand each personality and be more responsible and helpful. 