by Heidi Hoffarth

Created on: July 01, 2010

Raised in a small family myself, I have come to appreciate the closeness that was evident in my family because there were only four of us.

Children who grow up in small families are given more attention by their parents, although this shouldn’t’ be mistaken with false feelings of smothering. Children are certainly able to meet other kids to play with, whether that is at school, daycare, or birthday parties.

When I think of a very large scale family with 10 or more children, I find it hard to believe that the children get the attention they deserve. If there is a 16 year-old in the house and they have a new baby brother or sister comes along, chances are the teenager is over-looked and may be forgotten. Maybe this contributes to teenagers beginning to be involved in things like drugs, alcohol, and promiscuity. They figure, “Hey, Mom and Dad don’t notice me when I’m at home- who’s to say they will notice when I’m not there either?”

Children in smaller families are more apt to be independent, which can be an important attribute once they are in high school and especially into college. Teenagers and young adults need to learn to fend for themselves, and they wouldn’t always learn that from being in a large family where they aren’t given the attention that they deserve.

Children that come from smaller families are also apt to have a better work ethic- they may spend more time with Mom or Dad cooking, cleaning, working on the car, tending the barn, and learning these important skills at a young age without worrying about a sibling getting in the way and stealing the spotlight.

It could be argued that children who grow up in small families are lonely and friendless, but if the parents planned to have a small family and thought things out, they would get their child or children involved in daycare, school, church, and community activities. Regardless of the size of the family they come from, children do still need to spend time with other children outside of their family.

Children in small families don’t lack anything when you compare them side-by-side with larger families. There are advantages to small and large families, but in the instance of an only child, he or she is still able to get the interaction and community that they need in the events and services that the family is involved in.

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