Growing up in a big family is one of the most fortunate occurrences one can be blessed with. No matter how many headaches, bruises, and pointless arguments you must endure, having a bunch of brothers and sisters is a huge benefit in life.

Living with many siblings gifts you social awareness at an earlier age. After all, each member of a large family is so unique. Access to a variety of personalities as your own is still developing prepares you for the real world. Children in the family easily learn how to interact with others outside the family, no matter what they are like.

Every day at school you hear somebody complain about how annoying their brother or sister is. While this can certainly be a burden, it is a blessing in disguise. If a person has to put up with somebody they absolutely cannot stand at home, once they enter the real world they will have more patience than anyone else.

You cannot overlook the fact that with many siblings at your disposal, you will always have people to fall back on when times are tough. There will always be somebody you can talk to, or somebody to make a lame joke when you are in lousy mood. No matter how many arguments or fights you have, there will always be that permanent bond that nothing can break.

Besides the social and emotional benefits, there are also practical aspects to having several brothers and sisters. Older kids who are born first in a large family benefit more than some might think.

They have to act as the role models for the younger kids, which forces them to make wiser decisions for themselves. And while teenagers might hate having to do chores while parents take care of the kids, the responsibility they gain sets them up for success.

However, it would be silly to say teenagers never make mistakes. Fortunately for the younger kids, those mistakes serve as a learning experience. Nobody wants to receive the same punishments as their siblings, so they learn much more quickly what not to do.

Aside from the natural process of learning from others’ mistakes, it is always possible for kids to ask their older siblings for advice as well. Without those siblings it can be tough as there is nobody to turn to, whether it be difficulty in school or life in general.

Best of all, family gatherings are never boring when you have enough people to do just about anything.

It can be difficult to organize lots of friends at once because there is always that one person that’s busy, but you can always rely on your siblings to cure your boredom. Not to mention, with so many different interests within the family, everyone is exposed to so many different hobbies that you never would have considered trying out.

All in all, big families are just plain fun.