Three or More Not A Crowd to Some: The Pros and Cons of a Large Family
Marie Montgomery
Issue date: 5/4/09 Section: News
A large family is considered as a thing of the past, ideally with both parents or a grandparent helping and five or more children.
Today, it is no longer a status symbol. A large family usually consists of both parents and more often than not, single mothers with two or more children.
So with all that said, a small family is considered ideal today due to population increase, employment concerns, financial burdens, and it seems a food shortage.
Growing up in a large family may develop in some, discipline and in others feelings of neglect. There are many positive qualities to having a large family, as there are negatives.
Some positive aspects are that larger families are able to have more of a support system. The children of bigger families are more helpful during difficult situations as they are more likely to be affected indirectly.
Some negative aspects of being in a larger family are that there seems to be a lack of fulfilled one on one attention.
Also the harmony within the family may be challenged as without proper structure and organization, not to mention adequate finances, discipline within the family core may be lacking.
And the financial aspect of raising children on average, not even multiples is seemingly great and possibly overwhelming for most.
Finances within larger families pose as a great marker as well. Without proper funds or assets, the children especially, may be lacking influential necessities.
According to Jim McWhinney in "Kids Or Cash: The Modern Marriage Dilemma", for prospective parents, weighing the decision to have children has not gotten any easier.
Many of the case workers within the Amite and Pike County Health Department were either busy or seemingly reluctant to express themselves with quoted statements, so took the latter of advising me to look within a wider scope.
As stated in a 2004 study by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), parents who grossed at least $70,200 a year spend a total $269,520 to raise a child to the age of 18.
And if $269,520 sounds like a lot of money to you, consider that the statistics cited in the study are actually lower than the cost of raising a child because they are based on the cost of raising the younger child in a household that consists of two adults and two children. To estimate the cost of raising an only child, all expenses should be multiplied by 1.24.
Needless to say, having a large family, especially as a single parent, is a life altering decision that should be well planned. Concerns of other siblings and their feelings should be considered, as well as the financial strain that may reign within the family.
More often than not, EIGHT IS more than ENOUGH, parents and children included and just possibly, THREE is A CROWD!
Today, it is no longer a status symbol. A large family usually consists of both parents and more often than not, single mothers with two or more children.
So with all that said, a small family is considered ideal today due to population increase, employment concerns, financial burdens, and it seems a food shortage.
Growing up in a large family may develop in some, discipline and in others feelings of neglect. There are many positive qualities to having a large family, as there are negatives.
Some positive aspects are that larger families are able to have more of a support system. The children of bigger families are more helpful during difficult situations as they are more likely to be affected indirectly.
Some negative aspects of being in a larger family are that there seems to be a lack of fulfilled one on one attention.
Also the harmony within the family may be challenged as without proper structure and organization, not to mention adequate finances, discipline within the family core may be lacking.
And the financial aspect of raising children on average, not even multiples is seemingly great and possibly overwhelming for most.
Finances within larger families pose as a great marker as well. Without proper funds or assets, the children especially, may be lacking influential necessities.
According to Jim McWhinney in "Kids Or Cash: The Modern Marriage Dilemma", for prospective parents, weighing the decision to have children has not gotten any easier.
Many of the case workers within the Amite and Pike County Health Department were either busy or seemingly reluctant to express themselves with quoted statements, so took the latter of advising me to look within a wider scope.
As stated in a 2004 study by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), parents who grossed at least $70,200 a year spend a total $269,520 to raise a child to the age of 18.
And if $269,520 sounds like a lot of money to you, consider that the statistics cited in the study are actually lower than the cost of raising a child because they are based on the cost of raising the younger child in a household that consists of two adults and two children. To estimate the cost of raising an only child, all expenses should be multiplied by 1.24.
Needless to say, having a large family, especially as a single parent, is a life altering decision that should be well planned. Concerns of other siblings and their feelings should be considered, as well as the financial strain that may reign within the family.
More often than not, EIGHT IS more than ENOUGH, parents and children included and just possibly, THREE is A CROWD!
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