Tuesday, January 20, 2015

42 Signs You Have a Large Family

There's nothing like large family life. Everything is bigger and more when you've got a gaggle of kids living under one roof: the messes, the love, the noise, the stares from strangers.

How many kids does it take to make a "big" family? Depends who you ask (the answer is usually one or two more than they have,) but you know you have a big family when...


This awesome 'you know you have a big family when...' list is so funny and seriously accurate. I have 6 kids and I’m laughing at every one of these large family truths! #hilarious #bigfamily

1. You read the fine print on "kids eat free" offers.

2. You know instinctively that you're going to have to pay extra to put all your kids on a family membership to the science museum.

3. No matter who you meet, you have kids the same age.

4. You see a family and think, "Wow, that's a big family!" but upon counting, you realize they actually have one less kid than you do.

5. If everyone wants to play a board game together, you have to play in teams.

6. Someone is always having a birthday.

7. No matter how many times you tell people, they can never remember the names of all of your children. Even your friends aren't sure how many kids you have.

8. Every day is a playdate. Your kids are never bored for long.

9. There is always somebody walking in front of you. Really slowly.

10. Your mud room looks like the outerwear section of a department store. A really messy, chaotic department store.

11. Your kids don't know what it's like to own new clothes.

12. Economy-sized everything.

13. You're literally unable to cook for any group smaller than an army platoon.

14. Not only have you tripled a recipe before, you do it routinely.

15. Everyone else's kids want to hang out at your house, because it's full of toys and playmates appropriate for all ages.

16. You can play a game of baseball, soccer, or football whenever you want, and you don't even need to invite over any of the neighbors.

17. Every day, you do two loads of dishes and laundry.

18. A meal at McDonald's costs $50. And it's the fanciest restaurant your kids have ever been to.

19. If you do go out to eat at a real restaurant, they seat you in the special occasion room.

20. You've never left the house without hearing "You've got your hands full" twelve times, even when only half your kids are with you.

21. You don't think it's odd to go to the grocery store and buy 7 gallons of milk at one time.

22. You don't bat an eye when the grocery bagger uses two carts.

23. There's no room for your kids to bring a friend along, even though you have a full-sized van.

24. From the stares in the parking lot, it's abundantly clear that your vehicle looks like a clown car when your entire family piles out.

25. A travel-sized toothpaste wouldn't last your family more than a day or two on vacation.

26. In your extended family, there's a list of everyone's birthdays that gets circulated at family reunions.

27. You have to rent a place for family get-togethers because no one's house is big enough.

28. More than one turkey at Thanksgiving.

29. It's hard to name your babies because no matter what name you like, someone in your extended family has already taken it.

30. You have nieces and nephews that are older than you.

31. At Christmas your kids draw names to see who they're giving a gift to.

32. Nobody has their own room.

33. When you go somewhere with another family, people assume it's a school field trip or a boy scout troop.

34. Getting ready to go literally anywhere is like that scene from Home Alone.

35. One box of granola bars or one bag of chips is never enough.

36. A box of cereal lasts a day if you're lucky. (You don't have cold breakfast cereal much.)

37. Your oldest child is sometimes mistaken for your youngest child's parent.

38. By the time you help the last kid on with their snow gear, someone else is cold and ready to come inside.

39. Someone is always sitting on your lap. When one child gets down, another one wants up.

40. Getting a family picture where everyone looks good isn't even a possibility. You're happy with a photo where only one person is crying, making a weird face, or picking their nose.

41. First-time visitors to your house gawk at the size of your dining table. (And you still have to put out folding chairs when you have dinner guests.)

42. And for sure you have a big family if you've ever arrived somewhere and realized that at least one person isn't wearing shoes.

If you can relate to these, you have a certifiably large family. Congratulations!

Now gather the troops and head out for a celebratory meal at McDonald's. (Take the copious stares from strangers as a compliment; they're just wondering how you can fit so much awesome into one van.)
This awesome 'you know you have a big family when...' list is so funny and seriously accurate. I have 6 kids and I’m laughing at every one of these large family truths! #hilarious #bigfamily
This awesome 'you know you have a big family when...' list is so funny and seriously accurate. I have 6 kids and I’m laughing at every one of these large family truths! #hilarious #bigfamily
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29 comments:

Jessica Dimas said...

Oh my gosh I loved reading through these!!! I don't have a big family but I've always wanted to be in one! It sounds like it'd be crazy a lot of the time but full of so much love and fun. Loved this list, made me laugh so much!

Anonymous said...

#38 is my favorite. Been there, done that, too many times.

Jane Breckenridge said...

Best post. Sharing now.

Louise said...

Great list - can identify with a lot of these having grown up in a big family (being the youngest of nine). I was three months old when my first nephew came along and I didn't get my own room until I left home to go to university. And yes, there was definitely a smaller pool of names for my children if I didn't want to duplicate any from my family!

Mel @mydaysni said...

I love big families, the noise, the hustle and bustle! I managed two and then thought - sod this - I am not adding to my grocery bill or ironing pile any more! You're a brave woman!

Ickle Pickle said...

Hahaha! YES! We are a family with 4 children, aged 18, 15, 12 and 2. I am now 43 so get looks all the time working out who is Pickles Mummy! #sharewithme

normaleverydaylife said...

These are so true! The huge pile of shoes, the comments from strangers, the sharing of everything. My favorite is the one about someone walking in front of you really slowly. I thought that was just happening in our family! :)

Jenny Evans said...

You IRON?!?

Unknown said...

I too loved reading this. I have 5 kids plus my husband and I. My family is not large, but after reading your list it must be because I can relate.
Thank you so much for stopping by Wonderful Wed. Blog Hop.
Pinning and making sure I am following your social media.
Many blessings,
Diane Roark
recipesforourdailybread

Jenny Evans said...

I don't feel like 5 kids is a lot either (most of the time). I guess it's all subjective. I know plenty of families with 5, and some with 9 or 10 who think I must just sit around all day eating bon-bons because there's nothing to do. Then again, there are lots of people who just about go into cardiac arrest when they meet my family: "You have FIVE?!"

Let's Talk Mommy said...

Hahaha I love this because I am one of eight children so this goes above and beyond what my entire life was like. hahaha Brilliant. Thanks for linking up to Share With Me #sharewithme

Anonymous said...

I only have a sister but I grew up near my cousins so our house is like their houses too! Your list is so spot on!


#ShareWithMe

Stacey said...

I had to laugh hard at the last one. Church in the dead of winter and my 5 year old will be barefoot! We have 7 kids and this list is spot on! Also, as they get older, you will always be teaching someone to drive. Always. It keeps me young...

Peggy said...

But Jenny, it is never dull, and that doesn't necessarily change when they become adults. A big family is just plain fun !

Queen Mom Jen said...

Yes!! I love this. Two loads of laundry and at least running the dishwasher once per day is the norm around here. Then every meal feels like feeding an army only to start the whole process over again for the next meal in what seems like the blink of an eye :)

Jenny Evans said...

That's going to be a real adventure in itself, isn't it?

Jenny Evans said...

I'm already looking forward to family get-togethers when the kids are all grown with families of their own. They're pretty much going to be awesome.

Michelle Reeves - Bod for tea said...

Eek! Yep two loads of washing here a lot of days and #21 resonates for me too - and we only have 2 little ones!

Crystal said...

You quit ironing around 3!

Unknown said...

#9 cracked me up because I only have 2 kids and that is true for me too! Always in the kitchen for me! I just.want.a.spoon.

Jenny Evans said...

Yes, the kitchen! Why is it always the kitchen?

Unknown said...

Hum? Did I ever iron? I love #38 . That is really super funny. This is why I hate hate hate getting them ready to go outside and play. All the work, and it is so short.

Sigh.

I never thought of myself having a large family, but with the 4th on the way, I guess I would qualify (in societal standards anyway). In church, I have the smallest family!

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit and introducing yourself!

Rachel said...

I'm the oldest of 7 kids--so many of these cracked me up--particularly the last one, because of a very notorious occasion on which Mom was actually going to take us to Arby's for lunch, and we were super excited, until we got out of the car and realized that one child was barefooted. Said child had been previously warned to put shoes on, so, Mom decided that a treat of a meal at Arby's was inappropriate, and she took us all home instead. It wast tragic at the time, but now we laugh about it.

Jenny Evans said...

Those "no shirt, no shoes, no service" signs get us every time. Last summer we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a treat and one child had to eat hers outside while she waved at us through the window because she had no shoes.

Carolann said...

This is too funny!! Thank you for sharing. Coming from a big family, all of this is so relatable. Been there, done that ;)

Penny Pincher (Dawn) said...

"Your kids don't know what it's like to own new clothes" I can't stop laughing because It was my house when my five kids were younger.

grtlyblesd said...

We have 9, and this made me chuckle. :)

Unknown said...

We have 18 kids and trying for our 19th and yes my wife gave birth to all 18 and this made up laugh. We regularly get 26 gallons of milk 7 gallons would last under 3 days in our house. We have also taking in 3 young adult boys for 2 years now on top of our 18. Thank you for the smile.

Sarah Sparkles said...

hell yea!