My mom is the youngest out of seven, and my dad is one of three. Each of my dad’s siblings had at least three kids, except for him; my dad only had two. My mom’s side is full of loud, strong women. Basically, I come from a big family that likes to stay in each other’s business. When it comes to having a big family, there are a lot of pros and cons. Here are my pros and cons of coming from a big family.

• You have a good support system: When you have a big family like I do, you always have people in your corner to root for you. Whether you have good news and need someone to celebrate with, or if you have bad news and need a shoulder to cry on, there’s always someone there for you.
• News in your family travels fast: This can be a pro or a con. When something “gossip worthy” happens in the family, you always know almost immediately. Most of the time it comes from an over-dramatic grandmother who needs an ear to talk off. Whether there’s good news or bad news, you’ll know within a day or two.
• There’s family drama: When you get a group of strong-minded people together, drama is bound to happen. I have around 10 cousins on each side of my family, so there can be drama between cousins or even (more often than not) between my aunts and uncles. Of course the drama between my family fades quickly, thankfully, but it still exists.
• Family gatherings are never boring: With a big, loud family, you can be sure that family gatherings will never be boring. It’s always a good time catching up with family members you haven’t maybe seen in a while.
• You can get great advice: This is true as long as you’re open to listening to what your family members have to say. I happen to be the youngest cousin on my mom's side and one of the youngest on my dad’s, so it’s easy to get good advice if you’re open to it.
• You can get great hand me downs: I have a few older girl cousins on my mom’s side who are pretty fashion forward and are always giving great hand me downs, whether it be clothes or shoes. They are also great at giving some good advice like I mentioned beforehand.
• You always know you’re loved: With a big family, it’s always known that you’re loved. Whether you need someone to vent to or just want someone to tell your good news to, I know my family is always there, and it isn’t hard to see that they care.
• You’re never really alone: This can be both a pro and a con. You always have something to go to for a family member’s birthday or graduation, and holidays are usually a production. Having a big family keeps you busy with things to do, all while having great company by your side.