Growing up with a lot of siblings is an experience that is just inexplicable. People with no siblings, or maybe just one, were always so jealous that you had so many siblings, but they just didn't get it. We, the survivors of multiple-sibling-hood, understand the real struggle. We experienced some weird stuff, things that aren't really understood by the outside world.
The Rationing And Labeling Of Food
I cannot tell you how many times I have had 2.25 muffins, or exactly one cup of caramel corn, poured into a plastic baggie with my name written on sharpie on it. With so many kids eating all the time, it’s really easy to miss out on the good stuff. Missing out on good food usually ends in tears or tackles, so parents have to resort to rationing and labeling the rations so that everyone gets their share. Rationing food is one of the essential aspects that keeps a large household running smoothly.
The Horrors Of Sibling Pictures
Ask my mom how many of our Christmas pictures she hasn’t had to Photoshop at least one person’s face on. The answer will be none. With so many people, it's nearly impossible to capture a picture where no one is blinking, or sneezing, or grimacing about the fact that the sibling next to them just farted. Not to mention the fact that your mom made you all wear matching clothing until you were thirteen.
There Are Designated Places For The Weirdest Things
To this day, my household has a very strict water cup policy. My water cup goes by the coffee maker, my one sister’s goes by the plant, and so on and so forth. If there’s no order, it’s complete chaos. Whether it’s specific places for backpacks, shoes, cups or coats, it’s essential to the overall safety of the house.
Illness Is The End Of The World
To most people, illness is something that plagues them maybe once or twice out of the year. But to people with a large amount of siblings, illness means a spiral to the end of the world. It always starts with one of the younger ones and, slowly but surely, no matter how quarantined they are, the whole family gets infected. It’s all over once the parents contract it. Illness takes anywhere from two weeks to two months to fully make it’s way out of the house and it always involves hundreds of boxes of Kleenexes, gallons of cough medicine, and a truckload of disinfecting wipes.
Sharing Rooms And The Absolute Pain Of It All
Your friends used to come over and were in awe over the fact that you had bunk beds, but you knew that it sucked. All that you ever wanted was to express yourself by adorning your room with posters of the Backstreet Boys, but your sister insisted on cats in tutus.
Going Anywhere
People stared. People gaped. There are just so many of you and you all look similar. When I was in eighth grade, one of the teachers at my school referred to my family as the “Gravy Train.”
Kiss Your Favorite Possessions Goodbye
One time my little sister threw up in my favorite Barbie car. My littlest sister broke my first real gold necklace on the first day I had it. I’ve broken my fair share of my siblings possessions too, but they deserved it. My point is that rarely do you and your possessions come out unscathed, which is something that children with no siblings will never understand. Lucky jerks.
Operation Clean-The-House-As-Fast-As-Possible-Mom-Is-On-Her-Way-Home
We’ve all done it. Our mom tells us to clean up while she’s out and then you just sit around doing nothing until it’s almost too late and she’ll be home in ten minutes. While people with fewer siblings, or none at all, are absolutely screwed, the sibling-rich families are fine. Your siblings and you, in that moment of terror, are able to band together and get it done with no problems.
A Whole Lot Of Funny Business
With so many siblings, if you team up, you can truly cause a lot of craziness and have a lot of fun. With a lot of siblings it's not difficult to outsmart mom and dad, scare the neighbors, or do any number of undercover operations that we are unable to disclose.
And There's A Whole Lot Of Love
Your siblings drove you crazy and, to be honest, they still do. But you wouldn't want it any other way. With a lot of siblings, there is always someone to talk to, someone that's down to scare the UPS delivery guy with you, and someone who will help you hide one of your other siblings' favorite toy on top of the fridge when they're being annoying. While being one of many is always kind of difficult, it's also the best kind of difficult possible. At the end of the day, you wouldn't want it any other way. They're some of your best friends. Boy, are we way more lucky than children with no siblings.
