couples

24 truths about growing up in a big family.

There’s something pretty special about the sibling bond.

Siblings are blessed with the ability to drive you absolutely crazy and, if you’re lucky, be some of the most important people you’ll ever have in your life. While growing up, the more siblings there were in your family, the crazier life was likely to be. Chaotic, loud, messy and fun. So much fun.

If you were raised in a big family with multiple siblings, you might relate to some (or all) of the following:

1. Your parents look at baby photos and argue over which particular child it is, even when you’re 100% certain it’s a picture of you. (You were the cutest baby after all.)

2. Your first instinct is to deny everything (a strategy that worked more effectively, the more siblings you have).

Deny everything - you can get away with it. Image via @kimkardashian Instagram.

3. Road trips to the beach were the family holiday of choice, sandwiched between brothers and/or sisters in the days before 'I' anything. And they've made you strongly dislike being in small, confined spaces for extended periods of time.

4. Your school teachers regularly called you by the wrong name.

5. Your parents still regularly call you by the wrong name.

6. When you phone your grandparents, they often think they're talking to your brother or sister. And at least once you haven't corrected them, playing along to avoid embarrassment.

7. You shared a bedroom.

You would've shared a room.

8. You had a bunk bed and fought over who got to sleep in the top bunk.

ADVERTISEMENT

9. All of your santa photos look a little like “The Brady Bunch Christmas Pantomime.”

10. You delayed bringing a boyfriend or girlfriend home until everyone thought they were imaginary because introducing anyone to the fold feels like a conference presentation. (“ Yes, I’ll take questions now…”)

11. You have in-jokes that no one outside your sibling group would understand (or find funny).

12. You have an "unofficial" label: "The golden boy," " The smart one," "The black sheep." And you all think you're “The good looking one.”

13. You had enough people to play a legitimate game of Marco Polo in the pool. Or street cricket.

14. Your mother regularly said she was "going on strike."

15. Everything that ever happened is, or was, 18th or 21st birthday speech fodder. Absolutely nothing is sacred. And then there's the groomsmen/bridesmaids' speeches for all material gathered thereafter.

16. Your wardrobe was at least 50% hand-me-downs which meant you were always at least two years behind when it came to fashion.

Sometimes you had to wait to actually fit in to them.

17. You were often engaged in clothes wars: a cycle of begging, borrowing or stealing certain desirable items of clothing (as well as shoes, makeup and jewellery).

18. As a family, you had most of the birthday cakes from the Australian Women's Weekly Childrens Birthday Cake Book. And you all remember exactly who had what.

ADVERTISEMENT

19. You were woken at 5am on Christmas day by excited younger siblings years after you wanted to be awake at 5am on Christmas day. Or, you had to wait until the last person was up before you were allowed to open your presents.

20. When one of you came down with the chicken pox, you were encouraged to play together in close proximity until all of you had successfully caught and recovered from it.

21. You had designated meals on certain nights of the week: Monday was spaghetti, Tuesday chilli con carne, Wednesday was tacos. This never deviated, except for birthdays when you could make a special request.

22. Your parents drove an Odyssey, a Voyager, a Pajero, a Tarago or a Volvo wagon (with the backwards facing car seats).

23. If you were the youngest, you were affectionately referred to as “the mistake,” whether or not this was actually true.

24. Trying to take a nice photo together as adults, always results in one or two sets of bunny ears. And it’s still funny, every single time.

Did you grow up in a big family? What would you add to the list?

CLICK THROUGH the gallery to see all the celebs who have 4 or more kids.

Want more? Try:

"Stop asking me why I have such a big family. I wanted it this way."

"I've spent 220 hours of my life in labour."

00:00 / ???