Blame it all on the family size...
Jan 26 '00
As I worked on Freeride (a great points program)this morning, I clicked on a sponsor. It was one of my favorites--OnHealth.com. A title caught my eye--Alzheimers may be linked to family size (this is paraphrased abit). I just HAD to read this article. I am a busy mom of 8 blessings so anything related to large families gets my attention.
Immediately I sigh and think, here we go again! Blame all the world's ills on the large family. The article was informative enough but I could not disagree more.
Apparently, the studies done have figured that the reason Alzheimers is more likely to occur in those raised with more than the politically correct number of children is because my family is more likely to be poor.
Big guffaw! My family HAS grown but so has my husband's income. While we are in no way wealthy, we are NOT poor! I am an LPN so if it came down to it, I could go back to work. But, I choose to find ways to stay home. I could not keep my sanity if I tried to work outside my home! We also homeschool part of our children so I have to be home. All that aside, the majority of large families that I know of (and my community is filled with them as is my online community of friends on the Moms Online Big Families message board)do okay. Not worse or better than the rest of the world who choose to limit themselves to 2 or 3 children.
The article goes on to suggest that another possible reason for the so-called link is that there is more chance of infectious disease in a larger family. Sure, maybe, but when the flu sweeps through my household (and, I have friends with only 3 children who have had lots of illness)only part of us end up with the illness. My husband usually escapes, I always get it in a bad way, only part of the kids get it. The baby usually escapes probably due to the immunities she gets from moms milk.
At the risk of making some work outside the home moms angry, I ask, why not the link to the fact that kids in daycare are more likely to pick up the creeping crud? Or, those who go to the church nursery each week? (fyi--my kids have been in both situations--I was a working for $$ outside the home mom once). Or, those kids who are in public school??
Ironically when I had 3 kids, all the viruses swept through my home as fast as they do now.
My children, in my opinion, are receiving wonderful benefits to being in a larger family. They have learned that the world does not revolve only around them. (not saying that those with only one child will raise a selfish brat) They have to learn that mom has enough love to go around.
They always have a built in play group. All those board games we have in our home we can always find someone to play with. They are SLOWLY learning the value of work because, while I do not slavedrive my children, you almost have to have chores in a family this size so one sole person does not get bogged down.
Yes, it is cramped. Don't even mention laundry. We DO have to work harder to provide quiet or time alone for those who need it (namely ME!).
However, the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Hopefully I won't get inundated with those espousing the population explosion. I am not sure I buy into that. At any rate, in my own little world I call my home, I am now more likely to recycle, encourage good stewardship, and saving of resources. I like to hope and pray I am raising future adults who will make a difference for the better in this world!
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Epinions.com ID:
Prncess
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Member: Vicky K.
Location: central Iowa
Reviews written: 151
Trusted by: 126 members
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