Unfortunately, when one couple announced that their eighth bundle of joy was on the way, their oldest child was anything but supportive. Below, you’ll find the full story that the teen recentlypostedon the “Am I the [Jerk]?” subreddit, as well as some of the replies readers left him.
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But his reaction was much less excited than they were expecting
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It’s important that children get ample attention and affection from their parents
Havingsiblingscan be a huge blessing. You have built-in friends when you’re growing up, and there’s always someone around to play games with. Sure, they might tease you or get on your nerves from time to time, but they’re family! At the end of the day, you would do anything for them.
But there’s a big difference between having two siblings and seven brothers and sisters. And it’s a lot harder to get Mom and Dad’s attention when they’re focused on herding eight kids at once.
Kids need unconditional love and lots of affection, and according toFamily Education, it’s crucial that they get enough from a young age.One studyfound that kids who didn’t receive enough attention in their youth were more likely to struggle in school and in their personal relationships, as well as more likely to find themselves in trouble with the law.
And parents can’t let go of the reins when their kids become teens either. Teens who don’t get enough attention from Mom and Dad may feel neglected or unsupported, Family Education notes. This can also cause mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, and lead teens to participate in high-risk behaviors like experimenting with drugs and alcohol.
Having many kids can put a huge financial strain on parents
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But it’s not only kids who can experience negative effects of having too many siblings in one house.One studyeven found that having too many children can take a toll on their parents’ mental health too.
“What we found is that in the majority of countries we analyzed, more children are associated with poorer health outcomes later in life – especially for chronic conditions and depression,” Dr. Nekehia Quashie, assistant professor of health studies at the University of Rhode Island and one of the paper’s authors, shared.
In half of all of the countries studied, the researchers also found an increased risk of depression in the participants with the most kids. While most parents absolutely love their children and can’t imagine a world without them, the reality is that they can put certainstrainson mothers’ and fathers’ lives too.
Growing up with a lot of siblings can take a toll on a child’s mental health
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In fact, a2024 studypublished in the Journal of Family Issues found that children with fewer siblings, or no siblings at all, tend to have better mental health than kids who grew up with brothers and sisters around the same age.
“If you think of parental resources like a pie, one child means that they get all the pie – all the attention and resources of the parents,” Douglas Downey, professor of sociology at Ohio State University and lead researcher on the study, explained in apress release. “But when you add more siblings, each child gets fewer resources and attention from the parents, and that may have an impact on their mental health.”
Many readers sympathized with the teen and provided him with advice, and he joined in on the conversation
However, a small minority of readers thought that the teen needed a reality check
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