Struggling to get seven smiles for a Christmas card, sharing rooms with siblings, or attacking family chores with a team of 10 may seem like scenes straight out of “Cheaper By The Dozen,” but for many South students, these situations are part of daily life as siblings in a big family.

For junior Johnny Cowhey, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Cowhey, one of seven kids, touched on why his parents wanted to have a big family.

“My parents really love raising kids, and I guess they never wanted any of [my siblings or I] to be alone, so they made sure we had a lot of siblings,” Cowhey said.

Sophomore Christina Coleman explains that her parents shared the same desire for a large family, which lead to them to raise six daughters.

“[Both of my parents] had two siblings and they got along really well with them, so that made them want to have lots of kids as well,” Coleman said.

Cousins junior Doran Theriault and sophomore Taylor Mack are also members of big families; however, all of the children in both families are adopted. Theriault has nine other siblings, while Mack has five.

According to Mack, being a part of a large extended family, as well as a big immediate family has its benefits.

“[Our families] are great,” Mack said. “On holidays, we’ll go to each others’ houses and eat and hangout, and it’s always really crazy.”

Cowhey agrees that there are many advantages to being a part of a big family because there is always someone to talk to and rarely are there dull moments.

Theriault said his family uses its size to their advantage by working together to accomplish tasks.

“We all work as a team,” Theriault said. “Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, so we pretty much help each other out.”

While Coleman acknowledges the benefits, she admitted that there are difficulties as well.

“There are more sports being played, more driving is needed, more chores to do, and definitely more people to make messes,” Coleman said.

According to Mack, getting attention in a big family can be an issue.

Coleman addressed the issue of sibling fighting in her family, saying that more siblings result in more arguments and a bigger communication struggle between family members.

“Trying to express yourself when there are so many people around you isn’t easy,” Coleman said.

Theriault and his family also experience difficulties that come from being raised by a single mother.

“[My mom] has to take everyone where they need to go and feed us all on her own,” Theriault said. “It does give [my siblings and I] more responsibility.”

Despite any challenges, Coleman said being a part of a big family has helped her mature and shaped her into a more self-reliant person.

“It’s made me more independent because I’ve had to do a lot of stuff on my own because my parents were busy with other children,” Coleman said. “I know that may bother some kids, but it never bothered me because I’m now able to do a lot more things on my own that I wouldn’t have done before, and I am grateful for that.”

Cowhey also credits his family for inspiring him to continue to improve himself.

“My older brothers and older sister are good role models, so, I’ve tried to take the best traits from all of them and apply them to myself,” Cowhey said. “I use them to better myself, and I think all of my siblings do the same and it makes us better people.

Coleman looks forward to the future to see her relationship with her sisters grow.

“Everyone has their own personalities and everyone is so different,” Coleman said. “I think it’ll be so interesting to see how each of my siblings grow up.”

Theriault explains that someone will always be available for him whenever needed.

“I know that [my family] has got my back, always.” Theriault said.