Poll: Larger families in days gone by?
In times gone by, were families so much bigger than today?
My grandmother was one of eight and my grandfather one of seven. Many of my ancestors also came from large families. I used to wonder whether people tended to have bigger families.
According to UK statistics, the 1900 birth rate was 3.5 children per family; by the end of the century (1997), the rate fell to 1.7 children.
Why do you think people had larger families back then?
What about your family? How many siblings did your grandparents have?
Let us know in the poll below.
Family: Dealing with sibling rivalry
Since Cain and Abel, sibling rivalry has been an age-old problem.
The term "sibling rivalry" was coined by David Levy in 1937 in relation to the common aggressive response of an older sibling to a new baby in the family. It is also used to describe competition or antagonism between children of the same parents.
It has various causes. Freud thought it was connected to the Oedipus complex whereby sibling brothers would compete for their mother's love, or between sisters for their father's attention.
Kyla Boyse from the University of Michigan suggests it stems from a child's need to define himself or herself as an individual and to separate from a sibling.
Alfred Adler proposes that sibling rivalry is based on siblings "striving for significance" within their family.
Most psychologists believe that it stems from an innate desire to attain parental attention achieved through competing with the sibling.
Whatever the cause, the manifestation can be ugly.
MyHeritage.com on Facebook
Recent posts
- Our Stories: A daughter’s project
- Happy Father’s Day!
- MyHeritage Webinar: Meet the Record Detective™
- Father’s Day: Memories and advice
Recent comments
- giles eric eamon on Introducing Record Detective™: A breakthrough technology for family history
- giles eric eamon on Introducing Record Detective™: A breakthrough technology for family history
- Vince Costa on Introducing Record Detective™: A breakthrough technology for family history
- James Edgar Jones on Introducing Record Detective™: A breakthrough technology for family history
Categories
- --New Zealand
- -South Africa
- -UK
- About MyHeritage
- Archives&Libraries
- Ask a Genealogist
- Australia
- Campaigns
- Canada
- Celebrity Trees
- Census
- Competitions
- Events
- Family
- Family History
- Genealogy
- Guest posts
- history
- Holidays
- International
- Interviews
- Ireland
- MyHeritage
- MyHeritage Media Coverage
- MyHeritage News
- MyHeritage Products
- MyHeritage Team
- Polls
- Survey
- technology
- uncategorized
- USA
- User Stories
- Videocast
- Webinars and Podcasts
Archives
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- March 2008
- December 2007
- August 2007
- May 2007
- March 2007
- January 2007