The WA Family Secret: How Having a Big Family Boosts Your Health (Yes Really!)

Have you ever met someone that has ten kids or more? It's rare, but not unheard of.

My Niece actually has ten kids.

Most kids that you talk to that are part of a huge family like that usually describe it as wonderful because you 'always have someone to play with growing up'!

Having Lots of Children is good for your brain

I would personally think it would be so stressful. How could you possibly keep up with caring for so many children? But I would guess the older kids step up and really help with child care.

A recent study discovered that having huge families is actually pretty healthy for you.

Having more children is linked to "increased brain connectivity" in areas that typically decline with age . . . so, kids can protect against brain aging. According to a recent article from Wise Brothers Media.

The effect was seen in both mothers and fathers, so it isn't going through pregnancies . . . it's the caregiving experience.

The Dukes family of Seattle had 18 children and were the subject of the 1966 documentary The Really Big Family. The documentary was nominated for an Academy Award. 

It's no surprise the state with the most large families is Utah due to the Mormon influence. But Mormonism isn't the only reason families choose to have lots of kids. Economic, cultural, and policy factors also influence choices for furthering kin.

I grew up in a fairly small family. My cousins on the other hand had six kids and it certainly seemed they were always having more fun than we were! haha!

So who knows, I'm sure living in a large family has its benefits as well as drawbacks. With today's economy having a lot of children would be difficult to afford unless you were growing your own food.