In our rapidly developing society, people are increasingly busy and seeking to improve their quality of life. As a result, many people prefer to have a smaller family or chose to not have any children at all. David, however, has five children and also lives with his parents, which makes them a very special family in today’s world. We have invited David to share with us about the fun of having a large family and the secret to maintaining harmony with three different generations under one roof.[…]
David shared that having this big family was not necessarily planned, but instead, just happened to turn out that way. Both he and his wife are from large families with a lot of siblings, so they are quite used to having a big family. David believes that the key to a successful marriage and a harmonious family lies in sharing similar values. For example, views of money and how to handle in-law relationships are issues of utmost importance. David and his wife are both simple people who do not care much for material things, and they share the same understanding about how to relate to their parents. As a result, even though their two separate nuclear families have different dynamics, they both enjoy these in-law relationships.
Big families are uniquely fun and challenging. Naturally, to raise a big family requires a lot of financial resources. In their family, David’s wife became a stay-at-home mom and David is the sole breadwinner. David and his wife are very blessed to be able to live and raise their family in his parents’ home. Without the burden of a mortgage, David feels less financial pressure. However, living with parents can also be a challenge. They may not have much to do during the week and might expect to be kept company by their children and grandchildren during the weekend. Balancing the activities of five children and the grandparents’ needs and expectations takes a lot of planning and effort. But in the end, having the grandparents nearby to provide love, care and valuable life advice is a blessing for their growing family.
Caring for a big family helps David grasp the beauty of partnering with his wife. It also keeps him young at heart. While his peers are experiencing midlife crises and empty nest syndrome, he’s still busy taking care of his young ones just like other young parents. Aging is a very distant concern for him. Time management is not always easy, as he must meet the demands of work and the needs of children of varying ages. He does feel inadequate and lost from time to time, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor. In particular, David likes to use the time spent in the car when driving his children to school in the morning to chat and pray with them. Watching the kids interact with one another, whether it involves laughter or tears, still brings warmth and joy to David’s heart.
By: David Hon