Family Size and Values - A Personal Reflection

**1** Issa is a twenty-two year old student. He's celebrating his birthday today with his mum, Hala, his dad, Farid, his older sister Rana, his nephew and niece, Raed and Rola, and his two younger sisters, Heba and Sana. His family love spending time together. **2** Asma is an only child. She'...

**1** Issa is a twenty-two year old student. He's celebrating his birthday today with his mum, Hala, his dad, Farid, his older sister Rana, his nephew and niece, Raed and Rola, and his two younger sisters, Heba and Sana. His family love spending time together. **2** Asma is an only child. She's with her mum and dad, Malak and Khalil, having a cup of tea on holiday. They get on very well with each other, but can fi nd it hard to be open with each other. **3** Life at home is very different for Issa and Asma. Issa's house is always a bit chaotic, but full of joyful laughter. Rana's children often come to visit as they live very close to their grandparents. **4** Issa and Asma are engaged to be married. Their wedding is in four months. But what kind of family would they like to have -- a big family like Issa's or a small family like Asma's? **5** Issa and Asma's homes are very different, but they often visit each other. Issa enjoys the quiet atmosphere at Asma's house and she likes the fact that, at Issa's house, you never know what might happen next. 'It's funny,' says Asma, 'We sometimes talk about our future family. Issa thinks a small family like mine is a great idea, but I sometimes look at his family and think that I'd like to have lots of children one day.' **6** 'There is a problem with that plan though,' says Asma. 'I read that to raise a child from birth to the age of twenty-one in the UK, you need about £230,000!' she says. 'So maybe a big family isn't such a good idea. It might be more sensible to stick to having just one or two children.' However, Issa is quick to add, 'you say that, but in a big family like mine, children often share clothes and toys, so the fi financial side isn't as difficult as you might think. And having plenty of money isn't the most important thing about family anyway. Maybe we didn't go on expensive holidays, but on the other hand, we learnt a lot from each other about sharing and responsibility.' We were always there for each other and could rely on each other. **7** So, is there a perfect family size? The answer depends on so many different things that it really isn't possible to say. The most important thing is supporting each other, no matter how big or small your family is.