All in the family

From the depiction of family in The Simpsons to the illustration of a super-family with special powers in the Disney movie The Incredibles, family is embedded in our minds as the backbone of life.


Shoes lying on the ground, the unbearable cries of a five year old blaring, and the dog chanting his morning growls, this description most probably does not fit the setting inside the typical American family. Yet for freshman Mariah Pollet, with nine family members in her immediate family, chaos somehow seeks its way into most days. “It’s really chaotic most of the time, especially the mornings. Everyone is running around and no one is in one place,” said Pollet.


While two generations of the Pollet family have attended AHS, this is the only Pollet family is the first to be this large. With two biological brothers and sister, two step sisters and one half sister, Mariah’s and Abby’s family falls into the small 9.8% of the American population with five or more family members. With two bathrooms and four bedrooms, how does this family manage?
“You have to share a lot. No one can be selfish. Compromises have to be made on nearly everything,” said Pollet’s sister, junior Abby Pollet.After the baby boom of the 1950s, when it was fairly common for women to have four kids on average, the average family sizes have been shrinking.


According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 28.9% of American families consisted of two members. In 2003, this figure increased to 33.3%. Though the Pollet family is considerably large in its size, the same source of love, security and support is in this family like most families at AHS. In a student survey conducted on Jan. 29, more than half the students, 52%, said their family size consists of two to four members.


“Family is my strength and my courage. Family is your heartbeat. When you lose your heartbeat—you become nothing. All that is left is an empty body without a soul and spirit,” junior Khadeja Salem.


According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, communication is the driving force to healthy, successful families.
For Brittney Pollet, Abby and Mariah’s mother, maintaining communication with her nine children is one the most challenging aspects of a large family.  “It’s really hard to be a Christian family. I have to make sure everyone keeps their morals and ethics. I have to make sure each child is receiving attention—that no one is failing, everyone is doing their homework,” said Pollet.
Some students feel easier to communicate with one parent than the other.


     “I have a really strong relationship with my mom, but it’s harder to talk to my dad,” said senior Jasmine Windley.
For junior Sumra Ahmad’s family, religion guides the role each member plays in the family.
    

 “Islam states the importance of family and family roles. It says “Heaven is beneath the feet of your mother,” junior Sumra Ahmad. “It outlines the role of the mother, father and child.” For the Pollets, even the simplest acts, such as taking a family photo, can become nerve-racking.


“Things that most families could do so easily become hard for us because there are so many people. It’s very broken up—kind of like a war—everyone has their opinions and ideas,” said Abby Pollet.  Mariah quickly added, “But even then, we have a lot of fun. The craziest things end up being a lot fun.” Most students value and look for love, security, and support in their families, but what does family mean?


Traditionally, family meant a mother, a father, and a child living together. Now families are much more dynamic with single parents raising a child or adopting children.
For junior Ashley Lawrence, this definition is most fitting to her idea of family for shelter and food is the most fitting definition of family. “They don’t influence any decisions in my life. I make my own because I just don’t agree with anything they say,” said Lawrence.


For Mariah, family is everything.
“Family will always be there for you, unlike friends. They give you love, protection and security. Having more makes it all the much better,” said Mariah Pollet.