A modern-day traditional family

“He’s hogging the bathroom!”

“She went through my closet!”

“He hit me over the head!”

These complaints are standard in a household of multiple children, but for freshman Kathleen Maeder, sophomore Matthew Maeder, and their ten other siblings, the problem is a little larger.

“My dad had two previous wives. We’re half siblings,” Matthew said. “There are eight inside the house, and four have moved out.”

With seven siblings living together, the home is much more crowded than a typical American household, which reportedly holds approximately one child, according to The United States Census Bureau. Their family, however, has learned to live with one another.

“You just get used to it after a while, people being everywhere and the constant noise in the house,” Matthew said.

Despite the conflicts that may arise from living with seven siblings, the Maeder family maintains a level of respect and peace with one another.

“My brothers and sisters and I don’t really fight very often,” Kathleen said. “We normally fight about what belongs to [who], and who gets to do certain things first, [such as] who gets to choose movies when we’re watching something.”

With so many people living under one roof, compromise is necessary to avoid discord, such as within carpool schedules or plans with friends.

“One of the drawbacks is that you can’t always get to do what you want to do because you have to arrange your day around everyone else’s,” Matthew said.

Everyone in the family has responsibilities. Kathleen must often take care of her younger siblings.

“Dealing with an 11 month old isn’t really fun,” Kathleen said. “[But], I can see how it’s fair because my parents are really busy all the time.”

However, many benefits, including the abundance of activities within the home, present a positive aspect.

“You never really get bored,” Matthew said. “I play UNO, poker, and other board games with my siblings.”

The difference in maturity levels provides the siblings with a number of people to go to for advice.

“For the most part, we talk to our brothers and sisters who are closer to our age,” Kathleen said. “If I’m ever having a serious problem, I like to talk to my older sisters about it, who are in their twenties. They can offer a lot of advice that I probably wouldn’t get otherwise.”

Living every day with eleven other siblings seems overwhelming. The Maeder family, however, has grown to realize that each member is vital to the family as a whole.

“I definitely wouldn’t trade my family for any other,” Kathleen said.