Living with ten siblings: an exciting adventure in Emsbüren!

Living with ten siblings: an exciting adventure in Emsbüren!

Emsbüren, Niedersachsen, Deutschland - The Hoftee family from Emsbüren, Lower Saxony, embodies life in a large family with a very special charm. Andrea (47) and Marc (48) Hoftee have ten children: seven sons and three daughters who were born in a quick succession. The eldest son, Julian (25), has now left the parents to study. He describes the growing up with his siblings as "incredibly enriching". Education in such a large family not only promotes responsibility, but also social skills, which is shared by all siblings. Elisa (17), called Lizzy, emphasizes that the individuality of every sibling is valued.

The dynamics within the family is unique. Lizzy notes that it can sometimes be exhausting, but always gives someone to exchange. Josua (10) and Till (7) enthusiastically share that they never feel bored and are happy with their large sibling circle. This close connection and the trust between the siblings represents a valuable aspect of family life, which is supplemented by her father Marc with the reference to the need for compromises in a large family.

The social Situation of families in Germany

like bpb.de lived in 2019 around 11.6 million families. At least one minor child was available at 8.2 million of these households. With 51.2 percent, one-child families made up the largest share. Interestingly, around 69.0 percent of the 19 million children in Germany grow up with siblings, while 31.0 percent live without siblings. A small percentage of families - especially 0.7 percent - even live with five or more children.

The microcensus of bpb.de illustrates the change in the family structure in Germany: While the number of families with minor children from 2013 to 2023 at 6 % 8.5 million rose, there was an increase of 49 %, especially among families with immigration history. A good 41 percent of these families contain at least one parent with a migration background.

Financial aspects and social perception

A study also shows that families with immigration history are disproportionately represented in the lower income quarters. Only 19.8 percent of these groups can be found in the upper two income quarters. This is in contrast to married couples and communities that tend to have a higher net equivalence income.

In this context, Elisabeth Müller from the Association of Children's Rich Families (KRFD) criticizes that multi -child families in society often do not experience the appreciation that they are entitled to. Nevertheless, the example of the Hoftee family conveys that a large number of siblings can be a source of happiness and community, which impressively confirm the individual experiences of the Hofstee children.