Growing up with cousins is such a wonderful gift to give your kids.

When I was young we didn’t live near family. I also didn’t have any brothers or sisters besides two much older half-brothers that I rarely saw.

I always dreamed of a big sister or a bunch of really great cousins that would be able to have sleep overs with me and get together for Easter egg hunts in the Spring.

Some of my husbands very best friends are his cousins. I imagine how lucky he is to have memories with them from all the way back to his pre-school days.

I’ve vowed to give my kids a sibling and to keep them near their cousins for as long as I can.

Why Growing Up With Cousins Is So Important

I’ve always said the more people to love my kids the better. So when I think about having extended family and cousins nearby to tell my daughter happy birthday, or show up to my sons football game, I feel so grateful.

When you have cousins it’s like having a ton of extra brothers and sisters around to share your childhood experiences and memories with, except you don’t have to worry about sharing the bathroom or whose turn it is to feed the dogs.

They understand your family.

You have other people to really get the dynamic of how family get-togethers work. Someone to talk about how much you hate Aunt Sarah’s gravy but you can’t wait to get a taste of Grandma’s chocolate pie.

You’ll also have them on the sad days.

If you lose a loved one or someone’s parents get a divorce. An extra body to hug who really understands.

You have the older cousins to look up to as role models.

An older girl to braid your hair before your recital or a boy that teaches you how to throw a football.

There are a lot of things I’m unable to give my kids…. an annual trip to Hawaii or  but I can try my best to surround them with family that love them. To make their cheering section as big as possible. Not to mention all of our friends that have turned into family over the years.

I’m so happy my kids are able to grow up like my husband did and I know when they’re 35 years old they’ll still be spending birthdays together.