'What is important for kids are things like consistency, boundaries and [to] know that they are loved, no matter what,' Harman says.
The findings are based on resilience, social support, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Having these three things functioning well in your everyday life helps the life satisfaction fall into place.
Though larger families may have more chaos and expenses than a smaller family, Harman's research shows that these issues are balanced by the amount of joy received from having more children.
Her findings show that children who grow up in large families learn independence at a young age and always have someone to play with.