Raquel Vaughn-
Are you in a group chat with your entire family? Is it fun or is it absolute chaos? Maybe it’s a little bit of both. If that’s the case, welcome to the club. If anyone knows me, they know that there’s always something that is plot-worthy going on with my family. Whether it’s one of my parents saying something completely out of pocket, one of my brothers speaking in Gen Alpha lingo, or all of us planning a big event, the group chat will always end in complete chaos.
Maybe it’s not as crazy for you. Maybe you have four people in your family and the craziest texts you get are “Good morning!” or “Does anyone know when Grandma Judy’s birthday is?” Maybe you guys keep it tame. As someone who is in a group chat with two parents, three sisters, and five brothers, let me show you a little bit of my world.
What are the pros and cons of being in a group chat with your entire family? Well, one big pro is that it is a lot easier to plan events. When the ones with the money (the parents) are on the same page as the ones who have all the good ideas (the siblings), then everyone wins. For instance, my family’s big Thanksgiving holiday, which also serves as a huge annual family reunion, is already in the works. Instead of playing telephone and having to relay messages, my dad uses the group chat to send an itinerary to the family. Already from the get-go, we know what Mom and Dad are paying for, which hotel we’re staying in, and what event each night holds.
Another positive outcome of being in a big family group chat is that, ideally, you are able to get answers super fast to questions nobody else would know. What’s the password to the Disney+ account? It’s likely everybody in your family knows or has an idea, but your mom would probably answer faster than your younger sister, who’s at school. Or maybe your sister texts back first because she’s on her phone when she should really be paying attention to a lecture. That’s why you always consult the family group chat first.
A con would be that you are always prone to unsolicited badgering from your siblings. It’s hard to brag about yourself without being one-upped or humbled by your younger brothers. For instance, I sent one of my previous Weekly articles—one that I was particularly proud of—to my family, and five minutes later, I got this exact text from my 17-year-old little brother: “I ain’t reading allat!!!!” I’m constantly reminded that even though I’m a literal adult who can do adult things, I am outdone by a teenage boy who is somehow cooler and more successful than I am.
Sometimes I don’t even have to say anything to be reminded. My 20-year-old brother will sometimes send a picture of his car, a new car decal, or news that he customized his license plate in some way. If anyone was wondering, he owns a Black Camaro and his license plate cryptically spells “black ice.” Yes, I know—he’s so much cooler than I will ever be. The reminders, still, are uncalled for. I think every older sibling can agree when I scream from the top of my lungs “How did you get cooler than me??!! I taught you everything that you know!!”
It’s not all bad. Most of it is extremely positive. I would rather experience the entertaining craziness that I get now than never get the chance to be in a family group chat. I’m a big family gal.
My favorite people are my siblings, even though they never miss an opportunity to purposely annoy me. We’re a close bunch, which always makes things more interesting. There have been plenty of times that I’ve looked at my phone and actually laughed out loud. Even my friends know that some of my brothers’ best work is in the family group chat. For instance, my brother sent this text message on a random Sunday night at 6:21 p.m.: “I was walking by some people earlier and they didn’t even realize they were walking past a 2022 MN state baseball champion. I don’t say anything because I’m humble.” Yes, Preston, very humble indeed. Or there’s this one, also from my brother Preston when my dad told him not to call our stepmom, Emilia, “bro”:
“My bad bro”
*dabs you up to make up for it*
“Emilia, mi lady, I has’t thy attire with ye small pup.”
Everybody knows that I’m a terrible replier via my phone. But when it comes to my family group chat, the notifications are always on and I’m always snooping. Well, maybe not snooping too far back, because you might run into some family drama (because when is there never any of that)! A family group chat is a great place to connect and stay connected with your loved ones. In fact, we have a huge cousin group chat with fourteen of us, and it’s the best place to make fun of our parents during the Thanksgiving season! And if you’re not giggling and texting secret jokes to the cousin group chat during Thanksgiving dinner, then what are you even doing?