They swab decks and sing chanties as they learned about mooring. One stormy day, Dad is hit by the boom and knocked overboard. Right when the kids are concerned he won't surface, he does. The incident didn't slow him down much. On their wedding day, Mother and Dad begin dreaming about Browse all BookRags Study Guides. Copyrights Cheaper by the Dozen from BookRags. All rights reserved. Toggle navigation. Sign Up. A family with a dozen children. The co-authors are siblings and were inspired by their own experiences in a hectic household.
Both Frank and Lillian are industrial engineers, and both of them specialize in motion study. Frank studies efficiency, and is quite obsessed with finding the most efficient ways to complete the tasks of everyday life.
To this end, he often conducts case studies with his own family. Their upbringing is notably and necessarily different from children in other, smaller households.
This novel takes an in-depth look into the children's upbringing, focusing primarily on Frank's influence on the family. It highlights family dynamics in annual births, car trips, and summer vacations.
The book begins with an introduction to Frank and Lillian, highlighting how much they love children and how they plan to have a big family of six boys and six girls. This actually happens. As the children grow, they are taught to behave differently from children in smaller households.
For example, they all have to come running when the father whistles. While this might seem autocratic, Frank made it a game and frequently slipped them treats upon assembly. It's one of many examples where practical parenting that might seem over-the-top to a reader is acceptable due to the way it is carried out and because of the love behind the parenting.
The family doesn't lack for funding, thanks to Frank's role as an efficiency expert working for major industrial plants in Germany, Britain, and the United States. While they have sufficient funds, the children are raised to be hard workers and to respect those that work for them. Lillian came from a wealthy background, and her parents live across the country in California. When the children meet her part of the family, they are surrounded by the finer things in life, yet the focus of all get-togethers is not on wealth, but rather on love.
Schooling is addressed in the book, both in the home and in educational institutions. Frank is very creative in ways he can help his children learn about the world from a very young age. He is always pushing the children to advance academically, staying ahead of their peers. Frank does this by surrounding the children with educational games and by creating learning opportunities for them.
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