Heaps of laundry and a lot of togetherness: Inside the lives of a Winnipeg family of 9 - Action News
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ManitobaVideo

Heaps of laundry and a lot of togetherness: Inside the lives of a Winnipeg family of 9

Laura Cameron reveals the secrets of success in a big family in her new short video, created with two fellow student filmmakers. The video is part of Project POV, a collaboration between Sisler High School's Create program and CBC Manitoba's Creator Network.

Sisler Create filmmaking students and CBC Manitoba join forces for video storytelling project

How we manage the happy chaos as a family of nine

2 years ago
Duration 3:01
Meet the Gross family. This Winnipeg clan has some tips and tricks to navigating life and remaining close whether your family is big or small. Video: Laura Gross, Erin Tierney, Aaron Reyes

Laura Gross thinks big families are underrated.

That's what motivated the SislerCreate filmmaking studentto make a video that shows how funlife is in a family of nine but that italso takes focus and organization.

That is thetheme behind Gross' short video, part ofProject POV: Sisler Create, a new storytelling project.

CBC Manitoba journalists started teaching a series of storytelling and journalism workshops to student filmmakers in September.The collaboration is culminating in nine short videos by students that will be published on CBC platforms, including this video.

A father and three children sort and fold laundry spread out on a living room floor in front of them.
Patrick Gross sorts laundry with three of his seven children. The Winnipeg family of nine is the subject of a new short video by their eldest daughter, Laura. (Laura Gross)

Grossfocused her video project on life in a family of seven kids. She tapped her own family to offer tips for staying organized. Those tips can work for families of all sizes.

There's an amazing dynamic that we all have each other's backand support each other through everything.- Laura Gross

Laura said divvying up tasks helps not just to keep everyone's workload light, but builds team spirit, too.

"There's an amazing dynamic that we all have each other's backand support each other through everything."

Big family life can be busy, and there is endless work that needs to get done, said Tracy, Laura's mom.

There are hard parts about big family life, too. The Gross parents, including dad Patrick, make an effort to spend individual time with each of their kids, because they know that one-on-one time can be hard to come by.

A seated woman looks to the left of the camera, and a man sits looking at her with his arm stretched out behind her.
Winnipeg couple Tracy and Patrick Gross say a chore schedule keeps their family of nine on track. (Laura Gross)

For the Grosses, that time typically happens when one of the parents is running an errand.

But togetherness is part of Laura's family life that she thinks isa benefit, not a drawback.

"You can always find someone who is willing to join you at your level of enthusiasm or interest in an activity," Laura said. "It's amazing.You always feel so loved and cared for, and we are never lonely."


Meet the filmmakers

A young fair-haired woman smiles at a camera in a black-and-white photo.
Laura Gross has a homeschooling background and loves to be creative. She has been interested in the film industry for a while and has made a few short films, music videos and animations. If you don't find her working on a new idea, you'll find her out walking her dog. (Carmen Acuna)
A young man wearing glasses, a shirt and tie and a zippered jacket smiles at the camera in a black-and-white photo.
Aaron Reyes is a graphic designer, video editor and motion graphic student. He loves working with his peers and teachers to improve his skills. He has a passion for digital design and wants to take it to the next level. (Carmen Acuna)
A young person with curly hair smiles at the camera in a black-and-white photo.
Erin Tierney loves editing and working behind the camera. They went to Sturgeon Heights Collegiate and took media production, graduating in 2020. They spent two years at the University of Winnipeg majoring in theatre and film before joining the Create program. If they are not editing, you can find them playing Dungeons and Dragons with their friends. (Submitted by Carmen Acuna)

More on Project POV: Sisler Create

(CBC Manitoba)

CBC Manitoba's Project POV: SislerCreate is a new storytelling collaboration that partners filmmaking students with CBC journalists to produce short videos.

During fall 2022, CBC journalists led storytelling and producing workshops over several weeks with filmmaking students in theCreate program at Sisler High School. The program focuses on education and career pathways into the creative industries. Students can take courses in animation, film, game design, visual effects, graphic design and interactive digital media.