New Here...Question About Family Size

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-21-2004
New Here...Question About Family Size
12
Tue, 05-29-2007 - 9:46pm

Hey everyone~ I am a SAHM to two little girls (and a third due in July). I was wondering for those of you with four or more children, how different is it going from three to four. With this third baby coming we have really been talking about wether we are done or want to have one more (we get pregnant very easily), and so I was looking for a little advice from you ladies. What are the biggest differences between having three and four children? Is it that much harder? (I mean you're already outnumbered, right?) What are the best parts and hardest parts? Any special considerations when there are more than three kids that we might not have thought of? thanks so much!!!

Laura

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
Tue, 05-29-2007 - 11:47pm

hi Laura.. my name is Renee and my husband and i have a blended family of 4... he has 2 boys from a previous marriage and then i have one son from a previous sperm donor(ex) and then we have a daughter together.. my situation is a little different but going from 3 to 4 was good.. i actually want another one but dh got fixed after our daughter was born.. i think having our daughter was a good thing and brought all the kids closer together.. the oldest one is 16 and he worships the ground she walks on and she's 2...the only difficulty issues we have is that they are all in sports and its hard to get to all games that each on has cause they tend to overlap but we manage.. now that Makayla is getting old enough i want to put her into gymnastic so thats will be one more practice and activity to go to but to me its all worth it.. i wouldn't change my family size not one bit.. execpt to expand..but i don't see that happening in the near future..lol...


i hope this helps...

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-24-2003
Wed, 05-30-2007 - 5:44am

I am Debra and also have 4 kids aged 2,5,7,&9. Going form 2-3 was the most difficult. I have heard this from many moms. Be warned but have confidence in yourself that you will work it out. Also throw away the rule book...if you haven't already. If it works for you...... do it. If people question you just say yeah when you have your 3rd you will understand.


Having #4 was piece of cake. Maybe because I had my tubes tied immediatly afterwards so I knew I had to enjoy

 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-07-2007
Wed, 05-30-2007 - 8:33am

Hi Laura,


I only have one child, but I wanted to welcome you to the board and congratulate you on your up going baby.

 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-21-2004
Wed, 05-30-2007 - 9:18am

Thanks for the replies! I have also heard going from two to three is the hardest, and I guess I'll soon find out..LOL!!! I am very excited about number 3's arrival. I also have a 3 year old and a 22 month old. I enjoy my children so much, and I have noticed that I too change with each child. I am WAY more relaxed and laid back about things than when I just had one baby. I hope that will continue with #3. We already have a mini-van and enough space in our home for one more, so that wouldn't be a problem. I guess we just worry about giving them each enough time and the dynamics when they start getting involved in sports and other extracurricular activities. My husband travels frequently so I wonder if I would physically be able to get each child where they needed to be without any of them suffering. KWIM? I so appreciated all of your helpful insight....keep it coming! (:

Thanks!
Laura

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2007
Wed, 05-30-2007 - 10:26am
I only have 3 but I agree.Going from 2 to 3 was like night and day.It was a big shock to the system and I am not sure I have gotten used to it yet(he is 3).The thing dh and I figured out is we are outnumbered and as small as they are,they know it,lol!
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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-22-2007
Wed, 05-30-2007 - 11:15am

Hi, I'm Tarra. Welcome to the board. I only have two (the youngest was born 4/24) but as the number of children DH and I will have comes up off and on I'm curious to see what the responses to your post are. If DH had his way we'd have ten kids! LOL I go back and forth between wanting to be done now and thinking it would be fun to have four or five kids.

I have a question, though. Why is it the hardest going from two to three kids? I've never heard that so I'm curious.

Tarra

Tarra

mommy to

Noah (10/13/05)

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-20-2005
Wed, 05-30-2007 - 11:23am
I've heard that a lot but I think I had the hardest time going from 1 to 2.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2007
Wed, 05-30-2007 - 11:47am
That is a really good question.I am not quite sure I can answer it though.I guess it was just the one more person there,one more need to fulfill,one more to dress,put in the car,I don't know it just seems like 2 were that much more managable.And then as they get older,it's really trying to balance out all their emotional needs,and time alone with each when everyone has a busy sked.It kind of sounds like mumbo-jumbo but that is the best way I can explain.Thanks for the welcome!
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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-24-2004
Wed, 05-30-2007 - 2:42pm

I have four kids and am prego with number 5. Honestly, going from 1 to 2 was hardest for me, then number 4 was a little hard too. After much thought, I think it just boils down to what is going on in your life, and the temperment of your children. For instance, I think number 2 was so hard because our housing situation made it difficult, the newborn was horribly colicky, and our firstborn was extremely jealous and physical with the baby. Oh, and I had undiagnosed thyroid problems, which made me depressed. So the combination made it hard, not the number.

Number three was easy, because the older two played together and didn't need me much, and I had more space.

Number four was a little harder, because I felt I couldn't keep up anymore with all the demands of the kids and their messes. I decided that I just needed to learn some new skills, and over time four kids have become easier.... though I still have my days.

Who knows what five will be like? I have no expectations, except that I'll end up learning new skills to cope.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2007
Wed, 05-30-2007 - 3:02pm
I do agree with the whole situation thing!Our last child has developmental delays and sid and in many ways has never gotten past a 1yr olds behavior level.I mean you can't leave him alone 4 a second.In fact today while I was having my shower he completely tore apart the whole computer desk including the computer.I am lucky he did not break the screen like he did last summer.
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