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Find out all about large family cars, holidays and more right here.

Find out all about large family cars, holidays and more right here.

Larger families

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20 replies

JammyK · 30/06/2008 15:57

Hi all. Just a quick question for those of you who have 3 or more children. I have 2 dc (both boys) ds1 is 3 and ds2 is 18months old. I'm really broody for another baby, I'd like a girl but would be happy with another boy. Just wondering if it's a lot harder with 3 than it is with 2 children? I love being a Mum but people keep putting me off saying that an extra 1 is so much more difficult.

OP posts:

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JammyK · 30/06/2008 15:59

ooops I forgot to give it a title...

OP posts:

misscutandstick · 30/06/2008 17:56

unfortunately i would agree... the jump from 2 to 3 is harder than 4 to 5.

misscutandstick · 30/06/2008 17:59

forgot to mention - i have 5 sons, and would have liked (at the time) number 3 to have been a girl... but TBQH, i really didnt mind which brand popped out by numbers 4 and 5!

Abitconcerned · 30/06/2008 18:48

I found 1 to 2 the biggest jump, 2 to 3 was a doddle.

juuule · 30/06/2008 21:12

I found 2-3 the most difficult. Possibly something to do with the temperament of the baby, too.

dc1 was demanding (never slept), dc2 very calm, dc3 very demanding (screamed a lot).

Can't have been that difficult to adjust to, though, as dc4 arrived 15m after dc3.

foxythesnowfox · 30/06/2008 21:14

I found 1 - 2 hard (they were only 14 months apart, which might have had something to do with it!). 2 - 3 was just fine (I had 3 under 3), 3 - 4 was a breeze.

The beauty of having a larger family means that when you just have to take 2 to the supermarket its a joy

foxythesnowfox · 30/06/2008 21:14

I found 1 - 2 hard (they were only 14 months apart, which might have had something to do with it!). 2 - 3 was just fine (I had 3 under 3), 3 - 4 was a breeze.

The beauty of having a larger family means that when you just have to take 2 to the supermarket its a joy

foxythesnowfox · 30/06/2008 21:14

I found 1 - 2 hard (they were only 14 months apart, which might have had something to do with it!). 2 - 3 was just fine (I had 3 under 3), 3 - 4 was a breeze.

The beauty of having a larger family means that when you just have to take 2 to the supermarket its a joy

foxythesnowfox · 30/06/2008 21:15

did you get that?

juuule · 30/06/2008 21:16

What did you say, foxy?

cb7 · 30/06/2008 21:47

2-3 definitely the hardest for me too - can't have been that bad though as number 5 is now 9 months old!!!

JammyK · 30/06/2008 21:51

Lol foxy!!

Well it seems everyone has different experiences and I suppose it does depend on the baby and how easy your other dc are. I would love another one but dh is caught up with practicalities!! Also, people keep saying that lots in life is designed for a family of 4, i.e. hotel rooms, theme park family tickets etc etc. But that shouldn't put me off really when I can see that some of you on here manage with 6 or 7 children.

Thanks for your replies. XX

OP posts:

2HotCrossBunnies · 30/06/2008 22:10

JammyK I could have written your post, going through the exact thing here - 2 DS at 3.1 and nearly 15months and I'm terribly broody. DH also concerned about the practicalities but I don't really care about all that! Also I'm not sure just how much is geared to 2 kids in day to day life - holidays are such a small proportion of every day stuff. If you can fit the next one into your house, the car and your hearts then go for it I say!

4andnotout · 30/06/2008 22:13

I thought the jump from 1-2 was worse than 2-3, im 23 weeks pregnant with dd4 so i dont know what it wil be like this time

misscutandstick · 01/07/2008 07:31

its not just cars, holidays, hotel rooms thats geared to 2+2... even basic stuff like food (pies in a box, slices in a loaf, tinned food sizes, buns in boxes! It all means that theres not enough to go round if you use standard sizes, but if you get double or bigger sizes theres just far too much!) and sofa's, fridge sizes, washing machine loads, dishwasher loads, being never quite big enough, etc.

I know this post makes it sound like im saying its difficult to have 3 children, not at all! Im putting across that life really is geared towards having a 2+2. Of course it is all quite do-able once you get to grips with it (just buy BIG!) plus the fact that as a parent you are led into the whole thing very gently - people dont arrive as teenagers (thank god! would ANY of us have had a second go if they did???), babies eat next to nothing and have a wash load to themselves, toddlers only eat slightly more and are only slightly bigger, by the time you get to 10yrs everything just kind of fits together nicely.

I think i found 3 hard because at that point I had 2 under 2 and an 8y/o with ADHD!

good luck with what you decide - tho i really do think that if you are broody now... it wont dissapear until you feel you have completed your family!

bumpybecky · 02/07/2008 23:17

1-2 was harder for me than 2-3 or 3-4

depends on age an temprement of the children though. dd2 was very hard work as a little baby. She and dd1 still have a very love hate relationship. They both get on better with much younger siblings..

dd1&2 are 2 years (and 5 days) apart, whereas the other gaps are a bit bigger - dd2&3 are 4 years 9months apart, dd3&ds are 2years 11 months apart

KatieDD · 08/07/2008 22:22

From 1 to 2 was the biggest shock but DD2 was spirited to say the least, DD3 turned out to be spirited too but at least I knew how to cope with it by then.
Plus I did have three under four which I can't say I recommend to anyone.

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 09/07/2008 14:16

I actually found 0-1 the hardest, followed by 1-2. 3 and 4 have been much easier.

And I had 3 under 3yo and would recommend it!

piximon · 11/07/2008 22:01

I found the first the hardest. I went from two to four (twins in my third pg) so can't comment on the jump from 2 to 3.

Having just had another one, I can say that 4 to 5 is not as difficult as I truly expected. Baby just fits in around our schedule.

If your heart says go for it, then do it.

reban · 21/07/2008 15:37

I think its never easy! And all jumps have different difficulties. Going from 2-3 meant i never had enough hands so one always has to hold a siblings hand or wait for a cuddle. Im now going from 3 to 4 and we have to face fact that we have got to get a bigger car, should be getting a bigger house etc. I do agree though a lot of your day to day difficulties will be based on the temprement of your children. 1 to 2 was particularly difficult because of the 5 year gap and the fact dc1 had slept like an angel whereas dc2 didnt sleep until he was 12 months old at which point i was 7 months pregnant with dc3!

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