Anyone think that 4 is a small family or am I mad!

[rosiecayte]

I was surprised to see that under this topic of 'large families' people are discussing having their 4th or even 3rd child.
Are there many decently sized large families out there?

[whatwherehow]

What do you consider a decently sized large family?

[Ponders]

I would say 4 or more children is large - how do you define it, rosie?

[Tortoise]

Personally, I consider 4 children to be a large family.

[ragged]

I'd say
1-2 kids: small
3-5 : medium
6+ = large

BUT... in modern times, more than 3 is relatively quite large. PLenty of people thought I was made when I went past 2.

IRL I do seem to know a lot of people with 5+.

[spanxaremyonlyfriend]

I think 4 is not that large but it has crossed the line where you get ishoos which you don't get in a family of 2. There are loads of threads about cars in larger families for example.

[whatwherehow]

I think: 1 - small, 2-3 average, 4 large, 5+ a little mad!

[Maisiethemorningsidecat]

I only know of one couple with 5 children. We have 3, and now look at 1 and 2 child families and laugh a sort of bitter, hollow laugh at the ease of it all

[Ponders]

I know 1 family with 6 & 1 with 7.

[plonker]

I would class 4 children as a large family.

I agree with whatwherehow's definition

[Bunbaker]

"I think: 1 - small, 2-3 average, 4 large, 5+ a little mad!"

I would go along with that as well.

[rosiecayte]

we've got 7 and we don't fit the stereotypical mould portrayed by the media - we both work, don't live in a council house, definitely don't drive a transit and don't belong to any weird cult!! We just got a bit carried away!!

[KickArseQueen]

I've got 4 and I feel a little "mad", does that count??

[Northernlurker]

I think 3 is the new 2. I know a lot of 3s and a fair few 4s, only 1 5.

[rosiecayte]

I found going from 1 - 2 and 2 - 3 a big step but once you've got 3 any more don't make a difference. We always get laughed at when we're out and people see us counting them all back in to the car or into a lift!
The serious downside is the shopping trip for school uniform and shoes and my bill for school dinners is huge - hence the reason we're not rich and can't afford a mansion!

[KickArseQueen]

Rosiecayte, Its funny because I found 1 - 2 hard, but fine, 2 - 3 felt as though I was Juggling fast but ok!, keeping up!.... 3 - 4? I don't know.... I'm coping ok, but I feel like I'm winging it in a "plan for the worst, hope for the best kind of way", "Keep calm and carry on", but on the other hand, mine are not all school age yet by a long shot! Maybe once they are I will feel differently....


Not that I would change things for the world...........

[gibbberish]

I have 4 dds. Don't consider us to be a particularly large family as I came from a family of 5.

However it seems that many others do consider us a large family.

I do think, however, that the trend has bucked and people are tending to have more than 2 or 3 these days. So perhaps soon we will be seen, one day, to have a small or certainly average sized family.

[sorky]

It's probably because you have 7 and that's now normal for you.
Most people have 2, maybe 3 if they got carried away and seem to struggle with their brood, hence 4 does seem utterly ludicrous to many people.

I used to think 4 was classed as a large family, but now I have 4, it's normal and 5-6+ seems large to me.

Call it fecundity inflation

[sorky]

3 is puddlenuts, sorry

[4andnotout]

I have 4 and although it doesn't seem large to us, holiday companies and car manafacturer's don't seem to agree!

[stressedHEmum]

I have 5 and don't think that we have a large family, at all. I know 2 families with 9 children and think that that is quite large for this day an age.

Other people see us as being a large family, though.

[purpletrees]

I think that:

1 = small
2 = standard
3 = standard plus
4+ = large



I am one of 4 siblings and now I have 2 kids of my own. When I was a child and the family was 6 in total, we were always "large" - nothing was made for a family of 6. Now that I am in a family of 4, I find that everything is "set up" for families of this size. It is quite refreshing .

[sweetkitty]

People do react funny when you tell them you have four, they think you are insane, I don't know what Mums of 4+ feel?

2 or 3 feels normal these days in fact a lot of my friends are having their 3rd now, 3 does seem the new 2.