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Original poster

How many children do you have/plan on having?

114 replies

Tadda · 16/11/2018 09:00

I'm currently expecting No 4 - and just noticing that seems about the norm now?

Had a conversation the other day about 'used to be everyone wanted two, a boy and a girl'...how many is now classed as 'too many'??

OP posts:
MrsCar · 16/11/2018 10:20

4 definitely isn't the norm in my circle.
Almost everyone in both our families have one or 2. (Other than my parents, who had 4) but our siblings all have one or two and aren't planning more. Large mortgages, childcare and logistics of work v kids activities etc all being contributing factors.
We got a lot of raised eyebrows when I was pregnant with my 3rd Confused

3 is quite common at school

GreenMeerkat · 16/11/2018 10:21

My third is 4 weeks old on Monday.

He is definitely the last even though I said that about my second.

DonaldDucksTowel · 16/11/2018 10:23

MrsMarigold of course you can cuddle up and read to your children if you have more than 2 HmmConfused

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Families
ineedwine99 · 16/11/2018 10:23

1 and probably staying that way, average around us is 2

Hotpinkangel19 · 16/11/2018 10:27

We had baby number 4 in Jan. DH has now had the snip. Not struggling or wealthy.

SockQueen · 16/11/2018 11:25

Most of the people I know with children have 1-3, very few with 4 or more. But a lot of my "mum friends" are people I met at baby groups with DS, and a lot of their babies were their firsts, so I guess over time those numbers will increase!

I'm currently pregnant with number 2 and this will definitely be our last. Can't afford it (or rather, prefer the lifestyle we will be able to afford with only 2), environmentally unsound, and I just bloody hate being pregnant so never want to have to do this again! Envy (not envy)

Kyratzis · 16/11/2018 11:28

None and not planning any. Weirdly, no one I work with (about ten people, men and women in 30s and over) has any either, but most of my friends have one or two. I know several of them would like more than two but are thinking it might be too tight financially.

stressedtiredbuthappy · 16/11/2018 11:30

One at the moment, planning another next year. I have four embryos in storage.
I had my daughter via ivf with an anonymous donor which is the reason I'm having another, so she has a sibling.
I think if she had cousins close in age I'd be sticking at one, but she doesn't.

formerbabe · 16/11/2018 11:39

I have two and won't have any more...nothing to do with money, I just don't want to do all the extra work that would come with 3 or more.

CryHavoc · 16/11/2018 11:47

I have one, and have no plans to have another. She likes being an only child, and we enjoy having a family of three.

stoplickingthetelly · 16/11/2018 12:08

I've got 2 and I'm sticking at that. Most of my friends have 2. A few of have 1 (but planning a second) and one has 3. None of my frinds have 4.

birdsofafeather · 16/11/2018 12:14

Lol four is not the norm
Rolls eyes

sunshineandshowers21 · 16/11/2018 12:15

i’ve got 3 - 11, 4, and 5 days. i probably won’t have anymore but never say never!

BigGlasses · 16/11/2018 12:16

quick count of the 22 families in my street and there are 6 with one kid, 10 with 2, and 6 with 3. So from a rough poll that suggests 2 is still the norm. There are none with 4. And there are a wide range of house sizes and styles so could be larger families

Halloweenallyearround · 16/11/2018 12:18

Depending on when you start having children and if you date someone who has children then yeah 3/4 is becoming normal.

TwistedStitch · 16/11/2018 12:20

I have 2 and won't be having any more. I only had one for nearly 7 years, didn't want anymore but then felt broody for a second. Interestingly I'm one of 4 siblings and all my siblings have only had 1 child each.

MorningCuppa · 16/11/2018 12:24

I would say 2 or 3 is normal, however 4 seems to be becoming more popular.

MamaHechtick · 16/11/2018 12:24

I have 2, no more ever. I didn't plan to have any children at all, so definitely enough.
I am one of 6 though. I only know of one family with children of the same age as my children which have 4. The rest of my friends have 1 or 2.

I read just the other week that the birth rate is declining even in this country.

Lost5stone · 16/11/2018 12:36

Originally wanted 3, have 1 and probably will have one more. I'm not sure if I really really want another or if its just what everyone expects when you have a 2.5 year old! We will wait til DD is a bit older and see.

CheeseTheDay · 16/11/2018 13:07

We have six (from five pregnancies), ages range from 5-16. We always planned to have four or six. We didn't have any children we couldn't afford to pay for ourselves.

HellenaHandbasket · 16/11/2018 13:16

3 here. 2 and then a bonus 6 yrs later 😂 I think we are done.

3 is a very common number round here, though I do know a few 4s too.

HellenaHandbasket · 16/11/2018 13:17

Upper middles here income wise.

HiGunny · 16/11/2018 13:19

2 or 3 is the norm where I am. Though there are plenty of families at school with 4 or 5.
I have 2 as that is all I feel I could manage. (2 spirited boys close in age)

MyOtherProfile · 16/11/2018 13:22

2 is the norm. 1, 2 or 3 may be normal. 4 may be more normal than it used to be but 2 is the norm.

Well actually 1.9 is the norm but it's kind of hard to have 1.9 children.

ThanksItHasPockets · 16/11/2018 13:22

Four children is fairly unusual in my circle, but I know three families who tried for DC3 and ended up with surprise twins.