what assumptions would you make about a family with four to six children?

[ChelseeDagger]

Not wanting to start a bun fight or being goady in the slightest. Just looking for honest opinions, whether they be positive, negative or neutral.

I assume the mother enjoys pregnancy and that the births weren't too bad!

That there probably isn’t a single person in that family who has an easy life with all their needs met.

That there probably isn’t a single person in that family who has an easy life with all their needs met

What a very stupid thing to assume.

I know someone with seven children and she's pretty young and seems to boost a lot about it. You wouldn't think she's had any children so, it obviously comes easily to her body. They are both on benefits and don't work. Their place is rancid, mine is messy with just two kids. She see resells things people nearby gave her for free which is her choice once they are hers, but in poor taste.

I do think why so many, I get 3 maybe, but 6 ?

Larger families are not uncommon in rural Ireland amongst farming communities. Where I live, 4 kids seems fairly average and 6/7 isn’t that unusual.
Having 12+ Pregnancies was common amongst their parents generation, although not all the children survived to adulthood.

I feel very much the odd one out with my one child.

@QueenOfPain

That there probably isn’t a single person in that family who has an easy life with all their needs met.

Children don't always need to be centre of attention all of the time. How do children cope in a classroom setting?🤔

My DC get their needs met, by being very careful with time management. It can be done.

I know ONE "regular" family who has four kids---one.

All the other families I've known with four or more are one of the following:
a) Very religious
b) Irresponsible with money and contraception
c) Blended families

@MeltdownSurprise

Total disregard for the environmental impact.

Oh well, let's not bother with any future scientists or teachers then🙄 we need more people having more children to pay our pensions in later life. We need the future generations to help with research.

The largest family I know, the mum is v.... selfish (for want of a better word). She kept on having babies because she just loved babies. Not so much the toddlers, pre-teens, teens, young adults. She just wanted babies. The kids were left to their own devices once old enough and none of them had much one to one time with either parent. Dad worked every hour of the day to help afford the children.

I also think of the environmental impact.

I wouldn't voice any of my judgements tho because it's really none of my business.

@blowinahoolie I wasn’t just talking about the kids, but the adults too.

I'm one of 8 and hate it so not a balanced view. Having said that I know one family with 4 kids who are all delightful, though there is a big age gap between the first 2 and the second 2

This a really nasty thread, even by MN standards. How do you think the mothers of 4plus children feel looking at this?

@blowinahoolie also, I think there’s actually a vast canyon between having four kids which seems like the higher end of normal, and five or six!

I tend to assume that someone with 4+ kids grew up with lots of siblings and therefore wanted to have lots of children of their own because they liked it and maybe wouldn’t be as phased by having lots of children around as people who had no/ few siblings.

I don't give it any thought. 2 close relatives have 4 children each, for no other reason than it just happened that way.

Not sure I'd make any assumptions.

They like kids? Lack imagination? Lack a social conscience? Are to be avoided like the very plague re: socialising?

I know a lady with 6 kids who lives off benefits and sorry but l do think why keep having them if you can't afford them.

@Malin52

I'd think how ridiculously irresponsible it was and be incredibly snooty about it.

@Malin52 then your just plain nasty. My best friend has six. All but one are adopted. You would not be able to tell that from looking at them as a family. How cruel of you to make judgements.

My opinion of them depends on if they work. I know lots of larger families where the parents work. I also know lots where they don’t.

It seems quite different to be a first (can’t think of the right word) family of two adults and 4-6 children, as opposed to a blended family of 4-6 children. The blended family scenario seems much more common.

My mum and stepdad have 5 between them but we’re all adults now

“I wonder if they ever planned to have so many kids”

A lot of my thoughts come from how the family are presented as well. Nicely spoken and polite children doesn’t make me think anything of them.

But horrible out of control children and shouty screeching mothers makes me wonder why bother having that many kids if you can’t control them. We’re already over populated just let the sensible people re-produce

I've got four kids.

I'm not well off.

I work (own my own business)

No, I don't intend to pay deposits and university fees. I wouldn't do that even for just one child.

House is noisy. House can be chaotic. There can be bickering. But there is SO much laughter and love. We spend lots of time together and enjoy it.