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Original poster

How many children is a lot of children?

134 replies

Charlavail · 26/07/2022 17:06

I was just reading about someone with 12 children. I feel guilty about spreading my attention and money 2 ways. Maybe a "lot" is different depending on your finances or network? Anymore than 4 I would consider a lot.

OP posts:
MeenzAmRhoi · 26/07/2022 17:54

For me personally, 3 is too many. I always wanted 3 but I'm not cut out for it!

Beautiful3 · 26/07/2022 17:54

To me any more than 3, is a lot.

Wouldloveanother · 26/07/2022 17:56

5 or more. Probably more like 7 or 8. But I know a lot of Catholic families. The biggest was 11, average was 4-6, small was 1-3.

BlueBlueCowWondering · 26/07/2022 17:57

Isn't it always the number someone has +1?

SallyWD · 26/07/2022 18:02

More than 3.

TeapotTitties · 26/07/2022 18:03

More than 3

Crazykatie · 26/07/2022 18:10

A lot is more than 4, I know one family with 8, - 4 of his, 4 of hers, organised chaos, the elder kids help out with the younger ones. Nice parents, nice kids SAH mum obviously, an old mini bus for transport

RainbowConnection1 · 26/07/2022 18:10

I have 4 (aged 27-16) and like a PP have had a lot of comments over the years about having a large family.

My DC are all the same sex so have also had countless comments about when we're going to try for the opposite sex. So to some 4 is a lot yet not enough if they're all the same sex Grin

MassiveSalad22 · 26/07/2022 18:11

First summer holiday with 3 and it feels like a lot 😄 switching from ‘both’ to ‘all’ feels like a big deal. Eg all the kids are asleep, all the kids are crying

GarlicBread4Life · 26/07/2022 18:13

4 or more is ‘slot’ in my head.

I have a dear friend with four kids and she says herself you need to be mentally challenged to have more than three 😂

Everythingiscopy · 26/07/2022 18:13

TimBoothseyes · 26/07/2022 17:43

2 which is why I have just 1. 😃

Same here. One feels like a lot some days 😂

Crazyhousewife · 26/07/2022 18:14

I’m from a family of 5 and I would got for probably 7-8 kids depending if you include step children in that. I’m not sure I could give birth that many times.

FlorettaB · 26/07/2022 18:15

More than 3 is a lot.

lunar1 · 26/07/2022 18:16

I think replacing yourselves is plenty. So no more than two unless the second is multiples.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 26/07/2022 18:16

I’d say 2 to 3 feels like a usual amount to me. 1 feels like it’s definitely not enough and 4-5 I would see as a bigger family, although still on the edges of normal. I think thought it would only be at 6+ when I would look twice at the size of the family!

But there are other factors, for example I think in a blended family sometimes 4 or even 5 kids in total doesn’t always seem like such a big family when they don’t all live together full time or if there is a big age gap between the children. Equally 2 kids with a large age gap can seem more like a very small family than 2 kids very close in age.

1dayatatime · 26/07/2022 18:17

Any more than 1.7 children 😀

Original poster
Charlavail · 26/07/2022 18:17

MassiveSalad22 · 26/07/2022 18:11

First summer holiday with 3 and it feels like a lot 😄 switching from ‘both’ to ‘all’ feels like a big deal. Eg all the kids are asleep, all the kids are crying

I had DC2 this year. Saying the children always feel like I have a herd of them! It also made me feel really old. I feel if they were the same gender and could say the girls or the boys it sounds like less 😅

OP posts:
SleepingStandingUp · 26/07/2022 18:20

Keepitrealnomists · 26/07/2022 17:11

More than 2, not sure why you would have more children then hands 😂

Cos Egg2 got over excited and split in half

lovelilies · 26/07/2022 18:23

I have 3 and it feels a lot Smile
Eldest has just left home (forces) though so will feel a LOT quieter soon

Lostmyway86 · 26/07/2022 18:27

I have two DC and two DSC. When we're all together I find 4 children ALOT. They outnumber the adults 100% and it's very stressful. I think anything more than 2 is a lot personally!

takingmytimeonmyride · 26/07/2022 18:29

I have 5. It doesn't seem like a lot to me. So over 6 I guess I would class as a large family.

GroggyLegs · 26/07/2022 18:29

Any more than two.

I kind of get going for a third, kids are great... but actively wanting 4+ blows my mind.

Four voices going 'Mommy... mom... mooooooom...... MOOOOOOOOOOMMM' 🤯

I am an only married to an only though, our family of 4 (2 kids) feels massive & noisy 🤣

IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere · 26/07/2022 18:31

I have 5 (all adults now) with a thirteen year gap between the oldest and youngest. It didn't seem too many at the time. Now they are nearly all married (youngest to get married next year) and so there are 10 of them it seems a lot! But I wouldn't change a thing.

SeemsSoUnfair · 26/07/2022 18:32

Fifthtimelucky · 26/07/2022 17:40

I was one of four children and that seemed normal at the time (1960s). Most people I knew at school were in families with three or four children. Two seemed like a small family but five definitely seemed like a lot.

These days, I'd say four seems like a lot. Most people I know now have two or three children.

I was one of 5 in that decade too. It is a huge difference as it was normal then.

Most mums didn't work once they had that many children and living on one wage without state benefits was possible. We didn't get bullied (as much!) for wearing hand me downs or a jacket with the sleeves up to your wrists as many did the same. Sharing bedrooms wasn't a problem as having friends for sleepovers was not normal. Sink washing and a weekly bath, sharing bath water. Everyone was home for dinner at the same time and there wasn't a stream of activities to drive the kids to (if you had a car!). Discipline was harsher to keep so many kids in line and you just went to school and did your exams without all the anx about sets, grades, SATs, tutors etc.

Kids nowadays expect and deserve more individual attention, better parenting and access to more opportunities all the way until they are successfully launched into adulthood instead of being raised as a pack of 3+.

Purplepatsy · 26/07/2022 18:32

The Radford family are up to 22. Interesting.