to ask you to tell me great things about having three kids?

[lalouche]

Ok, sort of a thread about a thread, sorry, but reading all the comments about how 3 kids is a nightmare and loads of people wish they'd stopped at 2...anyone want to tell me why it was a great decision to have a third? I'm 34 weeks with dc3 and while pg was planned, I'm now a bit panicked about what we are letting ourselves in for. Too late to change our minds, clearly , but please make me feel less anxious! I'm only being semi-facetious- I'm surprised by how worried I am, at a stage when I feel like I should be feeling super-positive and excited.

When we went on our first holiday as a family of five I remember boarding the ferry with three under 5 and feeling excited and thrilled and proud of our family unit.I said to DH that it felt great to be outnumbered! and it was,and still is twenty plus years later.Yes hard work sometimes,and expensive but our 3 girls are fantastic.Always there for each other ,and us,and I've loved seeing how they have played,argued,made up,supported each other and grown up to be very different but equally lovely young women.No regrets here.

Congratulations to leeltoloo! Wishing you a speedy recovery from your CS. Well done.

Congratulations! I'll be in your position in about 4 weeks time, and though not liking the c-section pain bit, v much liking the baby in bassinet bit! Glad the thread cheered you up - it certainly has me!

After my second was born I had a terrible ache knowing that someone was missing. I was one of three so I guess that had something to do with it - wanting to recreate my own childhood. Three years and a day later DD2 was born and she put the full stop on our family. It was, now, complete. Mine are now 17 (DD1), 13 (DS) and 10 (DD2) and it is such fun although very busy. With 3 you are never through the chores, so you just have to get the DCs to help otherwise you can't cope. I often say to my DH 'imagine how weird the family would be if DC3 wasn't here' - she completes the family and is a fun personality too.

Whenever one of them is away from home (sleepover, school trip etc) the house seems very empty with just two DCs around and that has been true since they were tiny.

I do recipes 1.5 times so that I make six portions and then there is always one for me to take to work for lunch the next day or for my DH to have if he is working from home.

You do feel outnumbered at times. Many a mealtime has seen the three of them tease DH and me and we have no way of fighting back against them and there is a lot of laughing. They seem to be a little team all on their own, which makes me feel happy as DH and I won't be around for ever so am glad they have each other. Now they are all older and VERY busy it is sometimes a challenge being able to get them to all their different competitions or activities on a weekend because we cannot be with all three of them. But it does all work out, somehow. Eldest is now learning to drive and it will be amazing when she passes so she can get herself to some of her swimming sessions (she is obsessed). She babysits and DS is almost old enough to babysit too. I am dreading DD1 going to uni in 18 months time because then there will be just two at home and that will seem very empty.
Enjoy it, OP. Hard work, but lots and lots of rewards.

Mine are 5, 3 and 4 months. It's been tough but getting better all the time. I love seeing the big two with the baby, and love the fact that my son gets to be a big brother rather than the baby!! Can't wait until they are a bit bigger and properly able to play together!

Im 26wks pg with DC3 and so happy. Always wanted 3.
Thank you for this thread and all it's positive contributions, so encouraging.
I have DS1 who is 3.5yrs and DS2 who is 21months.
Some ppl think I'm mad to be having 3 under 4! Sometimes I wonder but at the same time I am so excited to see them all grow up together. I'm eldest of 4 girls so big family seems right to me. DH is #2 of 6. Im glad you ladies are all enjoying it and its certainly going to be busy but I know if its as much fun as having two has been, we will love it :)

I have 3 kids: 6, 4, and 16 months. For 4 months we had three under 5. They all get on so well and are such fun. The elder 2DDs adore their little brother.

DH was the youngest of 3, I'm the eldest of 4 and we always wanted 3, it's so much fun being one of a big family.

Love this thread! Going from 2 to 3 I found so much easier than going from 1 to 2. The two bigger ones have each other while you're sorting out the baby. Mine are 5, 3, and 1. DS3 is really joining in now, and it is such a delight. Also, I find I get less unsolicited advice now..... (I hate unsolicited advice) as people figure you know what you're doing now. And you do! (Tho some things I've had to relearn x3! Ha!)

Also, to add a bit of a grim line, DH and I wanted to have 3 for hard times. When we are older, they'll have each other. If one of them passes (God forbid), the remaining two will have each other. Of course you can't really plan for those sorts of things, but somehow it felt right to make sure that their little gang has three little members to depend on each other through their whole life.

As for the middle child thing, My aunt has three grown children... And each one would say they are her favourite. That's my goal. :)

i have 5,3 is easy.

DH and I always wanted three. Desperately. And then we had secondary infertility, and for a long time it seemed as if DS would be an only. We were hugely blessed to be able to have DS2, and then our little miracle DS3 a few years later

I love, love, LOVE having three. For all the positive reasons that have already been mentioned. Our family just feels so perfect and complete now. (Not that families of one or two or four children aren't perfect, of course, but to us, three feels perfect).

Apologies if this has already been posted but I loved this blog when I was pregnant with our third. It seemed to sum up the 'joyful chaos' completely! Makes you laugh a lot and cringe a bit and then get rather teary eyed at the end... The Brutal Truth about the Third Child

Mine are 9,7 and 5. They are definitely a gang, they make up clubs together and have family jokes.

There is always someone to play with and they look out for each other at school.

Our house is messy but I like it that way.

I only have one (so far!) but am middle child of 3 and whilst chaotic for my mum my little brother was and is the best thing for our family. He's a real champ and a good friend to my mum too. Plus he brought out some really nice qualities in me and my older brother which can only be seen when a younger sibling comes along.

Bottom line - it probably will be chaotic. But wasn't it chaotic when u had just one and were a new parent? And then it got better? And then u thought it was the best thing ever? Same formula again...one more soul to love and love you back and one more gummy smile in the morning. Got to be worth it.

*[will need someone to remember this and post it back to me when I'm thinking of no.3 ]

We have a 7, 5 and 2yo. Tis wonderful. Number 3 has made me fully subscribe to being a Mum. With two I always felt I should do something else as well, a job or a 'decent' hobby. With 3, being a Mum takes all my time, and I love it. I feel like finally, at number 3, I'm doing it right!

I love watching how their relationships with each other change and morph. There's always at least two getting along, and always at least one misbehaving! Yesterday they all made a den so that the older two could read stories to the younger one. Today the older two made a den to keep the younger one out but tomorrow it will change again and I will no doubt be brought to tears, either through sheer joy at how wonderful they are, or by sheer frustration at how horrid they are .

They keep me on my toes and the washing machine in constant use

This is a very lovely thread. Got 3 DSs 10,8 &6. I'm not going to lie to you Gav, it's bloody hard at times. But I can't imagine life without the chaos, music, farts, fights, food, fun, noise, sports kits, love, more fights, noise, smelliness, hugs, messiness, shouting, did I mention fights, more food, sheer joy that comes with 3. And when 1 is taken out of the equation, it lovely and peaceful and I miss the 3rd do much!

We have 3 DCs of 5.5, 3.5 and 3 months - absolutely loving it so far. It didn't feel like the family was complete with 2 and too neat for me with just a DD and DS. Its been far easier going from 2 to 3 than 1 to 2, maybe because of the age gap.
Don't stress OP, just enjoy the end of your pregnancy and look forward to that lovely newborn (i'm already missing it ) 3 is great!

My third was an accident, and I was very apprehensive. I worried about upsetting the dynamic (had one dd one ds) but dd2 has totally fitted in and brought out a caring side to the other two especially dd1 who is the eldest. Mine are 9, 5 and 14 months, it can be hard work at times when they all want something different at the same time, but I love watching the relationships between them all.

I have 6 children, our house is noisy and rather messy and as my mum says "always something going on" I love it ! Congratulations on your 3rd baby :)

Love this thread! Currently 38 weeks pregnant with DC3 and the other thread was making me very edgy! Some lovely stories on here, thank you everyone.

Mine are 15,10 and 3. I love it and wish I'd had another in between the youngest two. Don't get me wrong they fight like cat and dog at times but they also get on like a house on fire and scream with laughter at each other. Wouldn't have it any other way. 3 is so much more better than 2

Dietcokeandwine that blog is making me cry with laughter! Funniest thing I've read in ages!!

Not quite ready for babies yet but I have always, always wanted three kids. This thread is making me want to start trying soon, such wonderful stories. I've often thought three is the magic number.

The best thing about having a third child is that you have three children. Fantastic.

This is a lovely thread, which I will go back and re read properly. Whilst I wouldn't change a thing, I do feel like dc3 should be here, I'm finding it so hard. so those of you with three, what am I doing wrong? Our house is not full of laughter, only sounds I can hear (usually) are dc 1 and 2 squabbling and me nagging them to get their shoes / coats on ready for school.

Tell me how to have a family of three like yours, it sounds great! Should I join the other thread ?