To think it's quite common to have one child these days?

[moomin35]

Lots of people I know in their 30's have one child and don't look like they're going to have another which I think is on the rise (nothing wrong with this just am observation!) Do you agree?

There's 1 only in my DD's class and that's through choice.

The rest are from 2 and 3 children families but the number of 3's is definitely on the up here.

In dds class there are 7 children without siblings (class of 30). They are age 9 so leaving it a bit late now to have more, so likely to stay that way now.

My experience of families with more than one child is different to yours Passthewine, I know very few people with more than three years between their first two children and two years ie very much the norm (out of my ante-natal group of 7 friends, 6 had had their second within 2.5 years, the other stopped at one child, pretty well all the children my DCs are friends with at school have a sibling within 3 school years of them but 2 years is much more common. We're in SE England but not in astronomical house price territory.

I'm one of 3, but mother to 1
Massively unsure of what happens next for us:3 of our friends have gone from 1-3 with the suprise arrival of twins... And there are twins in our family
My main concern is lack of money- we'd be in a position whereby we're very very comfortable now, but with 2+ couldn't live on one salary nor could we manage complicated childcare, or afford a live out nanny...
I often wonder if those with multiples have family support as I can't see they can make it happen otherwise and I think my mental health won't manage

I think 3 DC plus is difficult wether or not one set are twins.

Being in two places at once (or more correctly dragging one DC to it's sibblings activities or leaving it with DH is possible). Three gets a lot harder.

In someways three, with twins is easier, especially same sex twins, as they can both be convinced to swim, do ballet or go to scouts at the same time.

Three singletons, inevitably means an age gap that has someone wanting to do/be somewhere else. Often the youngest does a lot of trailing about or being quiet in dull sharing assemblies.

Three is also ridiculously expensive.

I guessed that this must be happening.

I read this week that the country is now at 1.85 children

[Used to be 2.4, if anyone is as old as me and remembers that 80's tv programme]

Boutt. Sorry, just seen your post.

Where I live 3 DC is the most common number, then 2, then 4 and then about 1 child in my DC's classes are an only child. I have 3 DC.

I live in the area where I grew up. When I was kid, only children were very unusual and generally thought to be downright weird. When my last DC left primary school, 5 or 6 of the 30 kids were onlies. That's a big change in 35 years.

I have an only child. Not through choice - I wanted two, but I miscarried her sibling and didn't get pregnant again.

It isn't the family I would have planned, but actually I wouldn't change it for the world. I have discovered that there are many advantages to having one child, both for us as parents and also for the dc.

I know quite a few families with only one child, for a whole range of different reasons. They all seem happy enough. I know quite a lot of families with three or more children too!