AIBU in thinking 3 children is not ‘a large family’

[Randomposter]

I see it a lot on here and sometimes with friends,
I wouldn’t even consider 4 children particularly large.
5+ yes. But 3? definitely not.

I think it depends on what you're used to. I'd consider it quite big, not massive by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly not small either.

I'd say that 4 children is a large family though.

I consider 4 or more children a large family. 3 is an average size.

I think 1 child is a small family, 2 is average and 3+ is a large family. This is so subjective though, can you tell I'm one of 2 children and have 2 myself!

Yanbu. 3 is average just the slightly larger side of average, if average is around 2 or 3. Definitely wouldn’t see it as anything out of the ordinary. 4 is the max before it starts to hit proper “large family” territory but I have 4 and do get a few comments about being a big family now and again

I think it becomes a large family at 4 children. Car size, holidays, tickets to places etc all cost far more once you get to 4.

1 - 2 average, in my own family experience.
3+ and the parents are outnumbered! Don't consider it "large" though, just higher end average.
4 is larger, 5+ is large (IMO)
Probably depends on your own experience. Nobody in my family had or has more than 2.

Average in the UK is 1.8 so bigger than normal

4+ is big in my opinion.

Round here 3 seems to be the new 2.

The average woman has 1.9 children these days so 2 children is the norm and I can see why a lot of people, especially in the South where families are smaller, would consider 3 children large.

of course it's not a large family, I'd say it starts from 4.

I don't consider 3 a large family, but I've got 5 and don't really consider that we're a large family! I know people with 12, that's a large family.

4+ imo

3 is just average

I have three D.C. far spread in age, never seems like a large family. My DD has 3 D.C. very close together all needing car seats. Seems like a huge family.

I consider it 5 or more, 3 is a fairly common family size ime

One more child than you have is a large family

I would think 5+ children.

As has been pointed out, 3 isn't a normal family, seens as average is now hovering around 1.8. So yes, 3 is a large family.

I'd class it as large. Not huge but bigger than average.

4+ is large IMO. 2 is normal, 3 on the bigger side of normal.

It's cultural of course - among US friends 3 seems standard, 1 small, 2 smaller side of normal, 4 bigger side of normal, 5+ large.

I think it's large when under 2 is the average

@Smoggle has it! One more child than you have is a large family

One small, two average, three plus large. So many people on MN seem to have loads of kids, but this certainly isn’t my experience IRL.

I read recently on the ONS website the 'average' i.e. mean number of children a woman in the UK now has is 1.8.

That would make 3 'bigger than average', whatever that might mean...

In general terms, I think of 1 as 'there must be a reason why they only had 1' (even though that reason might be choice), 2-3 as normal, 4+ as large. But that is just my vague thoughts. My father has a curious notion about 2 children for 2 parents being the right number as it is 'providing adequate replacements' for the population!!

I think of 1 as 'there must be a reason why they only had 1

My friend used to say he found only children creepy because it's as if their parents thought oh god never again. I'm an only myself but not by choice.

Definitely large to me! I don't know how an average person/couple can afford it.