Not trying to be inflammatory but why do people *need* more than two kids?

[ConstantlyFuriosa]

Just that.

Why do they “need” two? Or any? Why do you need more money than the basics?

?

Just that.

Yes, nobody needs any kids

I didn’t need more than 2. I wanted more than 2. So I had more than 2. Just that, really.

I have 4, for no particular reason

Adults don't "need" any kids. They are motivated to have them. Because of our basic biological drives.
Kids need adults. They need to be cared for and provided for once they are here.
Societies need to replenish their population. To ensure workers and tax payers for the future. Many societies choose to invest public funds into children's welfare, as an investment into the adults they will one day become.

What’s your particular issue with it?

Nobody needs kids. I have 5 for a laugh.

I don't want any but I'm the youngest of three and my mum wanted a girl after two boys. My dad was not really fussed about having a third (he had his boys to take shooting and fishing) and I was basically a drunken accident I think, which is always good to know! My mum was happy about it, my dad less so (they were both fairly old at the time) but he came around eventually. My mum had pretty easy births (was induced with me, just cos of high blood pressure I think) but all went fine, so no horrific birthing experiences to put her off.

No issue, per se. Prompted by the two child benefit cap. Am interested in perspectives.

No one needs any, the planet certainly doesn’t. Counties need them for workers/tax payers but if we carry on as we are there won’t be a need for any of it in the not so distant future anyway.

Plenty of people want them though.

Me too. It’s bloody hilarious trying to keep 5 under 6 alive, I highly recommend it as therapy if you’re sad, just sacrifice sanity, financial stability, personal space, any notion of quiet and pelvic floor and you too can have the funniest time!

We're like our own travelling circus, fun times!

This puzzles me too. You would think, after the second child they would ask themselves if they can afford to have a third and give it a good upbringing, without the first ones missing out.
I sort of understand when people have 2 boys yet desperately want a daughter and had hoped their second was a girl, this seems a fairly common reason for having 3+ kids.

Because it seems to be a hobby

A cap was never a thought in numbers of children in our family.

We did ask ourselves that. Luckily the answer was yes. We’ve 4 children, all at private school and we’re currently on a 3 week holiday, so I’d say our kids were doing ok.

Not everyone with more than 2 kids is living on the breadline.

A lot of families are able to raise and afford the number of children they have.

A lot of people can't raise children at all.

It's not about numbers.

No one needs more than two they choose to have more. Personally I have 2, but would have loved to have had more, sadly I couldn't afford it.

I had 2, then accidentally got pregnant with twins, after that I didn’t the point in worrying about it, so I had number 5. Then they whipped out my uterus which is probably a good thing or I’d be living in a shoe.

Because I enjoyed them and wanted them and could provide for them. No other reason.

People don’t need any children at all. Two is also not the magic “right” number for every family. Some people may want more and I don’t see an issue with that as long as they can provide for all their children. A lot of families wouldn’t be able to do this with more than two children, but that’s not true of everyone. I only have one child at the moment, but I would love to have 3-4 some day.

The people I know with 3+ kids are shm and don't have careers. I often get the feeling they're trying to fill a void - they're bored/lonely etc and can't afford the children they have, but keep going anyway. People on here will shoot me down, but I don't know any women with 4 kids that's got a great job!
One person I know has 8 kids!! Though they can afford it as her husband earns enough.

When pensions were started there was one retired person for every 2 workers. Now it's pretty much the other way round. Or so the argument goes. We need to keep producing workers to make the thing keep working.

As most everywhere except Africa has reached a tipping point in terms of population growth I wonder what will really happen.

I've got five and I'm an academic. Definitely not bored or lonely but really enjoy children. Does it compromise my career severely? Heck yes. But I don't care because I value the kids more.