To think life with one child looks soooo easy

[justwonderingreally2]

It’s such a stupid thread as I love my children so don’t want to give one up but my god on the very very very rare occasion I only have one it feels so easy.

All my friends only have one and it’s so calm. Going on holiday soon, everyone else has one child, I have two. I’m stressed already.

Does anyone else ever think this?

I say to my kids "When you have one child, you think maybe I should have two. When you have two children you think, I should have stopped at one!"

Sorry new here, what is PFB stage?

I have one 4 year old and life is very easy. I had a lot of mum guilt thinking she would miss out not having siblings. But I'm leaning towards having just one.

Yes I have one and she was a calm one when tiny so everything else looks like bedlam from my perspective! I’m also an only child as is my husband so haven’t known anything else.

Maybe some people. I have one (not by choice as it happens) and he’s beautifully behaved and really great company and I find parenting him no bother at all.

I don't think anybody needs to start feeling guilty just because other people have a different opinion. All families look different and it's nice to ponder different realities on an anonymous board.

I have five, two would be a rest. Honestly just get on with it, it’s not a competition.

I have one and it is not calm 😂 far from it 😂

Maybe these people have calm children lucky them 😂

Ha we have 5 too, all girls I know how you feel. I wouldn't change it either however for all of you 1 child families don't listen to families telling you of the bliss of siblings playing together. It doesn't always go like that believe me. Ours are all close in age / same age and if I asked any of them they would choose a friend to play with or each other.. each would choose a friend.

Precious First Born

I have 3 and I feel like that about people who only have 2…!

Haha, same.

Without a doubt some things are more difficult/stressful the more you have. I'm currently packing for a 10 day holiday next week and having to do it x 3 for the dc is NOT quick or easy. 3 x 'Oh your swimshorts have a hole, why didn't you say, we have to go shopping' / 'FFS, why have you taken X and X out of the case and worn them, now I need to wash them again' etc. It's headwork making sure they all have enough outfits because hell will freeze over before you catch me washing and drying anything on holiday 😂

I've looked at a friend of ours with one dc who's merrily packing and shopping for holiday and God it looks so easy!

I only have one, it's really really easy compared to two (from what I can tell from my friends and growing up with a sibling myself) and he loves being an only child.

I had a sibling, unfortunately he was not the sibling I'd hoped and dreamed of. Having a sibling you don't like is much lonelier and much more depressing than not having one at all IME.

I don’t ‘massively over-complicate things’ with my one child. I don’t really know what that means to be honest.

My children were the same. We very often ended up with six in the house!
I loved the chaos that came with my three but I'm older and a bit more sedate now, and I fully understand why my parents used to like taking them out one at a time. Or sometimes, one and a friend.

I couldn’t disagree more. I’ve two friends with only children, and they have always had to spend SO much more time keeping them company. Especially on holiday! One friend just seems to get absolutely no downtime, she’s got a lovely DD who is also incredibly demanding of her time and attention. If ever a child needed a sibling-!!!

Neither do I. Our life is quite simple and easy with one.....

And what might this 'over-complicating' things mean in this particular situation....

I have 2, both teenagers now. All I know is that when there's only one in the house it seems soooo much easier, as they do bicker with each other a lot. Same for holidays, but sometimes they do get on and entertain each other too, so then it is easier.

I have one. Would have loved to have more.

In general surely it has to be easier than having more.

However, I will say it is more intense (for the child). They never see you laying down the law for a sibling, only them. There’s no shared sibling point of view to the parent’s rules.

My DS is pretty needy (no doubt because he’s an only one, but also he has SEN). I find it really hard work because I feel guilty that he hasn’t got a sibling to play with so I have to give him that attention he would get from a sibling.

All that arguing and fighting between siblings that I see in other families, we obviously don’t have. So we’re not constantly refereeing. However I feel like a lot of that gets directed straight towards us.

But I can’t imagine all of this is as much work as having multiple children.

@Scorchio84 lol it's not a 'thing' at all, it's the internet so people type shit.

I have one and he's not bored or lonely lol he's surrounded by family they just happen not to be siblings because of secondary infertility. I definitely dont 'over complicate things' either.

I love my life and my kid and my job so who cares what random people are writing here. Honestly it's comes across tragically bitter.

I could say that all the people with 2 or more I know are a bit shit and slapdash and have no time to devote to their kids but I won't, because it's a sweeping generalisation that's only true about a handful of people. Same as the crap they've written about people with one.
People with three or more get some right abuse on here it's all just noise and people who like being bitchy. Just tune it out it's not real

Fuck off with your PFB shite. My DS was lovely and wanted and of course treated like all of your PFB...but then he became a toddler and a schoolboy and now a near teen.
Hes a precious child but in no way does he get coddled just because I wasn't able to add more to the family.
I'm VERY lucky to have one, many women can't have a child....I bet you're the type who say to them ohhhh lucky you not having to deal with kids all day, best you love a lie in...I havent had a lie in since 2005.
Disgusting.

And yes one is probably easier then two, but some 2, 3,4+ are great and some 1s are little shits, as are some 2,3,4+.....its partly the luck of the draw and partly parenting.
I know my DS would never be so rude as to crow over someone with a different family set up. Would your not so precious not firstborns?

Noooooooo having one looks nightmarish. My two entertain each other so I get to drink my coffee in peace. When I’ve only got one around it’s harder because they need me to be the entertainment, and frankly I am far too lazy a parent to do that on a regular basis.

Came to ask the same question...what "things"?!

I'm just back from holiday and found myself thinking how easy having 3 children is. Feel a bit smug now!

@ohsobroody literally you're descibing my situation, thanks for sharing your experience, why this is even be a topic is beyond me but the OP has a point to prove apparently

Oh yes me too. Booked a package holiday. DD had a free child place. Plane had 3 seats together. Absolutely loved playing in the splash park with all the other children. Loved dressing up and going out for dinner with us. Danced the night away at the kids disco. Loved going to the city on a bus. Loved the taxi rides. Was a dream holiday. Already booked for next year.