To dislike the phrase 'our family is complete'

[Newstarttoday35]

I see it constantly on social media when someone has had their second child and find it quite smug. Also implies that a 3rd child would be unwanted, I know it's just a phrase but it's just a little off-putting and engineered.

I said it after having one child. No way I was going through that again 😂

The only post I have ever seen it on was one where someone I know was desperate for a girl and, after having two boys, 'surprisingly an unexpectedly' became pregnant with the girl she so desperately had wanted and her husband used the phrase when posting about her birth (I think he was actually making the point to his wife at the time).

This. I typically see this phrase used to tell off busy bodies who think everyone should breed more, regardless of how many children people have.

A useful phrase to ward off people asking if you're having another!

There's nothing wrong with saying an additional child would be unwanted. The child doesn't exist.

When I had my third child I had the strong feeling that our family was now complete and I am sure I said so to a few people. I would have aborted subsequent pregnancies had they happened as any more children would indeed have been unwanted. I got sterilised. Because my family is complete.

I kind of get what you mean. When people already have a child/children, I always think it sounds a bit harsh to the older kids, like they weren’t enough to complete them. But I know that’s not what’s meant by it.

A friend of mine has used this term a few times on social media. After her first it was “you complete me and your dad”, then after the second it was “you complete our family even more than we thought possible” and the same after the third and fourth. I bet she wishes she never started saying it now😅

Why do you think we care?

if people want to say their family is complete, it doesn't affect you.

Whatever discomfort you are feeling about your family set up to cause this reaction is yours to deal with. Dont put that on other people's shoulders

If all the things to claim to have an opinion on!

When my marriage ended, I had people telling me I'd want a third eventually. I used to tell them that nothing would convince me to have another child, not even pregnancy.

I didn't want a third. And that is fine. It would have been unwanted which is why I never had a third 🤷🏻‍♀️

Theoretically anyone who has twins has one 'unwanted' child!

i presume the phrase just means a couple isn't planning another and it stops invasive questions. I don't think it reflects anything negative if they do in fact go on to have another. Unwanted at the time of planning does not mean the child isn't loved and adored when born. Also circumstances and wants can change over time.