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Larger families

Find out all about large family cars, holidays and more right here.

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Original poster

Anyone think that 4 is a small family or am I mad!

46 replies

rosiecayte · 06/08/2010 23:19

I was surprised to see that under this topic of 'large families' people are discussing having their 4th or even 3rd child.
Are there many decently sized large families out there?

OP posts:

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whatwherehow · 06/08/2010 23:21

What do you consider a decently sized large family?

Ponders · 06/08/2010 23:22

I would say 4 or more children is large - how do you define it, rosie?

Tortoise · 06/08/2010 23:23

Personally, I consider 4 children to be a large family.

ragged · 06/08/2010 23:24

I'd say
1-2 kids: small
3-5 : medium
6+ = large

BUT... in modern times, more than 3 is relatively quite large. PLenty of people thought I was made when I went past 2.

IRL I do seem to know a lot of people with 5+.

spanxaremyonlyfriend · 06/08/2010 23:25

I think 4 is not that large but it has crossed the line where you get ishoos which you don't get in a family of 2. There are loads of threads about cars in larger families for example.

whatwherehow · 06/08/2010 23:26

I think: 1 - small, 2-3 average, 4 large, 5+ a little mad!

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 06/08/2010 23:27

I only know of one couple with 5 children. We have 3, and now look at 1 and 2 child families and laugh a sort of bitter, hollow laugh at the ease of it all

Ponders · 06/08/2010 23:30

I know 1 family with 6 & 1 with 7.

plonker · 06/08/2010 23:32

I would class 4 children as a large family.

I agree with whatwherehow's definition

Bunbaker · 06/08/2010 23:42

"I think: 1 - small, 2-3 average, 4 large, 5+ a little mad!"

I would go along with that as well.

Original poster

rosiecayte · 06/08/2010 23:47

we've got 7 and we don't fit the stereotypical mould portrayed by the media - we both work, don't live in a council house, definitely don't drive a transit and don't belong to any weird cult!! We just got a bit carried away!!

OP posts:

KickArseQueen · 06/08/2010 23:49

I've got 4 and I feel a little "mad", does that count??

D0G · 06/08/2010 23:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Northernlurker · 07/08/2010 00:03

I think 3 is the new 2. I know a lot of 3s and a fair few 4s, only 1 5.

cat64 · 07/08/2010 00:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

rosiecayte · 07/08/2010 00:10

I found going from 1 - 2 and 2 - 3 a big step but once you've got 3 any more don't make a difference. We always get laughed at when we're out and people see us counting them all back in to the car or into a lift!
The serious downside is the shopping trip for school uniform and shoes and my bill for school dinners is huge - hence the reason we're not rich and can't afford a mansion!

OP posts:

KickArseQueen · 07/08/2010 01:23

Rosiecayte, Its funny because I found 1 - 2 hard, but fine, 2 - 3 felt as though I was Juggling fast but ok!, keeping up!.... 3 - 4? I don't know.... I'm coping ok, but I feel like I'm winging it in a "plan for the worst, hope for the best kind of way", "Keep calm and carry on", but on the other hand, mine are not all school age yet by a long shot! Maybe once they are I will feel differently....

Not that I would change things for the world...........

gibbberish · 07/08/2010 01:31

I have 4 dds. Don't consider us to be a particularly large family as I came from a family of 5.

However it seems that many others do consider us a large family.

I do think, however, that the trend has bucked and people are tending to have more than 2 or 3 these days. So perhaps soon we will be seen, one day, to have a small or certainly average sized family.

D0G · 07/08/2010 08:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sorky · 07/08/2010 08:33

It's probably because you have 7 and that's now normal for you.
Most people have 2, maybe 3 if they got carried away and seem to struggle with their brood, hence 4 does seem utterly ludicrous to many people.

I used to think 4 was classed as a large family, but now I have 4, it's normal and 5-6+ seems large to me.

Call it fecundity inflation

sorky · 07/08/2010 08:34

3 is puddlenuts, sorry

4andnotout · 07/08/2010 08:39

I have 4 and although it doesn't seem large to us, holiday companies and car manafacturer's don't seem to agree!

stressedHEmum · 07/08/2010 08:51

I have 5 and don't think that we have a large family, at all. I know 2 families with 9 children and think that that is quite large for this day an age.

Other people see us as being a large family, though.

purpletrees · 07/08/2010 08:55

I think that:

1 = small
2 = standard
3 = standard plus
4+ = large

I am one of 4 siblings and now I have 2 kids of my own. When I was a child and the family was 6 in total, we were always "large" - nothing was made for a family of 6. Now that I am in a family of 4, I find that everything is "set up" for families of this size. It is quite refreshing .

sweetkitty · 07/08/2010 09:04

People do react funny when you tell them you have four, they think you are insane, I don't know what Mums of 4+ feel?

2 or 3 feels normal these days in fact a lot of my friends are having their 3rd now, 3 does seem the new 2.

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