Talk to me about WHY you had 4 (or more) children?

[Rocketfox]

DC3 is not really a baby anymore and I am broody like you wouldn't believe. I ache to be pregnant, I ache to hold a teeny one and I feel sad that the baby days are over. I would love DC3 to have a sibling (DC1 and DC2 were very close together and are a little team)and I have always known that I would love a big family.

BUT if I am very very very honest with myself I do quite often find the noise and chaos overwhelming and get tired and snappy, I do long for a slightly less grubby and messy house and a wardrobe with some non-machine-washable clothes and financially and house-wise we are comfortable now but would be stretched with another. And I'm "old" (37).

So I need to be brutal with myself about this and examine why we would want to "twist" rather than "stick". I wonder if some of my longing is about proving myself in another way (career is in the deep freeze currently), or because I always said I would have 4, or because it would be nice to have the attention on me again (that you get when pregnant but no other time!). It might mean admitting that I don't want to do this for the "right" reasons.

So, name change if you need to, but WHY did you go on to have 4 (or more) children and , in retrospect, do you regard those as having been "good" reasons?

I have 4 children 17, 16, 12 and 11 yrs. All our children were planned (smile).
My house was chaos when they were all younger and my house was never tidy and i never had a minutes piece but i wouldnt change it for the world....my circumstances are different now as i care for my husband full time on top of having the 4 children and sometimes wish i had stopped at 2 as that was our original plan then we changed it. I am mentally exhausted now with having the 4 children. Constantly worried about where they are (dont get me wrong they not walking the streets), but i now have 2 children at college mixing with children and adults in their classes and so making friends with older people. We have had a few difficulties with the kids but it hasnt been their fault (girls lying about their age and getting my son into trouble) and my daughter being sexually assualted at 14yr. Atleeast when they wee although they cause you hassle you know where they are and exactly what they doing......now when they older you just constantly worry....no wonder im grey haired