A general, friendly, supportive larger family chit-chat thread, anyone?

[Misfitless]

Does anyone on here fancy striking up a general thread, like the one that they have in the one-child families topic?

Preferably not with imaginary cakes and wine and butlers and virtual massages, etc though?

No need to post everyday unless you want to, just a chance to get to share the ups and downs with each other, as and when?

I ascribe the problem between DD1 and DS2 as being the converse to FiveHours theory. DD1 started school within a month on DS2 being born. She never spent a huge amount of time 1:1 with him - especially since DS1 was always more 'interesting'.

Five baby bump is a girl

Three years gap to DD2 - but I do already worry about dreaded girl rivalries!

Can I join? I have 4 dcs, 13,10,5 and 2. I will read through later.x

Whereas my eldest and youngest are 6 years apart and she is really good with him.
DS is a little ratbag though- alternately spoiled and bullied by 3 older sisters.
DS and DD3 are 2 years apart and play together well until they don't.

The youngest is totally pampered!

She has a team of 'nannies' that would rival any princeling.

Teenage girls are both lovely and bitchy. They improve when the hormones settle

Sorry to hear about your dog five

5madthings wow congratulations!

I found the pre-teen years rather taxing but since dd turned 13, I'm really enjoying her so far and terrified

My dd2 is now 10 and am finding her alot easier so far apart from the non stop talking!

5 my youngest is the same. She has the rest at her beck and call, although dd1 is a bit up and down with her. She was quite put out by dd2 arrival and while she loves having a little sister sometimes theres a bit of jealousy.

Ds2 and dd1 wind eachother up and bicker like mad! My mum thinks its because they are too similar. They can get on and when they do play together they get on really well. Everyone gets on best when we get out of the house. In the summer its whole days at the park!

Ood I am nervous for the teenage girls phase!

I find that DS1 and DD get on very well and play together all the time, even though DS1 hated her when she was a baby, he was very much a mummies boy (still is) and didn't like the fact that she took my attention away from him. DS2 on the other hand is very happy to play by himself at the minute.

I am dreading the teenage years thankfully they are ages away yet. The only experience I have with teens is my SIL's oldest 3 children and they are little shits not very well behaved. But then again my SIL is not a very good mother. Had my youngest niece (5) at mine since Friday night as I removed her from the house because I didn't think it was a fit environment for her to be in. Trying to get hold of social services to report it but no luck yet.

Can I play too?

I have 4 dds - 8, 7, 4 and 3.

I always planned to have 4 and would probably have had more if my pregnancies were good and I was younger (and if I could cope - important that )

Not can remember the quns above, but we have a 4 br house, 7 seater car and I am a sahm. I have rotten, high-risk pregnancies and i have actually had 5 dds, our first dd was stillborn 10 months before our surviving dd1 was born.

I really hope to change career and start studying this sept. dh works crazy hours but is going to start working for himself. Not less hours, more more family-friendly hours, which could see him do more drop offs and pick ups.

Dd4 nursery hours have increased this year and I feel like I am just coming out of the mad years. Our house is still a mess, lots of dr appts for 2 dcs, so I really don't have the 'free' time that I should have on paper (60 mins to and from a hospital appt and waiting time, there is most of the day gone!).

We don't have any family here are we are from abroad. That bit makes it touch!

Can I join too please?

We have 4 dcs - 18, 13, 8 and 4 (on Wednesday) - we also had a baby who died at 37 weeks and didn't want to miss him out. As he was our 4th baby my pregnancy with number 5 was incredibly stressful so we won't be having any more which I am actually OK about.

I never intended to have large gaps between our DC but that's what happened. I think things are getting easier now, DS2 will start reception in September at the same time DS1 will (hopefully) be going to univerity so that will be a big change and quite an emotional time.

Our families don't live close so we often struggle to manage all appointments/clubs/parents meetings with 4 dc but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Those of you who have children that share rooms, any hints or tips?
DD3 (9) and DS (7) share bunks in a double bedroom but this means they have to go to bed at the same time.
And they are getting fed up with each other- well DD3 is.
Next year, she'll be 10. Would you move her in with one of the other girls, or what?

five I have the same with dd2 and 3, they 10 abd nearly 6. Dd2 is starting to dislike sharing. Dd1 isn't very nice to dd2 hence not sharing, although they have been getting on better. We only have extended or moving as options really, although in theory we coukd squeeze another bedroom in by loosing an en-suite or splitting our bedroom but think might effect re-sale?!? Anyway, sympathies.

Hi everyone.

Just had a big long read back, but have already forgotten everyone's names and how many DCs they have, and their ages.

AugustRose so sorry to read about your 4th baby .

Has everyone else got really big houses with lots of bedrooms then?

I know this question was asked ages ago, but I haven't answered it yet.

No, we don't have a big house. Only 3 bedrooms upstairs, but we have converted a room downstairs into a bedroom, which works well. We didn't really need or use the room downstairs.

The two youngest share a bedroom. Currently they are the best of friends, which leaves me in , because up until about a week ago, DD3 was could be an absolute horror to DD4, and they were constantly bickering.

For anyone who has DCs who don't get on, believe me there is hope!

Oh and I remember one other question Swan (good questions, by the way).

I work part time, 3 days a week, but my hours mean I am always there for drop offs and pick ups.

Just as well, because there's no way we could afford for me to work, if we had to pay for breakfast/afterschool clubs.

DH works full time, Mon-Fri.

AugustRose the ages of my eldest and youngest are very similar to yours.

I remember in one week my eldest turned 18 and my youngest started school - it was such a roller coaster of emotions.

Sorry .

May I join in?

I have 4, 3 girls and a boy. Ages are 16, 14, 11, 9. Life is slightly organised chaos, made worse because they all go to different schools.

Our house has 5 bedrooms. We moved here relatively recently from a 3 bed house, and it is BLISS!

Our car is a Fiat Multipla. Ugly but useful (and still going after 13 years!)

Hi TalkingTree2 .

That sounds like hard work! Is it too nosy to ask why they're all at different schools? It is isn't it? Sorry .

Welcome, by the way! And tell me to sod off if it is too nosy!

We rent a big farmhouse (sadly can't afford to buy) so we are lucky that they all have their own rooms but I often wondered if they'd get along better if they had to share as DS1 and DD1 can be quite precious with their things.

We did suggest to DD2 recently that she share the room with DS2 and use hers as a playroom which she considered for a day and decided she liked her room too much.

Mine can get along great for a short time then one starts on another and it works its way down the line.

We are self-employed which allows us the flexibility for school runs/clubs etc but doesn't give us much money.

Don't worry Misfitless - I think having lots of kids is always a rollercoaster :)

I don't want to say too much as it might out me, but suffice it to say that the two eldest (both dds) have very different personalities and needs and have both been so much happier since they have been at separate schools, and get on with each other very well at home too. They are both at all girls schools. ds is at a boys school, dd3 at primary school. It's best for each child, but not for me!

The worst thing is that parents' evenings, concerts, sports fixtures etc, ALWAYS clash.

talkingtree I dream of a house with 5 bedrooms!

My dds share a double room as dd2 still in cot, the boys arw squeezed into the box room in bunkbeds.

My boys get on quite well, but I do worry about the lack of space as they get older but we can't afford to buy so we will make do :)

Apple, we had to move to a (much) less nice area to afford our house, but it has been so worth it. The older two had shared until they were 14 and 12, and loved having their own rooms at last.

Mm-hmm. DH had to triple his commute for those extra two bedrooms - but we are now sustainable into teenagedom without everyone sharing.

I am sorry to hear about your babies Im and August