Tell me about going from 3 to 4 please

[piddlestix]

Hi everyone.
What's it like going from 3 to 4 children? Am I already experiencing most of the chaos as a mum of 3? Or is it a real game changer??

I have 3 DS. They're aged 7, 4 and 1. I've always wanted a big and hectic family. I'm one of 4 myself.
After DS 3 I tried to convince myself to stop there. DS2 is autistic and at a special needs school so has pretty significant extra needs. So I don't want to put us in a position where I can't cope. But I cannot cannot cannot shake this feeling that there should be one more of us here. Any advice very welcome please. Thanks in advance

Hi 🙋🏽‍♀️
I’m about to have baby number 5, going from 3 to 4 wasn’t a huge difference for us. It’s a fun chaos !!
I think it all depends on if you feel you could cope with another bubba. 😌

I have 4 & wished I stopped at 2. Or maybe 1.

I had 4 in 6 years. I found going from 0-1 then 1-2 the hardest. First time was the unknown of parenthood. Second time was learning to juggle. 3 and 4 just slotted in. But going to 4 did mean that if you don’t do two loads of washing a day it builds up very quickly🙂

I have 4, the eldest is autistic which we didn't find out until the younger ones were all here. I know that he would find life much easier if there were less children at home. Obviously all children are different, but just offering my perspective. It is sensory issues - noise, smell etc, as well as all the competing demands on my time which are most challenging.

I have 3 with autism, 2 at a sen school 🙈. Literally was a shock, still early days and very unplanned. 🙈

So long as you are OK with shelving pretty much all of your own needs for the foreseeable future, it's fine!

I have 4 (now aged 9, 7, 4 & 2) they are ace and it is definitely getting easier now, but for the first year of having 4 I felt like I was constantly on my feet. Probably because I was!!

It's also unbelievably expensive to go on holiday or outings, so make sure you bring them up happy with the simple things in life, unless you have a high income.

And don't get me started on the emotional energy (as well as the physical energy and micro management) it takes to get them all appropriately dressed for the weather/time of year and out of the door every day. Oh, and the guilt you feel about the older 2 when the baby and the toddler demand ALL of your attention, ALL of the time.

But, I wouldn't change it for anything. I know I will always be happy I have 4.

I'm struggling with this too. I have 3 ages 7, 5 and 3. I always wanted 4 but when they were younger 3 was so hard. The gap is getting bigger and bigger!

I've got 4. Great. But it's a massive amount of washing when they're teenagers.

Haha I agree with the washing comments... I have 3 boys, the youngest two still get dirty everyday, the oldest keeps his clothes clean but feels the need to changes clothes half way through the day and put the first lot in the wash basket perfectly clean!! I’ve recently tried to encourage a new rule of checking clothes and putting them out to be worn again if they are still clean ( not underwear obvs 🙈) let’s see how that goes !! 🤣🤣

@piddlestix have you decided if you're going to go for it? My third was supposed to be my last. When she was a newborn, my husband mentioned having a fourth. I thought he was mad, but now that everything is so much easier, I'm thinking about it. I always struggle with the newborn stage, but once past the fourth trimester I really love it. My first two have a 2 year gap, they're so close. My third has a 5 year gap with my middle. It'd be nice for her to have a sibling close in age.