You know you've had too many children when...

[LynetteScavo]

You nearly have a heart attack paying for their new school uniform, then struggle to carry it all home.

Loving this thread and seriously broody now . I only have two dds but have been pregnant nine times (not very good at STAYING pregnant). Does that count? Even with two I have no control over socks and regularly do a head count before going anywhere...
[wanders off wondering how to talk dh into having at least one more...]

DC1 dressed in blue
DC2 dressed in red
DC3 dressed in green or yellow - when they were small (3 under 3)
DC4 dressed in pink
DC5 - still a wee tot

Need to buy milk - 24 pints twice a week
Washing machine on at least once every day
Could win a speed record for ironing :)
Forgetting which one of them has told you something - or worse who you told to do something!
Difficult to discover who the culprit is

when people say 'are they all yours'
when you make the local empty park look and sound busy
when you have to head count when out

Oohh the triple bed links are fabulous on this thread. We are just about to get one!

Dc8 due in November.

I frequently find myself head counting when we are out. I have been in blind panic before now when i can't find one only to realise it is strapped in to the buggy!

Washing is my nemesis, 3 loads a day at least or i drown the next day.

Lunchboxes are a conveyor belt. Ds5 is about to start school so that will be 7 lunchboxes (inc DH) lined up in the morning!

Friends bring children over to play and joke that i would probably never notice one more. They are almost certainly right

Great thread. Nice to know there are others like dh and i.

Itsnotunusual You win the prize for spanning 4 decades. I would love to offer you your but in your condition it is a and a large pack of s

Did someone say triple bed!

I have a lovely white wooden one with a double at the bottom. DS3 looks like a little pea in it but we got it so DS4 could join him in a few months.

But now DS2 is moving into DS1's empty room so we dont really need it.

BUT it takes up less room than the two singles did so ho hum.

Can we do 'the most children in the least time' please ?

Starter for 10: I had 4 in 7 years - I am sure I won't 'win', but it's a start.
Over to you!

My eldest was 7 when number 5 was born!
< steals prize from

When you are ushering, herding random little girls along with you (during school, nursery runs) thinking they are one of your own daughters .

When you and dh both want to take the youngest to hospital on gp's advice. Then I win and get to take him all by myself, bliss.

Couple time together is when you get 3 children babysat for the day because dc4 is getting an operation at day surgery.

When you think that having only one child to look after is as good as having no children to look after (well just about )

Oh I have another!
When your family is the rent a crowd.
We have lots of friends with 1 young dc so for their first few birthday parties our lot always get invited as they don't know any other dc yet. Its all adults and then we arrive and instant party!
When you can play team sports in the garden amongst yourselves.

... when you give them some broth without any bread,
and whip them all soundly and send them to bed

... oh, and you live in a shoe

Umm i had twins in 98, dd1 in 2000, ds3 in 2002, ds4 in 2005, ds5 in 2007, dd2 in 2009 and ds6 is due in 20011.

So 2 under 1, 3 under 3, 4 under 5, 5 under 7, 6 under 9, 7 under 10 and it will be 8 under 13.

No wonder i am so fecking tired.

i have 4 and people are used to seeing me with

Ds3 who is 6 but looks about 3 and

Dd who is 8 and looks about 6

But then see me some days with

Ds1 17 looks about 18
ds2 14 but can pass for 17 or so and they do the face when i say yes they are mine to .

and even more of a when they suddernely realise Im in a wheelchair and I am out with them on my own either with ds1 and ds2 , or ds3 and dd or all of them

I love having a big family and would not swap it

largeginandtonic - Still on the ball with maths though

Snap pacific all four in seven years!

Ds1 and 2 are 14 months apart, then four and a bit years till dd1. Then 15 months till my precious last born and he is growing too quick for my liking.

We needed a gap in the middle with ds1 having downs syndrome, he didn't walk till he was 2 and half and was still in nappies in reception. I was lucky enough to have time on my side!

When people ask how I cope I think of my friend who has 8 like you largeg&t and feel like I'm cheating! I would love more but dh he says nooooooo!

Are you laughing at me... that is right isn't it?

The 'are they all yours' as you walk round Sainsbo's doing a shop. 'No, thought i would borrow a few on this fun trip to make it even more fun'. Honestly people are MAD.

Well that's answered my should we go for number three question quite well. Thanks. But you all seem very happy in the midst of chaos.

These are all so true ... when you go through a washing machine a year (told they aren't designed for 3 loads a day...), when your saucepans have to be hung up or left out as too big to go in a cupboard (and you hear friend of DC saying to another friend "you should see the size of their saucepans" ). When you have 3 entire dinner sets. When towels and socks are colour coded, dd1 =red,dd2=green etc etc, when you even colour code the xmas wrapping coz there's to much to write labels on. When you hate the quiet and sniff their pillows when they're at Uni. When you have to 'break in' the new boyfriends of the older dd's with just a few dc's at a time, they can't keep track of the conversations crossing over... we have 6, first 4 in three and a half years. I love being a mum, wanders of to smell sweaty sleepy heads, ah.....

I think once you get to 4 it doesn't really get much harder. There is more washing and time demanded of you but you are already limited in what you do.

Stress is all relative anyway. You get used to what you have and that becomes your bench mark. I always a have a quick flap when i am about to have another baby, will i cope with one more etc... You just up the gin.

large your maths is great I checked. not sure when 20011 is though

My mum was 1 of 7 and loved it. I bet your DC's love having constant companions. Whats even lovlier is the first were twins so none of you children have ever been alone.

Not laughing at you G&T ( except for "You just up the gin"! )
I'm just overly liberal with my fondness for emoticons
.... they are cheaper and less trouble than children !

They are (mostly) lovely to each other. One of the twins is besotted with his little, little sister. She adores him too. It is SO sweet. She say's he is her favourite brother

They all occupy each other, fighting included. When it is just 2 or 3 they miss the others and the house is FAR too quiet. I really struggle to cook for just a few too

Dh and i will be vast in our old age as i continue to cook for 5000 long after they have all left home. Bring on the Grandchildren!

i had 3 under 3 and tease dh about 4 under 4.
i don't know anyone from big families (bigger than 3) who have anything positive to say about it

When your eldest two boys leave home, and it feels so quiet with only 3 kids.
Oh, wait - that's not when I know I've had enough, that's when I want just-one-more!

Oh - also almost a kid in every decade - had 2 kids in my 20's, 2 in my 30's and 1 in my 40's (wanted two, but had two miscarriages). However, didn't manage what unusual did. Mine were born in the 90's, one in 2000 and 1 in 2008.

And for the record, having a baby in my forties wasn't very different from having one in my 30's.