What's it like having 3 kids?

[tvhearts]

Can't seem to shake this idea of my third baby but almost everyone I speak to tries to put me off!! Some positive stories please!! Xx

I have 3.
Wonderful young adults now of whom I am very proud.
It's had its challenges over the years, although I have to say my first dc was by far and away the biggest challenge by a country mile - the other two slotted in, so I would highly recommend having 3 myself.

Of course, the 'What's it like having 3 kids' as a question, will be different to each person with 3 kids.

Hard work but a lot of fun! Mine are 5, 2.11 and nearly 1, so we're still in the thick of it, but I wouldn't change it. Maybe bigger age gaps though…baby and toddler has been tough this time.

Busy, noisy, expensive.....but I absolutely love it. The jump from one to two was much harder than the jump from two to three, but it was certainly full-on when they were little - I had three under-four at one point.

Now they are all teenagers, the house is never quiet and there's a great dynamic between the three of them.

I've got three. My advice would be to go for it as what got me was everyone I spoke to who had considered three and didn't do it regrets it down the line. When you are done you know you are done! I know now and if was honestly the best decision ever. Mine are 6,4 and 2 and you are such a pro by the third that I still say the change from having none to one is the worst!

6y, 4y & 3m here. I too had this niggling feeling about #3 to the point where I nearly had a breakdown because DH was adamant 2 was enough. We both agree that DC3 has completed our family & we're so glad we went for it!

We had several people try to put us off, including some friends we were catching up with when we knew I was pregnant but weren't telling anyone. They'd had their 3rd since we'd last seen them & were clearly still adjusting. I'm so glad we didn't listen to anyone though because, aside from the occasional not-enough-hands moments, we've all settled in surprisingly easily. It's been a smoother transition than from 1 to 2.

Do it!

Sometimes I love it, sometimes it is a real struggle. I found it easier when they were little really as I did not work very much until ds3 was 3. Now they are 11, 9 and 7 it is hard work with three times the homework, three times the clubs, and three times the issues! And I work nearly full time. However I would not change it and I would still choose to have three if I had my time again.

Mine are now 22, 20 and 12, and it's been great, age gap and all! Go for it. Whatever your experience , I can almost guarantee you won't regret it.

It's like trying to ski uphill backwards and blind-folded 🙈

I read the numerous threads on 3rd babies on MN before I had dc3.

I ignored the warnings about cars and holidays but it’s true our ‘technically fits 5’ car is too small to fit us all comfortably and it means we can’t have anyone else in the car which is a pain eg grandparents and friends, also holidays are so insanely expensive and assume we want 2 rooms, as if we want one adult with one dc and the other with 2dc!

But it’s as if life had no meaning before dc3 cane along!

I have 3: 6, 4 and 2 and it's fine. The jump from no kids to 1 was the hardest, followed by the jump from 1 to 2. the jump from 2 to 3 was not that significant really - I was already outnumbered. and they play nicely together now (well, most of the time) so I can actually get some other stuff done.

I just felt after DC2 that i'd would do it again and that one was missing. inexplicable really. logic told me to stick at two: I had one of each and my career had survived. why risk it? but i'm glad I did.

I too read all the threads saying that having 3 was really hard but I don't really get it. it is hard but not that much harder than having 2. that said, I think that if I went for a 4th, i'd probably have a nervous breakdown. I think 3 is the right number for me!

It’s the best thing ever. Ours are 7, 4 and 1. They are (for now) unbelievably close and the house is full of fun. Lucky for us, they are all very laid back and play nicely together so it’s much easier than it could have been. I’d agree with PP that 1-2 was much harder than 2-3!

Ahh wow!! 😍 thanks for all your lovely replies, really thinking I just want to go for it as this feeling won't go away 🙈

I'm like you @angstybaby, have one of each and think it would be logical/sensible to stick at 2 but feel like there is another little baby out there for me yet xx

@uhoh2016 😂😂😂

We have 91/2, 5 and baby. It's the older 2 that stress me out with their constant bickering, fighting and not listening. God knows what it will be like when baby is bigger.

17 yr old son and two daughters 14 and 11. I wouldn't change it but would of liked to have more. There is a lovely relationship amongst them now although they bickered a lot when they were younger as very different personalities.

As someone else said change from 1 to 2 children was much more life changing than 2 to 3.

15. 12. 6. Boy. Boy. Girl. It's fab but... it's very expensive to travel anywhere as you're too many for a family room... it's hard to keep the different interests satisfied... it's a juggling act for discipline as youngest thinks they are as grown up as eldest and should get the same freedoms. The car thing is real as well... oh and ensure you have at least two who will eat what you eat. More than one fussy eater will be murder.

But it's also wonderful. They care for each other up and downwards. They are friendly but not the eldest two so much. They bring joy to our lives but also to those of our extended families. We can loan one out to grandparents and still travel as a four.

You have to buy a mini van. We have tried with a station wagon and it Does. Not. Work.

(Mum to three, 8, 5 and 2)

(Other than that its GREAT. Our third child is wonderful. But we wouldn't cope with all three children and our dual careers unless DH and I had help. We buy help from a nanny. It has been essential to our sanity.

For me, the jump from 2 to 3 was a lot harder than the jump from 1 to 2. Probably because DC3 was a terrible sleeper (by far the worst of the 3) and a very active, determined toddler. (He’s lovely now though!)

I think three is a lot harder than two as they grow up too. For example, all three of mine have now been referred to the orthodontist (teeth aren’t a genetic strength in our family!). So there’s the hassle of getting away from work/school to fit in appointments (they’re on different schedules so you can’t do all three in one go like you can with the dentist), and the expense of course, multiplied by three rather than two.

They all love sport, which is great, but it means we have to fit in three lots of football matches, swimming galas etc at weekends.

I don’t regret it because they’re all lovely kids. But my life is definitely harder than if I’d stopped at two.

Hard. I love them but. There's always one left out. The bickering the squabbling. The noise the chaos the mess. The being split 3 ways and it never being good enough.
My aunt (one of three) always told me your should have 2 or 4. She was right I think.