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Parenting

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Original poster

Is six children too many ?

594 replies

mozhe · 21/05/2007 17:09

Someone,( a colleague..but I do not know them well ), just stopped me in the corridor at work...noticing I was pregnant they asked me if it was my first, when I told them ,' no, it's my 6th '...they said,' six is too many ', and strod off....Is six too many ?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

SueBaroo · 21/05/2007 21:51

divastrop, I've always thought that about it making no real difference after two.

foxcub · 21/05/2007 21:53

Diva: 'havent you got a telly?'

I hope you answered "yes, we have 5 tellies!"

Loshad · 21/05/2007 21:55

If one thought that the desire to have another child was based on your body's natural yearnings to spend more time with it's existing offspring then yes, if not then no 6 is cool.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting

divastrop · 21/05/2007 21:56

no,i answered 'i have sky,thats the problem'

Twinmummyx2 · 21/05/2007 22:05

Some people can cope with 10...some people can't cope with 1!!! so it depends on you, your dh..and your children.

I just can't imagine working and having all them children though!!!!

I have 8 children. But couldn't imagine working aswell, are you going to have a career break now?? I wouldn't be able to cope with individual attention, homework help, after-school activities if i worked.

But it is lovely having lots of children, there is always someone to play with (and fight with)..lol

All mine have their own beds, but DT's choose to share a bed at this moment in time!

Original poster

mozhe · 21/05/2007 23:28

I was interested I suppose in how people decided they had enough children....not sure I've worked it out yet for myself,( though nature herself may very well do so for me...I'm 44 ),it's interesting seeing the different ways people arrive,( or don't...like me ), at such a decision.

OP posts:

MarsLady · 21/05/2007 23:46

No!

WotzanameOoohhhjarmaflip · 21/05/2007 23:47

tell em Mars...

LongDistanceClara · 21/05/2007 23:54

Having another one, Mars?

UCM · 21/05/2007 23:54

I would love to have more children but I simply can't afford to. I am 38. DH is 54. We have 2 under 5.

The reason behind this, is because it's going to cost us 1200 pounds every 4 weeks for our children to be looked after by a very nice lady.

Also DH says, thats it, stop. He doesn't want to not be around for their 21st birthdays.

Now, he can stay at home if he so wishes. He doesn't.

What on earth do you do with that Mozhe.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 22/05/2007 00:11

I don't know in your particular case, Mozhe, but "in general" I'd say 6 is too many. Dad is one of 12. Neither of them have more than 2, most have 1 child.

expatinscotland · 22/05/2007 00:17

Who's business is it besides the parents in question?

CristinaTheAstonishing · 22/05/2007 00:18

No-one's but since she asked...

Sakura · 22/05/2007 01:00

I live in a country (Japan) where no-one has more than one or two. A foreign friend of mine here has six. I love meeting up with her and hearing little titbits about her life, little stories of the things her sons has done. She is the most interesting, funny, down to earth person I know. Her last child is my DDs age (8 months) and her first is 14. I donT know what I want to say here, but probably that six isn`t too many.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 22/05/2007 01:15

yes.

kittyhas6 · 22/05/2007 07:09

Why?

nogoes · 22/05/2007 08:34

I think it can also depend on how spaced out the ages are. My grandmother had 8 children and there is 25 years between my mum (the eldest) and her youngest brother, there is an average age gap of about 3.5 years between them so they always had plenty of attention as little ones and not too much conflict.

MarsLady · 22/05/2007 11:18

LOL! No. No plans for more. I just think that anyone who has more than me deserves a big

I honestly don't think that 6 is too much. Some of us were meant for large families and were blessed enough to have them and others weren't (meant to have them I mean. They're blessed with the few/one that they have).

I love having 5 children. I felt that I had reached my stop when I got to 5 (esp as 4 and 5 were DTs).

DD1 will probably only have 1 or 2 children judging by the way that she talks. DS1 will probably have a large brood if he gets his choice.

Folks and strokes.

Me..........? I love the fact that I have 5. So Mozhe.....is 6 too many? An emphatic NO!!!!!!!!!

WotzanameOoohhhjarmaflip · 22/05/2007 11:35

If I was younger when I started my family, I would have had lots and lots and lots of them.

Lazycow · 22/05/2007 11:58

I think 6 children is definitely too many if you are a SAHM without any help or a WOHM without the means to pay for more than one carer. Otherwise - why not ask your family (i.e the other children) instead of us?. You will probably find that some of the kids like being one of so many and some hate it.

If you want to make the best decision for your whole family them maybe a consultation with them is in order. I'm always amazed when people have so many children without actually taking into account the other members of the family and their needs/desires just because the mother and/or father want to have more.

So in answer to the OP I think it varies. My personal cutoff point is probably 7 in terms of a family ending and a hoard beginning but that is just me!

lilmamma · 22/05/2007 11:59

I think if you are not looking after them,does it matter how many you have.Also at 44 by the time your child is 18 you will be 62,I dont think thats fair on a child either. Im 44 and my mum is 64,and we have so much in common,couldnt see what a 18 year old would have in common with a pensioner..each to their own i suppose..

PregnantGrrrl · 22/05/2007 12:15

it's only too many if you can't feed / clothe / keep an eye on them. Bugger everyone else's opinion. Perhaps she was just jealous? (Or plain rude)

kittyhas6 · 22/05/2007 13:20

Well, I'm a far better mother of 6 than I ever was of 1, 2 or 3 for so many different reasons. So the children reap enormous benefits too.

Sakura · 22/05/2007 14:32

lillmama, My friend with six kids had her last baby recently, and shes in her forties (not sure how old). I dont think her daughter is going to care that her mother is in her sixties when shes 20. First of all, this woman is more energetic than me (Im 26). Seriously, she did a 12 hour flight by herself with her baby when she was 6 weeks old . I was too tired to take the baby for a stroll at 6 weeks. Secondly, it doesnt matter at all whether or not mums and daughters have anything in common with each other- thats what we have friends for. Mums are supposed to be old-fashioned and boring and embarrasing to their teenagers- it doesnt matter if there is 20 or 40 years different in age, that is the way it should be.

divastrop · 22/05/2007 16:24

i had my first at 20 and my second at 21,and i think i was too young then tbh.well,maybe not young,but immature.

but i think im doing ok with 5 considering no.5 was the first child i planned on having.

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