Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

What is your ideal number of children, and what would the age gaps be??

49 replies

slinging · 26/09/2009 13:16

Funny as I live surrounded by families of 2 children, yet teach in a very middle class area full of families with at least 3 children. Keen to hear your thoughts!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LittleSilver · 06/10/2009 20:43

Just to comment on the 3 child family, i go to very middle class evangelical church and we have A LOT of 3 and 4 child families. In fact someone asked me on Sunday if it wasn't time for me to produce another

littlemisslozza · 06/10/2009 20:55

I'd love 3, possibly four. Got two DSs with 23 months between them, great gap (at least so far...). Hoping to have DC3 when DS2 is around 2.5 but having had a mc in the past I know these things can't always be planned. Fingers crossed!

onemoretimetoday · 10/10/2009 13:45

3 is perfect for us and the idea of an 18 month - 2.5 year gap brings me out in a cold sweat. There are 3.5 years between #1 and #2 which is perfect, big enough to not have 2 babies and small enough for them to play together. I will have 4 years between #2 and #3 and I think that will work too.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting

nickelbabe · 10/10/2009 14:00

i seem to be following the trend by wanting 3 with 2.5 years inbetween.
i might be biased because that's what my own family was: 3 girls and i'm the middle one.
my big sister started school just after my little sis was born which sounds ideal to me (although i think i'd like to give birth after the eldest had started school: ooh, which it would now because of reception! perfect!)

Fajitas · 10/10/2009 14:02

I thought I wanted 2. Then I got pregnant. If forced to choose now, I'd stick at one. The first trimester hasn't been a barrel of laughs.

TabithaTwitchet · 10/10/2009 14:11

I originally wanted 4, with 2 year age gaps. We have been failing to conceive number 2 for months (DD is now nearly 2)

I now think that stopping at 2 feels right, and feeling much more positive about a bigger age gap of around 3 or 4 years, or maybe more.

Maybe when (if!) I eventually have 2, I'll feel like having more, but at the moment 2 seems like the perfect number.

WoTmania · 10/10/2009 14:12

I wanted at least 3 (would love 4) and have 3. DH says thats' it.

Concordia · 11/10/2009 21:02

if DH and i were both ten years younger (and DH actually enjoyed under 3s which he doesn't, and i was healthy which i'm not, and we were rich, which we're not) i think i would like 3 children with a 2.5-4 year gap between each
as it is we have 2 with a 2.3 year gap, we had intended a smaller gap than this but in fact i think i would have sunk with a smaller gap.
I would like the youngest child to be in pre-school at 2.5 before the next baby is born if poss, for my own sanity and a bit of time off, as we have no family support.

2babyblues · 12/10/2009 14:49

I have always wanted three. I now have two boys with a 2 yr 7mth gap. Even though it is a reasonable sized gap I found that my youngest got no attention for the first year as my oldest was so demanding! I felt guilty all the time!! My youngest is now 2.5 and am really broody but I would wait to have a 4 year age gap this time I think. Though we haven't completely decided whether we will or won't due to money etc.

EldonAve · 12/10/2009 14:52

I originally wanted 4, with 2 year age gaps

But now I have 2 I don't think I could cope with 4 so we might aim for 3

Tortington · 12/10/2009 14:56

Carikube · 12/10/2009 15:02

I'm not entirely sure how many I want but as I am 36 I may not have too much say in the matter. We have 1 dd (6 mo) and am pg with dc2 so there will be a 14 month age gap. DH would be happy to stop there but has said he knows I'd probably want a third but we might have a slightly bigger gap between dc2 and dc3....

NightShoe · 12/10/2009 20:21

1 for me, although I would have settled for twins I have no desire to do the whole baby stage again.

WoTmania · 13/10/2009 08:21

oh and as far as ggaps go we have 17mo and 20 mo gaps. I wanted a bigger gap between DS2 and DD but nature had other ideas.

sarah293 · 13/10/2009 08:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

girlsyearapart · 13/10/2009 08:30

Would like 4.

Have two girls who have just turned 1 and 2.

We are trying for number 3.

If that all goes well I don't want to wait too long till we try for 4th.

Don't want any after I'm 35 so got 5 years in which to produce the next 2..

mamalovesmojitos · 13/10/2009 08:33

never really thought about it tbh. quite happy with my one! although i am single so if i did settle down with someone maybe i'd change my mind. no more than two though, i don't think i could spread myself and my finances effectively with any more than that.

Rosie29 · 13/10/2009 09:26

I have 3, 5,3,8 months.
Would love one more asap!
And perhaps sneak in no.5 once the others are older and I have a broody crisis in about 10 years time!

BarbieLovesKen · 13/10/2009 10:33

Oh like this thread! DH and I have been having lots of chats about this lately.

Ideally, I would love 4, with a possible fifth - thats fine to say now as we only have 1 dd and due our little boy in January but things could very well change when I realise how hard it may be!!.

DH appears to want 3 and then a we'll see..

I would have loved approx 2.5 year gap but dd will be 4 and 4 months when ds is born - oh well!

fairybubbles · 16/10/2009 16:38

We have one DS who is 2.5yrs, would like to try for another when DS is 3.5, but if happens earlier that's fine! Ideally would love 2 DC but if we had bit more money 3 would be nice.

Pinkjenny · 16/10/2009 16:41

I would like 3. Am currently pg with ds and the gap betweem him and dd will be 2.7yo. I am reserving judgement to see if ds is any better at sleeping than his big sister.

If not, no more.

tostaky · 19/10/2009 22:51

We are planning 3 DCS with small age gap. Probably hard work though... currently 4 months pregnant with 11 months DS

bosch · 19/10/2009 22:58

I wanted 3 and I got 3. 22 months between ds1 and ds2; 3 yrs 3 months between ds2 and ds3.

Only now that ds3 is 3 I wonder when I am going to get my contraceptive failure and get pg with baby no 4?!?!

Bensmum76 · 20/10/2009 06:46

I always envisioned myself with three or more children with about 2/3 gaps between each. At the moment we have our DS almost two and were trying to conceive up until a week ago when it hit me that in reality I just couldn't go through it all again. Although DS was an 'easy' baby I still struggled and think I would again with another baby. In an idea world I would have my three babies but in reality we're sticking to one for now!!

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread