If you made a deliberate decision to have MORE than 2 children, why was this?

[kitkatsforbreakfast]

Just nosey curiosity really. I was slightly perturbed to read some of the comments about why people stopped at 2 children. Most I could understand, but some...

Anyway, we have 3 dc. All loved, all given plenty of attention, I manage to have a career and a life (OK the career took a while to get back on track, but we're there now). Middle child definitely not got a syndrome, the only girl definitely not left out. All in all, it's great. I'm so glad I have 3. If finances permitted I would have another.

I love having a bigger family. I love being out-numbered by the children. I love a brood around the kitchen table.

Anyone else have more than 2 and really love it?

Dh wanted a big family as he grew up with lots of cousins and loved it, ours won't have any cousins so he was thinking of the next generation.

Both self and DH are one of three, so it seemed like the norm. I'll be stopping after this one is born (expecting no 3). we both had v happy childhoods, and our reasons for having three are much the same as yours, OP.

I have 4 so far, dd4 was bit of a surprise pregnancy as dd3 was only 5 months old when we found out, however we had always planned to have at least 4.

Dp is one of four and I'm one of 3 (although my parents have fostered lots of children) so we are used to busy larger families.

I knew I definitely didn't want 2. I am the eldest of 2 and my mother has made no secret of the fact that the sun shines out of my brother's backside At a very early age I realised that in a family with 2 children where one child is the favourite the other is very definitely the unfavourite.

The really frustrating thing was that my mother was the eldest of 2 and her mother had done exactly the same thing to her.

My very skewed thinking was that in a family of 3 or 4, one favourite would leave 2 or 3 who weren't, so it wouldn't be so bad.

Also we had big problems with precious brother about 20 years ago and it would have been nice to have had another sibling to share the burden.

We ended up with 5 (and they all think that one of the others is the favourite)

Two always seemed too neat, tidy (I have a DS and a DD both born in September but two years apart and due a DC in October with almost the same gap) and easy. Maybe I would have stopped if I'd had two boys... I love the idea of a boisterous crowd. Conversely, I loved being one of three because it gave you space to yourself if you needed it .

I read on here someone saying that a family of four was a square and five was a circle. I think if we had stuck at two then DS and me would be one side of the square and DD adn DH would be the other side but there's much less chance of that now.

Ultimatly though, I always think on these sorts of threads that there is never a rational reason to have any children if ou weighed it up coldly. I really just knew that I would never get rid of that ache to have three and because I had DD when I was 27 I didn't want to still be able to complete the family ten years later and have a massive gap.

4 is a square and 5 is a circle? I like that.

I have 3 at the mo and are trying for no 4. Because:

a. I love babies.
b. I love the idea of our long dining table filled with offspring. We bought a very long, oak wooden dining table pre-DD1. And I kept thinking of Psalm 128: "Your children will be like olive shoots around your table". My goal is to fill up the seats!
c. 2 is a bit blah. Too neat, too suburban adverty perfect.
d. I love huge family gatherings with dozens of children causing chaos.
e. I love babies.

I have four. I was an only child until I was 16 (!!!!) and much as I adore my brother I did grow up feeling lonely at times for the lack of a sibling.

my DH and I wanted our children close together, and had three with only 13 m between each of them, then a 3 year gap before no 4 arrived.

I love it. It was hard work when they were tiny, but now, they are 18,17,16 and 13 (two boys two girls) and my home is full of fun, company, music, guitar amps, bickering, humour,boyfriends and girlfriends, exam stresses, and LIFE.

Four totally different personalities that fill my small home and fill our lives. I actually feel a little sorry for those who have the standard two children as they will never know how much more fun it is with a big family.

Yes we are broke..always, and now they are teens I am permanently taxi-mum, BUT.. seeing the way the children have developed in their relationships with each other, how much they are a team.. I would never have had it any other way.

I'm going camping with all four tomorrow... along with assorted boyfriends etc, and we will have a great time. I'm sure they enjoy 'simpler' pleasures like camping because they have each other, and actively enjoy each other's company

I think bigger families are so much fun, and you don't have to be wealthy( we certainly aren't) to 'afford' them.. just practical, and creative!

I am so happy to read this thread! I have two (DD2 only 7 months!) and would love to have more but have been feeling a little scared and been questioning this due to the recent threads on here. I don't care about a little chaos - Macforme, your description of family life is EXACTLY what I was hoping for!