Why do people with demanding jobs choose to have 3+ kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they only people who CHOOSE to have a 3rd child are SAHMs to fill their void.

I don’t think working moms choose to have a child, it’s mostly an accident.

Speaking of that, I’m definitely seeing a lot of quarantine babies. I guess many people didn’t just bake bread for fun during lockdown.

Well I am having my 3rd on purpose despite two demanding jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they only people who CHOOSE to have a 3rd child are SAHMs to fill their void.

I don’t think working moms choose to have a child, it’s mostly an accident.

Speaking of that, I’m definitely seeing a lot of quarantine babies. I guess many people didn’t just bake bread for fun during lockdown.

The bolded is pretty funny. So are all their children accidents or only the 3rd one? What's so special about the number 3 that triggers this much rigidity in you?

Dcum world seems to have a weird fascination with 3 children. They aren’t as rabid about 4+. It’s very odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People make snarky comments about having 3+ all the time but it’s been a life saver for these kids to have each other during the pandemic. They haven’t been lonely and still get tons of play. So we’re quite happy with having gone with more than the norm

YES. I have three (and a fourth on the way) and I say all the time that lacking any one of them would have made this much much harder. The oldest is old enough to loosely supervise the younger two when I'm in a different part of the house, the middle bridges the gap because the oldest and youngest are awfully far apart to play together, and the youngest entertains the middle when the oldest is doing schoolwork or reading a book. It's worked out beautifully, and having three is really honestly easier than having any two of them. So of course we're doing it again.

It’s easy as your oldest is a free bsbysitter. Not their job, it’s yours. Hire help.

And this is the most DC response on here. "Children need looking after? Don't encumber the little prince and princesses of the family! Hire (assumingly cheap and minority labor) to ensure that children of the family learn zero responsibility and start their wealth and privilege in life early on. Family work is the mother's job....but hire out if you need help. Never look to the family structure itself"

So much wrong here.

Nice try! I’m a Latina and agree with her.

And I am Latina and I think that we both know that there is a ton of inequities among Hispanics. This is not a racial issue, but a socioeconomic one, which is always on display in DCUM. The statement above could just as easily apply to wealthy Hispanic families as white.

I should’ve specified that I’m a first born Latina(not Hispanic though) and resent the way I was treated. I was born MC, if it matters.

Still don't find it to be relevant to the quote above above. If you resent how you were treated, it sounds like a personal, family issue. And it is still reasonable to assume that older children can babysit younger children without having to hire help regardless of background. No one is suggesting child abuse, and, no, regular household responsibilities are not overly burdensome to children. The idea that you must HIRE HELP for minor household chores is just silly.

No, it’s wrong to use your older children regardless of background.

And this is why so many children grow up helpless. Parents like you think they shouldn’t do anything because they’re so precious. Then they end up divorced because their spouses got tired of the helplessness. I had my children in my 40’s and the reason I was able to take care of them in a foreign country with no family help was because I had babysat my siblings and nieces. Babysitting is a valuable tool for future parents and probably a good form of birth control. Babysitting and other chores are part of a child’s education. I left my home country in my 20’s. Without that education, I would never have managed living on my own. No-one wants to marry your useless, helpless child, no matter how amazing you think he/she is. Teach them some responsibility. It’s your job as a parent.

You REALLY missed the point.

Not really.

Yes, really.

You’re confused.

You’re a slave driver.

Calling this slavery is deeply offensive. My ancestors were slaves. Expecting my children to do chores is not even close to that. Watch yourself!

If the kid is being forced to do YOUR job for no pay(specially when the other kids aren’t), what should I call it? Serious question, I’ll gladly use a politically correct word, but it’s not “chore”. I apologize for the bad word, but yours is too light.

According to your logic, children shouldn’t do any chores. If my spouse and I buy a house, they shouldn’t have to do chores because they didn’t buy the house. If we buy a car, they don’t have to clean it because they didn’t buy it. If we buy their clothes, they don’t have to do laundry. Are we forcing these tasks on them too because we aren’t paying them? How do they differ from babysitting? You can call babysitting whatever you like, but there’s nothing wrong with asking older siblings to help with taking care of the younger ones as long as they’re not substituting for the parents. It’s a life skill. It teaches empathy, child rearing, and responsibility. So many new parents struggle to take of children because they have no previous experience.

A PP already explained this.

P.s.: do your younger children have EXTRA chores too. Some of you seem obsessed with “preparing” first born kids only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to your logic, children shouldn’t do any chores. If my spouse and I buy a house, they shouldn’t have to do chores because they didn’t buy the house. If we buy a car, they don’t have to clean it because they didn’t buy it. If we buy their clothes, they don’t have to do laundry. Are we forcing these tasks on them too because we aren’t paying them? How do they differ from babysitting? You can call babysitting whatever you like, but there’s nothing wrong with asking older siblings to help with taking care of the younger ones as long as they’re not substituting for the parents. It’s a life skill. It teaches empathy, child rearing, and responsibility. So many new parents struggle to take of children because they have no previous experience.

A PP already explained this.

P.s.: do your younger children have EXTRA chores too. Some of you seem obsessed with “preparing” first born kids only.

Me again. “Do your younger children have EXTRA chores too ???”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I used to have a very demanding job and was on the road for over half of the time. I was concerned about having kids with a demanding career, so I crowdsourced feedback on another forum from adults who had parents who had jobs that often kept them from their children. I received comments from around 40 people and nearly all of them said it was the quality of time (being present, not distracted with work calls etc) and not the quality of time that mattered. Some people had a parent who was home all of the time but not a good parent and their relationship today is non existent. Thankfully now my career is more manageable but still can be busy at times so I always on quality over quantity of time.

Quantity without quality is bad, but quality without quantity is also bad. I agree with a PP who said you’re not going to be able to emotionally connect with your kids during Sunday brunch. You have to do some of the physical grunt work too. The morning and evening routines, thinking about their needs and knowing the little details in their lives.

Case in point: SIL and BIL worked crazy hours until their kids were in ES. Only then did they realize their kids had autism (one severe) and so they’ve cut back a lot to spend more time with them. But it’s a little too late unfortunately.

Really nasty of you to accuse them of this.

That aside, I grew up with very hard working parents. Both my parents had very big careers and spent little (but lots of quality) time with us. My dad was his own boss and took longer vacations... so we had him for that... my mom had very little time off. I never EVER felt neglected. Compared with my friends (many with stay at home moms) I have the closest relationship with my mom. I speak/FaceTime with her 3-4 times a day, she spent the first 5-6 weeks with each of my 3 kids with me and always helped me a lot. My parents gave me more in terms of experiences, values, love and money than any of the friends I grew up with. We are very very close... We had several baby sitters and my mom had several cleaning ladies. It was a great experiences growing up that way... I knew that they were working so hard for US so that we could travel to Africa, US, other European countries, etc. I went to very expensive schools and my parents never said no to any experience or anything related to education (they said no to cellphones, cars, clothes plenty of time)... they always made me understand the value of money and I did nit grow up spoiled... they were amazing parents and they spent little time with us, but plenty of quality time...
Imagine that nowadays we vacation together every summer (for weeks/months) and my kids think of my mom as their second mom... I hope I will be half the parent my parents were and my kids will be lucky!

You were neglected as you had a fancy private school and babysitters/house keepers/staff to care for you. You clearly valued material things/school/travel over time. To say you hope to be half the parents your parents were is easy, just pay people.

Oh wow! I was most definitely NOT neglected! My mom (and in many ways my dad) knew me so well! Yes, they were not around all the time and they gave me a lot of freedom growing up. They knew they could trust me and they knew exactly how much I could handle. We spent weeks just the 4 of us on a sail boat or in a car/ tents while crossing the Sahara desert. We did amazing things... quality things... but yes, my mom rarely cooked for us (and she was/is nit good at it), she rarely took us to swim/fencing classes, she did not monitor how much tv I was watching or how much time I spent doing homework, but she was absolutely present. I never had issues... always did well in school, etc. my brother had a harder time in school and my mom found the best tutor to help him (he is now a very well respected surgeon.
We always talked a lot and she knew ME. I had the best care (cleaning me, feeding me, taking me to activities) with amazing nannies/aupairs from all over the world (who taught me a lot).
I had the best childhood full of love and adventures and so many people who loved me (including my parents)

I had a friend growing up whose mom chose to stay at home. By the time he was 15, he was making fun of her and calling her “stupid” because all she did was cleaning her house and buying produce... she did a very crappy job being “present” in his life and nowadays the mom has almost zero contact with her kids... what a waste of a life if you ask me...

If you ask me, it sounds like your mom failed in life big time bc she raised a pos like you.

Wow... I bet your mom would be proud of you bullying and insulting someone on an anonymous forum. Sorry you feel so threatened by other people’s experience to have to respond this way... I feel bad for your kids (if you have any)

We’re not talking about me idiot, but sure, continue to feel defensive and retort in pathetic cliches when you’re called out for your ugly remarks. Again, it’s clear that your parents have failed in raising a well adjusted human.

Your name calling is really classy.

DP- no point in acting all high and mighty when the initial comment was so arrogant and judgmental..”waste of a life,” really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they only people who CHOOSE to have a 3rd child are SAHMs to fill their void.

I don’t think working moms choose to have a child, it’s mostly an accident.

Speaking of that, I’m definitely seeing a lot of quarantine babies. I guess many people didn’t just bake bread for fun during lockdown.

The bolded is pretty funny. So are all their children accidents or only the 3rd one? What's so special about the number 3 that triggers this much rigidity in you?

Because no woman in the right mind who is trying to have a career would voluntarily have a third child. Because a child is a career derailment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to your logic, children shouldn’t do any chores. If my spouse and I buy a house, they shouldn’t have to do chores because they didn’t buy the house. If we buy a car, they don’t have to clean it because they didn’t buy it. If we buy their clothes, they don’t have to do laundry. Are we forcing these tasks on them too because we aren’t paying them? How do they differ from babysitting? You can call babysitting whatever you like, but there’s nothing wrong with asking older siblings to help with taking care of the younger ones as long as they’re not substituting for the parents. It’s a life skill. It teaches empathy, child rearing, and responsibility. So many new parents struggle to take of children because they have no previous experience.

A PP already explained this.

P.s.: do your younger children have EXTRA chores too. Some of you seem obsessed with “preparing” first born kids only.

Me again. “Do your younger children have EXTRA chores too ???”

It sounds like by EXTRA chores, you mean being thoughtful of other people in the home, and no, my youngest didn’t do this the way the older kids did. Youngest children are notoriously spoiled.

I have no idea how people with only one child keep from spoiling their children. I did spend a lot of 1:1 time with my youngest in the years before he started school, and we pretty much did whatever he wanted. If we were going to go to the zoo or the playground, and he wanted to go to the zoo, then we went there, and we walked around wherever he wanted to go. I fixed him whatever he wanted for lunch as long as we had it, and it was relatively easy. Fortunately, that was only a few hours a day for two years. I am not sure how a child would turn out if he had this his entire life. Probably, you would have to send an only child to some kind of group childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People make snarky comments about having 3+ all the time but it’s been a life saver for these kids to have each other during the pandemic. They haven’t been lonely and still get tons of play. So we’re quite happy with having gone with more than the norm

YES. I have three (and a fourth on the way) and I say all the time that lacking any one of them would have made this much much harder. The oldest is old enough to loosely supervise the younger two when I'm in a different part of the house, the middle bridges the gap because the oldest and youngest are awfully far apart to play together, and the youngest entertains the middle when the oldest is doing schoolwork or reading a book. It's worked out beautifully, and having three is really honestly easier than having any two of them. So of course we're doing it again.

It’s easy as your oldest is a free bsbysitter. Not their job, it’s yours. Hire help.

And this is the most DC response on here. "Children need looking after? Don't encumber the little prince and princesses of the family! Hire (assumingly cheap and minority labor) to ensure that children of the family learn zero responsibility and start their wealth and privilege in life early on. Family work is the mother's job....but hire out if you need help. Never look to the family structure itself"

So much wrong here.

Nice try! I’m a Latina and agree with her.

And I am Latina and I think that we both know that there is a ton of inequities among Hispanics. This is not a racial issue, but a socioeconomic one, which is always on display in DCUM. The statement above could just as easily apply to wealthy Hispanic families as white.

I should’ve specified that I’m a first born Latina(not Hispanic though) and resent the way I was treated. I was born MC, if it matters.

Still don't find it to be relevant to the quote above above. If you resent how you were treated, it sounds like a personal, family issue. And it is still reasonable to assume that older children can babysit younger children without having to hire help regardless of background. No one is suggesting child abuse, and, no, regular household responsibilities are not overly burdensome to children. The idea that you must HIRE HELP for minor household chores is just silly.

No, it’s wrong to use your older children regardless of background.

And this is why so many children grow up helpless. Parents like you think they shouldn’t do anything because they’re so precious. Then they end up divorced because their spouses got tired of the helplessness. I had my children in my 40’s and the reason I was able to take care of them in a foreign country with no family help was because I had babysat my siblings and nieces. Babysitting is a valuable tool for future parents and probably a good form of birth control. Babysitting and other chores are part of a child’s education. I left my home country in my 20’s. Without that education, I would never have managed living on my own. No-one wants to marry your useless, helpless child, no matter how amazing you think he/she is. Teach them some responsibility. It’s your job as a parent.

You REALLY missed the point.

Not really.

Yes, really.

You’re confused.

You’re a slave driver.

Calling this slavery is deeply offensive. My ancestors were slaves. Expecting my children to do chores is not even close to that. Watch yourself!

If the kid is being forced to do YOUR job for no pay(specially when the other kids aren’t), what should I call it? Serious question, I’ll gladly use a politically correct word, but it’s not “chore”. I apologize for the bad word, but yours is too light.

According to your logic, children shouldn’t do any chores. If my spouse and I buy a house, they shouldn’t have to do chores because they didn’t buy the house. If we buy a car, they don’t have to clean it because they didn’t buy it. If we buy their clothes, they don’t have to do laundry. Are we forcing these tasks on them too because we aren’t paying them? How do they differ from babysitting? You can call babysitting whatever you like, but there’s nothing wrong with asking older siblings to help with taking care of the younger ones as long as they’re not substituting for the parents. It’s a life skill. It teaches empathy, child rearing, and responsibility. So many new parents struggle to take of children because they have no previous experience.

A PP already explained this.

P.s.: do your younger children have EXTRA chores too. Some of you seem obsessed with “preparing” first born kids only.

I was the one who explained it. The PP above me seemed unable to grasp what I explained. Why would I only give the first-born chores? My children are given age-appropriate chores. This is what my mother did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they only people who CHOOSE to have a 3rd child are SAHMs to fill their void.

I don’t think working moms choose to have a child, it’s mostly an accident.

Speaking of that, I’m definitely seeing a lot of quarantine babies. I guess many people didn’t just bake bread for fun during lockdown.

The bolded is pretty funny. So are all their children accidents or only the 3rd one? What's so special about the number 3 that triggers this much rigidity in you?

Because no woman in the right mind who is trying to have a career would voluntarily have a third child. Because a child is a career derailment.

lol. Tell that to my friends who have 3+children: 2 engineers(one has 3 children, the other has 4), 1 cardiologist(she has 3 children). One of the engineers took a year off with her 3rd(the one who has 3). The cardiologist and the other engineer have never taken more than 3 months of maternity leave. Their careers are doing pretty good.

Perhaps this discussion is skewed because most of you are in biglaw. As for lawyers who manage 3 children okay, check out LagLiv's blog. I think she had her 3rd child after she left biglaw, but her career has not suffered one bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to your logic, children shouldn’t do any chores. If my spouse and I buy a house, they shouldn’t have to do chores because they didn’t buy the house. If we buy a car, they don’t have to clean it because they didn’t buy it. If we buy their clothes, they don’t have to do laundry. Are we forcing these tasks on them too because we aren’t paying them? How do they differ from babysitting? You can call babysitting whatever you like, but there’s nothing wrong with asking older siblings to help with taking care of the younger ones as long as they’re not substituting for the parents. It’s a life skill. It teaches empathy, child rearing, and responsibility. So many new parents struggle to take of children because they have no previous experience.

A PP already explained this.

P.s.: do your younger children have EXTRA chores too. Some of you seem obsessed with “preparing” first born kids only.

Me again. “Do your younger children have EXTRA chores too ???”

It sounds like by EXTRA chores, you mean being thoughtful of other people in the home, and no, my youngest didn’t do this the way the older kids did. Youngest children are notoriously spoiled.

I have no idea how people with only one child keep from spoiling their children. I did spend a lot of 1:1 time with my youngest in the years before he started school, and we pretty much did whatever he wanted. If we were going to go to the zoo or the playground, and he wanted to go to the zoo, then we went there, and we walked around wherever he wanted to go. I fixed him whatever he wanted for lunch as long as we had it, and it was relatively easy. Fortunately, that was only a few hours a day for two years. I am not sure how a child would turn out if he had this his entire life. Probably, you would have to send an only child to some kind of group childcare.

How is this spoiling a child? There’s nothing wrong with following a child’s lead. It’s not like you had to change your plans for your child. Tbh, PP you seem to think children are a nuisance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they only people who CHOOSE to have a 3rd child are SAHMs to fill their void.

I don’t think working moms choose to have a child, it’s mostly an accident.

Speaking of that, I’m definitely seeing a lot of quarantine babies. I guess many people didn’t just bake bread for fun during lockdown.

The bolded is pretty funny. So are all their children accidents or only the 3rd one? What's so special about the number 3 that triggers this much rigidity in you?

Because no woman in the right mind who is trying to have a career would voluntarily have a third child. Because a child is a career derailment.

A first or second child can also be a derailment, depending on your situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to your logic, children shouldn’t do any chores. If my spouse and I buy a house, they shouldn’t have to do chores because they didn’t buy the house. If we buy a car, they don’t have to clean it because they didn’t buy it. If we buy their clothes, they don’t have to do laundry. Are we forcing these tasks on them too because we aren’t paying them? How do they differ from babysitting? You can call babysitting whatever you like, but there’s nothing wrong with asking older siblings to help with taking care of the younger ones as long as they’re not substituting for the parents. It’s a life skill. It teaches empathy, child rearing, and responsibility. So many new parents struggle to take of children because they have no previous experience.

A PP already explained this.

P.s.: do your younger children have EXTRA chores too. Some of you seem obsessed with “preparing” first born kids only.

Me again. “Do your younger children have EXTRA chores too ???”

You’re a little obsessed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People make snarky comments about having 3+ all the time but it’s been a life saver for these kids to have each other during the pandemic. They haven’t been lonely and still get tons of play. So we’re quite happy with having gone with more than the norm

YES. I have three (and a fourth on the way) and I say all the time that lacking any one of them would have made this much much harder. The oldest is old enough to loosely supervise the younger two when I'm in a different part of the house, the middle bridges the gap because the oldest and youngest are awfully far apart to play together, and the youngest entertains the middle when the oldest is doing schoolwork or reading a book. It's worked out beautifully, and having three is really honestly easier than having any two of them. So of course we're doing it again.

It’s easy as your oldest is a free bsbysitter. Not their job, it’s yours. Hire help.

And this is the most DC response on here. "Children need looking after? Don't encumber the little prince and princesses of the family! Hire (assumingly cheap and minority labor) to ensure that children of the family learn zero responsibility and start their wealth and privilege in life early on. Family work is the mother's job....but hire out if you need help. Never look to the family structure itself"

So much wrong here.

Nice try! I’m a Latina and agree with her.

And I am Latina and I think that we both know that there is a ton of inequities among Hispanics. This is not a racial issue, but a socioeconomic one, which is always on display in DCUM. The statement above could just as easily apply to wealthy Hispanic families as white.

I should’ve specified that I’m a first born Latina(not Hispanic though) and resent the way I was treated. I was born MC, if it matters.

Still don't find it to be relevant to the quote above above. If you resent how you were treated, it sounds like a personal, family issue. And it is still reasonable to assume that older children can babysit younger children without having to hire help regardless of background. No one is suggesting child abuse, and, no, regular household responsibilities are not overly burdensome to children. The idea that you must HIRE HELP for minor household chores is just silly.

No, it’s wrong to use your older children regardless of background.

And this is why so many children grow up helpless. Parents like you think they shouldn’t do anything because they’re so precious. Then they end up divorced because their spouses got tired of the helplessness. I had my children in my 40’s and the reason I was able to take care of them in a foreign country with no family help was because I had babysat my siblings and nieces. Babysitting is a valuable tool for future parents and probably a good form of birth control. Babysitting and other chores are part of a child’s education. I left my home country in my 20’s. Without that education, I would never have managed living on my own. No-one wants to marry your useless, helpless child, no matter how amazing you think he/she is. Teach them some responsibility. It’s your job as a parent.

You REALLY missed the point.

Not really.

Yes, really.

You’re confused.

You’re a slave driver.

Calling this slavery is deeply offensive. My ancestors were slaves. Expecting my children to do chores is not even close to that. Watch yourself!

If the kid is being forced to do YOUR job for no pay(specially when the other kids aren’t), what should I call it? Serious question, I’ll gladly use a politically correct word, but it’s not “chore”. I apologize for the bad word, but yours is too light.

According to your logic, children shouldn’t do any chores. If my spouse and I buy a house, they shouldn’t have to do chores because they didn’t buy the house. If we buy a car, they don’t have to clean it because they didn’t buy it. If we buy their clothes, they don’t have to do laundry. Are we forcing these tasks on them too because we aren’t paying them? How do they differ from babysitting? You can call babysitting whatever you like, but there’s nothing wrong with asking older siblings to help with taking care of the younger ones as long as they’re not substituting for the parents. It’s a life skill. It teaches empathy, child rearing, and responsibility. So many new parents struggle to take of children because they have no previous experience.

A PP already explained this.

P.s.: do your younger children have EXTRA chores too. Some of you seem obsessed with “preparing” first born kids only.

I was the one who explained it. The PP above me seemed unable to grasp what I explained. Why would I only give the first-born chores? My children are given age-appropriate chores. This is what my mother did.

Different PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: do you guys who are anti-older sisters supervising think it’s okay to ask your kids to fold laundry? Weed the yard? Set the table? Where’s the line between “things we do because we’re members of the family and the family needs this to be done” and “no, that’s the parent’s job”? Bodily fluids seem like the second case, except in extenuating circumstances...

I give my kids chores because they are the reason that those chores are necessary. The reason we have to set the table and do dishes is in part because they are eating. The reason we have to fold towels is because they use towels. I want them to understand that living requires work, and work is satisfying. I don't give them chores because I'm relying on them (in fact it would be so much easier for me to just do it all myself).

I do sometimes have my older child (a girl) babysit my younger one, but since childcare isn't part of maintaining a household in the same way other chores are, I pay her for it, and I do it as little as possible because I want to avoid her feeling like she has to take on adult roles.

Okay. But in the example given, the reason the little one needs supervised while mom unloads the dishwasher is because the older one has the scissors out to cut paper dolls. So, the older child's play IS the reason that the supervision is necessary.

I refuse to give my kid chores that they aren’t expecting and I don’t make them do chores at a moments notice. To me there is no reason that the dishwasher can’t wait. A lot of this has to do with his my mom treated me growing up: she would make me drop what I was doing to go do something for her. She seemed to think I owed her that, but I felt like she was using me for her own convenience. I wouldn’t ask my husband to do that, so I don’t think it’s fair to ask my child to either.

And people can get parenting experience without being asked to drop everything to watch after a sibling. They can find paid babysitting jobs.

But I don’t think it’s some kind of dereliction of a parents duty to ask a kid to watch another kid. I don’t think they should tell them to do it beside it’s their job to do whatever a parent asks, but to ask for a babysitting favor every once in a while isn’t a big deal. Not something I would do, but not a huge deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People make snarky comments about having 3+ all the time but it’s been a life saver for these kids to have each other during the pandemic. They haven’t been lonely and still get tons of play. So we’re quite happy with having gone with more than the norm

YES. I have three (and a fourth on the way) and I say all the time that lacking any one of them would have made this much much harder. The oldest is old enough to loosely supervise the younger two when I'm in a different part of the house, the middle bridges the gap because the oldest and youngest are awfully far apart to play together, and the youngest entertains the middle when the oldest is doing schoolwork or reading a book. It's worked out beautifully, and having three is really honestly easier than having any two of them. So of course we're doing it again.

It’s easy as your oldest is a free bsbysitter. Not their job, it’s yours. Hire help.

And this is the most DC response on here. "Children need looking after? Don't encumber the little prince and princesses of the family! Hire (assumingly cheap and minority labor) to ensure that children of the family learn zero responsibility and start their wealth and privilege in life early on. Family work is the mother's job....but hire out if you need help. Never look to the family structure itself"

So much wrong here.

Nice try! I’m a Latina and agree with her.

And I am Latina and I think that we both know that there is a ton of inequities among Hispanics. This is not a racial issue, but a socioeconomic one, which is always on display in DCUM. The statement above could just as easily apply to wealthy Hispanic families as white.

I should’ve specified that I’m a first born Latina(not Hispanic though) and resent the way I was treated. I was born MC, if it matters.

Still don't find it to be relevant to the quote above above. If you resent how you were treated, it sounds like a personal, family issue. And it is still reasonable to assume that older children can babysit younger children without having to hire help regardless of background. No one is suggesting child abuse, and, no, regular household responsibilities are not overly burdensome to children. The idea that you must HIRE HELP for minor household chores is just silly.

No, it’s wrong to use your older children regardless of background.

And this is why so many children grow up helpless. Parents like you think they shouldn’t do anything because they’re so precious. Then they end up divorced because their spouses got tired of the helplessness. I had my children in my 40’s and the reason I was able to take care of them in a foreign country with no family help was because I had babysat my siblings and nieces. Babysitting is a valuable tool for future parents and probably a good form of birth control. Babysitting and other chores are part of a child’s education. I left my home country in my 20’s. Without that education, I would never have managed living on my own. No-one wants to marry your useless, helpless child, no matter how amazing you think he/she is. Teach them some responsibility. It’s your job as a parent.

You REALLY missed the point.

Not really.

Yes, really.

You’re confused.

You’re a slave driver.

Calling this slavery is deeply offensive. My ancestors were slaves. Expecting my children to do chores is not even close to that. Watch yourself!

If the kid is being forced to do YOUR job for no pay(specially when the other kids aren’t), what should I call it? Serious question, I’ll gladly use a politically correct word, but it’s not “chore”. I apologize for the bad word, but yours is too light.

According to your logic, children shouldn’t do any chores. If my spouse and I buy a house, they shouldn’t have to do chores because they didn’t buy the house. If we buy a car, they don’t have to clean it because they didn’t buy it. If we buy their clothes, they don’t have to do laundry. Are we forcing these tasks on them too because we aren’t paying them? How do they differ from babysitting? You can call babysitting whatever you like, but there’s nothing wrong with asking older siblings to help with taking care of the younger ones as long as they’re not substituting for the parents. It’s a life skill. It teaches empathy, child rearing, and responsibility. So many new parents struggle to take of children because they have no previous experience.

A PP already explained this.

P.s.: do your younger children have EXTRA chores too. Some of you seem obsessed with “preparing” first born kids only.

I was the one who explained it. The PP above me seemed unable to grasp what I explained. Why would I only give the first-born chores? My children are given age-appropriate chores. This is what my mother did.

You keep misinterpreting one post after another.