How many kids do you have, and how many kids do your friends have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 1. The vast majority of all parents I know have 2. For those that have more than 2, the vast majority of those families have a SAHM.

I only know a couple people with only children like us.

I also know only a few families with one. It's nearly impossible to have 3 and two full-time working parents, unless there is full-time live-in help, a very flexible job(s), or a SAHM. Ironically this gets more true as the kids get older. One person can't be everywhere at once.

I would say this is true once you get to 4 kids or more. We have 3 kids and two very busy demanding full time working jobs (lawyer and contracts managers) and no nanny. We make it work.

Plenty of 3 kid families make it work.

[Anonymous]

I have 3.

My friends have anywhere from 0-6. Most common probably being 2 then 3. Then 1 and 4. I am just spitballing off top of my head tho.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 1. The vast majority of all parents I know have 2. For those that have more than 2, the vast majority of those families have a SAHM.

I only know a couple people with only children like us.

I also know only a few families with one. It's nearly impossible to have 3 and two full-time working parents, unless there is full-time live-in help, a very flexible job(s), or a SAHM. Ironically this gets more true as the kids get older. One person can't be everywhere at once.

I would say this is true once you get to 4 kids or more. We have 3 kids and two very busy demanding full time working jobs (lawyer and contracts managers) and no nanny. We make it work.

Plenty of 3 kid families make it work.

DP who has three kids and two FT working parents: we also make it work, but our jobs are pretty flexible, and are 40 - 50 hours/week, not 60+.

And no, we can't be everywhere at once, but we do have local friends for carpools, etc. We're also mindful of how much we sign our kids up for, which is one difference with many single kid families I know. Our kids will be fine not doing four or five different activities/sports each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 1. The vast majority of all parents I know have 2. For those that have more than 2, the vast majority of those families have a SAHM.

I only know a couple people with only children like us.

I also know only a few families with one. It's nearly impossible to have 3 and two full-time working parents, unless there is full-time live-in help, a very flexible job(s), or a SAHM. Ironically this gets more true as the kids get older. One person can't be everywhere at once.

I would say this is true once you get to 4 kids or more. We have 3 kids and two very busy demanding full time working jobs (lawyer and contracts managers) and no nanny. We make it work.

Plenty of 3 kid families make it work.

DP who has three kids and two FT working parents: we also make it work, but our jobs are pretty flexible, and are 40 - 50 hours/week, not 60+.

And no, we can't be everywhere at once, but we do have local friends for carpools, etc. We're also mindful of how much we sign our kids up for, which is one difference with many single kid families I know. Our kids will be fine not doing four or five different activities/sports each.

I am the PP who said we have 3 kids and demanding jobs - my job is pretty much 40 hours a week but DH is more like 60+ hours a week. I agree that we will have to be mindful of how much we sign our kids up for. Right now they are doing one sport each per season. No doubling up on sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I couldn't be more than friendly acquaintances with someone who had more than 4 kids.

aww you're missing out then!

Not at all

I just imagine learning your friend’s 4th pregnancy is twins and you drop her like a hot potato!

[Anonymous]

We have three, and a surprising number of people in our friend group also have three. If daycare and college were not so expensive, I would have a fourth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I couldn't be more than friendly acquaintances with someone who had more than 4 kids.

aww you're missing out then!

Not at all

How ridiculous is it to just have a rule you won’t be friends with someone who had more than four kids without knowing anything about them? So judgey.
I know lots who had twins or triplets from my multiples group that pushed them over your “limit”. They are really awesome moms. You truly are missing out. Imagine if you drew an imaginary line based on race, religion or some other factor.

[Anonymous]

I'm mid 40s so most of our friends are done having kids. We have 2. Most of our circle has 2....I'd say an equal number has 1 or 3.

So few have 4! I worked with a guy 20 years ago who had 5. But I can't think of anyone else aside from him and one of my friends from college who has 5 (just happen to know from Facebook).

[Anonymous]

I'm 36. Of my friends who I was friends with pre kid I have 3 and most have none, the rest have 1-2. My DH's brother has 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 1. The vast majority of all parents I know have 2. For those that have more than 2, the vast majority of those families have a SAHM.

I only know a couple people with only children like us.

I also know only a few families with one. It's nearly impossible to have 3 and two full-time working parents, unless there is full-time live-in help, a very flexible job(s), or a SAHM. Ironically this gets more true as the kids get older. One person can't be everywhere at once.

I would say this is true once you get to 4 kids or more. We have 3 kids and two very busy demanding full time working jobs (lawyer and contracts managers) and no nanny. We make it work.

Plenty of 3 kid families make it work.

Without au pair / nanny / grandparent / at least one flexible job? I can’t think of one three kid family I know that doesn’t have a least one of these. It’s not a criticism.

[Anonymous]

I have one. My friends have 0, 1, or 3 -- oddly I can't think of anyone I'm close to with 2, although of course have I have acquaintances who do. Also have acquaintances with 4 and 5 but it is pretty overwhelming to hang out with them.

[Anonymous]

I have 3, most of my friends have either 2, 3, or none.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also have acquaintances with 4 and 5 but it is pretty overwhelming to hang out with them.

In my experience, the overwhelmingness stops being an issue as the oldest kids get older. When we invite friends or acquaintances with 5 or more kids for a meal, for example, the older kids usually aren't even available. Sometimes they are not even in town and when they are, they are off doing stuff with their own friends or just not interested in joining. When they do join, they don't cause any trouble like little kids do.

[Anonymous]

I have 5 children. My friends have between 1 and 6. Two have none because of infertility.

[Anonymous]

I have one and my mom friends at school have two on average.