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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It's a hard question to answer because so much depends on the temperament of your kids. We did ok with 15-month and 18-month gaps between kids because all of our kids were pretty easy.  I found it much harder when they were older and all started running in different directions. It's good to have a sense of humor, not be totally stressed out by mess or chaos and say yes to any help you can get.  Prioritize your own sleep and self-care as much as you can.[/quote]

I'm the PP from above. Sorry to hijack the thread but I'm so on the fence about a third. How was the transition for you? The only thing holding me back is the feeling that I'm already dividing my attention so much between the two I have and worry I won't have enough love and attention for a third. I'm an only so siblings daunt me. [/quote]

I think one to two is harder than two to three.  Our kids are close in age adding the third was just like more of the same.  We were already in baby mode.  We are well passed that stage now and I think it would be much harder to have a baby now. The early years are physically exhausting, always carrying a baby, pushing a stroller, and losing sleep. You don’t run out of love but I get your concerns about attention, not to mention energy. It can be hard when they all need something at once, but somehow you make it work or you do your best to try.  What makes 3 hard is you are outnumbered, you may need a bigger SUV or minivan to fit all the car seats, you don’t fit into standard hotel with 2 beds anymore, at least not once you are out of the really little kid stage. If you go to an amusement park, most rides are for two so you need to figure out how to navigate this with 2 adults, 3 kids. If it’s important to you to be there for every soccer game or gymnastics meet, you may want to stop at two. All of my kids play sports often at different places at the same time so that can be a logistical and emotional challenge knowing that sometimes I miss stuff.  Obviously there are pros and cons to any situation.  It’s also good to think about who you and your partner are as people. Do you like/need a certain amount of downtime or are you more on-the-go types?  Not saying people with larger families don’t get downtime, but there is definitely more work and more pull in different directions which can make it harder to get some of your own needs met.[/quote]

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