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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I really don't think "how your children are handling Covid" is the right metric for whether or not to have more kids. Families of all stripes are struggling right now, and factors like where you live and how much disposable income you have are as likely, if not more, to impact how easy or hard it is as the number of children.

I love having an only. I sometimes get baby fever, especially when I'm hormonal or when I see photos of a good friend's new baby. But for me, one kid is the perfect balance. Our family feels complete.

The pros for me are: having more money, being able to stay in the home we love instead of moving for space, having fewer variables when making family decisions, being pretty "portable" as a family, and always being to give each other a break.

It's hard to list drawbacks in the same way. I think the biggest challenge is that when you only have one, you are always a first-timer. That means you make mistakes, but it also means you never really get to feel like an authority as a parent. I've noticed people gain confidence with each subsequent child, and there must be something kind of nice about being BTDT and getting to learn from your mistakes. With an only, you never really get that. Sometimes other people also dismiss your parenting experience, too ("you only have one"). But honestly, that's really not enough to outweigh the benefits. In a way, I like it because it keeps me from making "mother" my core identity. It's a huge part of who I am, but it's not everything and I like that my daughter sees that, too.[/quote]

If it makes you feel better PP, I have twins so they're both subject to all of my mistakes.   :D [/quote]

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