Anonymous wrote:Now that your kids are grown - do you wish you had more? I have 2 now and it’s hard in the baby stage but I worry I’ll regret not having a bigger family when they get older.

No. I don't regret it at all. We hope to retire in peace and don't have money to spend on another round of private school, college, grad/professional school, wedding, starter home etc etc. Kids are expensive if you try to do it right.

This thread is really helpful, thanks for asking OP -mom to two young kids and fairly often questioning if our decision to stop at two, which is definitely right for us now, will be regretted when we have older kids.

We have two in college and I am so glad we don’t have the third we contemplated at one point. Aside from the expense (and I’m now realizing we may be in for some grad school support after college), they are both still taking a good amount of effort and attention even though they’ve already left home. I love them and my spouse intensely and am glad I don’t have to spread that energy across yet another person.

Anonymous wrote:I wish I could have had a 2nd child but it just wasn't in the cards for me. I love my only a lot and our family has a great dynamic. I focus on that as much as I can.

Same. I’m sorry that I didn’t get to choose the size of my family, but my only is such a great kid and I can’t complain but I got cheated. Grateful I got to be a mom.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now that your kids are grown - do you wish you had more? I have 2 now and it’s hard in the baby stage but I worry I’ll regret not having a bigger family when they get older.

The baby years are a breeze compared to the teenager years. Try controlling a teen who's having a tantrum!

My husband came from a big family and he did not want the chaos. I only had one sibling, so for us 2 were perfect.

Why do you want a big family? what do you think a "big" family would do for you (personally) later in life?

My kids are not adults, and I have two, but I just wanted to agree with this. I also thought I wanted a third and "if only we could get though the baby and toddler stage ...." I am here to tell you the baby and toddler stage is NOT the hard part. Not by any stretch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now that your kids are grown - do you wish you had more? I have 2 now and it’s hard in the baby stage but I worry I’ll regret not having a bigger family when they get older.

The baby years are a breeze compared to the teenager years. Try controlling a teen who's having a tantrum!

My husband came from a big family and he did not want the chaos. I only had one sibling, so for us 2 were perfect.

Why do you want a big family? what do you think a "big" family would do for you (personally) later in life?

+1. Being a parent can be difficult forever, just a different kind of difficult. Toilet training was a breeze compared to dealing with the stress and anxiety that I sometimes have for my young adult children.

I have two and I do not regret not having more.

No. When they were younger I probably could have handled. My older DD is just fine, my younger has given us some grief. I'm glad I didn't take the risk of having another like her.

Anonymous wrote:I’m so glad I stopped at 2. The teen years were awful and to have to deal with that for years and years with multiple kids would have broken me.

+1

Anonymous wrote:Now that your kids are grown - do you wish you had more? I have 2 now and it’s hard in the baby stage but I worry I’ll regret not having a bigger family when they get older.

No

I’m so glad I stopped at 2. The teen years were awful and to have to deal with that for years and years with multiple kids would have broken me.

Anonymous wrote:Now that your kids are grown - do you wish you had more? I have 2 now and it’s hard in the baby stage but I worry I’ll regret not having a bigger family when they get older.

The baby years are a breeze compared to the teenager years. Try controlling a teen who's having a tantrum!

My husband came from a big family and he did not want the chaos. I only had one sibling, so for us 2 were perfect.

Why do you want a big family? what do you think a "big" family would do for you (personally) later in life?

I wish I could have had a 2nd child but it just wasn't in the cards for me. I love my only a lot and our family has a great dynamic. I focus on that as much as I can.

I struggled with the decision to go for a third. I went for it. He is the best thing that ever happened to me. Love him so much.

Some do, some don’t.

Now that your kids are grown - do you wish you had more? I have 2 now and it’s hard in the baby stage but I worry I’ll regret not having a bigger family when they get older.