Anonymous wrote:OP, just be advised that you're going to get a lot of answers here from people who are secretly envious of you. They wanted more kids but most likely waited too late and then couldn't have as many as they would have liked.

Not everyone wants the cost in money and time. Every mother I know who has more than 3 kids relies on everyone else for carpool, etc. Or just doesn't allow the kids to play sports, or it's one kid per season. Life is full of trade offs.

OP: to be clear, my question isn’t “what’s too many” (because for some families that’s 2...or even 1!) but what’s generally regarded as “whoa, the Larlosons sure have a lot of kids” and they become Those People With A Lot of Kids.

I think for me it’s 6.

Anonymous wrote:Anything over 3 is a lot.

+1

I have six, but they're very spread out in age and a lot of people don't realize we have more than four. When they find out they think it's weird that they didn't know there were six, but they don't think it's weird.

Anonymous wrote:OP, just be advised that you're going to get a lot of answers here from people who are secretly envious of you. They wanted more kids but most likely waited too late and then couldn't have as many as they would have liked.

Um no it just drives me bonkers when people have 4+ kids and then complain that daycare, college, etc is too expensive and that they are “donut hole.” Huge eye roll re: parents who have that many kids applying for FA for college. And kids get annoyed by their siblings.

Anonymous wrote:5... I say that as someone who is soon going to have 4 😂

5... I say that as someone who is soon going to have 4 😂

I have 2 and definitely already have my hands full so anything more than that seems crazy to me. However, I don’t actually view the family as “weird” until they have more kids than they can handle/raise well. And those things are determined on an individual family basis; some people can manage well and take good care of 6+ kids while some can’t really handle any...but generally also I think it’s too many kids if you have more than can fit w the whole family in a standard size minivan (7 seats so 5 kids, 2 adults so if you have more than 5 kids and have to buy a larger van or SUV to get everyone in the same vehicle, then that’s too many)

OP, just be advised that you're going to get a lot of answers here from people who are secretly envious of you. They wanted more kids but most likely waited too late and then couldn't have as many as they would have liked.

Anything over 3 is a lot.

4

6

Eight at the same time definitely puts you in that category.

5+

I’m pregnant with #4. DH and I were discussing how many kids you have to have before people think you’re a weirdo with a lot of kids. One of us says 4 does it, maybe even 3 in the DMV; the other one says you need to get to at least 5 before people think “whoa weird that’s a lot of kids.” What say you, DCUM?