I grew up as an only child and I absolutely >hated< it. Everything fell to me, my parents' expectations, ambitions, everything – even if it was well meant. I came from a blue-collar family where I was the first person to graduate from college. I grew up feeling the need to be that perfect child, because I was the only one. I never had anyone to talk to about my parents, and I internalized a lot. Even as an adult today, I still feel like being the only one to be responsible for them as they age – if they require special help – is overwhelming. I was envious my whole life of friends who had siblings who could share the joys and the burdens along the way.

I have three wonderful kids. There are days where i want to pull my hair out. But watching them all be there for one another and find joy in one another has been priceless.

Because they want to have more than two children.

Anonymous wrote:Mom of one here and you managed to piss me off too, OP. Not playing this game.

+1. OP sounds ridiculously obnoxious and sanctimonious: "I teach my children that it is highly irresponsible to replace two people with more than just two." WTF?
Mom of only who always wanted just one

I grew up in a family of two children and two is enough for me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I teach my children that it is highly irresponsible to replace two people with more than just two.

This is absolute nonsense. You're clearly know very little about the world.

I agree. I have 2, but with 2 different men. So, between 3 of us, we still have only 2. My sister and her husband have none (and not coming either). OP and I can still be friends if I have 3 more, right?

I would think if the first two are one sex, you are hoping for the 3rd to be the opposite sex.

My first ended up being triplets

2 kids isn't replacement anyway. It's more like 2.1 per woman for 0 population growth. And with so many women with one kid some women have to have 3 or 4 to keep things steady.

Anonymous wrote: I teach my children that it is highly irresponsible to replace two people with more than just two.

This is absolute nonsense. You're clearly know very little about the world.

Anonymous wrote:....
I teach my children that it is highly irresponsible to replace two people with more than just two. ....

What are you going to do when Mother Nature decides that pregnancy #2 is actually twins??

I was one of three kids and liked having more than 1 sibling. So when #2 was born I was certain we'd have #3. But as juggling 2 got more difficult considering that as it is #2 will be finishing college around the time DH is approaching retirement age, we decided it wasn't worth it. If we'd met/started a family younger, I'd have loved to have 3-4 and am a little jealous of friends who had 2 like us and then a 3rd when the older kids were in ES. Ultimately, having more kids is mostly an emotional decision, not a rational one.

Statistically speaking, the children that people like us bring into the world are net producers for our society and economy. We need responsible, married, UMC people to be having MORE children, not fewer.

If everyone only had two, humans would become extinct.

I'm overwhelmed and can barely afford our lifestyle with our 2, but I still want a third very badly. It probably won't happen - I have come to the conclusion that third kids are for rich people. In my daughter's daycare class, most kids have 1 sibling, except for a couple of families (I suspect with higher income) that have 3 or are working on #3.

In most parts of the country, 3 isn't a status symbol, but it's come to be that way around here because of the high COL. I don't think anyone really truly has a third as a status symbol, though to me it kinda feels like they are flaunted as such.

OMG. You sound like my MIL! "You have a girl and a boy. Why do you need any more?"

Maybe some white people feel the need to keep up with other races that start younger and have more kids.