Does it get easier with more kids??

[Heaven]

Family keep telling me that the more kids you have the easier it gets (they all have 4 kids). This seems like madness! LOL. What are they talking about??

They say when you have more they occupy each other and can help you out etc. But wouldn't it still be harder than just looking after one?

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Sounds crazy doesn't it but mum said the same to us.
My brother and i are not quite a yr b/w us, mum said that was difficult but the more kids she had the more we helped and the more the younger ones learnt.

I'm stopping at 2, a very close age but i'm still stopping there... hopefully thats enough to make my life easier

I to anyone who has more, especially more than 3, you do amazing things and the love you must have should be bottled and given out.
I think i could easily HAVE more and would have the love for them but i just wont do it to me or them... selfish i know but if i was richer then bring on 4 kids... hehe

[Reyna]

4 kids are WAY hard in my opinion. Love 'em to death, but boy is it a lot of work!

I think 1 was easy, 2 was still pretty easy, 3 was getting tougher but 4 seemed to just be 'times one billion' in the hard work stakes. I would have thought it would just get 'one more step' harder, but it seems to have changed dynamics big time, and it's gone from a busy life to a crazy and chaotic life.

That's just me though.

[Visitor7]

In a sense, yeah, it is easier having more than one. Mainly due to the fact that they play and entertain each other. But it does mean double the amount of toys, clothes etc, double the washing, double the housework!

[Emma1979]

i think besides the initial baby years, its easier to have more than one, as they can play together (and i suppose fight together too unfortunately).... i often look at our 2.5 year old and think 'oh she needs a playmate sibling NOW'.... she'll have to wait a while until this next baby is big enough to be a playmate, but i definitely feel if there is more than one they can occupy each other, rather than always having to interact with an adult for entertainment....

i'm sorry but i think four kids would be a lot of work!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when they are older it would get easier, but there would be a lot of car trips to all their activities etc....

[misty]

my mum had 6, and she always said the first 3 are the hardest, because with each one, some aspect of you life has to change dramatically. After that, you barely even notice...apparently.

Personally, I find having three is harder in some ways and easier in others. I plan on having more, but I'll definitely having a bigger gap before the next one.

[Trillian]

Yes AND no. Most of the time life is generally chaos ROFL, but in a good way. I've been so lucky that the moments when you lust after the BC life (before children LOL) are few and far between and nothing a bit of a time out doesn't fix. It's pretty full on, especially as they get older and you are chasing after sports and school events and social things like birthday parties and it seems like you are never home. But I wouldn't change it for the world. Because I think ahead to what it would be like when they are all adults and coming home for visits etc and it makes it all worth it kwim? We had our first 3 close together (20mths apart) and I found that you're still in that groove of looking after a baby so you don't notice it much by the time you get to #3 LOL, but with a larger gap between 3 and 4 it was harder, but great that the older ones were that bit older that they could do things for themselves and I can get them to help me tidy the house, pick up their things etc and we all pitch in and help. But I think that had we only had 1 or two chidren our lives would still be as busy because you would still be doing the same things like school and sports and all that - as it is we choose activities that all of them will be able to do like Auskick and little athletics etc. And there isn't much more to tidy up around the house - 1 child can make as much mess as 4 children - trust me! Oh and there is the washing, but it's not an issue you know?

[Mildez]

I only have two but I find two easier then one. Mine have a big age gap (7yrs) and they have different needs but I still find two easier then when I only had one. I would love more. I can picture a baby fitting into our life easily but I am yet to experience that so there of course there is every possibility it would make life much more difficult if/when no3 comes along.
My mum had 4. She coped well with three but lost it having the 4th and raising him but there was a big gap between number 3 and 4. I think that was the reason more so then having 4.

[Cassius2]

yeah, have to say that i am not buying that argument either LOL! been up 3 times last night to one child...the thought of throwing a younger baby into the mix does convince me that 'easier' is not the word that would first come to mind LOL!

[~Kim~]

I think it is easier in that you already have the skills so you aren't so stressed about being a 'first timer', but number 2 quadrupled the amount of washing here lol so that wan't easier. DD does occupy DS a fair bit now, so I guess that is easier as she only had me.
Dunno, my two have a 3year gap so DD is fairly independent, not sure I would find it easier with two littlies though.

[aussienic]

I wouldn't say it was easier but they do tend to entertain each other. I am finding the older the kids get the easier some things are getting.. Like going out to places ect. Shopping is still a pain but thats because I swear my kids are out to make shopping hell but we try not to shop when all 4 kids are home or DH does the groceries on his own.

I will admit I wasn't prepared for the amount of washing and dishes. I am hoping as the kids get older they will start to help out or eventually we will have a dishwasher so I won't have to look at a sink full of dishes,.

but it does get easier in some ways because I think you relax more

[Inertia]

No different really. Its the joy of the many different personalities and having all those firsts all over again that confuses the issue really. I mean you are dividing your time, but I think I have discovered that you should wait a couple of years and enjoy the baby you have before adding another one to the mix. I feel I robbed myself a bit with Angie and Lyta by having CJ and Sam so soon after them.

[Pretty Butterfly]

In my case, I barely noticed!!!!

Actually the hardest part was the age gap between 3 &4. I wish it been a lot smaller. It was like starting all over again. The last 3 have been pretty good. B'feeding, nappies, up through the night, just all seem to run together!!!

The big kids are awesome with the littlies when they are home from school, and Za and Kane are best friends, and can occupy each other all day!! If Harmony lets out a wail, they are all checking on her for me!!

I get up at 7, so not terribly early, and can have the big ones at school and the housework done by 9, so its just me and 3 littlies to play and be together till 3. Having other kids to play with makes it much easier for me, and they get along great.

I actually thought the big kids would be a little cranky over another bubba coming, but they all got excited!! Having other kids/babies around is just another day for us here!!

[Heaven]

yeah, have to say that i am not buying that argument either LOL! been up 3 times last night to one child...the thought of throwing a younger baby into the mix does convince me that 'easier' is not the word that would first come to mind LOL!

That's what scares me!! I won't be having another one until DD is sleeping good, I might not survive otherwise, pmsl.

[phynna]

i think besides the initial baby years, its easier to have more than one, as they can play together (and i suppose fight together too unfortunately).... i often look at our 2.5 year old and think 'oh she needs a playmate sibling NOW'.... she'll have to wait a while until this next baby is big enough to be a playmate, but i definitely feel if there is more than one they can occupy each other, rather than always having to interact with an adult for entertainment....

i'm sorry but i think four kids would be a lot of work!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when they are older it would get easier, but there would be a lot of car trips to all their activities etc....

A lot of this sounds like how we ended up with 4 dogs and 3 cats! I would never get rid of any of them, they are our kiddies too, but they are hard work and i do sometimes long for the before-we-had-so-many life :-)

[shellbell3]

well I might be opposite here, I thought going from 1 to 2 to be twice as hard but found it 3 times harder!
Maybe when they are older might be different I just found it difficult to juggle both their needs which always seemed to be at the same time.

[Oorki Galoorki]

I hope so... 1 was easy, 2 has been hard
but i think personalities of the children can make the difference too

[Pinny-mum]

well I might be opposite here, I thought going from 1 to 2 to be twice as hard but found it 3 times harder!
Maybe when they are older might be different I just found it difficult to juggle both their needs which always seemed to be at the same time.

:yeahthat:

I found it hard too, thought it was going to be a walk in the park.. LOL