How Many Kids Is Enough?
If you ask my husband this, he would say that if you have 2 parents then 2 kids is enough.
This way, we are never outnumbered.
Now I see his point and kids are a lot of work, but they also add so much to the family.
I can just imagine being older and having all my kids and grandkids around me.
When I was pregnant with my second child, I remember worrying so much about my son and how he was going to react to his new sister.
I thought, "Will I have enough time for him?" "Can I really love another child, the way I love him?" Of course, I came to realize that we make time for both and love both the same, but it is still a balancing act.
I think toddlers need a lot of attention and any good "Supernanny" episode will prove this.
With every child added to the equation, a big adjustment has to be made.
Sometimes we want another baby for our own selfish reasons.
We need to think about how this is going to affect our other children, husband and work.
I'm not saying having a child is not wonderful, but we have to be realistic and plan for these changes.
When I think about 3 kids, I can just imagine pure chaos! Then I can imagine so much more kisses and cuddles.
When is it enough? It could be that we just long for that baby again.
There is a point where your TOT is no longer in that baby phase and one day you look up and think, "Where did this kid come from?" At that point, there can be a longing to get that baby back.
Eventually, every baby grows up.
If you are deciding on having more children, here are 3 questions to ask yourself: 1.
Am I financially ready to have another baby? If a new baby is going to put a significant strain on your finances, you might want to rethink your decision.
It might be wise to save money first or find new ways to add income.
2.
Does my spouse want another child? Parents have to agree on this decision and both be on board with it.
You don't want one spouse resenting the other for it.
This will cause major problems down the road.
Make sure to have good communication and get all of your feelings out.
3.
Are there any health concerns? Depending on your age and medical history, it might not be medically safe for you to have another child.
Talk with your doctor and get advice on any potential problems.
I think a lot of times, we see families with so many children and they can't handle it.
The kids are the ones that end up suffering because of it.
In a world where we have to go through a significant application process for adoption, there is no such process when having kids.
Then we have shows like "Teen Mom" and I wonder if it is glorifying having a baby or really helping teens see the issues with it.
Maybe we would be better off like China, where there is a one child limit.
I guess that could be extreme but where do we draw the line? When is enough, enough? Maybe this is the ultimate problem we face in America - we struggle with moderation.
From the food we eat to the number of children we have.
I think we tend to be a greedy society - more, more, more! The mom who is on welfare yet pregnant with her fifth baby and then the vicious cycle goes on...
In the end, I'm not saying having a lot of kids is bad but I do think there should be much more thought put into it.
When we live in a world where people take more time deciding on what to have for dinner than whether or not they should have another baby, that is a problem!
This way, we are never outnumbered.
Now I see his point and kids are a lot of work, but they also add so much to the family.
I can just imagine being older and having all my kids and grandkids around me.
When I was pregnant with my second child, I remember worrying so much about my son and how he was going to react to his new sister.
I thought, "Will I have enough time for him?" "Can I really love another child, the way I love him?" Of course, I came to realize that we make time for both and love both the same, but it is still a balancing act.
I think toddlers need a lot of attention and any good "Supernanny" episode will prove this.
With every child added to the equation, a big adjustment has to be made.
Sometimes we want another baby for our own selfish reasons.
We need to think about how this is going to affect our other children, husband and work.
I'm not saying having a child is not wonderful, but we have to be realistic and plan for these changes.
When I think about 3 kids, I can just imagine pure chaos! Then I can imagine so much more kisses and cuddles.
When is it enough? It could be that we just long for that baby again.
There is a point where your TOT is no longer in that baby phase and one day you look up and think, "Where did this kid come from?" At that point, there can be a longing to get that baby back.
Eventually, every baby grows up.
If you are deciding on having more children, here are 3 questions to ask yourself: 1.
Am I financially ready to have another baby? If a new baby is going to put a significant strain on your finances, you might want to rethink your decision.
It might be wise to save money first or find new ways to add income.
2.
Does my spouse want another child? Parents have to agree on this decision and both be on board with it.
You don't want one spouse resenting the other for it.
This will cause major problems down the road.
Make sure to have good communication and get all of your feelings out.
3.
Are there any health concerns? Depending on your age and medical history, it might not be medically safe for you to have another child.
Talk with your doctor and get advice on any potential problems.
I think a lot of times, we see families with so many children and they can't handle it.
The kids are the ones that end up suffering because of it.
In a world where we have to go through a significant application process for adoption, there is no such process when having kids.
Then we have shows like "Teen Mom" and I wonder if it is glorifying having a baby or really helping teens see the issues with it.
Maybe we would be better off like China, where there is a one child limit.
I guess that could be extreme but where do we draw the line? When is enough, enough? Maybe this is the ultimate problem we face in America - we struggle with moderation.
From the food we eat to the number of children we have.
I think we tend to be a greedy society - more, more, more! The mom who is on welfare yet pregnant with her fifth baby and then the vicious cycle goes on...
In the end, I'm not saying having a lot of kids is bad but I do think there should be much more thought put into it.
When we live in a world where people take more time deciding on what to have for dinner than whether or not they should have another baby, that is a problem!
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