Two kids vs three.....?............??

[TeeWJay426]

I have one of each. When they were in elementary school, the wife started hinting about number three..... I merely asked her who she was planning to have it with. 

Seriously, with one in the first year of college and the other starting in the fall, why anyone would want anymore than 2 is beyond me.... I'll likely be postponing retirement for a few years at least to recover from those costs. And if you only have as many as you can afford... unless you're independently wealthy, you'll probably be childless....

[68chrgrwife]

I have three kids...  one of each...




















Well, 2 girls (16, 12) and a boy (8 ).  My wife had been convinced that we were done ever since our son was born, but now she's not so sure.    Three children aren't bad, but IMO the older the eldest one is, the easier it is to handle that third one.  If all three are pretty young, then there aren't enough parents to go around.  When our son was born, one of our daughters was 8 which meant she didn't need constant supervision and that helped a bunch.  If we had a fourth, at least we'd have an extra driver in the family since that same eldest daughter can now drive.  That also means I could get an AARP card and cheap coffee at McDonalds before that young'un would graduate high school too...   

Children are a blessing from the Lord, and they are also a legacy - but they can still drive ya nuts too...

I find that interesting because in my house the younger two are much more easier to handle than the eldest.  She has been spoiled from being an only child for three years and 5 years and two kids later she still thinks the world revolves around her.

[Charger_Fan]

PT, just keep it at 2.  I have 3 & look how long it's taken me to restore my Charger.

If you need pointers on "the snip" versus some other method, I can help you out on that. One of the best peace of mind decisions I've ever made.

[NHCharger]

I have two boys, 17 & 21. My wife and I decided that they wouldn't be raised in a daycare. She stayed home with them and went back to work part time once they were both in school. We (my wife) briefly considered a third child ( had to have that girl). But when the recession hit I had no steady work for almost a year and to survive we had to sell everything we had except the house, and we were only 3 months away from losing that. My wife worked nights for a cleaning company so we wouldn't need a baby sister. Doing that saved our ass.
I have basically worked 50-65 hours a week to support my family over the last 16 years. I have missed doing a lot of things with my boys because I was always working.
As TWJ426 mentioned, schooling costs are out of sight. As a parent you alway want what's best for your kid, so you try to help out as much as you can with out buying them everything. But I got to tell you the costs of schooling, medical expenses, etc., it all conspires to just suck the life out of you.

[General_01]

Well, here is my take. I grew up in a house with three kids. I had an older sister and a younger sister. I always talk with my older sister on the phone and go to her house when we go north. I hardly ever talk to my younger sister on the phone and only see her when we go north if she comes over to my older sisters house. I think it worked out this way because when we were younger, I was not forced to interact with my younger sister because I had an older sister I could talk to. If it was only me and my younger sister we would probably get along better. Just my opinion.

My wife does not get along too well with her brother. It is just them two. This is because he is older and their Dad wasn't around much because of his work schedule. Her brother was kind of a bully to her and it shows in the way he thinks about women in general. I have almost come to blows with him myself because of his attitude.

With all this info, we decided to have two kids. We have two girls, age 11 and 9. They sometimes play nice and sometimes don't get along. We do our best to keep things going smooth, but we also have them resolve alot of there own arguments. This way they learn to resolve things without going through a 3rd party all the time. Sometimes it's necessary, but not for everything. And without a 3rd sibling around, they can't ignore the problem and just go play with the 3rd sibling. Not sure if it will work, but my wife and I came to this decision with info from both backgrounds.

Everyone and every family is different. Only you two can decide what you want to do, because you gotta raise 'em, pay for 'em, and be there for 'em. Good luck and remember, there is no right or wrong, only what you think is best for your situation.

[Wheels of Terror]

 If you feel that the both of you will devote quality time with all of them go for it!! They will all be unique. 


I have three siblings. I was the oldest. My parents always said"I wish i didnt have kids!" My siblings were really athletic and I was a gearhead with a part time job. My parents spent soo much time with them that I do not have a relationship with them. I miss that. My father said that he lives his dreams through my brother and my mom always compared me to my sisters. I dated like any other girl and had a part time job between 13-17. I do not have a relationship with my siblings due to my resentment. I was in a statewide contest for the Massachusetts Dealer's Association when I was in high school. My parents did not attened beacause I had todiagnose and repair a car within a period of time. Not the life that they had wanted for thier daughter. I myself am restoring my Charger. a dream of mine. I want children desprately. It hasn't happened for me yet? My husband thinks that it will be the funniest thing to see a pregnant woman restoring a musclecar,  carring parts at a swap meet, and going to the salvage yards. I'm looking foward to being a mom....

[Ponch ®]

I have one, and that's where it ends.

I have none...that I know of

[Charger_Fan]

My parents always said"I wish i didnt have kids!"

That right there is something NO parent should EVER say to their kid, even if it's only implied. That's just plain wrong & depending on the individual psyche of the person, can really do lifelong irreversible damage. I feel sad that your parents said something like that to you.
Judging by what you've said & how you seem here, you didn't let that ruin you, that's good. I'm betting that you won't be passing that sort of negativity along to your kids, either.

I've always thought it's just the coolest thing for a girl to have good knowlege about cars!
My wife knows most of the basics & will diagnose problems that her co-workers have on their cars (yep, even the guys)...then call me to see if she's right. I love that! My daughter? She's just your 'average' girl & doesn't care much about cars...that's ok too.