how many children did you want to have and how many did you have

contrary_mary

We have 2. Part of me would love a third but childcare costs are crippling (currently paying €1900 a month) and another child would really tip the balance. One of us would have to give up work and it would be a struggle to manage the mortgage and bills on one wage. I'm delighted with our two anyway and we count our lucky blessings every day.

monkeysnapper

So anyway I started this thread all of 10 years ago ....we had 2 and decided that's all we were going to have and then had another ....

So our grand total in end was 3 ....

Back then our daughter was 4 and son 16 months..

Our daughter started secondary school last year and our 2 boys are flying ....

Where did the time go......

Any new stories young people

mojesius

We wanted two kids, and were blessed with one of each. I kind of wanted a third the first year after my second was born but think it was more hormones than anything. Happy with our 'good protestant family' as my dad jokes.

Loveinapril

I had always thought I would have three but my husband wanted two. We had two, 20 months apart and I realised that was plenty!! They are 5 and 3 now and I genuinely love parenting them. I am also realising how practical two is in terms of cars, family activity tickets, holidays etc.

Sunrise_Sunset

We always said 2, and we were lucky enough to have 2. Same gender, but I never wished for any particular gender anyway, always said we'd get what we get!

I love being a parent, but by god the time goes so fast. It seems to make time go faster, it's always onto the next term, the next Christmas, the next summer holidays, and before you know it, they're almost teenagers!

shesty

Had 3, wanted 3.

That was it.I had idly considered 4, but knew when I was pregnant with the third I couldn't go again.Once he was born, that was absolutely it for me.They are 8 (soon 9), just 7 and 4 (soon 5) now so in general at a nice age I think, although it is still a lot of work.Three is definitely a tipping point in terms of both parents working, even if you have good jobs -the cost of childcare and the time needed for kid's activities are a factor.Thankfully I am lucky with a flexible employer.

Three was the number in my head all along and mentally once I was lucky enough to have 3, I knew that was me finished.

Kalimah

I wanted 3 but ended up with 4- youngest is 19 and there’s a big enough gap between eldest and youngest. Wouldn’t change it at all! We had a couple of lean years when the older ones were in college. I think it’s harder now for younger parents - we were able to live reasonably well on one ok salary.

El Gato De Negocios

Wanted two, had two, one of each. Oldest just turned 6 and youngest will be 5 in August. We had a couple of painful losses before number 1 came along so that put "plans" back by almost 2 years and Mrs was 40 having number 2. If we were younger then we may have had a third but tbh, the thought of ever going back to nappies horrifies me!

Theboinkmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/103914092#Comment_103914092

It’s more nuanced than that. 3rd world countries are growing their populations too fast and too much, beyond their ability to cope.

developed countries like Ireland are declining in population or young people ie demographic shift means too many old people and too few young people.

CramCycle

I wanted zero, I have two, I love them both more than anything but both my partner and they have no illusions that one beat every protective measure going at the time and the other woke me upto the fact that brandy and Bailey's can trick even the most careful of minds 16 years later. Needless to say, I made sure accidents are no longer possible.

dublin7runner

We have two and very greatful, a boy and a girl.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120467352#Comment_120467352

I wanted 3 had 3, got the big V, as my wife had 3 c sections and didn't want to risk any more.

I'm happy but my wife gets the yearning for another every now and then

SCOOP 64

I just thanked a post from 10 yrs ago didn't realise how old this thread is.

None really but have 2 , so happy i did, i have 2 boys which I'm told are very respectful and polite to others and that i should be proud of them , and i am.

Indestructable

I'm going to post here in the hopes Boards is still around in 10 more years!

Had the first in March so she is 6 weeks now. My wife and I want 2, so hopefully that's on the cards. It wasn't at all straightforward getting pregnant but everything since has been pretty textbook, thankfully.

We're 30 and 28. What I would say is that anybody putting it off and waiting for the "perfect" time, there is always the possibility of running into problems so give yourself time!

taxAHcruel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/86915875#Comment_86915875

Fun to read my old post here where I was spending a lot of time with my 3 year old daughter creating peppa pig characters out of play dough because she enjoyed them more than actual peppa pig characters bought in plastic - now 12 years old.

We have indeed reached 4 kids as we planned. It went Girl Boy Girl Boy with the last being recent enough and still very small. I am 44 now and thankfully the energy levels for the job not showing any signs of abating. Though I acknowledge three parents V four kids was always going to have certain advantages over a 2 v 4 situation.

Absolutely done at 4 though. No temptation whatsoever to go another round.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/87112588#Comment_87112588

Fun to read this post from me too. At 12 now I do a lot of things with my oldest daughter. Including a lot of Brazilian Jujitsu and other martial arts. And few years ago she started to learn archery and some gun training (mostly rifle) with me and we really love it and bond a lot over it. And very hands on with DIY projects like complicated Go Karts and the like.

And to this day I still get the occasional response from men of "Wow thats kinda cool - as I can imagine doing that stuff with a/my son - but never really saw myself doing that sorta stuff with a daughter".

But the feeling has always been alien to me that I would parent sons in any way different to daughters. Rather I have started with the same basic template with all of them and simply followed where their individual personalities and tendencies led. And despite being typically "feminine" in nearly all ways for her age- I am glad I never let her being a girl get in the way of exploring the paths we have ended up on together as she and I would have missed a whole side of her that we may never have discovered existed in there.

Modulok

I didn't want any, then we agreed on one.

When we had one, I was the one who suggested we have another, so we did.

Now we have two, and we would both like a third but so far no success.

Moonbeam

Oh wow :) The memories !!

I had 4 in the end and wait for it …they are now 14,12,10 and 9!! 3 girls and 1 boy .

The plan was always to have 5, typical Irish family of old. We were lucky enough to have two wonderful children. Quite a difference in age, life got in the way.

xzanti

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/87199473#Comment_87199473

We've two boys now. Second one came in 2017. All done.

yourdeadwright

We would have originally wanted 5 ,

Like many on here life got in the way & it looks like it'll be 3 & done, but we are so grateful for 3 & would never complain about it ,