Extra Kids

Here’s something odd from my own experience. We discovered having just one child was an immense amount of work.

When number two came along it was even harder but oddly, when we had our third child… it got easier. Whether it because we just got better at being parents or was it because we became more neglectful or what, I couldn’t say. We finally mastered the trick of preventing babies so we never carried the experiment on to see whether having four, five, six or more kids made things even easier but I have spoken to the parents of large families and they have said, “It’s hard work but not that hard – the kids start to look out for each other and share the load.”

One thing I do know is that during school holiday time – any time really – having extra kids around to play at your place makes life so much easier for you. Entertaining one or two kids is hard work, but when they have mates around, they always seem to find things to occupy themselves.  My kids are older now, and they have said to us that they really appreciated how we always had a ‘friend-friendly’ home: they always enjoyed being able to invite mates over to play.  

Another benefit is that you stay in touch with your child’s world: you know their mates and you know what they are up to.

Yes, it might be noisier and messier having a house full of kids, but just smile, pass around the biscuits and enjoy the ride.

For more parenting tips, check out the ParentingPlace.com