My wife and I have been going back and forth about this subject forever. We have one 3 year old daughter and she is awesome. We love he to death and can't imagine having a more perfect child. Like many other parents these days, we are very hands on with and spoil her greatly with both material items and experiences. Unfortunately, I don't know if I want another child. Our life has finally gotten back to normal, and to think of another few years of work and stress, it becomes a very hard decision to make. Here are the pros to me: Another person that I love more than anything in the world including myself A sibling for my daughter to share her experiences and life with Another chance to experience things all over again. Gives me one more shot at producing the next Tiger Woods, Steve Nash or Mia Hamm. Here are the cons: More sleepless nights More years of putting off getting that Yamaha R1 Another grand a month I have to spend on child care instead that 23 foot ski boat At least 2 years before I can take another exotic vacation with my family( Disney does not count) More work for my wife since I'm not home half the time. 3 more years before I can go to the movies again. What do you guys with one or more kids think? Also, I want to hear from the single childs on the board. Did you miss out on anything by not having a brother or sister? Are you screwed up because of it?
Rockbox, when I read the title I actually busted out laughing. I know (or at least hope) this board will not be the basis of your final decision but to ask for advice on THIS message board over something that has such a life altering decision is kinda nuts. By the way I say shag for 2 months w/out any kind of protection and see what God wants.
I think you have another child because its best if your daughter has someone in the family to play with and share and etc. Also if your daughter grows up to be married and have kids,her kids wont have cousins from her side. Plus if you dont have another child, that child will be pretty spoiled and you dont want that I know money can be a problem sometimes but you have to sacrifice something
We planned our first child (our son) after waiting very, very long to make the decision to have any at all, and then my daughter just happened, four years later. We have no regrets. She dotes on her Daddy.
Pro: A second income to pay for your nursing home. Pro: Enough of an age difference that you can spread out that College money. Seriously though, we have two and it's great. Yes, you have to deal with the diapers and the "I need help wiping!" yell for another few years, but it is worth it. Get a sub to Netflix and enjoy.
Yes. Then you won't be putting all your eggs in one basket, if one child doesn't pan out, you still have another one.
from the perspective of an only child, I kind of wish that I had a sibling to grow up with. I feel like I struggle with sharing, giving, and getting along in groups of people. As I've grown into my adult life, I have really worked hard to improve these areas of my life, but I think a child will have a more satisfying social life if they have siblings fairly close in age to interact with in their home life.
If you do decide to have one the sooner the better. I'm eight years older than my brother and I regret now not playing with him more when I was young. The older a kid gets the less likely he/she will want to play with a sibling a lot younger because they want to hang with their teenage friends or whatever. I wish I had those years over again and would have been a better older brother. Luckily he grew up to be a good kid and good man.
i would say yes man because... Your daughter will have another person to be with 3 years apart isn't bad at all Sleepless nights pay off in the long run=Money from kids =D Its another thing to love in life
I got 2 kiddos. Many have shared good thoughts. Key ones being that the 2nd kid really benefits the first. In particular, think of your first child. When you get old, she'll bear the entire burden of taking care of you and after you and your wife are gone, she'll have no blood relatives, except perhaps her own kids. The other cool think is to see how the kids act. Mine are 3 yrs apart. it's neat to see the older one take care of the younger one, and the younger one doing everything he can to keep up with sis. that's a dynamic you can't duplicate. That said, all the other crap is true. longer to wait for cool vacations, movies, regular sleep, etc. My boy is 1.5 yrs old. I figure another year and it will get much easier. Sounds like your daughter is a lot like mine. That will help.
I'd wait another year - 4 years apart is good - it makes paying for college easier too. I'm 22 and just already finished up UT, my younger sister is 18 and just started at Northwestern - my parents can spread out those college loan payments a lot easier. But what do I know.
I am an only child and I really wished that I had a sibling growing up. Have another kid. That's my suggestion.
I have two kids 4 years apart...it is amazing. 2 is way better than one. Until you have 2, you don't know what parenting really is... DD
