Random Poll: What do you consider "a lot of kids"?

[Colleen]

In reading a post just now, I paused upon the phrase, "we have a lot of kids" expressed by a mother of six. As per my sig line, I have five boys, and am aware that it's more than the cultural average. I tend, though, to get more reaction to the fact that I have all boys than I do the fact that I have five children. I happen to know a good many people with more (quite a few more!) than five children. So five (or six) doesn't strike me as a lot, necessarily. Then, too, my husband is from a family of seven, which was quite the norm in rural Switzerland when he was growing up.

 

All of which is to say...mmm, where was I going with this...? Ah, yes. I'm creating a poll rather than attending to the work at hand. Now I remember.:tongue_smilie:

[Slartibartfast]

I guess it depends on kid logistics/management. I have been in situations where 25 kids did not seem like very much and others were four seemed like a lot.

[LucyStoner]

More than will fit into a minivan with both mom and dad. So families of more than 7-8 people (5-6 kids) seems like a lot/big to me.

 

In my city more than 3 is pretty uncommon though.

 

I would perhaps like to have 3 or 4 but fertility issues pretty much limit us to two until we are in a house that would be considered large enough for adoption in our state.

Edited August 29, 2011 by kijipt

[Parrothead]

The up to 3 kids seems pretty "normal." After that I start thinking lots of kids.

[plain jane]

For me, it's always been 8 kids or more to be in the "a lot" category although I can't really express why. :confused: That's just how I think I guess. :D

 

OTOH, I've met some families where the kids are so poorly behaved that their one or two seemed like "a lot" almost bordering on "too many". ;)

[BigMamaBird]

I consider 4 or more a large family.

[Veritaserum]

I voted 5/6. Going from four to five kids was huge leap for me. Filling up the minivan was a moment where dh and I both thought, "Wow, we have a lot of kids."

 

I rarely see anyone with more than five or six, even though we live in an area where larger families are more common. Most people stop at three or four.

[FaithManor]

I think that culturally, four and higher tends to be seen as "a lot". However, we have four and wanted five, so it doesn't feel like a big brood to me.

 

I voted 5-6 because once one has six, one has a hard time finding a mini-van with seatbelts for both kids and parents. Plus, even if you find one, it's pretty hard to get them all in if you have more than one in a carseat or a booster because they take up so much room.

 

So, funny me, if it takes a big van, multiple vehicles to get somewhere, or creative transportation, then I consider that getting on the larger size! :D

 

Faith

[Heather in Neverland]

I actually need an "other" option believe it or not. :D

 

My answer is "any more than I already have". :tongue_smilie:

[Jean in Newcastle]

For me, it's always been 8 kids or more to be in the "a lot" category although I can't really express why. :confused: That's just how I think I guess. :D

 

OTOH, I've met some families where the kids are so poorly behaved that their one or two seemed like "a lot" almost bordering on "too many". ;)

 

:iagree: with all of what you said!

[Splinter]

I have 4, so any more than that seems like a lot of kids to me.

[Peela]

It's pretty rare here where I live to have more than 3, so I said 4...but I guess I would gasp at around 5 or 6 :)

However, the people I know with lots (5 or 6 or more) are all fundamentalist Christian or Catholic, and apart from when homeschooling I just don't hang out in those social groups. It was very eye opening though, when I did.

[Janie Grace]

I wish you had made 5 and 6 different options. I have 5, which is plenty. But six is a LOT... maybe b/c they don't fit in a minivan or you can't count them on one hand. So anyway, I think six is the magic number.

Edited August 29, 2011 by Janie Grace

[justamouse]

one more than I have is a lot. :001_smile:

[elegantlion]

I voted five or six. That's the point, at least to me, where you'd have to start thinking more about vehicle choice and number of bedrooms.

 

My dh is one of five, I am one of two. My dad had one 1/2 brother, my mom was one of eight, so there is variation in my own family.

[Caitilin]

I said more than half a dozen, because that would be more than we have! ;):tongue_smilie: I know we have "a lot" to most people, but since they came one at a time (except for surprise twinsies first!), we just go used to them as they arrived. We are "done" now, fwiw.:D

[mama2cntrykids]

I have a second cousin who has 6 kids that are close to my age. Growing up, that was a HUUUUGE family to me. Now that I'm an adult, it's still a large family, but I now know quite a few families with more kids than that.

 

I guess, for me, 4 or more kids is a lot of kids. Maybe I view it that way b/c that's how many I have.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Seven doesn't seem bad (except one morning every 3 or 4 weeks...lol). Honestly, we went to Denny's with 10 today (3 teens and 7 under 6) and did it well. Ask the families and guy sitting next to us :) Of course, a couple hours is a lot different than day to day so maybe 10 would be too many EVERY day? I don't know.

 

But regardless, I think 8 is enough generally.

 

However, I like the argument about the minivan. We have tried to deal with the car issue for several months now and will be purchasing a vehicle within the next 6 weeks. A family of 9 or 10 just doesn't fit in much.

[Impish]

one more than I have is a lot. :001_smile:

I was going to say '2 more than I have'. Currently expecting #5.

[LaxMom]

Any more than I have. So, I guess 5 and up.

 

Yes, some seem like a lot more than they actually number, but without personalities, 5 tips it for me. :tongue_smilie:

[stripe]

I think if all can fit in one car, and how loud they are factor in. Three screamy ones breaking things can be fairly overwhelming. Or one peeing everywhere.

[nukeswife]

Where I come from my 3 kids are considered to be a lot. In my dh family we have the average amount of kids (2 of his brothers also have 3 kids each and the last brother has 2, but they may have more)

 

When we're with other military families most say we have a small family.

[tricia]

I chose double digits. But in a way this is a relative question!! I have 12 kids so obviously I think more than that is a lot.:lol: But over the years of having children and I see a 'big' family, like at least 5 or 6 I have to stop and think, wow, look at that family, they have a lot of kids. And my husband will usually laugh at me because we have twice that. It's just that it still looks like a lot of kids even though I have a lot! So I guess if I stop and think about it, relative or not I would say 5-6 is the beginning of a large family.

[Guest submarines]

I have only 3, and at least once a week I get a "Are they ALL yours?" :confused: This annoys me so much, that often I just stare back. What kind of question is it anyway? I need a :chillpill:. :D

[zookeeper]

When I only had 5, I would have thought 7 was a lot. Now that I have 7 it doesn't seem like so many and I guess, 12 seems like a lot.

[Stellalarella]

When you HAVE to buy a big vehicle that does not get better than 15mpg (more like 12) in the city, you have a big family. Big Ugly White Van. We own one. :001_smile:

When you cannot stay in any hotel room because your family is too big, you have a lot of kids.

When you need 2 tents to camp out, you have a lot of kids.

When you parcel out the kids to 3 or 4 families so you and your husband can take a trip, you have a lot of kids.

When you wish that MUS would give a discount when you are buying several levels of curriculum, you have a lot of kids.

When all the neighborhood kids come over to your house because that's where the kids are, you have EVEN MORE than a lot of kids. :001_smile:

[Ginevra]

More than 6 or 7 is a lot to me. I have 3, but wanted up to 6 or 7. Dh is one of 6; I'm one of 5. Those sizes seem "happily large" to me, but not "a lot."

[Sasharowan]

I voted 10 or more, but really a lot of kids is more an attitude than a number. I have 4, but my youngest is a lot of kid by himself and makes it seem like more. A friend has 7, but they are quiet and well behaved. It doesn't seem like all that much.

[Audrey]

Three and more seems like a lot to me. At three, the kids outnumber the parents. FWIW, I have one brother, and dh and I have one child.

[Free]

More than two is a lot.

[BakersDozen]

But over the years of having children and I see a 'big' family, like at least 5 or 6 I have to stop and think, wow, look at that family, they have a lot of kids. And my husband will usually laugh at me because we have twice that.

I am so glad I'm not the only one who does this! Just last week I noticed a mom with 5 dc about age 8 and under and thought, "Wow! She has so many dc and so close together!" I guess I don't think of myself as having a lot of dc because I'm so used to having them, perhaps?

 

My answer to the OP is anything above 6 is moving into large family range. Where I live 1-3 is small, 4-6 is average, 7-9 isn't unusual but it is considered large, and 10+ gets an eye-popping reaction from strangers. :D

[Crissy]

More than six.

There were four of us, and two of our cousins lived with us for quite a while. Anything bigger than that feels like a big family.

[SKL]

I think 5 or more. That said, my mom had 6 and when I was younger, I really wanted at least 6. So when I say "they have a lot of kids," I don't mean "they are crazy, do they think they are rabbits?"

[Annie Laurie]

I voted 5 or 6, but really I think 6 is a lot, but not 5. I have 5 and it doesn't feel like a lot to me, but every time I think about having one more, 6 sounds like a lot. Perhaps if I had 6 I would then feel like it wasn't a lot, but 7 would be?

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

Well, right at the moment, four seems like *a lot* of kids. :-P I voted 5-6, because that is 1-2 more than I would be capable of parenting.

[swellmomma]

Usually I think that once you hit a half dozen it is a lot. That's coming from me being a mom of 4. My sister on the other hand thinks anything more than 2 is a lot (she has an only). The cashier at walmart tonight thought we had a tiny family, he has 9 kids and told me my family was too tiny and I needed 5 more ;)

 

I think 1-2 is small, 3-5 is normal, 6+ is big. I always wanted 8 kids, I still do just not on my own. Being only half way there makes me feel like I have a smallish family (until I am driving all 4 in opposite directions for activities) :lol:

[EthiopianFood]

I voted 5-6, but also voted that kids in general are "a lot." :D

[Heather in Neverland]

Three and more seems like a lot to me. At three, the kids outnumber the parents. FWIW, I have one brother, and dh and I have one child.

 

When we went from 2 to 3 my dh said the same thing: we are now going from a man-on-man to a "zone" defense. :D

[Murphy101]

I don't know that I consider any number a lot.

 

If you asked most people what they felt was a lot of almost anything else, the number would usually be higher than what they consider a lot of children.

 

Course. Back when I only had 5, I thought those folks with 10 were freaking nuts.:tongue_smilie:

[Barb_]

It never seems like we have a lot of kids until I see them all together from across the room. Usually they are off each doing his or her own thing and I only see 2-3 at one time. Usually when I see a family of at least 5, I start doing the head count. Then I laugh because I realize our family is actually bigger.

 

Barb

[VaKim]

Depends on how well or badly behaved they are. :tongue_smilie:

[Donna]

I agree with the poster who said it depended on logistics/management. I know a family with 21 kids. They are very organized with the older kids helping the younger kids and everyone getting what they need. The kids are all mostly well behaved. (I have been in this home 1-2 hours weekly for the past 3 years so I know it isn't just an act when I am there.) I love visiting their home and could seriously see them handling more children.

 

On the other hand I know people who have under 6 kids whose homes are crazy with fighting, back-talking, yelling, etc... and in that situation, I find myself thinking they have a lot of kids.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Over three is a lot to me. I'm the youngest of seven children, and there were a lot of us.

[Sophia]

I voted more than 5 is a large family.

My dc, otoh, think 5 or 6 is normal (since that's what they know.)

[Hwin]

I say 5-6 because that is the point where I find myself mentally counting children. ;) As an adult, I do not know anyone with more than 5 kids, and those are acquaintances at church.

 

I grew up as the oldest of four, my parents were from families of 4+ kids, I had friends from larger families.. but in my adult experience, more than 3 is rare.