Are You There, Moms? It’s Me, Idiot How Many Kids Do You Want To Have?

Are You There, Moms? It’s Me, Idiot is an ongoing series dedicated to helping one very well-intentioned and dumb future-parent learn about the world of childrearing. Click here to see past columns.

After last week’s hullaballoo over circumcision (such strong thoughts!), I thought we might be able to find something a bit less shit-stirring where we can all agree that each other’s view points are valid, and the personal choices each parent makes for his or her family is the right one for that family. Let’s talk family planninghow many kids do you want to have?

My parents always wanted two girls (or so they told us), and birthed exactly that. Somewhere along the way through a complicated set of circumstances I won’t go into here, we picked up a third sister, and now when I can get it together to imagine a concrete vision of my own kids, I always think of three. That assumes, of course, that I’ll be able to have a kid or three in the first place, and I know that attaching too much value to a number like that is stupid, since you never really know what life is going to throw at you. But I grew up loving having siblings, and I’d want my kids to have that experience.

Did you have a number in mind, and did you end up with that number? Anyone go into it without a number and just decided you’d stop when you felt like it? If you overshot or undershot, do you have any regrets? I have the sneaking suspicion that the perfect number of children is the exact amount that you have, but feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

Photo: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret