Thanks,
Bridget

Sarah, I think it’s possible that having lots of kids forces you to be that way! Just try and be shy when you have a double stroller and a toddler and people NEED TO MOVE NOW so you can get to the bathroom in time. As for being “always on the go,” that’s also hard to avoid with a nice bunch of kids. I don’t know what type A means, however. But I suspect it, too, can be learned if necessary.

It’s been one of the good side effects of having lots of kids: I just can’t afford to be the mopey, morose, fearful, procrastinator I was for 20+ years, and I’m much happier now, and more useful!

And oh, do I enjoy the rare moments of leisure which used to make up my whole life.

Good question. I would like maybe four kids total (God willing – I have PCOS so that might be hard.) My husband often says he would like three, tops, and recently he’s been making noises about stopping at two. (We have just one right now). I guess we just have to see how things go and take it one kid at a time. I can certainly sympathize with his concerns – kids are an enormous amount of work. Our daughter is 3 and neither of us feels ready for another at the moment. (Though a lot of that is due to the fact that we both have to work full time and my husband is in grad school. Yet that doesn’t stop me from swooning over newborns). But at the same time I think my husband isn’t thinking long-term – the really hard part is relatively short compared to the entire time you’re raising the kid. It should get easier. (Right?!?)

Before we were married, we thought we wanted between four and six kids. (Lesson learned: don’t decide how many kids you want when you have never had a kid and have only baby-sat 3 times in your life.)

I admit, I cannot imagine having 7, 8 or more. My husband and I are just not cut out for that. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s wonderful to have such a big family, and I really, really admire anyone who does, especially since I now know how hard it is. I just don’t think it’s for me. People who have that many kids are usually the type-A, super-outgoing, always-on-the-go type. My husband and I are not that type. I think maybe three to four kids would be enough to stretch us and keep us from getting too self-centered, but not so many that we would go completely insane. (Maybe just partially insane, heehee.)

I don’t necessarily think the woman with 3 kids in the interview was not following church teaching. If she was using contraception, then yes, but it’s possible she was using NFP and had a good reason to stop at 3.

Now, does Hope have a good answer for mothers who wouldn’t mind adding a couple of new souls to the family, but husband says, “No way!”?