Toni and I spend a lot of time chatting from our lounge rooms via Facebook, but it's very rare that we actually manage to see each other face to face. The girls love spending time together, and have an obsession with the beach, so when the stars do align, we head out with buckets and spades and towels and the rest of the crap you need to drag around for lots of people.
But it got me thinking about why we couldn't manage to get together more often, and how families with just one child are different to families with more than 2 children.
Each family set up is unique. This post isn't to say that one way is better than another. I wouldn't change the family that I have now, but I also cherish the years I spent with Chloe as a single mum, and the relationship we built as a family unit.
Can you think of other differences?
But it got me thinking about why we couldn't manage to get together more often, and how families with just one child are different to families with more than 2 children.
Families with one child get more sleep ins
With just one child in the house, there's no one else to wake that child up. And if they're a good sleeper, mum and dad get sleep ins, too. Oh, how I remember sleep ins from my days of having just one child.Families with one child cook one meal
You can almost guarantee that at every meal, someone doesn't like something I've cooked. When there's just one child, they're used to the foods you cook, and aren't as fussy. (Granted, Toni deals with allergies, but as a general rule, they all eat the same foods)Families with one child can make spur-of-the-moment plans
With kids at school, and toddlers who don't sleep, it's almost impossible to say yes to the "let's go to the beach at 2 o'clock in the afternoon" request, if it doesn't fit in with the schedule.Families with one child have less stuff
As a general rule, less children means less stuff to find homes for. Although in big families the last child often doesn't get new stuff anyway, because we've already got it 3 times over.Families with one child have more one on one time
It's hard when juggling rosters and school schedules and toddlers and everyone's needs to spend time with each child on their own. Families with one child don't have to deal with competing needs, and have plenty of one on one time.Each family set up is unique. This post isn't to say that one way is better than another. I wouldn't change the family that I have now, but I also cherish the years I spent with Chloe as a single mum, and the relationship we built as a family unit.
Can you think of other differences?
Yes things certainly do change when you have more than one child. When they get older though it also means the children have playmates when there is more than one.
ReplyDeleteLove the new link up
It wasn't that great when she was first born, but now that she's older and I've adjusted, having a child isn't that bad. I think I'm more social now than I was before {even though my days out mostly include 2yr olds}. When I have another I fully expect to be house bound though! Playdates will be at my house haha.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that when you go to three or more it just sends everything to a new level of crazy.
ReplyDeleteI've just gone from one to two!! Big changes in our family. Certainly was easier with just 1 - in many ways!
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