# Is the 3rd child really the hardest?



## HeatherB (Jan 30, 2003)

I have often heard that the third child is the hardest on family dynamics. I remember things like, "Three is the hardest, but after that, you can have 10 and it would be fine."

Any truth to this notion? We've certainly been rocked by having three little people in the house (and it's not like they're just super close in age - they're 2.5 and 3 years apart), but I don't know what part of it is the number of kids, the ages of the kids, or our own inability to cope with stress (DH, in particular).

I really want one more, but at this point DH isn't in favor because of the stress. We're working on ways to remedy some of it (he works from home, but will very soon have the option of working in another office), but then I still wonder just how much easier - or not - a fourth would be.

Would love input from those who have 4+!









Thanks!


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## scifimama (Jan 17, 2008)

i'm currently pregnant with #3 so i'll be watching this tread


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## HeatherB (Jan 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *scifimama* 







i'm currently pregnant with #3 so i'll be watching this tread

And your 3rd is due on my 3rd's birthday!









Which makes me wonder, too, how much gender has an effect. We have all boys, who tend to be active (but can also sit for an hour or 5 reading books). I have no idea how it might be different if we had all - or any - girls!


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## mae14 (Mar 26, 2009)

Have 3 (5, 3, 1), trying for #4.


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## scifimama (Jan 17, 2008)

i know that my 2 boys can be very loud and wild. the loud volume is what really stresses me out but when the two boys fight, it seems to really stress out DH. we don't know what we're having yet but if it's a quiet little girl, i might not know what to do with her lol. i'm sure this baby will really change things either way.

but i want 6 someday, so i'd love to know if after 3, it doesn't get too much more difficult.


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## mntnmom (Sep 21, 2006)

I had a girl, 19mnths later a boy, 23 mnths later another boy. #2 was the hardest for me because I was in a bad spot emotionally. #3 integrated into our lives and routines really easily. I'm hopeful that #4 will be the same!


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## Smokering (Sep 5, 2007)

There are no guarantees. I was the third in my family and I was AWFUL (not as a baby, but as a toddler and child)... but number 4 had special needs, so there you go. FTR, numbers 5 and 6 were pretty good.


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

#3 was very difficult for me. I felt like a super-mom of 2 but having a third child was very humbling and difficult. And it's not that he was a particularly difficult child, either. He cried a lot as a newborn but by about 2 months he was very content and not nearly as "high needs" as my first two had been. I mean, he was a baby that at 6 months would take a nap by himself for 2 hours. I didn't think babies like that existed! So it wasn't him, really, just trying to figure out how to juggle instead of just passing two balls back and forth, you know? #4 was a very easy transition, and overall, 4 is much easier than 3.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

3 has been rough on our family, not for me, but for DH. The children are 7, 3 and 9 months. DS has been an easy baby, but my older two girls are not. DD1 is a very intense child with anxiety issues and some other things, DD2 is normal but has not taken to being the middle child well so has been difficult as well. 3 has made our house more much crazier, DH is not handling the stress well at all. I have to admit that this is a sore spot for me, I am the one dealing with most of the child related tasks, but when outnumbered by 3 to 1, DH does have to step up more. Drop a child off here, take one at night, all of this are things he never really had to do before.

I go back and forth about a 4th, DH is very much against another child, he feels that he can't handle the ones he has. If he was not so opposed then I would really be wanting another one, but now I am really weighing if our family (DH) can handle it.

But for me, the 3rd has been the easiest, DD1 was a screaming mess for the first year of her life, DD2 was very ill and had medical problems, DS has been no problem at all for me. It was like he was born, and then the next day our life went on instead of coming to s screeching halt like it had with the others.


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## floss&ferd (Mar 6, 2009)

I think it would also depend on ages. My #2 and #3 are only 16 mos apart---we rarely left the house and I was REALLY TIRED a lot.

I think we could've easily added a 4th when #3 turned 4 or so. My nieces are 6 and 3 and I keep them often with no problems. (My kids are 12, 7 and 6.)


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## lovemybubus (Oct 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *scifimama* 
i know that my 2 boys can be very loud and wild. the loud volume is what really stresses me out but when the two boys fight, it seems to really stress out DH. we don't know what we're having yet but if it's a quiet little girl, i might not know what to do with her lol. i'm sure this baby will really change things either way.

but i want 6 someday, so i'd love to know if after 3, it doesn't get too much more difficult.

This made me laugh "quiet little girl" my son will chill and watch movies, snuggle, and occupy himself for hours with his trains. DD1 on the other hand is loud, active, argumentative, (of course wonderful, loving, intelligent and sensitive too) but she would NEVER fit in the "quiet little girl" category, lol

My 3rd is also a girl, she's 9 1/2 months now and I think at this point, though it's hard to know for sure, that she takes after her oldest sister. I'm a little scared...


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## 4JMJ (Feb 5, 2008)

The 3rd, for us, was definitely the most difficult adjustment. Our 4th is a high-needs little guy, but it has been a pretty smooth transition (so much so that I want to try for #5!) Or maybe I have just gone a little crazy and everyone around me is too afraid to tell me so.......


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## GreenTeaGinger61 (Oct 10, 2009)

I remember when I was very pregnant with my third, my dentist told me "The third is what pushed us over the edge." LOL. In a way he was right on. My third was a perfect baby, quiet, slept a great deal, etc. But she was still a baby with lots of demands and it was hard to keep up with three little people. She was five years younger than my oldest and a little less than two with my middle.

Now I can do it but the dynamics are interesting. Middle child is a slightly out there, very independent stubborn little girl with lots of energy. Oldest son is very sweet but just got diagnosised with epilepsy. The youngest is also very independent and feisty but she likes company more than the middle. There is a lot of fighting between the two youngest girls. And we homeschool We did adjust though, and the panic I felt initially is gone. I feel pretty capable of going out with all of them etc. Interestingly dh never felt stressed by three. We'll see how he does with four.

Right now I'm accepting our fourth in April. I have to admit to not feeling as paniced as I did when pregnant with number three. Could be that I have no toddlers running around but I do feel more confident having survived three so to speak.


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

I only have 2, but my mom had 4. According to her, adding the third was much easier than adding the second, and I (Child #1) accepted #3 much more easily than I did #2. The first 3 kids were all 18 months apart. The one who affected our family dynamics most was #4, who came along 4 1/2 years later, but that was mostly because of his special needs.


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## Chicky2 (May 29, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *scifimama* 
i know that my 2 boys can be very loud and wild. the loud volume is what really stresses me out but when the two boys fight, it seems to really stress out DH. we don't know what we're having yet but if it's a quiet little girl, i might not know what to do with her lol. i'm sure this baby will really change things either way.

but i want 6 someday, so i'd love to know if after 3, it doesn't get too much more difficult.

Ha! My neighbor has 4 children, stairstepped from 6-10. The girls are by far the loudest!!! And in my house, the boy can be loud w/noises of all kinds, but the girls will.not.hush!!! Like ever, lol. Mighty mouths, all of 'em.

Seems like when boys are together playing all you hear are all kinds of noises like truck noises, monster noises, Star Wars sounds, but when girls get together, they TALK.









For me, the 2nd was the hardest, and anything after that was cake.


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## 4Blessings (Feb 27, 2008)

We have four (8,7,2,and 7 weeks).

I think it depends on the spacing of the children and the children you are given









#1 was a very easy child. Loved to sleep. Very happy. Still a wonderful kid.

#2 was very needy and I struggled for the first year+. Never seemed to sleep.

#3 was easier, still not a sleeper but was an easier baby and the adjustment was smooth. Older sibs helped out which is a bonus!

#4 is a great baby but #3 is now 2 and keeping me on my toes. Adding #4 has been the biggest adjustment. If this baby was as needy as #2 was I think I'd really be struggling right now.

I also think my expectations and my attitude have improved over the years. I'm much easier going than I was when we started our parenting journey.

Good luck with whatever you decide.


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## 5gifts (Nov 16, 2005)

No! The 5th is!









If I had stopped at 3, then yes....and after the 3rd we took a break for 4 years!

The 4th was wonderful......maybe we should have stopped there LOL!

This 5th kid







.......we've been DONE!!! But uggg! #6 is on the way.....

.....Maybe it's good to stop at an even number


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## sewchris2642 (Feb 28, 2009)

For us, it was the personality of the child that made it hard, not their postion in the family. Angela, our 3rd, was easy to add into the family dynamics. It was Erica, our 2nd, that was hard. Erica is the reason why there is 4 years between her and Angela but only 2.5 years between Joy and Erica. Dylan also upset the dynamics. MOre because of his personality, than the age span. If we had had Erica first, chances are she would have been an only child.


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## sewchris2642 (Feb 28, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *scifimama* 

but i want 6 someday, so i'd love to know if after 3, it doesn't get too much more difficult.

When we got married, dh wanted 6 and I wanted none. We said that we compromised with 3 until Dylan came along.


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## fruitfulmomma (Jun 8, 2002)

I'm sure it depends on the ages too but for us, yes #3 was hardest. Not that she was our hardest child but having three children under 5yo was hard. Now that I have a 9yo and a 7yo who can help out with the chores and play with the younger children and are somewhat self-sufficient, it does make it a lot simpler. Still not easy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything and we are working on #6.


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## Hollysmom (Aug 12, 2004)

I think it depends on lots of things. For us 3rd was the biggest change because we had only planned on having 2 children and #3 is only 20 months younger than #2. She was a total surprise. My 2nd was definitely my toughest baby (she wouldn't go to anyone but me, not even her Dad until she was 10 months old). Having said that she is only one that was "planned" so I was in a really good place when she was born so that made it a bit easier. My first was an easy baby, but I was a basket case ~ PPD etc. Having said all that my youngest is 2 today







and it is definitely getting easier. Almost makes me want another, but that is no longer an option


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## chaoticzenmom (May 21, 2005)

My 3rd and 4th have been extremely easy. My shoulders are about worn out, but the rest of me (sanity) is fine.

I was really scared to have my 3rd (a surprise). It just seemed so natural though, after he came. I had all the tricks, all the experience, none of the worry and anxiety. It was nothing like adding the 2nd, which was really hard for me.


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## springbabes (Aug 23, 2003)

My third was my easiest. He was happy and easy-going and slept all the time. My DDs were 6 and 4 and they just adored their younger brother. Adding him was such a smooth transition. He kept that great personality as a toddler and almost never had tantrums or power struggles. He's still a happy, easy-going child at age 6.

But then came number 4. She cried and fussed and never slept. Her first year was a blur. All I did was struggle to meet her needs. The needs of the other children fell by the wayside. Nobody got enough attention from me and I had no life outside of taking care of her. Now as a toddler she's still such a live wire. I don't understand how a child that never sleeps can have so much energy. She's always jumping and dancing and climbing. Everything I want her to do is a fight. It has been an exhausting 2.5 years.

I do think it comes down to personality. You never know what you're going to get.


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## Chicky2 (May 29, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *springbabes* 
I do think it comes down to personality. You never know what you're going to get.

It does, really. But yk what? I firmly believe we get what we can handle.


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## ledzepplon (Jun 28, 2004)

I have three. They're currently 4, almost 6, and 15 months.

My third has been by far the easiest kid I've had. He slept well from the get go, he nursed just fine, and he's very happy-go-lucky.

My middle boy has been our biggest challenge, as far as keeping up with him. He's very emotional, a terrible sleeper, and WILD. But he's also a total sweetheart, very intelligent, and super sweet to younger children.

My dd was the toughest as a baby--she was "colicky" or something as an infant, and I thought I'd never make it through her first year. Something in her switched when she hit toddlerhood, though, because all the sleep problems and crying evaporated.

I do think that three is hard as far as the workload, especially when they're all very small. The laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc., can be very overwhelming at times. It feels like a lot more than just the mess of one more person for some reason. But I've just had to adjust my expectations and do my best. I keep thinking that someday, I'll be able to have my house just how I want it. But for now, I need to be flexible. Of course my timeline has been pushed back again, as we're now expecting Baby #4!

IMO, the first baby is the HARDEST. Of course mine was just not an easy baby, but everything is new and there can be a lot of self-doubt if things aren't going well, and you don't have the perspective to know that it won't be just like this forever. I've also been told that having three is as hard as it gets, and if you can do three you can do any number. I'm hoping this is true, but I suppose I'll find out soon enough.


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## broodymama (May 3, 2004)

I have 22 months between DS and DD1, 24 months between DD1 and DD2, will be ~22/23 months between DD2 and #4.

For me, going from 1 to 2 was the hardest, and DD1 is still the most challenging. The drama, screaming and whining - ahhhhhhhhh! And while I love her dearly, the words "quiet" and "sweet" have never been used to describe her.







(Well, maybe while she is sleeping?) It was easy going from 2 to 3, DD2 is now 18 months and also developing a, shall we say, very strong personality. I'm still waiting to see how it is going from 3 to 4.


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## JoanCrawford (Jan 15, 2010)

There were three of us in my family, and we were all fairly well behaved children. Then again, our parents split up 7 or 8 years after the youngest of us was born, so it mightve put a strain on our parents (especially financially).


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## Fuamami (Mar 16, 2005)

Haven't read the other responses, but my third was the easiest. Everyone was already used to sharing Mom and Dad, and adapted much easier to the next kid. It might have been the ages between the kids, too, as ds1 was only 19 months old when ds2 was born. When ds1 was born, dd was 2y 2mo, and she had a tough transition.

When I was pg with #3, my cousin told me that when you have your third kid you go from man-on-man to zone defense. I liked that analogy, as a former basketballer.


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## mags (May 4, 2004)

I have a 6 yr old, 4.5 yr old and 6 mo old boys. Transitioning to two kids was HELL, b/c they were only 18 mo apart and DS2 was a very unhappy, high needs child who sucked the life out of me. DS1 was very spirited and all over the place, so I was pulling out my hair trying to keep one out of danger while having one who cried all day. Right now 3 is hard, but manageable. The older two are much more indep and able to occupy one another and DS3 has a good personality. I think it really depends on your kids' ages and temperment. We always joke that had DS2 been our first child, there would have been a really large gap before we had another child, and that is exactly what happened (4 yr gap btwn DS2 and DS3).


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sewchris2642* 
For us, it was the personality of the child that made it hard, not their postion in the family. Angela, our 3rd, was easy to add into the family dynamics. It was Erica, our 2nd, that was hard. Erica is the reason why there is 4 years between her and Angela but only 2.5 years between Joy and Erica. Dylan also upset the dynamics. MOre because of his personality, than the age span. If we had had Erica first, chances are she would have been an only child.









: My second was also THAT child in my family, and would probably be happier as an only child. It's a bit soon to tell, but I think our newbie (number 5) may be the same way.

I will say, though, that having three kids under 5 is far harder than having five overall. Spacing counts for a lot.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

#3 wasn't the hardest for us, I don't think. I mean sure, it made things a little more challenging as we were outnumbered and all that, but it wasn't as frightening as some make it out to be. #4 was a breeze. At that point, what's one more? LOL. I have been super lucky to have easy-going babies, so I'm sure my feelings would be different if even one had been high-needs.


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## MammaG (Apr 9, 2009)

I have three boys, ages 5.5, 4 and 10 weeks. #2 was by far the hardest transition in our family...my DH and I nearly split after #2. Now the first two were 17 months apart and I tandem nursed for over 2 years, so I was very focused on the kids and not much else (like DH).

In the just about 10 weeks we've lived with our sweet #3, we have wavered on our 'being done' stance. He's a fabulous baby and I think that this is partly him and partly that we're much more relaxed as parents. I still have to carry him around the house to stop the fussies, but now I just pop him in the sling, unload the dishwasher and enjoy being close to him. So far for us, #3 has been the best and easiest transition ....and brought us closer as a couple, too.

Ask me again when he begins to crawl, though!


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## scifimama (Jan 17, 2008)

from what you guys have said, i guess my "quiet little girl" dream is a little unrealistic. i don't know anything about having girls but i always thought there was no way that they could be louder than my boys. now i'm scared.
for us, #2 was THAT child. he's been extremely difficult, he doesn't sleep through the night, throws fits, gets into pickles all of the time, bites his brother. DS1 was a breezy baby/toddler but now that he's older he TALKS ALL OF THE TIME, LOUDLY. but i've always hoped that after DS2, any baby would seem like a breeze in comparison. i guess i'll soon find out. maybe #3 will be a "quiet little boy" like DS1 was when he was smaller.


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## annethcz (Apr 1, 2004)

I have 4 kids. Honestly, going from 0 to 1 child was the hardest transition for me.

By the time my 3rd child came, I was really getting good at the whole parenting thing. I knew how to divide my time between children. I'd learned lots of good tricks through trial and error. I was confident in my parenting.

Adding child #4 to our family was really difficult, but that had more to do with family dynamics and personality than anything else (DS was adopted at age 5, which is WAY different than adding a baby to the family!)


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## peachsara (Jun 10, 2009)

My first two are 19 months apart. DS has been super high-strung and demanding from the day he was born and DD is such a "mama's girl". If the transition from 2-3 is worse than 1-2, I will be needing lots of prayers.


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## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

#3 was my easiest. a lot of this was her personality. she is an easy child. even her birth was easy. and I have all girls. I mean there was the normal stuff that having a baby and toddler in the house entails but for the most part Ava was the bomb. I was confident in my parenting. #2 was finally coming out of her evil baby phase (she was not an easy baby......really, tripplets would have been easy after her) and everything just sorta clicked into place.


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## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

I should point out, #2 was a delightful, amazing, toddler and is still an amazing young lady. Her baby chaos was totally worth it.


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## pauletoy (Aug 26, 2007)

#2 was the hardest. #3 and #4 just fit right in and we didn't really miss a beat.


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## annekh23 (Nov 1, 2008)

The third has definitely been the hardest for us, but then there are so many other factors that could be related to that, it was an unplanned pregnancy, when the others weren't, c-section when the others weren't, NICU which we've never done before, major problems with breastfeeding, living 5000 miles away from family etc. it's worth it though!


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## funkymamajoy (May 25, 2008)

Its not that my youngest is harder, he is actually an easy-going baby most of the time. Its just that I'm really tired. We may have had more kids if I had the chance to miss the baby years.


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## starlein26 (Apr 28, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mbhf* 
#3 was very difficult for me. I felt like a super-mom of 2 but having a third child was very humbling and difficult. And it's not that he was a particularly difficult child, either.

So far, I'm having a similar experience. But transitioning to 2 was also extremely difficult for me. I don't handle the EXTREME neediness of children in their first year as well as I'd like. I get stressed out easily. So when you add to that the demands and needs of other children, ugh. And the dynamics change with every addition and it's impossible to predict the changes to your other children (mostly negative changes in my experience...)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lovemybubus* 
This made me laugh "quiet little girl"

Me too...hahaha...in my experience, girls are MORE, just more talking, more emotion....

But anyway, meeting the needs of children is hard work. One child is the easiest because there's no competition. With every addition past one, the changes in dynamic/competition become hard. Temperaments don't always mesh, jealousy intensifies...parents don't get as much of a break, which doesn't help.


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## MJB (Nov 28, 2009)

I'm having my third this summer. My second has been MUCH harder than my first at every age, from the day he was born. He'll be 4.5 when this babe is born and my oldest will be 7.5.
There is honestly no way this child could talk more than my 4yo, girl or boy. He literally talks from the second his eyes open until they FINALLY close at night. My mom had girls and always said "At least boys don't talk as much as girls," but she's since retracted that statement. He is an exhausting person to be around, always going. Both my boys are very emotional as well but at least my oldest will just go cry or mope in his room, whereas my second will scream and tantrum.
Honestly after going from 1 to 2, with the kid my #2 is, I'm positive it'll be easier to add a third. Especially since my kids are both older than my first son was when my second was born. They're weaned, sleep in their own beds (without needing me to lay there or nurse them), take showers without my help, brush their own teeth, can fix themselves breakfast, lunch, and snacks. "Going back" to taking care of a baby will be a shock at first but I'm sure we'll adjust quickly.


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## pixiekisses (Oct 14, 2008)

#5 was the hardest here. Yes, harder than having two infants at the same time.
Because #5 came when I had a 17 yo., a 7 yo. and two 2 yos. A newborn on top there was a challenge. But it turned out fine!


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## HeatherB (Jan 30, 2003)

I think there's a lot of truth to the notion that it really depends on the kids - which is funny, because that wasn't what I was thinking about when I posed the question. I was looking more at the family dynamic (for instance, is the 3rd hardest because there are still two younger ones who aren't all that independent, but from the 4th onward they older ones are more able to help?), but, clearly, even there there are no cut and dry answers. But we knew that, didn't we?









My 3rd we thought would be the easiest, and in some ways, he has been. We were more relaxed about the pregnancy and his arrival than with the others, much because of experience, etc. We'd not only already had a baby, we'd already had a home birth/VBAC, and so there wasn't much new. He started out as such an easy, happy baby! I said it was wonderful that the 3rd would be the easy one, since I surely needed it by then! I was pretty wasted by the pregnancy - long-time health issues flared badly, basically, so I was mostly worthless for anything that needed to be done - and getting over that with a sweet baby was a pretty good thing!

Then he started moving.







He was rolling at 3 months, crawling at 5 months, standing at 9, and walking at 10. He is NON-STOP, even now at 2.25yo.







Super curious, active, happy, intense, and INTO EVERYTHING. He's the first one we ever bought baby gates for!!







So, it's been a whole different experience from the first two, and definitely a challenge for all of us. Mostly, it's just the stress of having so much going on - noise, chaos, destruction, play, singing, dancing, etc., etc. It's not all bad, but it CAN be all a bit maddening when you're already maxed sensorily. (And I think both DH and I tend to be overstimulated by sensory input.)

We've looked seriously at a new house where the boys will have more freedom to do all their boy things - like make lots of noise - in an environment where it won't be so hard on DH and me. But, for right now, we're trying to stay put and just fix things as best we can here. And, I think if we make the changes we're planning on (DH working at an out-of-home office most of the time), that it will be easier on him to deal with the kids the rest of the time. And, then, maybe we'll be okay to handle a fourth. Maybe?


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## starlein26 (Apr 28, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *HeatherB* 
Then he started moving.







He was rolling at 3 months, crawling at 5 months, standing at 9, and walking at 10. He is NON-STOP, even now at 2.25yo.







Super curious, active, happy, intense, and INTO EVERYTHING. He's the first one we ever bought baby gates for!!







So, it's been a whole different experience from the first two, and definitely a challenge for all of us. Mostly, it's just the stress of having so much going on - noise, chaos, destruction, play, singing, dancing, etc., etc. It's not all bad, but it CAN be all a bit maddening when you're already maxed sensorily. (And I think both DH and I tend to be overstimulated by sensory input.)

Third dd is starting out like your 3rd son...same developmental timeline...and boy is she curious. I thought my middle dd was intense and busy! The difference with my girls is still obvious in their overall agreeableness. Middle dd is NOT very agreeable whereas younger dd is much more so...which makes younger dd's intensity slightly more manageable. My son is very gentle and sweet natured and sensitive (which is a BIG problem because middle dd LOVES to agitate him and toy with his feelings...UGH). Is that just a girl thing?

Anyway, I'm an introvert and the noise level has been HARD!!!!!!!!! Why oh why did I have such a strong need to reproduce,







.


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## Swandira (Jun 26, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *scifimama* 
i know that my 2 boys can be very loud and wild. the loud volume is what really stresses me out but when the two boys fight, it seems to really stress out DH. we don't know what we're having yet but if it's a quiet little girl, i might not know what to do with her lol. i'm sure this baby will really change things either way.

but i want 6 someday, so i'd love to know if after 3, it doesn't get too much more difficult.

I can't comment on more than three, since I just have three myself, but I want to point out that girls are not necessarily quieter than boys! I have a 7-year-old boy, a 4-year-old girl, and a 1-year-old boy, and the girl is by far the loudest and wildest. She's a daredevil and every time I've had to call 911 or poison control it's been because of her. I took her ice-skating with friends today and they had those little walkers for teaching little kids to skate. It was her first time skating, and she had one, and she and one of her friends (a boy in this case) started ramming their walkers into each other head-on and falling on their butts and giggling. My big guy would never have thought to do that, and my little guy just watches and laughs at everything.

So it may be that you'll have two wild boys and a wilder girl!

Nealy
mama to T (12/02), L (2/06), and O (12/08)


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## PoppyMama (Jul 1, 2004)

I agree with it depending on the kids. I have 12, 10 and 7 months and I would trade the 12 year old (girl) for another 7 month old in a second


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lilyka* 
#3 was my easiest. a lot of this was her personality. she is an easy child. even her birth was easy. and I have all girls. I mean there was the normal stuff that having a baby and toddler in the house entails but for the most part Ava was the bomb. I was confident in my parenting. #2 was finally coming out of her evil baby phase (she was not an easy baby......really, tripplets would have been easy after her) and everything just sorta clicked into place.

I had to laugh, evil baby phase.







I used to be a live-in nanny for infant twins, and OMG, those two boys were so much easier then my single DD1. I always say that I don't know who cried more her first year of life, me or her. She is 7 now and still THAT child, I have finally decided that the only way our family can stay sane is to run her into the ground every single day so she has a crazy schedule of school, and after school activities. The child was up snowboarding until 7:30pm tonight when we finally dragged her off the mountain, but she is finally as happy as I think she can be and so are the rest of us.


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## Heavenly (Nov 21, 2001)

I found the third to be the easiest. For me it was number two that really knocked me on my @ss! Going from 2 to 3 was easy because I was already used to multi-tasking and watching more than one child on my own. We are done for various reasons but I wouldn't really be worried about going to 4 if that is what we chose. I think once you have a little herd of kids following after you everywhere adding one more to the mix isn't that hard!


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## scifimama (Jan 17, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Swandira* 

So it may be that you'll have two wild boys and a wilder girl!

Nealy
mama to T (12/02), L (2/06), and O (12/08)

if #3 ends up wilder than #2, i may lose my mind.


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