Whats the Difference Between 2 Kids to 3? - Castle Rock,CO

I found the transition from 1 to 2 was easy. They were 17 months apart, and every stage was still so familiar and I remembered the "tricks" that worked from the first child to keep the second one happy and occupied. I know part of it is temperment and personality. My second is so laid back and easy. I had a 3rd 3 years after the second, and it is tough. I read that everyone else had an easy transition, but not me. I was used to sleeping through the night, and being able to get crayons out and have the kids distracted while I cleaned or folded laundry. It was a difficult transition for me, but I blame part of it on the difference in ages. I love my 3rd more than anything, but it was an exhausting transition for me.

CHAOS! But worth every second. One thing we thought of when considering a fourth was the age difference. We went to Disney last year and found the age differences tough. When considering a fourth we thought...when the 4th is old enough to enjoy waterparks and amuzement rides, how old will the oldest be and did he miss out.
Good luck with your decision.

I recently went from 2 (older kids 12 & 8) 18 mos ago, and also have a husband who is gone more often than not! In fact, we are trying to have our 4th and last! It is a bit of an adjustment, especially having the older two independent for so long, of course now that is a big help, and gives you more time to devote to the baby. You adjust pretty quickly. I cannot imagine my life without this little one in it, it is such a blessing! Good luck to you!

I haven't noticed a big difference between 2 and 3 kids, other than I dread going places. My oldest will be in school next year, and I'm looking forward to running errands with only 2 again. I have found that #1 and #3 get along much better than #2 does with either one, so in some ways it's easier, because the first and last like to play together, and #2 is a bit of a loner, and now has time to be alone, rather than having to play with an older sibling that won't leave him alone. Less room in the car on trips is the other big change. My third was quite unexpected after giving up on years of infertility treatments, but I can't imaging life without her!
As far as being alone at night, that might be harder. We have one awesome sleeper and two decent sleepers, but when they get sick..... The other night my husband and I each got 3 hours of sleep, and that was with team tagging the sickies. With 2 kids the germs didn't seem to multiply, but with 3, it's never ending! I may be a bit off on this, though, as I have one that is particularly susceptible to illnesses, and two who constantly have something in their mouth. Other mom's may have a different opinion on that. It may be easier with 3 to get work done as they play together a lot more than 2 do since they can trade play partners.
Hope some of these ramblings help. :)

I really don't think that it is very different. With 6 grandkids plus several friends here a lot of the time (I am raising several of my grandkids full time) it is only the food that ends up being more. If you are frugal and cook your food with a good plan then you should be fine.

I thought the transition from 2 to 3 was every bit as difficult as from 1 to 2, the reason being that suddenly there aren't enough hands to hold, enough knees to sit on, enough parents to go around for all. Chaos? True enough. Still, I wouldn't trade my 3rd one for anything. Good luck with your decision.

In my experience, going from 2-3 was easier then 1-2 kids. My husband works a lot, he leaves at 6:30am-9:30pm and also works Saturdays, so I have basically raised my kiddos by myself (have no family in the state also). For me going from 1-2 kids was much harder because my son is on the autism spectrum. By the time the 3rd came around I had a 5.5 year old and a 3 year old. That made life so easy to have older kids that were potty trained and able to help clean up their toys.
I felt the same way about our family not feeling complete, so we are now pregnant with number 4. :) I really enjoy the big family atmosphere, but I would be lying if I didn't say it's a lot of work. I homeschool so I keep myself busy and I swear laundry is never ending around here. lol
I love that they have each other to play with, they truely are each others best friends. :)

I'm surprised you'd heard that going from one to two is the biggest change. I've always heard that going from two to three is the biggest, and after three, it doesn't really matter how many you have.
I'm not sure if that last part is right, but going 2 to 3 was hard. Granted, we're only 4 months into this adventure, but it's really hard to get the two older ones (6 and 3) to bed with an infant. I have the opposite situation from you. My husband has been unemployed for 5 months, so he's around all the time to help! So it hasn't been too tough.

I think the hardest part would be getting all 3 kids out to the car at once. It takes us longer to go anywhere. Doctor's appointments would be hard, too, although I've got my husband at home, so I can leave the older ones home. Or if it's my OB appts, I can leave all of them home.

Another big change was that we had to move up from a Jeep Cherokee to a minivan.

Of course, I would never tell you that it's not worth it. We love having our little boy in the family. And an advantage is that my oldest (6) is quite a lot more help than I was expecting. He can give the baby a bottle or entertain him if I need him to. I was trepidacious about going back to the totally-dependent infant from our just-getting-independent boys, but I figured sooner is better than later. I know I'd have a VERY hard time going back to a baby in the house if my kids were much older.

Good luck with your decision!

Everyone's experience is different. No one can say how it would be for you. For me the transition from 2 to 3 was easy, but going from 4 to 5 was hard. Why? I think it was because I was not ready for number 5. We are now going on number 8 and that was the only hard transition I've had. As for your husband not being around so much, it can make it a little harder if you really depend on him for help. My husband has been gone a lot for long periods of time (military) so I can completely understand where you are coming from.

C.

I found that the difference between zero and one was super-easy... and between one and two just about broke me in half.

I only had two for a number of reasons... I only have 2 hands and object on principle to kid leashes... We had a 2-door car... I felt stretched beyond sense or reason to just deal with two by myself (husband in the navy)... I couldn't figure out how to stop my 'parenting' from turning into 'management' that I felt would abolish my sense of myself as a parent...

That last one was a big one. I just didn't believe I could be stretched any further and still be the kind of mother I wanted to be to each of them. ymmv

How many hands do you have?

I was in your position a few months ago. I am getting older and the clock was ticking, loudly. So my husband and I sat down and really had a frank discussion. That may sound like a harsh way of deciding if you are going to have another child, but we really had to think of finances, my sanity, how big the house was and if we could afford and have space for another child. In the end we decided that we are very very happy with our 2 girls and finances are good, so let's give the children we have the most attention we can while we can.

As the primary parent, you would have to be able, mentally and physically, take care of 3 when your husband is working. It is really up to you both to decide what is best for you, as well as the children you have now.

I didn't find there to be much of a difference. I did find that people have huge opinions about 3 kids. Frankly it is none of their business. Our families were not excited, but we were. From the moment we came home from the hospital it just wasn't a big deal. My third will be turning 1 in a couple of weeks. It was tough with schedules, but you figure it out. My husband was home a ton with the first two and then got a new job shortly after the 3rd and was gone a ton. I just learned to figure it out. I feel our family is so complete and well rounded with 3. I think you go into it knowing that the period of time with strollers and diapers is so short lived. I am a big fan of three if it is right for you family. No regrets here! Good luck. I found the decision was much harder to make to have a 3rd than to have a second.

I couldn't possibly offer advice about what is right for you and your family, but I can tell you that going from 2 to 3 was an exponential increase for us as far as the energy it takes on a daily basis. For us it may have been a little different, because our third came quite a few years after our other two, who are close in age. So there is a big age gap between our middle school daughters and their 4-year-old sister now, which makes it challenging as far as the kids having very different interests, activities, school schedules, etc. It would definitely be 'easier' with just the two older ones at this point, but still, I can hardly imagine life without our wild little one. As far as whether your family is complete, only you (and God) can know that.

So much of the challenges and joys of having a 3rd child depends on the specific dynamics of your family-- personalities of the family members, money, spacing of children, who is in school and who is not, size of your house, the health of each family member, etc. But not all of that can be controlled. It's a bit of a leap of faith, but for us it's been a great adventure worth taking on. When I was expecting my 3rd, in many ways our family was not at the point I had wanted us to be before having a 3rd child. But circumstances brought her into our family sooner than those things could be changed. So I made a list of what I could change to prepare for her and focused on those things. They were things like get a bunk bed for my boys and baby-proof containers for some of their toys, get smaller dining chairs so that we could fit another person at the table, find a babysitter old enough to handle an infant and 2 other kids, get a more comfortable couch (I'm like the princess and the pea when I'm pregnant). Many of those things I thought I didn't have the money for, but my prayers were answered and we ended up getting what we needed. There are a lot of kind people out there willing to help someone in a situation that they have been in themselves before. For example, one of my neighbors volunteered to stay with my kids after they were put to bed so that I could get out of the house. She knew what it was like to have her husband gone at night, so when he changed jobs and was home in the evenings, she felt like helping out another mom. There have been a lot of adjustments, and my 3rd does not always do things like her brothers did, but still, I already know how to handle many things, so I'm calmer. Good luck!

for me I know two is the right number because I have a hard time dealing with a lot of people and I cherish those one one one moments - hubby takes one, I take the other, sometimes even two is too much if they both want my attention. Some people thrive on that. Evaluate your finances, your physical and psychological strength, and how this will effect each of your family members. Ask them about it. Make a decision together. Then pray if you are religious to know if that is what God wants.

Every child is such a gift. Adding a child to your family is a change and will forever alter it, but it's the kind of altering that I have never heard of a mother regretting. We all grow into our abilities to handle what comes to us. Do you know any elderly women who have said they regretted having any of their children? Each time we added a child to our family, there was a period of time that was a big adjustment, and the chaos increased. There was more stress on me and on my marriage, but it has brought me and my husband closer together, made us more able to handle situations, and has added to the joy and fun of our lives. We would never change having one of the children in our home because each one is so dear to us and brings so much love and enjoyment to our lives! And then times goes faster with each year of mothering, and my oldest will be on her way to college in 2 years. My sixth and seventh children are the only ones left at home and the scene has changed significantly. Suddenly, all of the challenges of little children are gone from my life and I'm onto the next stage. Life is full--of good things. Children are our richest resources. Pray about it. You are a child of God, and He knows what will make you happiest. He'll help you know what to do and know what you are capable of handling.
Happy Mothering,
L.

For what it's worth, I thought the transfer from one to two children was more difficult than from two to three (I have four). After I got the hang of the "multiple" thing, I was fine. It takes a little more time to do things, and you'll have to be a little more organized, especially at night. You'll also learn more patience quickly, but you're learning that already, right? Since your husband is working such a schedule you'll want to write into your budget a regular sitter so that you can have a little time for yourself. But you'd want to do that with two children you have now (it just makes sense if you can swing it). However, I thought going from two to three (and three to four) was pretty easy. You'll get some other opinions on this, though, so read all the comments carefully!

I didn't see much of a difference between 2 and 3. Then again, my younger two are only 19 months apart. It was a lot harder when they were younger - had two different diaper sizes in the diaper bag, double stroller, and we had to go from a sedan to a minivan. But, with planning and a little organization, you can do it. It will be harder with your husband away. My husband has always been involved and we'll do what I like to call "tag-team" parenting.

Our third wasn't planned, but she is such a joy - I wouldn't change a thing.

In my case it was huge. We had to buy a bigger house because we were bursting at the seams.

If you have 2 boys or 2 girls and you get the opposite sex it will be BIG. If you have one of each and they are close together so it wouldn't be impossible to put the new one in the same room, it won't be as extreme.

I do think that adding a third is like doubling the work and stress. With two, you have two of you to each take a child. The third one usually falls to Mom until older. If you have no problems with the kids going to bed at a reasonable hour and to sleep with out a 2 hour nightmare of in and out of bed, then with Dad gone in the evening won't be such a big deal. But if you have a real hard time like those shown on Super Nanny or Nanny 911, then it will only get worse and you will be exhausted.

If you and your husband BOTH feel like you want to have one more and you can financially handle it, then do it. However if he says he would rather keep things as they are, then DON'T.

If you are 35 or younger, you could wait a while and see how it goes when they are both little independent kids. Adding another one when the kids are 5 and above is not bad. Actually they can be helpful and take a lot of stress from you. By then Dad might be home nights and weekends again.

It is a tough question, one you and hubby need to make together.

Just my 2 cents worth.

M. ( Grandma to 11)
____@____.com

About 4 more years of collage to save up for.

I have to say that one to two was a jump but going to three and more is huge! When I had my third, I didn't have a car that could hold two car seats and my oldest boy so I had to get an SUV. I have a three bedroom house so I had to put two in one room. My second one was still in diapers when the third was born so that cost doubled (not for long though). And the hardest part of all - my husband and I are outnumbered!!! Before he could take one I could take one, now there is one lingering if the other two are acting up or need attention. When my oldest has homework to do (in 4th grade it is a ton) I have to be able to help him and manage the two others to make sure he can concentrate. It is very difficult.

Now all that being said, there are times me and my kids all cuddle up in my bed and watch a fun show or we do a project or their little heads peak around the corner in the morning looking for me and it is undeniable, I LOVE MY LIFE! No matter what happens, no matter how hard things get these little people are the best and I am so blessed to have them.

I also want to note that my husband has long periods of time where he works day and night or has to travel for long periods. Believe it or not, sometimes it is easier, I can keep control of my schedule with the kids. My husband is not that scheduled of a person and I tend to spoil the crud out of him so our timing as a family gets a bit off when he is around at night anyways.

Last comment, I turn 40 in a few weeks and can honestly say, I would love to have a couple more kids (my husband would probably cry if he heard me say that, loves his kids but I think it is just a different thing for him, he has enough). In short, the clock has never really stopped ticking for me. I set in my brain with the last one that "this is it" "no more". I had that baby girl and the thoughts were gone. I want more! Ultimately, I have chosen not to have any more for several reasons, but it doesn't mean my clock stopped.

Just do a pros and cons list, get a real deep rooted input from your husband on it (this is real important). You will know the right thing to do.

Good luck and happy parenting.