Pros and Cons of Having More then One Child

It is so hard to decide if you and your spouse are ready to expand your family. Going to just the two of you to having a baby is a big adjustment!  Then deciding how many more little ones you want to bring into your home is another big decision! What are the pros and cons of having more than one child?

Pros of Having More the One Child

1. Having a sibling as a playmate is a lot of fun for any child! Every day our kids play so many things together! Our oldest is four and youngest two, and they have so much fun playing horses, race cars, grocery stores, and trains. I am always surprised at the fun games the two of them come up with!
2. You don't have an only child you worry about spoiling. Before having a baby, I watched a little girl that struggled because she was an only child. She thought the world revolved around her. I felt bad because she will someday have a rude awakening when someone doesn't give in to her!
3. A child learns a lot of social skills by practicing on their siblings. Kevin and I were talking the other day about how different children play. The ones with siblings get past the "It's All About Me Play Time". Other children will not always give in to a child's bad; habits of playing. Having more kids helps social skills a ton!! 
4. Sharing becomes a lot easier when a child is required to share every day. Our oldest struggled with sharing at first but quickly learned that if she wanted to have Carbon share with her, she had to share with him.
5. A child has the opportunity to be a child. If kids are only around adults, they never have the chance to dive into their imagination. No matter how hard an adult tries, they can never replace how another child would play!
6. They are less likely to be bored when other kids are around. Do you get tired of hearing, "Mom, I am bored!" If so, a sibling may help.
7. The second child picks up everything quickly. Carbon (our second child) has picked up speaking and potty training fast because he has Adalee to look too.

Cons of Having More then One Child

1. Now you have to afford another little one. More food, clothes, diapers, school supplies, and more. Especially when the second child can not share clothes with your first, it costs a lot to cloth two kids!
2. Siblings fight. It is a part of life! It might be a great time to start teaching your children how to deal with conflict. Good luck.
3. You can't give as much one on one attention to each child. When a child starts to talk they are constantly demanding attention. It is hard to give undivided attention to more than one child.
4. You may need a bigger home or apartment. All of a sudden the, one or two-bedroom apartment is way too small! That is one more cost you need to add in.
5. Children can pick up bad habits from older siblings. Carbon is Addy's mirror. When Addy jumps off a chair, so does Carbon. When Addy throws a temper tantrum, so does Carbon. Be prepared!
6. A child can feel replaced. Right after we brought Carbon home from the hospital, Adalee felt like we had replaced her. She started reverting to being a baby. All of a sudden she, wanted to wear diapers and sleep in a crib. Because Carbon was getting a lot of attention that she thought she wasn't.
7. Your second child can be a lot different than your first child. Adalee is very emotional compared to Carbon. Then Carbon is a lot more "rough it out". You have to be okay with what your second child will bring into your family.

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey." - Pros and Cons Team

Written By: Sarah