4Real Forums: What number child was a stretch?

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Topic: What number child was a stretch?

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amiefriedl
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Posted: Oct 13 2006 at 8:26pm \| IP Logged

Here is a question I have...

Is it fair to say that having a large family is easier when you have girls first? So that as the family grows there are more mother's helpers? (That is, if one trains them to be good mother's helpers!

)

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Amie
Blessed with an awesome hubby and Mom of ds10, dd7, dd3 and dd 10months.

teachingmom
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Virginia Bluebells

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Posted: Oct 13 2006 at 10:54pm \| IP Logged

That might be fair to say based on my limited experience. I remember being much more stretched when I had three or four little ones than I have with either this last birth or the birth of my 3yo. My big girls are a huge help -- they were throughout my pregnancy exhaustion and they continue to be now that the baby is here. Don't get me wrong. They are not perfect and I still get aggravated with them at times, but when I step back and think about it, they are amazingly helpful and make my life a lot easier.

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mary
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Posted: Oct 14 2006 at 5:51pm \| IP Logged

my current child (4th) has been a stretch, but simply because she has struggled with reflux and been so very colicky. otherwise, this is the first time i've had an infant and no 2yr old (my next youngest is 3 1/2) and my oldest boy is 8 and he has been a tremendous help to me.

aussieannie
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Posted: Oct 15 2006 at 3:31am \| IP Logged

I think from my own experience and from reading others that often it is what is happening at that same time the difference is felt.

I found #2 hard as my #1 couldn't help me! #3 was easier as #1 was 5 and could do some things to help.

I found 5 hard but only because 4weeks after #5 arrived I had severe pleurisy and pneumonia, nuclear radiation scan to the lungs followed by a extreme thyroid dip, so all good reasons not to cope as well!

I noticed in not getting places on time any more no matter what length of time I had to prepare! Almost 2 years down the track, things are settling....

Good to hear you again Erin!

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Spiritual Motherhood for Priests
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Bookswithtea
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Posted: Oct 15 2006 at 6:57pm \| IP Logged

Well, I don't know if having a girl first would have made a difference. Ds is very helpful, but I am always surprised at the things my firstborn daughter (#2) does that it took my ds so much longer to learn.

3 was the hardest jump because she was extremely high need and dh and I were outnumbered

...that took some serious getting used to.

I have a toddler and a teen (and three in between) and I am finding it both mentally and physically exhausting. The teen was a very high need baby and toddler and is turning out to be a high need teen. And toddlers are joyfully exhausting, too. Don't mean to whine...just trying to be honest.

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JodieLyn
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Posted: Oct 17 2006 at 12:02am \| IP Logged

Definately #3.. they're so close together that they were rather overwhelming.. and #2 and #3 have an interesting interaction.. they could get into more trouble together than either could dream up without the other.. the combination was more than the sum of the parts

#3 and #4 are only 18 mo apart.. and I had a miscarriage between them.. I was at my most "run down", we moved from AZ to OR.. and my oldest was only 4.5 yrs when #4 was born..

BUT it was right about the time that #4 was born that I had what I think of as a "teeter totter effect".. #2 at 3 yrs old was old enough that he was joining with his older sister in doing what he was supposed to do.. and so the little sister at 18 mo would follow along.. and so instead of one child trying to behave (and often failing and joining in with the youngers) I had 3 kids mostly behaving (not all the time.. but like taking them to Mass) It was like having that teeter totter all of a sudden swing the other way.

But no promises.. I'm struggling some now so it could be #7 that "does me in".. we'll just have to see.

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-Sir Walter Scott

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