Wednesday, May 27, 2009

The Shape of a Family

I'm constantly surprised at how definitive people are about what constitutes a family. How many children is one of the big issues. I know some people who are open to many, many children. On the flip side, I know others who are very black and white about how there should be TWO children: no more, no less.

I've been told on many occasions that I absolutely CAN NOT have three children. Three is an odd number. If you have three, you have to have four. (This one boggles my mind. And I keep asking "Why?") Three is a disaster for the middle child. ...there are all manner of reasons why three is a number that drives people batty. It makes me laugh a little.

We are not sure if we are done at two kids. I know that three is my limit though. We'll decide in our own good time though. In the mean time, I am getting a bit of a kick out of how rigid the ideas people hold about family can be...really, really rigid. And most of them it is not that they feel "done", but rather that this number is a rule in their heads. Very interesting.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I loved having 3. It was... different ;) Oh and I was DONE at 3 too, till I met David. Then we had to have kids since he didn't have any of his own.

Unknown said...

3 WAS nice.
4 IS awesome!