Thinking of having a third?

One of the most common listener questions Sarah and I receive usually begins “I’m thinking of having a third kid…” Since both Sarah and I have families with three (or more) kids, we tend to assume that this listener does, in fact, want a third, but is trying to figure out if the logistics/finances/etc. will work.

So this week?we’re devoting an entire episode to that question! We obviously can’t answer for anyone if they should have a third (or fourth, or fifth…) kid. But there are some things to think about. Some expenses won’t necessarily rise (you might not need new baby gear or clothes, for instance), but others will (more years of paying for childcare; possibly needing a bigger car). Some lifestyle choices become more complicated — lots of hotel rooms fit 4 people; few fit 5. That 2-bedroom urban condo lifestyle becomes harder with three kids. Women with three children are less likely to be in the workforce than women with fewer children, though we suspect a lot of that is preference. If you’ve kept successfully building your career with two kids, we don’t think the third is going to be the thing that changes that.

Another baby means more years in the baby stage…which is hard. On the other hand, if you’ve got two kids already, you know how cool those little people are, and there would be another one in the world! We both love the “full table” feel of having lots of family gathered (though I can’t necessarily keep my two little ones sitting for dinner, ha ha…).

Anyway, please give the episode a listen, and if you know someone who is considering this question, please share it with them!