Mom vs. Mom: Lots of Kids
From an only child to a rowdy herd, moms weigh in on the sizes of their broods
There’s one thing that most moms-to-be are clear on from the very beginning: The number of children they want—whether it's just one child to dedicate all of their attention to, or a basketball team full of tykes (with multiple strings). In any case, there are numerous factors (some beyond our control) that will influence how many children moms actually have.
“Four years ago, I moved from Naples to Amsterdam to be with my partner—the father of my five-year-old, Adriano”, says Gaia Guglielmucci, the blogger behind Gaia and Amsterdam. “I decided to only have one kid because, in order to be a good mom, I needed to be happy with myself, my job, and my relationship. Though I'm an anomaly here—thanks to Dutch laws that support families and mothers—I'm happy with my situation.”
The situation in Gaia’s native Italy, however, is very different. Rita Santaniello—lawyer and mother of five—attests: “I live in Milan and my husband stays home to take care of the kids. How do I stay on top of it all? I'm very organized, for one, and being self-employed allows me to work at night if need be. I don’t know how other moms with a lot of children do it," says Santaniello. As for single-child families: “If the decision's not based on financial issues, I think it’s selfish. I know women in Milanese society that choose to have one child because it’s more convenient. They don’t want to give up luxuries, like travel. But in the end, isn’t motherhood a calling?”
How about you? Did you choose to have an only child or a whole brood? —Veronica Russo
Photo courtesy of: The Duggar Family
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I went from wanting no children, to having one, then couldn't wait to have a second. Now I have two, and while pregnant with my second, I couldn't stop thinking about a possible third. Then I had my baby boy, and as adorable as he is at 4 months, and as cute as my toddler daughter is with him, time and money wise, I think two is it for us...unless you know...we have an unplanned oops.
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