One-fourth had three children, and a similar share (24%) had two children. Only 11% of mothers at the end of their childbearing years had had only one child.
Having two children is good for your health
Three different studies looked at thousands of older adults and found the same thing: two kids was the sweet spot for health. The risk of an early death increases by 18% for parents of an only child. Also, the risk is higher for parents of three or more kids.
After you have your first child, everyone wants to know when you'll be having another. Having a second child is absolutely expected and most people do it. The most common reason people give is that they don't want their child to be lonely.
It's okay if two kids is way harder than you thought. Researchers found that having a second child puts a lot of pressure on parents' time and their mental health, and mothers bear the brunt of the burden. People often say that having a second child doesn't much add to the workload of parenting.
In 1968, 85% of children under 18 lived with two parents (regardless of marital status); by 2020, 70% did, according to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS).
Research indicates that, on average, children who grow up in families with both their biological parents in a low-conflict marriage are better off in a number of ways than children who grow up in single-, step- or cohabiting-parent households.
While some people desire just one child, most parents seem to like the idea of their child having a sibling. Having two children allows for just that. Your first child receives a sibling and playmate, and there is no competition with what sibling to play with. (Three children can leave someone left out.)
Want to be a happier parent? Grow your family to at least four children! According to a study out of Australia's Edith Cowan University, parents with the most life satisfaction (which means those who are the happiest) are those that have four or more children. Dr.
Possible benefits of a 3-year age gap
According to some research, you may have the lowest risk of labor complications when you have your second baby around three years after your first. Pregnancy may carry less risk for you and your baby.
Across several studies, mothers of one appear to be happiest. Research shows that only children have an edge in key development areas. While once stigmatized, “older” first-time moms (and their children) reap benefits women who first give birth in their 20s are less likely to see.
26.3% of married couples in the U.S. have one child.
Three or more children = wrong
Despite the growing trends mentioned above, two children still seems to the ideal number. An actual study revealed one to two children is the ideal number for “happiness”, but with two you don't have to deal with the aforementioned only child issues.
Bottom Line: Are only children lonely? Sometimes, but it's not a unique circumstance to singletons. Only children who have the opportunity to spend time with other children their own age report feeling less lonely as adults.
Even with all the understandable talk of “windows of opportunity” and “biological clocks,” there are ways for women over 35 to make motherhood a reality. Infertility treatments can be difficult and expensive, but fertility specialists can talk with you about options. Age is less of a limitation than it used to be.
Your second pregnancy is often different than your first. You might show sooner, feel more tired, have stronger or more frequent back pains, and notice Braxton Hicks contractions earlier. Labor will likely be faster, but postpartum recovery could take longer.
It's a pretty well-known fact among veteran moms: second children are quite the handful. While most of us come out the other side of parenting our first child feeling pretty confident, it often crumbles under the immense pressure of having another baby in the house.
I found age 1-3 to be really hard with both my boys, but the general trend has been positive since then. However, two at home, bickering and fighting, is always tough. Hang in there - and get out of the house as much as you can to give them fresh air. Being cooped up at home at this time of year isn't great either.
It's subtle, but it seems the more siblings a person has, the likelier they are to be happy. Sibling related happiness seems to even out past three siblings, but it's interesting to note that that the “3” response group also features the largest “Unhappy” response.
According to some random online survey, the most stressful number of kids to have is three. In fact, having four is supposed to be less stressful than three kids.
In a study conducted by Dr Bronwyn Harman from the Edith Cowan University in Perth, it was found that parents with four or more children are the happiest parents.
But when you have more than one child at home, time to stress about anything is few and far between. Some parents actually find themselves being surprised by milestones instead of anticipating them due to time moving so much more quickly because of simply being busier day to day.
Modern science suggests only children are exceedingly normal. Studies that go back to the 1980s show there are no set differences between singletons and children with siblings, aside from onlies having stronger bonds with their parents.
The typical American picture of a family with 2.5 kids might not be as relevant as it once was: In 2022, there was an average of 1.94 children under 18 per family in the United States.