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Comment by dnndev | Hacker News Reader

That is great. I am glad that you were able to make this change! It was not until we had our own children that I truly understood (or maybe appreciated) when my mom would say "After all I have done for you" OR "Thats why we can never have anything nice"... HAHAH. I love it. totally relate now.

On a serious side note. I think many (including us) highly underestimate how much time children require.

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Having come from a large family, I never realized that people didn't understand just how much work kids are. It's relentless. My wife is regularly astonished. I'm lucky to have been able to stop at one. I would have preferred married but childless but I'll take married to her over any other option, so I compromised. At with just one, we aren't spread so thin.

I was an only child. My wife has a brother. We felt it was important for our children to have siblings to have the opportunity for sibling relationships in adulthood.

That all depends on the relationship between the siblings. I have 6 siblings and because of life choices we rarely keep in touch. My spouse is in the exact situation.

Why? Is it possible our busy schedules, ability to relocate, and less dependency on each other are reasons why this may not be as important as it was at one time?

Yes, I can see that, also you're not dead yet, you may still reshape those relationships.

Also you may not have experienced the adversity necessary to forment the desire for a fuller sibling relationship.

Older kids can help raising the others, I think having just one is where you do the maximum amount of work, also because with the later ones you are more experienced.

You also miss the economies to be had with reuse. Much happier buying many things knowing all four are going to get use.

Everyone gets there own new underwear.

Also after the collapse of civilization, the labor of the children will be especially helpful. :)

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