We have 3 kids and when they were 8,6,5, we took them to Cedar Point (midwest's big amusement park)
One of the kids remarked "Why did you even havexxx?"
There was always an extra person, all the seats on multi rider rides were for even numbers.
So, I suggest an even number of children.
Is this something that you really encounter a lot on a daily basis? Enough to really consider changing how many kids you want? I’m genuinely curious.
Yeah, I get the whole restaurant booth/hotel room comment. But when I read your example the first thought that came to my head was “couldn’t someone invite a friend to tag along?”
Do you notice that one of your children gets more left out than the other two? We’re really thinking about 3 kids.
We had our kids thinking being close in age would be easier. It was.
Just a note: # 3 was an oops. Some time in his young life he knew this, and I explained it. "You know how, at Christmas time, you know some of the gifts you're getting and you're really excited? Now, think of the gifts you had no idea you were getting, and they turned out to be the best gift you could have gotten? Well, you're like the surprise gift!"
Looking back, I think it was another one of those "Why did you have xxxx?" I won't lie to my kids, so told him the truth.
When they were little it was in issue now and then, but we made do. It was nice when they were older. We rarely had trouble among them because from day one we raised them to be the best THEY could be, and that was 3 totally different people.
Our daughter was glad the 3rd wasn't a girl because she likes having a bedroom to herself.
There were other little things that made the number an issue we had to deal with, but that's the way the world is, and I remember saying "live with it' now and then.
And no, no one ever felt left out (that they've told us) Maybe they felt it though, to which I say "Live with it."