two kids vs. one: more work for parents or do they entertain each other?

[Brickbat]

3. How old is your first?

I mean, sure, it's "more work." You go from the double-team to the man-on-man defense. Any more and you have to switch to the zone. But having the first kid was work, too. And much of the work came from learning new skills -- coping skills, parenting skills, diaper skills, prioritizing, and so on. So a lot of the mental work that comes with having a first kid will seem pretty smooth by the second one.

As they get older, it's easier to outsource some of the kid-watching to the older sibling. (It all depends on the kids, of course.)

While most kids with siblings wish at some point that they were an only child, I think that while being an only child has its special moments, it becomes harder in adulthood. Which isn't necessarily a good reason to have another kid, but it's something to think about. Everyone who is close to me has a sibling, except for my MIL, who has a difficult mother, and I think sometimes she really wishes she had someone who had shared her experience and who she can talk to about it.