Wednesday, April 6, 2011

4 or More (Kids) in NYC

Just thought of starting this blog today in the shower while the youngest kid is napping, the oldest is at school and the middle two are watching 30 min of break-time-for-mom-TV.  So I'm going to quickly list ideas about why I want to do this:

  • I have lived in NYC for only 2 and a half years.  We came with 3 daughters and now have 4.  I  have gotten some interesting (to say the least) reactions from both Midwestern family members ("You're crazy!" "How can you risk raising kids with all that crime?") to the NYC nannies on the playgound ("Oh! Four children. Must be rich family!  Can I work for you?")
  • I'm not only picking 4 or More as the name because I think it's catchy with the rhyming, but because I think it is an honest reflection of the solipcistic nature of parenting.  I have 4, so why not?  (I also hope to find some sociological data on the US the shows that 4 children constitutes the definition of a larger family, but no time for that now since my kids brains are melting down as I write... which is why I need a blog, to force me to actually verify some of the things I spout!)
  •  4 kids does seem to be a cut-off for some things like having to drive a minivan, and in NYC, outgrowing the two bedroom apartment, or any remotely affordable housing options for a family of limited financial means
  • The "or More" is included in the title because I want to know if it's possible to do this with my four kids or even more kids!  We have loved having children and are continuing to discern if it would be responsible to have more.
  • I wanted to use a blog format to connect with other mothers on topics that affect larger families in the city.  I like the idea of using technology to connect with people on topics, rather than spending time on Facebook, which I don't do.