As a child my house was pretty calm. Well, for the most part. Dinner was easy. Car rides, pretty simple. Everything overall was pretty peaceful.
My house today is well, not so calm. It is borderline crazy. Dinner is loud. Car rides are complicated with who will sit where, who is getting dropped off at what first. Someone is always coming or going through the front door of the house. Someone ate someone else’s cereal for breakfast. One wants a blueberry pancake, another prefers chocolate chip. One tattling on the other.
I have always blamed this on a busier life than what I grew up with. There is truly always something going on. Deadlines, schedules, work, you name it.
Now I might have something else to blame it on. Bounty’s study, the perfect combination for a harmonious life.
The British decided to study what combination of kids makes life blissful. Their results? Two girls. Hmm, could they be onto something…I grew up with one sister?
Now I wouldn’t call it ‘blissful’. There were fights over the phone, the clothes, and the bathroom. But, like I said overall fairly calm. We loved playing Barbie’s. Played house and school. We had a lot of the same “likes” as kids. Basically we were playmates.
The survey says that two girls are most likely to be well behaved, play nice together, easy to reason with, and rarely try to push eachother’s buttons (I do admit to pushing a few buttons as a kid). Add two more however and you are at the bottom of the list. They say four girls is the most difficult blaming it all on hormones.
I can’t help but think some of has to do with age difference too. I mean if you had two girls that were six years apart, would they get along as nice as two girls who were two years apart?
What do you think? Is this study bogus?
I have to say, even though I rank number seven now with my two girls and one boy, overall I can’t complain. Borderline crazy or not, life is blissful.
Where do you fall in this study? I find it funny that they didn’t study families of more than four.
Here are the results:
1. Two girls
2. One boy and one girl
3. Two boys
4. Three girls
5. Three boys
6. Four boys
7. Two girls and one boy
8. Two boys and one girl
9. Three boys and one girl
10. Three girls and one boy
11. Two boys and two girls
12. Four girls
{ 9 comments }
Uh, I think there are too many variables for this study to be accurate. What is the age difference between the (ideal) 2 girls? What happens if there is a special needs child in the mix? It’s an interesting generalization, much like the “birth order” studies determining personality – (which says, for example, if you have three children, and the middle is special needs, the youngest can often take on the characteristics of the typical middle child).
There were five in my family. Three girls (who were 3 and 4 years older than me) and then two boys (who were 7 years younger than me) and while it wasn’t exactly peaceful with that many children in the house, there was order – mainly because my parents wouldn’t tolerate anything less. We squabbled, we shouted – but there was still respect.
Kathy´s last [type] ..For the Kids
I have one brother and now I have one boy and one girl, and I have to agree that age difference is a huge issue. There were seven years between me and my brother, but only two years between my children. My two squabble and bicker a lot more than my brother and I did, but they also play together a lot more too. As we got older I was able to be a big help to my mom as a babysitter, but that is not something I’m going to have with my two. I think this is interesting, but I think there is too many factors for it to be 100%.
Jennifer´s last [type] ..A full life
HAHAHAHA! Someone actually tweeted this at me a few days ago. Number 1, baby!
One girl here and we would use the word “blissful.” Why aren’t we on the list???
Joey @ Big Teeth & Clouds´s last [type] ..Playing in the rain
Apparently I’m #1 too. 2 girls here. And I call my girls the 90/10s. 90% of the time they are very “blissful” so to speak. 10% of the time, it’s like a war zone. Which is really quite good.
I grew up in a house with a blended family of 6 kids. Blissful it was not. Brady Bunch it was not. We are lucky we all came out of it alive, to be honest. But, the memories!
Missy´s last [type] ..The Literal Truth about Mommy Road Rage
I did read this study and I have to say…I can totally believe it. We rank #2 over here with one boy and one girl. I’d say life is pretty good but I also think a lot has more to do with how you view your life than letting a study dictate your happiness.
That being said, I grew up as the middle of 5 girls! Five! It was crazy and chaotic…how could it not be?
Melissa (Confessions of a Dr.Mom)´s last [type] ..Kindness Matters
I think having any number of children, regardless of the gender, makes a blissful life.
Miel Abeille´s last [type] ..10 celebrity don’ts
I am in #4. Um, NO. The two who are 6 years apart did fine. The two who are two years apart and so grew up more as a set of two, rarely have been together more than an hour without someone being in tears. That has been true from pre-school thru high school.
Motpg´s last [type] ..Church Mom Blonde
i belong with no.8.. it may not be the perfect one but surely i am happy with it..
clang´s last [type] ..- DATING TIPS