Almost one in three Irish parents would like a 'big family', survey finds

Almost one in three (31%) of Irish parents want to have a ‘big’ family, with one in 10 planning to extend their brood in 2017, new research reveals.

Almost one in three Irish parents would like a 'big family', survey finds

Almost one in three (31%) of Irish parents want to have a ‘big’ family, with one in 10 planning to extend their brood in 2017, new research reveals.

The research among 1,001 parents in Ireland by iReach Insights for laya healthcare reveals that the single biggest deterrent to having lots of children is cost, with more than three in four (77%) parents who want a big family deciding against it as they felt they “couldn’t afford it”.

One in five people admit to thinking that “only rich people can afford to have big families”.

The survey also found that a family with four or more children is now considered a big family.

The majority (98%) of parents surveyed who have big families admit that having lots of children comes with sacrifices.

The biggest sacrifices parents make in order to have a big family is not replacing the car as often (72%), not eating out as much (70%), going out less (68%), spending less on themselves (68%) and going on fewer holidays (67%).

Parents of big families opt for many money-saving strategies such as holidaying in Ireland rather than abroad, bathing children together, taking children out of school earlier to get cheaper deals on breaks and pretending children are younger than they are to get cheaper deals.

Lorraine Walsh, Head of Marketing at laya healthcare says “As a mum of two kids aged under 12, I’m all too familiar with the happy chaos of a busy family life, and while I love the joy and fun that kids bring, I also appreciate the challenges that parents of families face every day.

“It’s clear that Irish mums and dads are smart operators when it comes to employing clever family hacks that help make life easier and more affordable.

“At laya healthcare we’re doing our part to help too - Essential Connect Family is one of our most popular family schemes and we hope this offer goes some way to ease the financial burden on families. We are delighted to be able to provide our members and their little ones with great healthcare cover at an affordable price.”

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