Should you have a second child?

f I had my way, I would have had 10 children, if not a dozen.

Anyone who tells you:

-- doesn't really know what he/she is talking about. 

Kids are such fun.

I would gladly trade 10 candlelit dinners or nights at a disco/pub/concert or a party for an evening with my daughters (btw, it is not that you cannot pub and raise kids).

More often than not, they are a laugh a minute. Besides, they have such interesting angles and thoughts on life.

Their companionship -- a little warm hand slipping into yours when you need it most and their unconditional love -- is an addiction.

• Do you have parenting tips to share? Working couples benefit tremendously from having two kids. The second child, regardless of the age difference, gives the first some much-needed companionship. Even if they are five to six years apart, they play well together. And if the gap happens to be as large as five years or more, the elder quite naturally plays the surrogate mom or dad from time to time. My younger one jumps straight onto my elder daughter's lap when she walks in from school; which is something she does to me when I am around. They are content in each other's companionship and are not hunting that hard for a missing dad or mom (who might be stuck in a meeting or saddled with some extra work).
• Single children can get rather lonely. Extra help, grandparents and even you cannot be the partner required for the crazy games -- shop-shop, kitchen toys, mummy-baby, queen and maid-in-waiting -- kids like to play. Setting up play dates, though a great option, does not make up for 24/7 companionship.
• Television, computer, play stations, instead of books, often become companionship for your only child.
• One child often complements another in personality. The first child, so many fellow parents tell me, is obedient, responsible, serious and quiet. The second one is often much more happy-go-lucky, bindaas and a bit of a rebel. Parents are usually quite a bit more lax in the way they discipline their second and these little scamps reap the benefits. They are noisier and livelier than the first and become the perfect foil -- temperament-wise -- to the elder.
• When you 'grow up', no one can replace your sister or brother in your life. I live far away from both my siblings but when we do get together, the bonds that get renewed are special -- the shared memories, the similar viewpoints and understanding.