OUTNUMBERED

What’s it like being a parent when your entire (very large) brood is a different sex to you? Not easy!

ALL parents struggle with the demands of family life from time to time. But spare a thought for those who aren’t just overwhelmed — they’re also hopelessly outnumbered in terms of gender.

Whether it’s a mum of all boys or a father with lots of little girls, it can be lonely when you’re the only representative of your sex in the family. So, do the outnumbered parents secretly yearn for a child made more in their image, or would they never have it any other way? And what do they say to strangers who ask if they’re going to try again for that elusive boy or girl baby?

EIMEAR O’HAGAN finds out . . .