What is it about 3 kids?

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In TV programmes about families, they always seem to have 3 kids; The Simpsons, Family Guy, Outnumbered, etc, all have 3 kids in the families. What is it about the number 3?

I am not criticising, I'm just curious or fascinated as to why it's mainly 3 kids.

Hmm I have never thought about it, but you're right.. and that is interesting.

I thought about it before cuz lots of shows that were on Fox have 3 kids. I'm not sure whey they do thou.

Back in the days of old TV sitcom families had any number of kids: Dick Van Dyke (1), Leave it Beaver (2), Honeymooners (zero), Lost in Space (2), Flintstones (the Rubbles and Flintstones each had one), Jetsons (2), Jeffersons (3), Brady Bunch (6, though it could be argued that they were a blended family with three each), Cosby Show (5), Roseanne (2).

Today? The Simpsons only have two kids I believe (Bart and Lisa). Is there a third kid? The Middle does indeed have three kids, The main family in King of the Hill has just one.

What made you pick Andy Capp as your avatar?

That's who I initially thought that was too.

It was one of the few avatars offered here on WP that was not already taken, and my first name is Andy. So what the heck? Might keep him for a while. Or might find sumpin else.

But its funny you ask, because soon after I adopted that avatar I realized that that probably is not actually Andy Capp. Andy Capp is a Brit who wears checkered version of one of those flat caps that working class blokes in Britain wear (don't know what theyre called), and not a baseball cap like that (too American). And Andy Capp also wears a black jacket and scarf or something. That's actually just some generic American guy drawn in the Andy Capp style.

He's the spitting image of Andy Capp.

A Yank version, I guess.

Roseanne has 3 kids. & The Simpsons have a 3rd, Maggie

Yeah. They Roseanne had that dark haired little son. I was only thinking of the two daughters. Forgot about maggie. My bad.

If I had to guess, I'd attribute the reason to the national average of children per family. Here in Finland, families have an average child count of just under 2, and in Finnish TV shows, the "families" usually have 2 children as well. They follow the national standard, so to say.

Then again, I'm not knowledgeable enough on America to know what the national average is over there. Just throwing guesses.

I heard the national standard in America was two or two point something but that was when I was in high-school so it could of changed sense.

I think it gives the writers the widest scope to tell stories. A family that has a boy, and a girl, AND a baby (of either sex) allows for bigger variety of plots.

I think it's so male and female are represented as well as babies.

Usually one boy, one girl, one baby. Allows for a greater variety of story lines.

I've always questioned why so many shows, particularly sit-coms, feature an overweight, not-very-bright, lazy man married to a thin, smart, go-getter woman. It gives some men the idea that they're entitled to a spouse that's WAY out of their league. Have you ever seen a show featuring a dumb, lazy, fat woman married to an Adonis? No way.

Parents like the idea of having three Sweet peas in their family pods.

What about shows that have 3 kids & none are babies like Bob's Burgers & The Middle.