“Four feels like three!”: Ashley Graham and Kylie Kelce spark debate over the hardest child number

When Ashley Graham joked that she “skipped straight from one to three,” Kylie Kelce laughed and replied that “four feels just like three.” The clip, from NGL With Kylie Kelce, has already racked up almost 1M views on Instagram, because every parent has a theory about which baby number nearly broke them.

“I don’t know what it’s like to have one. Twins first and another 13 months later.” wrote @motherlychaos

“I have 4 and completely agree once you’ve had 3 it’s all the same after that” – @alexdean5

So, is there really one “hardest” transition—or does each stage just hit differently?

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A post shared by Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce (@nglwithkylie)

The celebrity spark

In the podcast, Graham asked Kelce if it was true that after three kids, four somehow feels easier. Kelce didn’t hesitate: “I have found that four feels very similar to three.”

Graham, who welcomed twin boys after her first son with husband Justin Ervin, laughed, “I never know what it was like to have two.”

Their exchange hit a nerve for parents everywhere. Whether you’re trying to survive one baby’s nap schedule or keep four little humans fed and clothed, the chaos feels universal—and oddly comforting.

Related: Kylie Kelce starts to tell a happy story, then remembers the appointment that changed everything

What experts say about the “hardest” leap

According to Newsweek, therapist Phil Macleod says the biggest psychological shock comes when you become a parent for the first time. “The transition from no children to the first child is the most profound shift,” he explained. “Parents are adjusting to a 24/7 role, lack of sleep, and changes to their relationship and routines.”

But many parents argue the jump from one to two feels tougher. “You’re juggling the needs of a newborn while still caring for an older child who requires attention,” Macleod said, noting that guilt and sibling jealousy often surface.

Parenting writer Julia Sherwin, mom of three, agreed. “Going from one to two was harder than going from two to three,” she shared, explaining that once older kids have each other, parents can focus more calmly on the baby.

By the third or fourth child, confidence (and systems) tend to kick in. “Parents are usually more relaxed,” Macleod noted. “They’ve learned what matters—and what doesn’t.”

Related: “Looking good for postpartum” isn’t the compliment we think it is—Kylie Kelce has a better idea

Every family’s math is emotional

At the end of the day, the hardest transition isn’t about numbers, it’s about capacity. Support systems, spacing, and personalities all play a role.

If you’re feeling stretched thin, snappish, or simply exhausted, that’s not a reflection of your strength, it’s a sign that you deserve more rest and help. Each stage demands a new version of you, and it’s okay if that version takes time to find her footing.

Because the truth is, whether you went from one to two or one to three overnight, the hardest transition is simply the one you’re living through. And somehow, you’re doing it.

source https://www.mother.ly/parenting/ashley-graham-kylie-kelce-hardest-baby-number-debate/