How many children do you have, and how far apart in age are they?

Question

What are the pros and cons of having children close in age?
What are the pros and cons of having children far apart in age?

Answer 1

I only have one child, a son who is 6 years old.

My mom and daddy though had seven kids and our ages are 33, 30, 27-me, 26, 23, 18 & 12
I can tell you that there were never a dull moment at home with my sisters and brother. I could not imagine though having that many kids and a few so close in age. One of my sisters is only 17 months younger than me and our mom said that was the hardest cause i was still in diapers when she had my sister.

Answer 2

I have a girl that is turning 2 next month, a son that is turning 1 in a couple days and I'm pregnant again but not due until June. Having them close in age has made them close to each other and helps both of them to learn faster. The only con is that they both want all my attention at one time. i don't have children far apart in age, but I do know that children that far apart in age are not close to each other and cannot relate. Unless they are so far apart that one of them can act as a mother to the other.

Answer 3

My two daughters are ten, yes, ten years apart. We didn't plan it that way, they simply came with that space between them. So I can only speak for having children far apart in age.

The pros first - my first-born got all my attention and care for ten years without having to share it every now and then with a sibling. I was there for her all the time - first day in school, ballet lessons and recital, doing projects, shopping, making costumes, etc. She is now old enough to be depended on to baby sit every now and then, change diapers and prepare formula, etc.

Now the cons - it was more expensive having kids far apart in age. With my second-born, it was like having a baby for the first time. We had to buy everything again ( the old ones have been given away years ago). I sometimes wonder if my first-born would have been better equipped with social skills, more independent, generous, understanding, tolerant, etc. had she had a sibling earlier. I have observed also that resentment and the needed adjustment with the coming of the next sibling always take place, whether the gap is 1 year or ten.

Answer 4

I have a daughter who will be 3 in January and I'm due in April with #2. I think my kids will be the perfect ages, not too close in age and not too far apart. My sister and I are 3 years apart and we've always gotten along. I had friends and have cousins who were/are only a year apart and they fought/fight over everything. I have some cousins who are 9 years apart and they surprisingly get along well but they are in different parts of their lives.

Answer 5

I have twins boys, Shane and Damien, that are three and I am pregnant with triplets(boys)(Brett, Declan, and Neil). So they will be three and a half years old. I think that is a little too far. But I am still happy. I would have liked them to be two years apart but things happened a little differently. I think when siblings are close in age they have more in common and there is less fighting. I am one of 6. The youngest to be exact and my and my siblings range from 1 year between births to 3 years. there are twelve years between the oldest and the youngest. So considering the amount of children there is, twelve years isn't really that far.

Answer 6

Charianna 16 y/o
Danielle 14 y/o
Scarlett 12 y/o
Anabella & Ansley 10 y/o
Gabriella 8 y/o
Kelsey & Kingston 7 y/o
Madelyn 4.5 y/o
Chloe & Charlotte & Christopher & Carter 3.5
Ava Jewel 4 months
*Some of mine are close together & some aren't. It doesn't really matter cuz we're a family.*

Answer 7

I am not a mom yet but I am the youngest of three My brother is 38, sister is 31 and me 24. We are each 7 years apart.

WAY TOO MANY years apart.

My brother and sister fought like crazy...7 years on a girl...yea no good can come out of that. He knew he was bigger and stronger and he sure did use it. Especially when babysitting.

My sister and I...yea she ended up the mother hen...we never got along well...again she was older and she babysat and decided to take things into her own hands....you can't tell on someone when you know that they are watching you again the next day.

My brother and I and we get along i guess. We are 14 years apart...I basically look up to him as a father As me and my father really don't get along well. WE are such different parts of our lives.

We don't have the same memories, we don't have the same upbringing. Basically all we have in common is our parents.

Answer 8

I have five children. Four boys ages...18 , 17 , 15 , 14 and one daughter 11. I think having them all close together in my opinion is a good thing for them. They are close in age and can relate to each other. On the other hand it can be very expensive too. School sports, field trips, etc.... I am happy that I have the span between children that I have.

Answer 9

I have 5 kids.
Their ages are 11g, 7b, 6b, 3g, 2b.
The oldest girl and oldest boy are 4 yrs apart. Then the two oldest boys are 9 months apart then there is 3 yrs between the youngest of the first boys and the girl then 10 months between the last two.
I liked having them close in age when they were little but it at times was tiring because you didn't just have 1 child in the terrible two's you had 2.

Answer 10

I think mine are far apart, 4 years.
Ages 23 &19
I think if kids are closer they learn to play together better.
The good thing is that you only have one baby at a time.