Parenting in the Real World: Timing/Spacing Children

When I was a MOPS mentor, from time to time a mom would ask me about the best timing or spacing for the next child. I always though this was an odd question. I grew up in a family of eight and except for my youngest sibling; we are all 11 to 12 months apart. You read correctly, 11 to 12 months. Having a baby every year was standard practice in my home. We all liked babies. Unfortunately, babies grow up and become siblings. We were not all fond of each other all the time growing up. Fortunately, siblings grow up to be adults. Now we all like each other and get along remarkably well. Since we will be adults a lot longer then we were kids, our parent’s “timing” worked out well in the long run.

My four kids are 2 ½ years, 18 months and 4years between one child and the next.

My kids are “timed” all over the place. The two that were 18 months apart were good friends for years. Now that the older 3 are in their late teens and early 20s, they get along quite well. The 13-year-old still has the potential for driving her sibling crazy and she still enjoys living up to her potential.

In term of timing children the only advice I have is to try make sure your child will not turn 18 during his/her senior year of high school. You will save yourself having to listen to” I am legal now and can do what I want. You are not the boss of me. “

It is amusing to listen to this assertion being stated with perfect sincerity and legal justification by a person who still expects to receive food, clothing, shelter and all other thing American teens firmly believe they are entitled to and their parents should provide.

Unless it is your kid saying it.