I can't count the number of conversations I have had with other mothers about the age difference between siblings and the matter of importance that this bears on a person's life ... both the life of the child & and life of the parent.
It is a complicated topic where I have seldom found someone without an opinion or more often a "personal" account of how it affected them as children.
You have the "I like to get it over with all at once" camp ... or the "I want them to be spread out so I can enjoy each of them".
Then there is the "I don't want an odd number of children because one will be left out".
Or how about, "I really want to have another (gender specific) *boy* or *girl* because they should really have a brother/sister.
I have had a TON of these conversations with mothers, both young & old, as well as mothers with children who are very close in age and those with children who are spread out.
Surely there are benefits to both and I can attest to some from both sides of the fence. And I don't think there is anything wrong with being deliberate about planning a family. I have just found it a bit disconcerting when folks find out how far apart our kids are and immediately their faces are somewhat forlorn and the conversation heads quickly in the direction of "better you than me".
I am just so grateful that statistics, personal accounts of siblings turned enemies, and my own flesh carried little weight when we made the decision to have more children, in spite of the age difference between our oldest and youngest.
And by the way, shhhh.... don't tell Samuel & Benjamin that they are 5 years apart ... they don't know they aren't supposed to be friends ;)
All this hot air to preface the following pictures of Clara ... who couldn't care less how old her siblings are but just that they allow her to ransack their rooms and have her way with their electronics.
Touch?
Ummm.... Touch like thisssss?
Reeeeeeeach and touch???
Two-finger touch!!!
The No-Look Touch.
Scuse me? Did you just say ... No touch?
Crazy Talk.
Humph.
Fine then. I will primp.
Hellooooo Gorgeousness!
Time for more touching!
Up close touch.
Again with the NO TOUCHING???
I can't believe I am getting to touch all this!
More primping.
The Jackpot of touching!!!
Giddy.
Come on Taylor Swift, don't fail me now!
My point to all that rambling up top is that I think (meaning: I hope and my heart says so) that sibling relationships that are healthy into adulthood have little to do with age difference and much more to do with a love and devotion that transcends the gaps.
Sisterly Love = Love & Devotion that transcends the gaps :)
