If you want to turn some heads, I have some advice for you: Have a baby, then get pregnant again right away. And then do it again.
I didn’t realize one person could be called crazy so many times by strangers on the street. But this was my life every time I went anywhere with my toddler while carrying around my second in a backpack, with my protruding pregnant belly.
When you have kids close together everybody seems to think there’s something wrong with you
They also feel the need to wonder if you know how that happens and will come right out and ask you. As if you had no idea how this could have happened.
I realize this is a joke and they are trying to make you laugh, but it gets stale after hearing it the first one-hundred times. Like, oh thank you Captain Obvious I didn’t realize that by having sex there was a possibility I could have kids closer together. I’ll have to remember that.
For me, having three kids in three years was a gift
Was it the hardest thing I’ve ever done? Absolutely.
Were there days where I wondered what the heck I was thinking when I wanted to have all these kids so close in age? Yes.
But, being able to put them all down for a nap at the exact same time was glorious. Then, when they got a bit older, it was so nice to go and watch them all play softball or basketball on a Saturday and not worry about having to get anyone home for naps.
And I potty trained my three-year-old and two-year-old at the same time, which was difficult, but after it was over I was so glad I had two of them using the potty instead of changing three diapers at a time.
Overnight, we could all go to a family movie together, and because they were so close in age, they were all into the same shows and trends.
They all seemed to go through stages one right after the other
This was actually really good because as soon as my oldest would stop a really tough stage, his younger sister would go through it and it would be fresh in my mind. It made it so I was better able to deal with it.
I also never had to store hand-me-downs because as soon as one would outgrow something, the younger sibling was ready to wear it already.
Now that the three of them are teenagers, I’m finding myself more calm when it comes to dealing with different influences and struggles in their lives
Yes, there’s always a need for private talks, but they are all old enough to learn from each other's experiences.
My oldest started driving, then his sister was right behind him, so all the tips I taught him (and the patience I had to teach myself) are still with me. I’m able to tap into them a lot better than I would have if he had gone through driving lessons five years ago.
I love that all three of my kids are teenagers together because I am better able to deal with the moodiness and the attitude. Plus, they might as well eat me out of house and home at the same time instead of going through it in stages, ight? It’s kind of like ripping the Band-Aid off fast instead of slowly peeling it off your skin.
Having kids close together definitely keeps you on your toes, but at the same time it’s like this mad rush of craziness that gets over with faster. Life never slows down anyway, and I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.
