Thursday, April 25, 2013


Diversity 

There is quite a age gap between my boys.

My eldest is 20 yrs old,my middle one is just 16 and my youngest is 9.

I always wanted my children close together,three under five would have been my ideal age gap but things don't often work out as you plan do they?

In fact more often than not a curveball is thrown and life takes a much different path to what you envisaged when you were busy making plans and dreaming of happy little families and Walton type existences.

And so the story goes that I ended up with my children spaced out and I'm so glad I did!

I'm glad because it's made my time of being a mother to young children a incredibly long one.My eldest boy is not even a teen anymore (how that can be!) and yet still I have a young child in juniors.

So I'm still doing harvest boxes and Christmas Concerts and dress up days,long after many of my friends who had children the same age as T and S have stopped these kinda things.
And I think I needed this long time at mothering,needed to get it out my system,left up to me I would have had loads of children,I so enjoy them and being a mum.
The big age gap between the boys has meant that I have been able to be a mum to little ones for a long time.

I don't think I have left the school playground for long,only a gap of a year when Sharky went to comp ,this was quickly followed by Chipmunk starting nursery so I was never away for long.

And the reason why I wrote this post and started thinking about this was Saturday Night.

I had a good day on Saturday and a good bedtime with Chipmunk,it was all cuddles,smiles,I love yous and a chapter of his bestest book of the moment 'The Wishing Chair' all well and good and then I came downstairs and started with the teens.

This is a different ball game altogether 'smiles wryly.'

This is the domain of take away pizzas,tv trash,energy drinks. 

Totally different! 

 Slouching is the name of the game and everything is in easy reach,drinks,food,the remote,so they don't have to move a inch more than necessary.Perhaps this is not such a bad idea after all!
The body language is slothy but the conversation is definitely not!
Its sharp and quick witted and full of banter.

There are cups lying on the floor just waiting to be kicked over,plastic bags full of junk food,food that doesn't have to be prepared,snacky kind of food ~ crisps,chocolate,prawn crackers,ice cream which is eaten out of the tub shared between boyfriend and girlfriend.
At a push there may be micro meals,they involve work though so it depends what mood they are all in to whether they appear.

Teens come alive at night,it is the best time of day to talk to them for sure and programmes such as X Fac,I'm A Celebrity or BGT bring families together,it's a nice chance for us to sit and natter the night away.

And thats just what we did...ate junk,watched junk tv and chatted happily.

And when I went to bed that night I thought about how different the parenting here is....from my little one to my biggest one,and how both age groups intermingle in this house,quite a balancing act at times!

But with advantages too.

Having two older children made me so aware of how time flies and this in turn made me really appreciate my youngest growing up,I knew just how fleeting this time is and having a youngster around the house has bought out a level of care in the older boys which is brilliant to see and melts me.

Definitely not the age gap I would have chosen but still good and in a funny sort of way perfect for me!











24 comments:

  1. I have a big gap between my eldest and my two little ones but two little ones are only a year apart. Not age gaps I ever thought id have but sometimes thats just the way things happen. I like the gaps I have xxx

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    1. Hello Karen,isnt it funny how things happen in life,as we have both said,not what we would have planned but we can both see the good side of what cards life dealt us,thanks for popping by,I will try and find you on the ever growing #pocolo list! X

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  2. What a lovely post, I feel like I've just spent an evening as a fly on the wall at your house! Popping by from #PoCoLo

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    1. Thank you so much for that comment because that's exactly how I want it to read!I want to capture the very feel of my beloved boys :-)I will pop over and try and find your #pocolo post over the weekend,I sometimes have trouble locating them! X

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  3. I have an age gap of 2-3 years between all of mine, currently pregnant with number 7, we range from 0-15, so I also have the teen part, but just every age in between! people say its hard with two and how do I cope with six/seven but as I explain, the older ones have completely different needs, so it is just like separate age groups all the way through, stopping by from #PoCoLo

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    1. Gosh Mandie it sounds like you have a wonderful family!I would have loved a family like yours.I can only imagine the organisation needed to keep it flowing smoothly.Sounds great fun though :-) x

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  4. A really lovely post. Variety really is the spice of life - having all these age groups is what keeps you young at heart too :). Thank you for linking up to PoCoLo again, your support is valued xx

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    1. Morning Tori :-) yes I suppose variety is the spice of life or so they say!The lsson that this taught me was that sometimes the best made plans are not as perfect as they seem and also Im a big believer in things happening for a reason.
      Loving pocolo as always :-)

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  5. i have 10 yrs between mine and i love it for the same reasons x

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    1. Morning Jaime :-) its not a usual age gap is it but it can work beautifully I feel.
      Just a case of making it work for you and your family I guess and I can see the advantages in the situation and that's what prompted the post :-)have a super Saturday

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    1. Hello :-) Yes it IS amazing what works,isn't it!Perhaps that was the point of my post,pondering on what I wanted as a family and what I got and then seeing that infact the beauty the age gap gave me!
      Thanks for commenting x

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  7. What a lovely post! You are the complete opposite to me, all three of mine in 2 years so they are all growing up together. I love that they are close and play together but think about the fact that they will all be grown up at the same time and I will be left with an empty nest all at once :-( I'm looking forward to the 'hanging out' stage but as you say, don't want to wish away the younger years either #PoCLo xx

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    1. Hello Xandi,now you have what I would have considered ideal!A family of many smal squidges all growing up closely together...I still love the sound of that,that kind of ag gap makes my heart melt!But as I said in my post that was not to be for me and I got handed a different set of cards than I expected and I have found beauty in it,coz if one thing is for sure children at any age are a gift full stop :-)
      I say treasure those little munchkins of yours while they are young and now that all stages have beauty no matter how old they get.My eldest passed his driving test yesterday and it was a wow mummy moment!Thank you for the comment,isnt #pocolo great x

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  8. Thought-provoking, we have no control over destiny and how it is meant to turn out. I just thank my lucky stars for getting two girls at all. To have three boys, you are truly lucky, and I love the way that you describe the difference in age. Not just seeing the number but the personality and where they are in life too. Thanks x

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    1. Morning Emma,thank you so much for your lovely comment its really made me smile.
      My main aim for this blog is to capture my adventures and feelings of the boys as they grow,I want to look back at this hopefully one day and feel the very essence of who they were,what we did and how it felt,so a comment like yours makes me think I may be getting there!
      Oh blimey isn't that just the truest of things...we DONT have no control over our destiny,do we,what will be will be.Like you I do thank my lucky stars that I have got any children at all,to me all children are a true gift and I really mean that.Thanks again for the comment...wishing you and your family a lovely weekend x

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  9. I have just two years and three months between my boys and loved the idea of having them close together (illness, circumstances, blah, blah, meant that we had to have them in quite quick succession so we didn't have a choice either, to be honest). However, I really, really miss one on one time with the toddler. He's such a funny little boy and sometimes I'd love to escape for the day just with him but it's not to be. When the baby's a little older, I'd like to do special days with both of them individually so that I get to know them as that rather than just brothers. Such a thoughtful post.

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    1. Awww,you see that's my sort of age gap,well the sort I wanted!Isnt it funny how life circumstances give us certain cards to play.
      I know what you mean about one to one time,I think it is a good idea to try and do this with our kids,its something I have never really managed on a regular basis but I also think that when your first one goes to school you will have time with your youngest,so swings and roundabouts,eh!No matter what age gap as long as our kids know we adore them we are winning I think :-) have fun with your two,I can picture them together and it does make me smile,two young ones close together is very cute in my mind x

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  10. I sometimes long to have a bigger age gap! Sounds like you have it all sorted! I can't wait for that time when I can take my girls out shopping or go for lovely lunches or just like you, eat junk food and veg out in front of The Voice together! Jerry says he will get a shed when that time comes! #PoCoLo

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    1. Morning Margot!I have smirked about your Jerry saying he will get a shed!Probably a very wise move!I so adored the young stage where the kids are all cuddly and they adore you and they dont cheek you back quite so readily but the teen stage has some nice moments too and hanging out with them is one of those things,I do honestly love my teens so much,they make me laugh all the time,its a much more level playing field x and also theres nothing we can do to keep them young,is there,so my attitude is grab what you can and make it work :-) x

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  11. I have a big age gap (6 and a half years) between my boys too and it certainly wasn't what I planned but then that's mother nature for you. Like you it all turned out for the best and it suits me perfectly, fates a funny old thing hey? #PoCoLo

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    1. Morning Lou,yep fate sure is a funny old thing!I would NEVER have chose the age gap that I have got,even now I see families with their children close together and I think awww.But the age gap HAS served me well,I truly think I needed a long,long time at mothering and thats what I got :-) We think we know it all dont we and then fate steps in and shows us what it thinks!Wishing you a good day x

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  12. It was great to read this, I was really criticised for leaving a four year age gap between my girls. But I completely agree its lovely to be able to spend proper time with each child. Whilst the oldest is at school I can really concentrate on the littlest, which I love.

    Kate x
    Just Pirouette and Carry On...

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    1. Morning Kate!Who criticized you?!?Let me at em!As you say your age gap is lovely,you can share out your attention brilliantly,you had time with the four year old and then when they are at school you can have time with your youngest..perfick I think :-) x

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