Raising Children a Generation Apart

I have two of the most amazing children in the world; however, they are almost seven years apart in age. When I had my son Trey, his father and I were so involved with every stage of his young life, that he was in the first grade by the time we realized that if we wanted to have another baby, we had better get busy.

By the time my daughter Jordan was born, Trey was already bathing, dressing and brushing his teeth all on his own. Taking care of a helpless baby all over again was definitely a shock to the system.

Trey was either a "miracle baby" or an anomaly. He hardly ever cried, and was a good eater and sleeper. I could take him practically anywhere without a problem. Jordan was a Diva, Drama Queen and Lil' Miss Thang all rolled up into one.

As she got older she was prone to temper tantrums and bouts of rage. My sister nicknamed her “The Burna” because she always went down in a Blaze of Glory! I really earned my “mommy badge” with her.

However, you still have to deal with the challenge of raising two kids in two different stages of life. One day it’s pimples, the next—Dora the Explorer.

Another example was when I had to go to an open house at Jordan’s school. Now just that morning I had had a mammogram, now I find myself sitting in a chair made for a Cabbage Patch doll, in a primary-colored classroom covered in ABCs and 123s.

At this point I am thinking “What have I gotten myself into?” “I am too old to be Hooked on Phonics!”

But when I think about how close they are, and how they have helped me be a better mother, I don’t see a generation gap—only a loving connection.