Do you have or are you planning on having your kids close together? If so, then this post is just for you! I know a lot of people think that those that have two children ‘under two’ (or even less of an age group) are crazy or irresponsible but this is not the case sure, the chaos is going to be concentrated but there are plenty of amazing benefits to a close age gap in kids too.

Play Mates for Life

We all know how important the element of play is for young children. And when you have your children close together you can be assured that they have a friend for life. Sure, there will be times when your children hate one another but they will learn to enjoy one another’s company. Having someone else to explore the world, to imagine and create and to learn the basics of socialization is something that your children will experience and this can be a great feeling as a parent. You are giving them a great start to life and helping them develop skills that are vital later down the track. As much as I hated my little brother, I loved having a friend whenever I wanted to play (and, of course, I set the rules).

The Entertainment Factor

When you are trying to get dinner cooked, get the laundry folded and organize a birthday party for the weekend, often the only way you can get it all done is to find some sort of entertainment for your little one. And, this often involves television, the computer or another outlet that you can’t help but feel guilty about. However, parents with children that are close in age find that they will entertain one another, which means you can step away for a moment.

Over and Done With

Another great thing about having children close in age is that you get the hard work out of the way. The first year of your baby’s life is going to be the hardest as you settle into a routine and get to know one another. Sure, you may feel like a walking zombie for two to three years but after that, you will hopefully begin to feel normal again and won’t have to worry about doing it all over again (unless, of course, you are crazy enough to go again!)

Baby Body Blues?

Having children close in age means that before you know it, you may be experiencing those all too familiar pregnancy symptoms. In fact, your body may have not even had the chance to get back into a pre-baby shape before it will start to expand again. The good thing about this is that you don’t have to undo all your hard work. Many new mums are a little worried about getting pregnant after they have put in years of gruelling workouts and clean eating just to get their body back. When you have children close together, you can wait until after the second baby is born to even try losing the baby weight. Bonus!