How Old Are Your Kids?

How does that newborn Anton have the exact same face as 7 year old Anton??

My boys are 28, 23 and 6 :) One of them is bearded, some get their first grey hair. One plays drums like wild, one is damn serious about life, and one knows every eight-legged creature by its Latin name. Life treats them good so far, so I just wonder and wait how it will unfurl. I try to remember everything, have hope and no expectations.

My one and only somehow turns four next Wednesday. Four lifetimes have passed, everything has changed, and it’s only been a blip. It was yesterday, it was this morning, it was a universe ago. Children twist time so beautifully!

Mine just turned 4, and her recent maturity has astounded me — wearing a mask, using hand sanitizer, taking calming breaths when she’s upset, and letting me know she’s not afraid to go to the doctor anymore (which she was when she was younger). In many ways I think she’s more mature than me — I stay up way too late, eats cookies when I shouldn’t, and don’t always floss.

Mine are 9.5, almost 8, and a bit past 6. It’s beyond my comprehension how there are suddenly these three full people walking around, using big words, feeling big feelings, making me laugh, do double-takes and cry, getting through life.
My eldest is definitely an old soul, but it’s my youngest, my only daughter, who makes me believe in reincarnation. She’s done yoga since before she could walk, she talks about things she was “born knowing about”, and sometimes, she speaks with an American accent. We live in Sweden and her first language is Swedish. She makes me think she had a whole previous life as a yogi in California or something.

Joanna, I’m so glad you posted this question because it gives me the perfect opening to thank you.

My son is almost two now, but a little over a year and a half ago, when he was a tiny baby and I was deep, deep, deep in throes of post-partum depression, I had managed to drag myself and him out of the apartment to take a walk around the neighborhood. The truth is that I hated being the mother of a tiny baby (even though I loved that baby so so so much), I was pretty sure I was doing a terrible job, and as preposterous as it seems now, I couldn’t see that any of it was ever going to change.

So I was walking down Court Street, greasy haired, blinking back tears, with a little baby in a carrier, and I saw you and Toby, deep in conversation. I’ve lived in the neighborhood for years, and I’m a longtime reader, but that was the only time I’ve ever seen you. And something about the way the two of you were engaged in whatever the subject was, nodding along, interjecting, all very serious (but not somber!), gave me just the jolt I needed. Oh my god, I realized, it’s not always going to be this. I’m not always going to be struggling to care for a tiny person who can’t tell me what he needs. He’s going to grow and learn and we’re going to have CONVERSATIONS. Of course! It helped me in a moment when I needed help, so thank you.

I really hope this isn’t creepy! But from a few feet away on the same sidewalk, you appear to have pretty wonderful, engaged, respectful relationship with your kid.

I completely understand that this is a normal question to ask, but seeing it as the blog title made my stomach drop, hurting for my mother who lost a child. How does she answer this?

I love the COJ community and the way it’s broadened my perspective. Just wanted to speak up for my mom and any other women who this post may cause pain: you’re loved and seen.

My boy is almost 6 and my girl is 3.5. These days I find myself just staring at them, trying to memorize everything about their little faces, mannerisms and the way they say certain things. I imagine what it’s going to be like when they’re grown and I don’t see them everyday, when they aren’t really mine anymore… It seems heartbreaking right now but deep down I can’t wait to see what passions they follow and what they will do with their lives.

My children are middle-aged. Older son is 45, younger son is 42. This is incredible to me…I recently turned 69, which is also shocking. My grandchildren are 15 and 12…my granddaughter turned 15 the day I turned 69. She was born on my birthday, and I was overjoyed to be in the room when it happened.

I just can’t get it through my head that the past 50 years have gone by so quickly…

My daughter turned one on Friday and this post is making my heart ache and swell!! This first big milestone came so quickly and I’m trying to savor every moment with her because I know it all goes so fast. She just learned how to say mama and it feels better than anything I could have imagined.

I have a 4 year old daughter, who asks such insightful questions and approaches life with such confidence and panache I sometimes I think is at least 12, until she has a total preschool-style meltdown. I also have a 2 year old who is suddenly a little boy – where did my chubby baby go? Now I have an independent, long-legged child who is confident that he can do everything himself (spoiler alert – he cannot do it all himself). How do I freeze time? I want to soak them in, tantrums and meltdowns and all!

My son is 9, so this is the last year of single digits. I find myself longing for cuddles when he was a softer toddler, now a slim athletic almost tween. I have to confess I always sneak into his room when he’s sleeping (if I can stay up that late) and this is when he seems the most precious and still my baby. Once awake, he’s his incredible person, but will always be my baby. Now I know why parents always (even at middle age) think of their children and their sweet babies.

My son is 14 and at 6 ft. 1 in. (and still growing), towers over me. But every time he grins at me, I can still see that happy baby face I would rock to sleep so long ago. Each age has had its own unique joys.

I have 12 year old and 4 year old daughters, and I’m expecting a baby boy in Sept. My brother and I are 12 years apart and we’ve never been close and don’t get along, so I always said I wasn’t going to have a big gap between kids. BUT, now I think it was the best thing we could have done. We made a conscious choice to wait between kids. We had our firstborn when we’d been married 4 years, then decided to put off having more kids until we were more financially stable (my husband went back to school). With the kids spaced farther apart I felt we got to enjoy those early days so much more, and the older sibling was able to help a lot too. Now both girls are really excited to help with the new baby, and my oldest can’t wait to babysit soon. The only negative is all the dumb comments we get from people. I’ve heard everything from “Oh, I thought you were done having kids. Aren’t you getting too old?” to people making jokes about one of our kids being a “mistake” because of the big age difference. We did what worked best for our family, and I’m glad I didn’t listen to people’s unsolicited advice about when was the “best” time to have kids.

My daughter is 34 and a first time mom in May.
My son is 30.
How is this possible? They both live a state away and it kills me.
Even now when they get together they tease and tell private jokes and get very silly, turning to 9 and 5 or 15 and 11 or 6 and 2….and back again.

My son is 3, but also maybe 251 years old because he professes to be Napoleon. So. You know. There’s always that!

My daughter just turned four and she is at this intense tipping point where in so many ways she is wildly grown – speaking clearly and confident making friends, asking for things politely, empathizing and understanding the impact her actions have on others. In so many others she is still my tiny baby who wants to snuggle all the time and for us to lay next to her as she falls asleep. My heart is breaking to see her at this point between toddler and child, I cannot wait to see who she will become and I’m morning my disappearing baby.

6 (boy, Evan), 4 (girl, Teagan), 2 (boy, Kieran), and a puppy (Daisy) who is 6 months. Our 6 year old keeps urging us to have a 4th baby. As much as I would love to fulfill his dreams of a 3rd younger sibling, I think I’m at capacity! I have worked remotely in Neurosurgery research since July 2019 and during Covid my attorney husband began working remotely as well. We finished our son’s Kindergarten year from home and gearing up for another round of homeschooling starting in August. It’s exhausting, amazing, humbling and terrifying. Thank god for vasectomies and screentime! :)