Hi C., As the mother of nine children,born within 12 years, I highly recommend having your children close together. It is so important for children to have companions their own age. Siblings close in age share so much growing up. My children are all very close(although there are occasions when they don't like each other) My sons pitch in and help each other on home projects,play ball together on the same team,my daughters share baby sitting of each other's kids and do stuff together. We have huge family gatherings here on our farm. Children are very self centered these days. When there are siblings close in age to them they learn to share; clothes, toys, bedrooms, friends etc. My children for the most part are having large families, so they must have liked being part of a huge close knit family. My daughter is expecting her tenth child the oldest is 11. My son has 10 the oldest is 18. Children have a continuous supply of activity when they have siblings close to their age. They will be playing with each other instead of being bored and spending hours on a computer or TV. As children grow up the further apart in age they are, the more distant from each other emotionally they are. They will have families different ages, so they will not have children to have cousins to grow up with. Your children will have nothing in common their whole lives. I am the youngest of seven, my sister closest to me in age is ten years older. I never had a brother or sister to share secrets with or go on rides with at amusement parks. I had to depend on friends to accompany me, and many times they could not go, because they had family activities to attend. Finally and most important, God made people to be able to love equally all their children. You will not be cheating your oldest child out of your love and attention, by having more children. There is more love, more than you can imagine. For each child you have your love grows. When you make your family your priority and not material goods, you as God planned it will have joys beyond belief. As long as you provide a warm home and food on the table and warm clothes, all the other material goods in the world will not take the place of a loving family. Take care M.