Our kids are 2 years apart but in back-to-back grades. Here's why we chose to retain one and not the other.

Sun, 08/18/2024 - 05:47

Composite image of the author's oldest son, Copper, practicing writing numbers at school on the left, and her youngest son, Colt, graduating from pre-k earlier this year. — The author retained her older son, Copper, left, for an extra year, and her younger son, Colt, is starting kindergarten this year.
Courtesy of Bethaney Phillips

Our kids are in back-to-back grades, even though they're two years apart.
We retained our oldest for an extra year, and our youngest is going to kindergarten early.
Here's why we made our decision.

When I gave birth to our youngest, now 5, my spouse and I became members of the elite "two under 2" club. Baths meant a baby tub inside the actual tub so they could clean up simultaneously, followed by side-by-side diaper changes and similar bedtimes.