One afternoon, I carted my oldest children off to the bank to open accounts for them . They couldn't wait to choose debit cards that reflected their personal style — for my daughter, golden retriever puppies; for my son, doodle drawings. The banker inquired about their ages. "Seven and 12," I said, "with a 2-year-old at home. Too young to open an account yet." The banker's eyebrows lifted. "All of them five years apart ?" "Yes," I answered. She let out an abrupt laugh that caught me off guard. "