Just found out the DC2 I'm expecting is due the day after DD1s 2nd birthday. 
Does anyone have any experience of this? I recently read this so am now abit 
although not much I can about that now obviously!! Am intending to make a big fuss of DD1s birthday a week early - is that a good idea? And do you obviously do big seperate birthday bashes each year, or have they naturally merged? Just interested already- tia!
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An exact 2-year age group - any experiences?
13 replies
sofaaddict · 28/03/2011 19:48
OP posts:
sofaaddict ·
28/03/2011 19:51
And I'll change password now as I'm paranoid!!!!!!!!!!!!
OP posts:
suzikettles ·
28/03/2011 19:58
This seems to be a popular age gap - I know four sets of siblings with a 2 year gap and less than a month between their birthdays - 1 set share a birthday and the other set have 2 days between them!
They're all different tbh. My nephew and niece get on really well, she looks up to her big brother and he's sweet to his sister (most of the time ). They're 5 and 3. Always been separate birthdays so far, but the gap is over a fortnight.
My friend's 2 boys seem to wind each other up all the time and she has her hands full - they're 2 and 4. They have had joint parties and my friend plans to do this for the next couple of years at least (2 day gap).
My other friend's ds & dd are quite close but the gap seems quite wide at the moment - possibly because the ds is at school now, they're 6 and 4. They shared parties up until this year when the elder wanted his own party - same birthday.
Finally, my colleague's two girls are incredibly close and really good friends - they're 8 and 10. Not sure what they do about birthdays, but again there's a couple of weeks between them.
It seems like quite a good gap from what I can see. Lots of work to start off with (but I should imagine having a baby and an older child will always be hard work), but they'll very much grow up together and hopefully be friends.
Pigleychez ·
28/03/2011 23:01
My 2 DD's are 21mths apart. Theres a big enough gap between birthdays that I guess this wont be much of an issue but I think id always do them seperately untill they are much older or choose to have a joint party.
I found the first few months could be tricky with juggling everything but it soon goes. The adore each other now at 2.7 and 10mths and are lovely together (most of the time! )
The no 'ideal' age gap and you cant change it now :)
My HV said in her experience she found 2yrs a good gap as DC1 is too young to remember a time being an only child and seems to generally just accept the newborn.
It will be fine :)
Molly- Mmmm Im not looking forward to having 2 hormonal teenage girls!! 
purpleflower123 ·
29/03/2011 00:07
Congratulations :)
I have a 4year old DS and a 2year old DD, DS is 2years and 1 day older than his little sister.
I'm not going to lie, having a 2 year old and a newborn wasn't easy, DS was going through a tantrum stage and all DD ever wanted to do was feed. We got through it and although they argue a little now, it's lovely. DS is so protective of his little sister and DD really looks up to him. He's at preschool at the moment and the delight on her face when I tell her we're going to get DS is priceless, she really misses him. They do wind each other up but I used to argue my brothers up with a 5 and 8yr age gap.
So far they have shared birthday party's as it's just so much easier and they really don't know the difference. We'll see how it goes when DS starts school but I'm in no hurry to give them separate party's. I think they may want a joint party for their 18th and 16th though, a hall full of 18yr old boys and 16yr old girls 
My Nephews have a 2yr 10 day age gap, the eldest is 3 days older than my son and the youngest is a week younger than my daughter, so it's a very busy time of year with 4 birthdays in 10 days!
tallulah ·
29/03/2011 10:11
My brother was born the day before my second birthday. We got shared parties etc. I was always resentful because as the eldest I should have had my birthday first
We have just over 18 months between DC1 and DC2. Contrary to your link we had huge problems with jealousy in the beginning. Once DC2 was big enough to play they became best buddies.
DC3 was due 3 days after DC2's 2nd birthday. Went into labour 4 days early and got to hospital at 11pm 10cms dilated. There was no way I wanted a baby the day before DC2's birthday. I can remember asking DH "is it his birthday yet?" and getting an odd look from the MW. Hospital records show I went into second stage at midnight. DC2 and DC3 share a birthday.
They have had shared birthdays ever since but seem OK about it. I had to actively discourage "unbirthday" presents for DC1 from the ILs. I didn't feel it was fair that she got a special day all to herself while they had to share, and then people were trying to include her in theirs too.
DC4 was due the day before the shared birthday.. Arrived a week after it. That has been the worst one. After the huge fuss of the shared birthday we have a sort of after-event :(
As far as jealousy is concerned, neither DC1 nor DC2 got on with DC3 (gaps 3.5 and 2). DC1 and DC4 (5.5 year gap) adored each other. DC2 was really jealous of DC4 (4 year gap). I really feel it is more to do with personalities than age gap. They are all now adults and very close. DC2 and 4 share a flat
Sariska ·
29/03/2011 14:43
Well, there are 2 yrs and 1 day between my sister and I. Our birthdays were always celebrated on the proper day (by which I mean family present unwrapping; parties were often on neither birthday). Am not sure why you would move one a week early - unless perhaps you're worried about being in labour on DD1's birthday this year.
Yes, we had shared parties for a portion of our childhood - primary age IIRC, certainly not at senior school - and I remember that being fine. The only problem I had was having to budge my cards along the mantelpiece in order to make room for my sister's the next day. Her major problem, I think, was, due to the fact that a couple of aunts would often get us the same thing, or nearly so, she would generally know what a couple of her presents were before she opened them. She'd ask me not to show her or tell her what they were.
And I have sort of repeated the cycle as my DC have 2 years and 10 days between them. They are not yet at the birthday party stage yet so I have no idea whether they'll share them. I am still getting my head round the idea that I'm going to have to hold kids' birthday parties full stop .
Chances are, there will be more than a day between your DCs - it's something like just 5% of babies who arrive on their due date, isn't it? - so I wouldn't worry too much. But, if they do share a birthday, or nearly so, I still wouldn't worry. As long as you treat it in a matter-of-fact way, they will be just fine.
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