Age gap between children?

[HelloMumsnutters]

What age gap do you have between your children?

What works about it / what doesn’t work about it?

What would you recommend to others?

Nothing to do with age. It's personality that counts!

@HysteryMystery ooo that’s interesting! Elaborate?

23years

I have 3 girls....16, 11 and 6..If I could do it again they'd be closer in age because they are all at completely different stages of life so mainly don't fit in with each other in a lot of situations

Small gap between 1 and 2 and big gap between 2 and 3.

Currently 11,9 and 2 (all boys). It works brilliantly. Ds1 and 2 mainly get on great and they’re fabulous with ds3.

2 years exactly between DS and DD. They can't stand one another - but that's more to do with personality than with age gaps. I think 2 years is a great gap. Either that or smaller.

2 years 5 months. Youngest isn't 1 yet so too soon to tell some things like if personalities will work together but fingers crossed! When I was pregnant with DS2, DS1 was old enough to transition from cot to bed, buggy to buggy board, potty trained etc, so all the nursery stuff was used continuously so quite practical in that sense. 2 under 2 would be really difficult but great when they get a bit older. As the newborn stage was really tough on us (I NEED unbroken sleep!!), and we knew we wanted two kids, we basically thought the sooner we 'get those sleep deprived nights over with' (the early weeks), the better!

Smaller gap is very hard initially but seems easier to me than those with bigger gaps after that.

20 and almost 13. In some ways it works, older one can be alot of help with the younger one but in other ways its hard as they are in completely different points in their lives, so hard to make it work.

2y 2m between my eldest two. As a PP said it was a good gap from a practical point of view, eg eldest was into a bed, onto the buggy board, freeing up cot and buggy for DC2.

They're now 4.10 and 2.8 and play together really well, to the point that it's easier having two than one (as they entertain themselves).

DC3 is imminent so interesting to see how that changes things!

IME, the best thing about a smaller age gap is that the children's needs are more or less the same. This makes days out etc easier than when you're trying to accommodate various ages and stages. However, it also means (if you only have two children, as I do) that you don't get to have toddlers for very long, as they're toddlers together for some of the time - and toddlers are the absolute best.

2 years between Dd1 3yo and DD2 1yo.

I think we should of had a bigger age gap if I'm honest. They don't always get on. DD1 always wants all the attention. DD2 hates to be pestered and DD1 is very good at that lol. I'm hoping as they get older they will get closer.

10 1/2 years between DD1 and DD2, then a short gap of 54 weeks between DD2 and DS.

I do extremes!

It's amazing how close they are though, even though DD1 is married with DC of her own. DD2 goes to her for advice about things she doesn't want to talk to me about, then DD1 asks me what I want her to do about it.

DS loves his nieces more than his Xbox! His biggest sis idolises him!

DD2 and DS argue and fight like all siblings but if anyone tried to pick on one, they would end up dealing with the other.

Having said that, DD1 and DD2 still argue and fight. They are sisters, after all.

There's 2y2m between me and DSis, and 2y10m between me and DBro. We get on brilliantly - although we fought on and off whilst growing up we were always able to play together, it was ace.

2.5 years. The older one was able to have a bit of independence (preschool etc) when the baby was born and was very soon out of nappies. They’re close enough in age that they like similar things and are best pals (though I appreciate I’m lucky with the latter!).

2 minutes! Ha ha!

15,11,5

Pros- I needed time to recover between each one. The older ones help out a lot. I would do it the same again.

Cons- they often have different interests and don’t want to play together

Gap of 2 years 4 months.

Pros: similar ages/ interests, lots of children we know from Dc1 have younger siblings of same age. Practically good with cots, car seats buggies etc, they seemed to be growning out of stuff as little one needed it . Enough time for your body to recover hopefully.

Cons:toddler + being pregnant/ having a newborn is hard! Constant bugs passed from one to another, sibling jealousy /rivalry tends to be high. Older one can't help out/ ends of hindering. I have been breastfeeding and/Or pregnant and knackered for 5 years!!

@doodlejump1980 that took me way too long to work out 😂

This is great... Thank you all!

I’ve got a 9 week old, and am bursting to have more. Trying to calculate how long would be reasonable to wait...

I can't make my mind up about this either. There are pros and cons to every age gap. We just have DD 15 months atm and we definitely want another (possibly more but we'll see!), but I just can't decide on the gap...whether to just go for it asap, or to time it so she is 3-4, or to time it to she is in primary school...can't decide [confuse].

Small age gap: similar needs etc.

I absolutely LOVED them napping together (and often with me squished between them).

I could pop them in the double buggy and trundle off for a walk.

They play together for hours and have wonderful conversations because they've got loads in common - Paw Patrol and Preschool!

It was bankrupting when I had both in nursery pre-funded-hours and it's going to be bloody expensive when/if they both get into uni.

20 months. Works for us.
They fight sometimes but the good times greatly out number the tricky moments. They are 6&8, both girls.

Teenage years may get interesting. GCSE and Alevels simultaneously.

Hello Gosh, I can't imagine wanting another soon at 9 weeks!! But I had a horrible pregnancy and birth with a long recovery and DD screamed for most of the first 7 months of her life. Which makes me think maybe we should do a bigger gap too cos if DC2 is like her then it will be impossibly hard to look after them both without going insane.

Just under 2 years then 3 years. I've been lucky with personalities because they get on pretty well.

For years the older two were incredibly close and the youngest was my shadow/ their spoilt and indulged but sometimes annoying pet, but now older two alternate between being "best buds" as dc1 ironically says, bickering occasionally, and just not paying much attention to one another because the oldest is now (completely age appropriately as she should be) more interested in her peers. Dc3 and dc2 have now become partners in crime and fairly inseparable.

The youngest has always had the older two twisted around his little finger. I'll always remember the day trip when he was 4 or 5, and they were about 8 and 10, it was just kids and I - I was carrying everyone's bags and therefore refused to carry him. So when he was tired he turned to dc1 and dc2 and said "whoever loves me most can carry me piggyback" and they both did the pick me dance and took it in turns carrying him the rest of the afternoon

Meadow he’s a bit of an angel actually! Therefore I assume the next one will be an absolute nightmare... hence the caution I think!

I’m sort of thinking that even if there appears to be a good time to have the second (i.e. when the first is in a good stage) that could all change over the course of the 40 weeks anyway!