2.5 or 3 year age gap between children?

[Chocolatealllllday]

Any opinions? I know these things can't always be planned but...is there much difference between these age gaps? Either 2.5 years or 3-3.5 year age gap...i can't figure out which would be better.

I’ve got 2y9m. In hindsight things would have been logistically easier for the future if there were 2 school years difference rather than 3.

Bare in mind 2 school years difference means a levels and GCSEs in the same year

Me and my sibling were all 2.4 years apart

My kids are 3.5 years and 8 years apart

No difference I would say

I actually think it would be easier if you could have two sexes the same close together but obvs that can’t be planned

2 y 9m gap here too. I won't be having more but I find it's a nice gap and prob would have aimed for same again.

There is just under 3 years between my 2. It was good as dd was out of nappies and willing to go fetch me things if I needed something while changing ds. She also started her free hours at nursery shortly after so I had 1-2-1 time with baby ds.

There will be 3yrs between my two- the way the birthday months will fall means I get a mat leave with both of them and then my eldest starts school- so I’m only paying 1 set of nursery fees. My LOs talking vastly improved between 2.5 and 3 which has helped. Sure it will still be hard work but it’s as small an age gap as I could fathom

I don’t imagine there would be much difference. I have a 2.5 year age gap so they are 2 years apart at school. Another 4 months and they’d have been 3 years apart, means I’ll have both of them doing exams in the same year :/

You can't plan but there's no real difference. And pros and cons to any gap. Just go with it and see what happens. I was obsessed with a particular gap and no problems with getting pregnant with second but then had a miscarriage. I had my second eventually.

@whatisthenewnormal GCSEs and A levels in the same year is the one time you can get a cheap hildau because they'll both be finished in June

In my culture it would be considered bad luck to assume you will get pregnant so quickly that you can plan with that level of specificity. I can see asking whether to try for a two year vs four year split but the effect of a few months here or there is hard to generalize. Every household is different and there are so many other factors like sex of the baby, timing for school entrance, potty training, temperament of the first child, and a million other things. Just try when you feel like you could manage a second one and don’t try to game the outcome. As they say— when man (woman) plans, god laughs.

*holiday

3 years means the eldest has 30 hours funded childcare.

Most groups for babies don't allow older siblings so without nursery I'd have missed the groups/socialising.

[quote waltzingparrot]@whatisthenewnormal GCSEs and A levels in the same year is the one time you can get a cheap hildau because they'll both be finished in June [/quote]
Yes but you'll pay big time when it comes to having 2 children in university at the same time

Just under 3 years here. Originally wanted a two year gap but work situation wasn't right for that.
As pp have said, the gap meant ds1 was helpful with the baby and good company and also got his free hours so I got some (free) 121 time with the baby.
Even though DS2 is bigger than DS1 was at that age the size of the gap means I can still pass a lot of things down.

2.5 year gap here. Toddler plus newborn is hard! But then they play with the same toys and can do the same age appropriate activities.

I can’t imagine it’s much different with a 3 yr gap. However a newborn and a 3-4 year old would be easier.

Mine are 3.2. They can play together but also have their own interests.

Waltzingparrott and you will need it after that