Tell me about your kids 5 year age gap!

[Awbiscuits]

I had such awful PND with my daughter that I swore we were one and done for years.

However with hindsight My mental health pre pregnancy was so bad that it was no wonder the PND hit me hard. I'm in a much better place mentally now than I was then, having worked on my MH a lot and DH and I think we would like another child! Eek.

However my daughter is now 4 so we've missed the boat on that 2-3 year age gap that most people tend to go for.

Could anyone share what it's like with 2 kids 5-6 years apart? Are they still close? Tell me all, the good, the bad and the ugly!!

Mine are 5 years apart and they are best friends, I do agree that it's down to personality. I think same gender helps but obviously you can't plan that!

4.5 year age gap here. Two girls. Was brilliant! Eldest started preschool, so had 1:1 with the newborn. Personally, I could not have coped otherwise. They are now 19 & (almost) 15. They are each other's biggest supporters & best friends. There is no hard & fast "rule" regarding age gaps. Different courses for different horses, as they say.

My youngest 2 are 4.5 years apart.
It was lovely have quality 121 time with them both when they were babies and toddlers .
They are now 18 and 22 and very close, best friends, its lovely.
However there waa a time when elder one hit teens and didnt want to know younger sibling.
I also have an older "pair" of DC just 15 months apart.
They were really close growing up ,liked similar things at same time. Didnt have the same 121 time with them that i had wirh younger 2, as it was pretty full on -They learnt compromise and sharing pretty quickly and there was no jealousy
Now they are older they arent as close and have grown apart which is sad.
So I think whatever the age gap there are advantages and disadvantages and closeness of siblings ebbs and flows.
So i wouldnt overthink it.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences 💓

Funnily enough I myself have a 2.5 year gap between me and my sister and we've never been that close. We are different people I suppose - makes sense that age is only part of the story when it comes to siblings being close.

I have a seven year gap, my oldest is in her early twenties now and my younger one is a teen. It’s actually been fine, lovely in some ways as my older DC remembers lots about younger DC as a baby. They did go through a phase of bickering, they could have argued in an empty room but when older DC went to university, their relationship improved because younger DC missed older DC and appreciated her being back, and they get on great now (older DC is at home this year). So I think it was fine when they were younger, period of bickering about anything and everything, fine again.

It was invaluable in the pandemic that older DC has done some of the schoolwork that younger DC was doing and had infinite patience to work with him; he listens to her sometimes in a way he does not listen to me. He eats what she cooks no questions. Things like that. My favourite thing sometimes is listening to them comparing whatever is the slang or memes of the day, apparently seven years is a long time in youth culture.

The only thing was because I had not expected to have a second child, I had given away everything so I had to get it all new. Good luck in whatever you decide.

@Goodwishesfor2026 we've given away most of it too, including my gorgeous pram! I was that sure we were one and done.

There are five years between my two (that’s just how it worked out, it wasn’t our choice). They are still close although eldest left home a few years ago (they are both in their twenties now). The age gap never caused a problem for us.

I can’t comment from a parenting perspective but my brother is 6 years older than me and I absolutely idolised him for as long as I can remember - I think it’s a nice age gap! X

5 Year gap and they are best buddies, each other’s cheerleaders and allies in life ,they are both girls and all grown up now.
I did plenty of preparation about how she would be first to hold the baby ( after us of course) how funny the baby would find her etc etc it did help her friend had a baby sister a few months before so she had seen babies cry etc
Lots of oh the baby thinks your great doing x y or z and it seems to have worked. I know lots with smaller gaps who are not as close but worked very well for me.