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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

How is a 6 month old diff to 1 year old?

58 replies

Jadefeather7 · 10/11/2019 08:12

Do you think it gets easier from 6months to 1 year?

I’m due to have another baby when my first turns 1 years old.

I’m finding him much easier at 6 months then he was at say 3 months. He sleeps well at night. He just whinges a lot during the day and needs constant attention otherwise he gets upset.

Just wondering what it’s like to have a 1 year old. I guess there’s more watching them as they are crawling/ walking. Do they start to self entertain more? Did you find it easier over time or the same or harder?

OP posts:

HalyardHitch · 10/11/2019 08:14

I have a 12 month age gap. Personally, I think a 12mo and a newborn is ok. Sit yourself on floor to feed newborn and play with 12mo. Very quickly they both started having a lunch time nap.

I'm finding it tougher since they were 1.5 and 2.5 as they have similar needs and fight a lot

Dreambigger · 10/11/2019 08:15

Congratulations. Yes in ways 1 year olds can be a bit easier, they play by themselves a bit, eat meals at regular intervals and have a bit more routine. In other ways, if they are moving by then it's tricky, you need to constantly watch them..this also means they are more independent and have opinions

Caspianberg · 10/11/2019 08:19

They move

Surfskatefamily · 10/11/2019 08:20

I found mine more difficult..but that has gone into my decision to wait. My boy seems to be a 'challenging' baby /toddler compared to other family members.

Just do your best...theres bound to be hard times. My mum had just over a year gap with me and sister and she said the first year was really tough but once we were big enough to play together it was so easy

Congratulations by the way

Mrscog · 10/11/2019 08:22

I found 12 months harder than 6m months to be honest - but mine was very placid and easy until 1!

Original poster

Jadefeather7 · 10/11/2019 08:23

Those that found 12 months harder what was the hard bit?

OP posts:

Grumpos · 10/11/2019 08:23

My 1 year old has a lot more routine than he did at 6 months. Regular meal times, regular naps and bedtime routine etc.
It’s a balance, in some ways he’s easy as pie, if I’m absolutely up against it trying to sort the house or dogs or get myself ready then it’s a snack or milk with nursery rhymes on the tv for 10 mins. He goes down at half 7 and that’s me for the night, he didn’t do that at 6 mths, and he was up before 5 every morning
On the down side, if he’s teething or feeling unwell or just having a clingy day I can barely put him down for 5 minutes, at 6 mths I could strap him to me and off for a walk - now it’s a screaming fit to get in the car seat or pram when he’s in a bad mood.
Personally I found 0-3 lovely 3-6 great then -12 months bloody hard work. It’s getting easier for me I think. (Gonna regret saying that I’m sure)

ethelfleda · 10/11/2019 08:26

1 year old was harder than a 6 month old in my experience.
He wasn’t quite walking but trying - which meant eyes on him at all times
He went through a separation anxiety phase at that age and so was very clingy for a while. Didn’t really play by himself for more than a couple of minutes
The sleep was worse as teething was more prevalent. He was sleeping more at 6 months!
Now is he two he is much easier than a year ago. And I get sleep now!

That’s just my experience though - all babies are different!

Grumpos · 10/11/2019 08:27

The hard bits now are the beginning of the toddler traits - clinging, screaming, laying on the floor, smacking things, climbing on bloody every chair / sofa / sideboard and falling off hence being covered in bruises constantly, wanting to feed themselves so the kitchen gets written off 3 times a day and the wriggling and sodding about when you’re trying to change bums / get them dressed.
Those are the bits I find really fucking hard and irritating!
BUT it’s not all those things everyday and it’s not every time. It’s also amazing to see them constantly learning, developing and growing.

Settlersofcatan · 10/11/2019 08:27

I found 12-24 months really hard. 6 months was lovely!

Because they are properly on the move and have lots more opinions on what they want to do but they have no concept of danger and limited ability to communicate.

From 2ish I felt iit was easier again

Camomila · 10/11/2019 08:28

They move!

And you have to feed them more regularly (At 6m, DS was still breastfed with one little try of food per day and it was so much easier)

Dreambigger · 10/11/2019 08:28

The moving .......and they want to communicate but can't so get frustrated

Screwtheclockchange · 10/11/2019 08:29

DD hated being a baby so she was much easier from 12 months because she didn't get so frustrated. She also entertained herself pretty well - she'd actually get quite cross if I interfered when she was in the middle of an interesting game. She was much faster and climbed a lot, but she also found it easier to tell me what she wanted, so swings and roundabouts. On the other hand, a friend's child went from peaceful, dream baby to completely mad toddler, so it's very much down to individual personalities.

Congratulations! It might be tough in the very beginning but that's a lovely age-gap.

cochineal7 · 10/11/2019 08:31

They move at 1. That is the biggest difference. And that means you need to keep your eyes open. But on the other hand, baby 2 will still be still immobile. Take it as it comes, no use anticipating. A 1.5 and 2.5 yo will be a bit more of a challenge but by then you have grown into it.

myself2020 · 10/11/2019 08:33

We found hardest bit 9-24 months. both of mine were colicy babies, but putting them in a slung dealt with that (none of them could ever be put down to sleep). However, 9-24 months was really exhausting- both were mobile early (youngest walked at 9 months) and loved climbing, si needed constant supervision . Both are also very, very high energy and curious, so need loads of exercise and stimulation. i had a 4 years age difference, and that worked

ShinyGiratina · 10/11/2019 08:33

Probably depends on the 1yo. 6-9m was a sweet spot. Although mine didn't rush to sleep through for the best part of 2 years each. Things like teething crop up a lot at 1.

Most 1yo's nap which is a big help. They tend to still be easy to put in a pram and go. As they get more independent urges that gets harder.

DS1 was already tantrumming regularly by 1. I'm trying to remember DS2 but it's a fuzz because DS1 was still tantrumming with vigour at 3.

Different ages suit different children and different parents. DS2 is more cheerful and placid. It was just physically chasing after him from 1-3. DS1 hated being under 4, but there are some high functioning SNs that aren't fully explored.

The best bit about close age gaps is that their interests tend to be easily compatible. They will spend much of the time in the same setting which is a big logistical help.

CalamityJune · 10/11/2019 08:38

I found it a hard time because DS was moving but had very little control. I had to watch constantly to make sure he wasn't pulling things down on top of himself and was always trying to escape from the room then getting angry that he obviously couldnt.

We bought a collapsible playpen which was a godsend for when we were needing to cook etc.

People told me that walking was harder than crawling but I completely disagree. Once he was walking he was much more settled and happy to play again. He had a short phase of climbing on every single thing but when that was out of his system he was ok.

Josephinebettany · 10/11/2019 08:44

I find life easier as soon as they turn 12 months!

maternity123qwe · 10/11/2019 08:44

At one they can be a whirlwind of toddler, they explore everything but don’t understand the dangers of things. That being said.... at one they might not be walking yet so that makes it easier - although they can crawl so quickly. And pull themselves up on everything. But then all babies are different, I found ages 0-12 months the easiest as when little they just sleep poop and eat. I’ve been lucky with having sleepers at the beginning (just not later on !!!) hahaha!

Baby gates, play pens really help. Rearranging anything within grabbing distance, putting soft corners on anything that might be near head level will help you a lot.

123Dancewithme · 10/11/2019 08:46

My 16 month old is a lot easier than he was at 6 months! He was a grumpy baby who cried a lot, and is now a happy smiley toddler.

Sewingbea · 10/11/2019 08:47

They move! Make the room as safe as possible and consider a sling to put the newborn in, then you're hands free for the toddler. And, congratulations.

wintertime6 · 10/11/2019 08:50

I think from age 1 to 2 can be quite tricky as they're crawling and then walking, climbing up on things, finding anything that's remotely dangerous, and you have to be watching them constantly. They're also not yet at the age where they listen to what you say!

But, saying that, I have a 13 month age gap between mine and it's great! I did find it quite challenging for around the first year though.

GinUnicorn · 10/11/2019 08:55

6 month was really easy for me. Sitting not crawling so a breeze. 1 year was walking and exploring needing constant entertainment and much harder. 2 years is also tough due to tantrums! Wouldn’t change any of it though

Original poster

Jadefeather7 · 10/11/2019 09:05

I know a lot of people think newborns are easy but that wasn’t my experience! I found breastfeeding so difficult and time consuming (I don’t know how I would do it this time with another baby so thinking about going straight to formula). Also my baby never slept during the day so he was always screaming. We kept getting told reflux, allergies etc but in the end the thing that worked was a routine. I really hope my next baby is easy!

OP posts:

Frazzled2207 · 10/11/2019 09:12

1-2 is hard work tbh as they are mobile, have set routines that are difficult to change, and aren't yet able to communicate effective when grumpy about something. In my case they also slept rubbishly until well after 2 but it looks like you might be lucky in that respect.

It will be hard work but you'll get through it and as the kids get older, the age gap narrows and they will amuse each other a lot of the time.
Neither knows what it's like to not have the other and their sibling is almost their entire world

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