Is a 20 months gap considered small in siblings

[Vibted7777]

Or average

The average gap is 24 months, which has shrunk over the years from 30 months- manly due to first babies being born to older mums, the 2nd is born quicker than previously.

so it’s f the average is 24 months, 20 months isn’t that much different

Yes, that's what I had between my first two and it felt small, exhausting but great fun! I think 2.5-3 years is more average.

I have a 10.5 month gap with two of mine, so anything over that is fine for me! But there are pros and cons to every age gap. Mine was hard but also not so hard and I was young(er) so was able to physically cope. They are the same sex and now they are grown up they are very close.

Ive got a 20 month gap between my youngest two. Its bloody hard work when they are small but absolutely fantastic as they get older.

I think my first will be 21 months, when my second is born.

I think 2 years is about average so slightly on the smaller end. My body felt fit and fully recovered when I conceived.

I had 3 in 4 years.
All fine, our bodies are designed to cope.

In the days before contraception it would have been very common, perhaps even large. Nowadays I think it’s considered small. I have 5 years which is definitely on the larger side. But thinking about my friends/school mums, I can only think of 2 who have less than 2 years (one planned and one accidental). The others are mostly between 2 and 3 years generally. My siblings have this gap from me and all my cousins were similar so in my circle this was also the norm 30-40 years ago.

I have 16m between my 2 and I really struggled during the 2nd pregnancy with having a baby so young and being pregnant. Also the newborn phase with a just started walking toddler! Once DD1 got to 20m I remember thinking wow if I had DS now it would’ve been a lot easier

2 years is the way our bodies are designed to space children but I would say it's not overly small. It's 2 under 2 but really not for long - I meet many many new parents in my work and I think 20-28 months is probably the most common length of gap.

my 2 DS are 19 months apart, they love to hate each other now as teens but do still play well at times. They are in consecutive school years, it means I have 4 back to back years of exams to get through, shaping up to almost be worse than having 2 under 2! Add in DPs kids that bookend mine and we have 7 consecutive exam years, we're going to be wreckage by 2030 😆

I think it’s average as lots of people have children who are two academic years apart.

The age gaps between my children is smaller than that.

Two of mine are 22 months apart, one school year, and have always been incredibly close. Best friends. It’s actually been my favourite gap as a parent too, very workable re playing together/individual time etc.

Small end of normal. Mine are 24 months apart but that’s mostly because I wanted two school years between them. DB and I are 21 months apart and DM had a miscarriage between us.

I would say 20 months is on the smaller side of age gaps.
I have friend who have 19 and 20 month age gaps between their DC who are still very close as adults.
There is 3.5 years between my DC ( a girl and a boy)and they still have a very close relationship with each other too now they are both in their 30s.

No not smalll at all, just average.

When I was growing up in the 80s it was very normal to have an 18 month or so gap, nearly everyone with a sibling had the same gap.
Now I have my own kids, most people seem to have a two year gap, almost spot on, or 2.5. I have a 3.5 year gap which is seen a fairly large but also quite common. A lot depends on where the birthdays fall in the year too.

I was 8 years older than my brother. We aren't close as I left home when he was 10.
My children are 2 years 5 months apart (2 school years) and they get on really well. I think I'd hate 4 years...you'd just feel it was getting better then start again with sleepless nights.

Smaller side of average, but not close enough that I'd consider the gap unless it was pointed out iyswim.

Mine are 13 & 18 now but their 5 year gap seemed to be considered large when DD was a baby & DS was 5. Most of my peers had a 2.5 year gap with a few under it at around 21 months & a few over at 3-4 years.

I remember one woman had 13 months between her two & said she spent the first 6 months of her youngest’s life crying & wondering what on earth she’d done. Another friend had a 16 month gap as she was older when she started, I remember her saying that she knew it wasn’t medically advisable but she felt time was running out.

I’ve noticed recently that larger gaps of the sort I had seen to be making a comeback. Which has surprised me as I remember most of those with smaller gaps used the rationale of getting it all over with for career/childcare cost reasons, & I would have thought those economic pressures would have increased & not lessened over time.

Given mine are 1yr apart that’s a big gap to me 😂. If my 2nd was on time I’d have 2 under 1

Dd had a 15 month gap with 1 and 2 - G/B. Obviously hard work at first, but they have always been very close and still enjoyed the same activities for several years.

Under 2 years is quite close together, over 4 is quite far apart.

My neighbours have just had another baby, making it 17 months between children.
When I mentioned to the dad, "You guys didn't hang around!" when I heard about the pregnancy, his response made me think it might not have been entirely planned.

Not just in the 80s, it only seems to be a recent view that it's small, when my children started school in the 00s pretty much everyone had an under 2 year gap, in a mid sized primary Id say most siblings were in consecutive years. It makes me smile when I see posts about " how will I cope with 2 under 2". The answer is clearly exactly how millions of women have done for centuries 😁

Age gap between my eldest two is 2y4m. Tough when they were tiny, great as they got older.

20m is a smallish gap but not remarkably so. Good to get all the nappies etc out of the way while you're still in the zone.

I had my third 10 years after my second - that feels like a big gap but it also works in other ways - my older ones have slightly more of a 'cool uncle and aunt' vibe in the relationship with their younger sister.