What do you think is the best age gap between DCs and why?

[SquidgersMummy]

DD only little but when do we go for no 2?? What have you found - or what do you wished you'd done??

X

Age gap has nothing to do with siblings get along, tbh. It is more down to the personality types of your children. And that's not something you will have control over, unfortunately!

I have 15 month age gap (not planned)!

1st 6 months were not easy, as DD1 was not walking confidently until 19 months, so effectively I had twins in terms of two babies to be carried everywhere etc, two sets of nappies etc. But tehre was never any jealousy or signs that DD1 had even noticed the change.

DD1 is now 2.9 and DD2 18 months and they adore each other and life is generally a lot easie trthan this time last year.............but its still not easy to have two toddlers!!

we are plannign on wiating until dd1 at elast is in school befor ehaving a third.....but to eb honest tehre are pros and cons to whatever age gap you have!

Basically what girlsville said- I have a 15 month age gap between DS and DD, they are currently 20 months and 5 months.

DS is very sweet with DD and too young to be jealous as he doesn't know any different tbh. Had same problem when pg that DS didn't start walking until 4 weeks before DD arrived, so was lugging him around still whilst very heavily pg- NOT recommended!

We're lucky that DS sleeps well now and so far DD is a DREAM baby, so easy compared to how DS was and has slept through the night since 9 weeks. Even with her being easy going it's been bloody hard work, and i'll probably look back on this time and think "how the fuck did we manage?!"

Logistically such a small age gap is hard work- I have to go out with them both at least once a day otherwise we all go mad, but this means a ridiculous amount of planning i.e. when will DD need a feed and where can DS be whilst I do this? Also need a crazy amount of stuff when out and about- I doubt i'd need as much for a 6 month tour of Afghanistan Also, the cost of nappies for two is nuts.

However, I wouldn't change it for the world and I sort of like the fact that we're still in the 'baby zone' when it comes to buggies, nappies, early starts. I think it would've been harder for us to have another one 3/4 years in as i'm not sure I would want to go back to all that.

Hoping that DS and DD will be close growing up, although obviously no guarantees.

Go on, feel the fear and do it

PS we are not having anymore!

The "proper" age gap seems to be two years round here. There 4.5 years between our DC and they get on brilliantly and do play with each other. DS is nearly 7 and DD is 2.4, and I can still sling them in the bath together and give them similar things to eat, they even share a room. Not sure how long that will last, though

Age gap doesn't guarantee that children will get on, that's much more to do with personality, so I'd think about the practicalities (eg childcare is much more expensive when they are little, so having two in nursery at the same time can be prohibitive, for example) more than whether they are likely to get on.

oh, and remember there is no such thing, really, as family planning: they come when they come!

Yup, def no family planning here

Agree with the nursery cost thing- there's no way we can really afford for me to go back to work and have two of them in nursery, even though I earned a decent wage (London nursery prices = wankishly expensive), so I am quite worried that my career could be up shit creek in the long term even though i'm only 29

On the plus side once they're both in school I can fully focus on getting my career back. It really would be up shit creek I think if we went on to have DC3.

3y8m worked really well for us and both children (13 and 9) have said they would like the same gap if and when they have a family of their own which pleased me.

I have a 10 year age gap between my eldest and my youngest and it has been brilliant.

Ds1 is fantastic with ds3 and helps entertain him a lot, can be trusted to watch him for 10 minutes whilst I hide in the kitchen and drink tea occassionally, ds1 is at school all day so I get to enjoy having time with my toddler, and when ds3 is in bed of an evening ds1 is old enough to stay up and spend time with me. Ds3 adores him and follows him everywhere, ds1 has endless patience and if I had known how brilliant big age gaps were I would've had one between ds1&2 (20 month age gap which was hell on earth for me). Currently expecting ds4 and will have an 19 month age gap, in all honesty I am dreading it.