Is anyone here much younger than their siblings?

[paolosgirl]

If so - how was it when you were growing up, and how is it now? Do you ever feel you missed out in some way? DS2 is 8 years younger than DD and 10 yrs younger than DS1, which is not much in the overall scheme of things, but it does make me worry sometimes.

Wow DeenyMcQ!!!

I'm the youngest of four. There's a precise five-year gap between each of us. RC family so I guess we have the rhythm method to thank for that particular spacing...

I don't remember my eldest sister living at home and the second eldest left when I was eight or nine. That just left me and my brother together for a while.

I actually think the gaps between us have helped because we never experienced any sibling rivalry. We are a close family even though we didn't spend huge amounts of time together as children. Perhaps that's the secret!

The negatives in my childhood stemmed from the fact that by the time it got to me my parents were older and had less energy and my mother (in hindsight) was depressed - nothing to do with siblings - in fact they really helped me survive some tough times.

Now we are adults in our 40s and 50s with children of our own - we are closer than ever and there really doesn't seem to be much of an age difference at all. (In fact I'm viewed as the "oldest and sensible one" by my eldest sister.)

Couldn't survive without 'em actually and it's particularly great having older sisters because they constantly inspire me and demonstrate that life after 50 doesn't have to be dull and grey

These posts have made me very . It's good to know that he's not going to be deprived (as much as DS1 is always telling me he is) - and the thing about being less strict is true already. DH and I don't have the same time/energy/inclination to play with him obsessively, so he kind of just gets on with it!

im the youngest of six, with my eldest brother being 22 years older than me, and the one next in age to me was eleven years older.

at times i hated it because they (rightly) felt i was given a lot of attention, and was spoilt because both my parents were at work, and it felt a lot like being a only child.

however, i learnt to hold my own amongst adults, and they also protected me a lot of the time. it was also great when i went to uni to be able to ring them up and say 'help'- and my nieces are the same age as me.

i found as well that up to the age of 15, they treated me as more of as 'niece figure' than sister. however, since then, they've been really careful about not bossing, not pointing out mistakes etc. in all, it was a positive thing

I'm 16 yrs older than my bro and 20 yrs older than my sis. Has been lovely for me and I feel like I am a good half-way house between parent and sib for them, esp now in their difficult teenage years. And they are very energetic and fun uncle and aunt to my LOs.

6 years between my older DB and myself.

I have 3 children with an age gap of 12 yrs between DS1 & DS2, but also an age gap of 18 yrs between DD1 & DS2. In fact to further complicate things there is also an 18 yr age gap between myself & DD which is kind of weird but in a good way! The older children absolutely adore our DS2 (now 5 moths old) & is certainly one of the best things we did!

there is nearly 14 years between me and my big brother.by the time i was 4 he had left home, there isnt any closeness between us, and i do wish there was sometimes, but we are just so differant.

I am the youngest of 1 brother and 2 sisters.
I am 37 and my one sister is 52 and the other is 50, my brother is 48.

The only thing I can say is that I don't quite share the closeness and friendship that my two older sisters have together.
They have gone through alot together been of similar age.

I also feel a bit sad that my 6 year old DS doesn,t have cousins of his own age to play with as my sisters children have all grown up.
I have often thought how nice it would have been to have been able to share holidays/daysout with our children as my sisters did when theirs were young.
Does anybody else think this as well.

I am 7 years younger than my older sister (have 4 sisters in total, ranging from 34 to 40). I don't feel I missed out at all, I feel I have a different childhood to that of my sisters, but that is no bad thing.
I talk to all of my sisters, although I am particularily close with the sister who is 10 years older than me, nothing to do with age gap, everything to do with personality.