Parents of three children

[ceeb21]

What was the age gap between the middle and youngest?

We currently have two girls age 4 and 2...I would love a third but just not sure about the age gap between the current youngest and baby!

My oldest 2 just had their 5th and 3rd birthdays a week or two before number 3 was born.

When DC3 was born DC1 was 4y 1m DC2 was 2y 1m.

I am the youngest of 3, my sisters were 7 years older and 4.5 years older. I think there are pros and cons to any age gap. For example both my sisters were at school by the time I was born so I had more time playing alone and was quite self sufficient. They were closer in age to each other and played together more when they were little. I had a very close relationship with my eldest sister but not as much with middle sister. I think the 4.5 year age gap meant she didn't want me hanging around being annoying when she had friends over 😂 and we definitely fought a lot as teenagers (some epic fights!) but we are close now. I don't think there's a perfect age gap, all children are different and will react differently to a new sibling but generally they all learn to rub along together!

10 minutes between numbers two and three! 😂They get on extremely well

3 years and 2 months between the middle and youngest. Now 13 and 16 and get on really well (mostly). Same gender and into the same sports, hobbies and football team.

3.5 between middle and youngest. For me it’s too much. It means there’s 6 years from youngest to eldest and they don’t like doing the same stuff.
That said, the older ones are great in helping with the little one and have a lovely relationship with him (but not with each other!)

Interesting reading everyone's age gaps and like most say, I think there are pros and cons to them all, which is why it's so hard to decide..! I definitely didn't want another two year (or less!!) age gap, as just couldn't imagine I would cope very well with three under school age, albeit for a few months, but then don't want a massive age gap in case the youngest feels too left out. Who knows, don't think there is a right answer whatever you do, but always nice to hear everyone's scenarios xx

12 year age gap between 2nd and 3rd. Worked for us. 😁

2 and half years between 1 and 2.
10 years to the next! Plans don't always work out. I had planned 5 year gap ( and was open to having another 1). The reason for the planned gap was that I was the middle of 3, 2 and a bit years between me and eldest, 1 and a bit between me and the youngest. My childhood was and where we constantly fell out, 2 were friends and one outside in various combinations.

I think this will be similar to me if we do have a third, by that stage eldest would have been at school for over a year and the current youngest only a year off going...but not too big of an age gap I feel!

Mine are 21,18 and 14 now. So 2 years 7 months between older two then a 4 year gap. Was actually quite a nice gap.
I am the youngest of 3 and my siblings are 9 & 10 years older. I hated it growing up I wished my parents had a 4th because I had siblings that were close in age and had same friends and I was obviously left out a lot. Don’t notice the gap at all now we are all middle aged but wasn’t nice growing up.

22 months between 1&2 and 22 months between 2&3. Hardest was going from 1 to 2 for me. They are teens now and such a tight knit little group. Really lovely to see. They fully support each other.

Almost 2 years between each of them (so now they are 13, 11 and 9).
Worked perfectly, as meant there was still enough in common between oldest and youngest for us to do things as a family. Eg they were all interested in soft plays at the same time, and now we can go on proper hikes, or go skiing together - so the oldest is not 'held back', or the youngest excludd.
And, we can all watch the same things on TV together (currently Outerbanks), we don't have one kid wanting Peppa Pig and the other Alex Ryder or whatever.

4.5 years between 1 and 2
2 years between 2 and 3

4.5 years between middle and youngest. Almost 6 years between oldest and youngest. Much prefer the bigger age gap!

11 months between my first baby and my twins. So three under 1 or as some might say … Irish triplets!

It was brutal! We always wanted three but had never imagined we’d have them so close in age. It’s wonderful now, but those early years were a real struggle.

three under three, at the time. third born when the eldest was 2 years 10 months. about a 16 month gap between them.

Yeah we think the closer to 4 year gap will work well next time which is interesting because I definitely wanted a shorter gap than that for the first 2.

I really struggled with the lack of sleep and the very physical nature of caring for a 20-30 month year old when pregnant.

My eldest only really started sleeping well when he hit 3. It would be nice if DD was sleeping well before we do pregnancy and newborn again. I want to be as fit as I possibly can be fire doing pregnancy again.

I also want a bit longer back at work this time. We need to recover financially from the years of 2 in nursery.

I also wouldn’t mind having a time when I am neither pregnant or breastfeeding which I didn’t have with the first 2.

I am sure there will be other challenges. We do like the age gap between DS and DD but can’t do that again straight away 😂 and frankly we don’t need to. I’m not 30 yet. We’ve got lots of time.

I would like another one before DD starts school though so I can use the maternity leave to spend some more time with her. Luckily she’s a winter birthday which gives us a bit more time than if she was a summer born.

What kind of issues?

I think I'd like 3 so question is sincere.

When DC3 has arrived, I'll have an 8,6 and newborn. DC3 was very much a surprise as I love the gap DC1&2 have and always said I would want to give any further DC the same but we're definitely not having a 4th. Just when things are getting easier 😂 but DC3 has two older siblings that can't wait to meet them which is lovely.