Are anyone's children aged arounbd two years apart? What's it like?

[Gateau]

Hi there,
Our DS is nearly 16 months and DH and I are now considering trying for another baby. IF I conceived immediately, there would be a two year (or just over) gap between the DCs. Can anyone with experience please tell me what this sort of gap is like? Or is there an 'easier' gap?

One of the reasons I think a two year age gap works well is that the oldest is walking so you only need one buggy. I mean obviously you can't walk terribly far but they can walk further than you think. Well I never had more than one buggy anyway ...

By the way, we are not 'waiting' to see what gap is easier because I don't think there is one.
We are going to start TTC anyway but am just wondering what a two year gap is like.

I needed a double buggy. Cauchemar. BVut we had to get to childcare very sharp in teh morning, and home again, so couldn't dilly dally. And we walked fairly long distances around town.

Childcare v expensive but at least it doesn't drag out over years and years and years.

Ds and dd1 were 2.2yrs apart and it is a great gap. they play with each other failr nicely by time dd1 was trying to take over his toys he was old enough to understand that she was only young.We then had dd2 when ds was 3.2yrs and dd1 12mths which has been fun dd1 and dd2 fight a lot at the min which I think is due to too much time spent together..however I do really want another dc which if I got pg now would be a 2.4yr gap

mine are all exactly 12 months apart! (All in the same week aswell!).I was on my own with the first two...my hubbie worked abroad.I coped.I struggled.I got on with it.To be honest,i'm probably more organised with having the three so close together than maybe some Mums....not everyone by the way!...who only have the one.Simply because you have to be.It's a case of being a little bit regimented.Bath/shower time-when they were younger-was like a conveyor belt...one in;one out....etc!But it's lovely now....apart from when they're trying to kill each other!...as they have always got company...I was an only child and always wanted someone to share things with.

i was actually a bit naughty...when the youngest x 2 were in the double buggy, i used to sit the eldest in the hood....I know,I know very irresponsible of me...but she was tiny for her age at the time....and she loved it

Hey, whatever works!!!

My two are 2 years apart, the first 6 months were bloody difficult but then it started to get easier. Now it is great, they are 1 and 3 and play together reasonably nicely most of the time!

2yrs 3 days apart, a bloody nightmare for me for the 1st 2 years especially as DH decided to devote his time to setting up his business. Its great now though, they 3 and 5 and play together 80% of the time, a probably fight the remainder.

There is 2 yrs 3 months between DD1 and DD2.

I didnt find it difficult to begin with,expected it to be awkward at times such as feeding etc.but DD1 accepted I was "busy" and was content to watch T.V.

But i think DD1 was particularly good,have friends that had DC1 climbing all over them or having a tantrum when breastfeeding/F.F.

"They" usually advise putting together a bag of "new" toys/books etc.that you only get out at feed times,and be prepared to be an "octupus" at times,ie. reading to DC1 whilst feeding,putting toys together etc.

It does help if you can try extra hard not to make DC1 wait for your time,as IME this causes more frustration and possibly resentment later.

There is plenty of time later for them to learn about waiting their turn etc.

As for buggies, my DD1 was a little afraid of the Buggy Board until she was 2.5 yrs + So we used a Double buggy initially,then the Buggy Board when she was happy.

It is lovely to have them close together,initially you are very busy,but later they have a playmate which leaves you free.

21 months between my two. I found being pg with ds2 whilst looking after a toddler incredibly hard work (also had a difficult pregnancy, which made things harder).

Early days for us yet (ds2 is just 6 months now), but I'm finding it much harder now as ds2 starts to get active and frustrated about things than I did at the start.

Ds2 was/is a much easier baby than ds1 ever was, so that has helped a lot, particularly in the early weeks.

I think in a year or so it will be wonderful as they'll be able to play together. Already they roll around and giggle together, and those moments make the difficult times bearable.

From the "other side": my elder brother is 18m older than me, and my younger brother is 22m younger than me. It was brilliant for us when we were kids, we were never very far adrift re stages, big bro was always there to help me with my homework, as I was for little bro; and not just homework, ready made playmates you didn't have to go anywhere to find, books and toys could be shared. Big bro helped me out with loads of problems - it was like a mini "Wouldbegoods" if you see what I mean. We are still really close and though we live very separate lives in different parts of the country, if any one of us is in trouble we know that the others will move heaven and earth to help.

It probably was really tough work for mum when we were all little, but my big bro went to nursery quite young for those days (about 2.5) while I and little bro stayed at home until we each started school.

Mum has said it was easier for her to wean us, to get us out of pushchairs and walking etc, as the next baby took priority and so, for instance, big bro and I would each have to give up the bottles because sibling needed them, or the pushchair etc etc. Of course, little bro went through those sort of stages earlier too as he didn't want to be in a pushchair when big bro and sis were running about. Mind you, I don't know how he learnt to walk at all as big bro and I kept pushing him over - the way little ones just fall plop onto their bums is so funny - the memory of it still makes me laugh!

20 months here. No jealousy, great fun. Hard work. But can't be too hard, because DC3 due in April - another 20 month gap.