Age gaps between kids.

[Gwenyfur]

(note to any who don't know this: Gweny and I have known each other for 20+ years IRL.)

ya coulda left that part out in respect of your elders

Yes, it still kinda freaks me out that our daughters are not only so close in age, but also that their names are so similar....
The circumstances are even freaky....

Ah well, God does do miracles LOL

no more mentioning 20+ years...I feel old enough as is ya whippersnapper!

 

[RadicalRabbit]

mine are all within 18 months - 26 months of each other.

there will be a gap between oldest nd youngest of 10 and a half years tho

 

[Evie]

How many parents have an age gap between their kids? I don't mean one or two years, but 5, 10 or even more?

What were some of the benefits of the age gap? Draw backs?

I have a 12 year gap between my oldest and youngest, and a 10 year gap between the middle and youngest. oldest is a few weeks shy of 16, middle child will be 14 in May and the youngest just turned 4 in August.

One of the benefits was that my older kids get to see exactly how hard it is to raise a child - my daughter has repeatedly informed me that she is never having kids, lol. Also having an older child(ren) means that I can actually take a shower and get a few "me minutes" once in a while without having to worry about the wee one.
Drawbacks...I thought I was done having kids, had no baby stuff at all left...and, let me tell you that lost sleep with a newborn was a whole lot harder on me the last time around than when I was in my early 20's.

It's funny because my best friend (who happens to be my sister in law) has three kids, all girls, 6, 5 and almost 2...I watch her kids and am very thankful that I spaced mine out a bit more, lol. I don't know how she keeps up with three of them at those ages. She amazes me; I'd be a basket case (yes, I am one of those really paranoid parents who freaks out when my son leaps off the couch or hops on his older brother's skateboard).

yep,my boys are Troy-age 11 and Collin is 6. We only wanted one child,but after our first child was born,after several years we wanted to try for one more. We are very happy with 2. It's the perfect size family.

For years now though,I have this longing for a little girl,like maybe adopting a little girl from China?

 

[delvaughn]

I don't know if I'd like large age gaps between children....but I think in some ways, it's probably easier than the two I had 18 months apart!

 

[RedTulipMom]

I have a 16 yr old son and a 7 mos old son...BIG age gap. Too big for them to ever really feel like brothers I'm sure. especially since my oldest is determined to move out when he is 18. He isnt responsible enough to watch the baby so i don't have a built in babysitter like some said. Yes i have let him watch him a few times while i ran to the store for a half hour but thats the extent of that. He hasnt changed a single diaper or changed the baby and has no intereest in it. Maybe if he was a girl it would be different. Not to mention my pregnancy hormones mixed with his teenage hormones was pure hell!! i don't recommend that!! lol
karen

 

[tryntostay@hisfeet]

Well, my oldest is 13 and my youngest is 3. They are so alike it's almost having the first all over again- even their baby pictures look alike. My oldest does well to babysit for a little while, but not for long periods, yet. They are pretty close considering the age difference. They can still have fights though- my 3yo is a rounder- nothing hurts him it seems. The split was not intentional- I was on BC with the first and the second came after a long period of the doctors telling me I could not have anymore- my blessing baby- both of them actually.

Hey Gwenyfur, we have something in common:

My oldest is my Birth Control baby...I didn't know then what I know now...
My youngest is my miracle...I was "supposedly" sterile...God's Good!

God IS Good!!!

 

[CoffeeSnob]

No such luck here with a big age gap

Aryeh & Noah are 11 months apart-- they are the same age for 4 days shy of a month.
Noah and Aaron are 22 months apart
Aaron and peanut pie *who should show up soon* will be 24-25 mo apart.

Aryeh and Noah dont realize that they are a different age, I think Aryeh thinks he's always been here as long as she has-- its cute.

They both saw Aaron's delivery and were really excited to have a real-live doll in the house LOL! I have Aryeh on video holding Aaron at about 8 months and something else caught her attention and she said "Here, take it" and kind of flung him in my direction (I was only a few inches away) and she runs off and does something else LOL!

Im hoping that Aaron (and the other 2) does well with having to share mommy a little more!

 

[Katydid]

I have one that is 7 the next is 3 and the next 18 months. So I have seen both sides.

Pros for age difference

I can shower
I can clean
I can cook
all while the oldest plays with the younger ones

Cons
JEALOUSY
JEALOUSY
JEALOUSY
the oldest is always jealous, he got used to being an only child, then he had siblings.


Pros for close children
no jealousy between middle and youngest because he doesn't remember a time without her.

the two youngest can play together and enjoy it



CONS
Never lost the baby belly and now it's twice as big
Diapers cost ALOT for two in them at the same time
Neither of the younger ones can fully communicate so I spend alot of time listening to "blahblah babble babble, MOMMY!!! bubblee bubble GAVIN DO! boooby ARM!!! OOOWWW!!!!!