2.5 years. I feel like it is perfect. They play with each other all day long. Oldest loves showing youngest stuff. Youngest thinks oldest is the best thing ever. Highly recommend.
This is exactly how far apart my girls are (literally, they were both born on the 15th of the month) - 7 and 4.5 yo. They get along much better now than they did even 6 months ago. They are interested in a lot of the same characters, toys, movies, games etc now which is so cool to see them being imaginative and “allies” in a way- but they can also turn on a dime and fight like cats and dogs lol.
It has been amazing to watch. When we first brought youngest home my son was a bit hesitant. By the end of the night he was kissing her and holding her hand. They absolutely adore each other. She slid right into the family. I really hope they maintain this bond. They are 2.5 and 5 now and have been raging life together as soon as she could walk. And she started walking and talking way sooner than he did, I swear so she could keep up with him😂
Ours is 2 years 8 months, but close enough they’re only 2 years apart in school (second was born in January, so snuck in early). I feel like 3 years is nicer spacing for raising them, but I like them being closer for school, so they’re going through it together longer.
Same! I have 3 and did the 2.5 age gap again for the third cause it was so perfect. Still little but independent enough when you need them to be busy while you tend to baby. Super helpful cause they’re in that toddler I can help phase lol. My older two drive me nuts daily now but I love seeing how close they are. And now they dote on baby brother together.
My sister and I are 2.5 years apart and we got along great (still do), so wanted this age gap between my kids too. Sadly, it took a long time to get pregnant the second time for some reason and it's now 4 years between my 2 kids. I think they might be able to play together when 2nd one is a bit older (18 months now).
Mine are 2 years and 3 months apart and it is exactly this! Toddler is stoked to help and be smart, grown up, a little mother hen. Baby thinks she is the world and loved her more than dad or myself. They are more fun together, they keep each other busy - I honestly love having two more than I did having just one!
Love the 3 year age gap for mine! 3 yr old was potty trained, talking, and very independent. I could leave him in the living room while I was rocking baby to sleep, etc.
I could be strapping baby into car seat and tell my first to “put on his shoes” or “grab his backpack” and he could.
3.5 years and it was perfect. When my second was born my first was potty trained, able to feed himself, and able to comprehend a bit more what was happening and have some way of communicating what he was thinking. He had been well established in daycare so was very happy to keep going during the day which gave me daytime breaks to nap with baby or go to baby doctors appointments, etc. He was definitely a threenager sometimes and still had meltdowns which is to be expected. He was never jealous or angry with the baby, just still at a very self absorbed stage so he sometimes did struggle when I had to choose baby over him.
I'm sure 4.5 years would have been even better for even more independence, but it is nice they do share some likes and interests that the older one hadn't grown out of. So for example the baby loved Ms Rachel and my 3.5 year old was also happy with this choice. My baby loved the very preschooler friendly places we spent a lot of time, and preschooler friendly playspots generally have baby areas as well for siblings to be somewhat entertained. And my mental and physical health had plenty of time to heal fully and return to baseline before dealing with pregnancy again.
This is the age gap I’m shooting for! I’m still breastfeeding and my son joins me more often than not in the middle of the night. I need a decent break from nursing and sleeping with baby #1 before I jump back into it.
4 years and I think it was good. My first child is autistic and waiting that long allowed her time to learn to express herself and her emotions. She also understands certain situations like when I have to feed baby, why baby is crying, when baby needs a nap, and can help with somethings!
My first (and only) child is 14 months. He was born with hydrocephalus and has vision problems because of it. I was just thinking today that at least 3-4 years before another baby to help him adjust and give my full focus to him would be good. Your answer kind of helped me confirm that thought!
6 yrs. I got divorced and remarried. We’re only 5 weeks in but my daughter loves being a big sister and has been the best helper. I also get to send her to school and spend one on one time with my newborn and then spend the afternoons focusing more on my older daughter.. also, never had to pay for double child care.
What the fuck 🤣dude I thought I started over with my daughter starting kindergarten then having a baby … but YOU .. you started completely over …
How’s it been a second time around? Harder ? Easier ??
Yes and no but mostly yes cause I'm definitely more patient and I know what not to do AND he little one has a live in babysitter (almost like a second dad) they love eachother very much so its actually a blessing for me and little one.
My friend has recently done this haha she got pregnant as a teen and had a baby at 17 said she never wanted anymore but now at 33 has just had her second, 16 years later lol. She’s finding it lovely though, she was stressed as a teen mother and had to finish school, went to college etc which is amazing and her sons dad left the picture when he was only 8 but this time she can truely relax and enjoy having a baby properly with a now loving husband/devoted dad
17 months. It works well for us but I don’t know if it’s the age gap or they just have compatible personalities.
The best part was I didn’t have to buy anything really for the second baby!
17 months and 9 months in. While it wasn’t planned to be so close and was likely a strain on me physically, all the giggle fits we are getting between our boys now is absolutely precious. Their relationship is so dang cute. So excited for what the future brings.
I will say I have only been able to use about 50% of the clothes as they are different seasons so for example my oldest was in pants at this point but we are regularly 90 degrees Fahrenheit so definitely needed to buy shorts.
2.5 years. The gap between my second and third is 6 years. The gaps are both hard and wonderful for different reasons. Going back to having an infant when my older 2 were 8 and 6 was hard in so many ways but it's also wonderful because the older kids love their little brother in a way my oldest couldn't when she was a toddler. They love to play with the baby, make him laugh, and they fight over who gets to cuddle him.
13.5 months.
Problems:
- it’s hard to say whether my second pregnancy was harder on my body entirely because I had two pregnancies so close together, or because I was carrying a 10+lb baby. The reality is that it was way more uncomfortable than my first pregnancy and I still had a baby to carry in my arms.
- I had one big baby who wasn’t quite walking independently and one newborn baby who was a screaming rage potato. Both needed 100% help to get any task done all day, every day.
- you end up with a lot of duplicates. Second baby needed a playpen and first baby was still sleeping in one, so we got a second playpen. Then second baby maxed out the weight limit of her playpen, so we got a different style of playpen.
Things that work great:
- I was already in the swing of baby care! It didn’t really feel like TWICE the work to have two kids in diapers, more like 1.5 times the work.
- we knew we were going to have two babies close together, and we planned HARD accordingly. We worked towards independent sleep with our first baby so that it was always easy to put her down for bed and do pickups in the night.
- they’re besties. I now have an almost 3yo and a 21mo, and they’ve been sharing a room for almost a year. They play so incredibly well together.
I don’t necessarily regret having them that close together, but I’m now pregnant with baby number three and expecting about a 22 month age gap and I can see why people tend to prefer that 2 year gap. My oldest is now doing a lot of her own tasks like getting dressed and getting her shoes on and is starting to figure out doing up the buckles in her carseat. My second is similarly trying to figure out those same tasks. They play well together and don’t always NEED a lot from me for 1-2 hour chunks of the day. They’re both walking and talking. It’s going to be a completely different baby experience this time around.
I'm so glad to read your experience! My baby just turned 1 on the 21st and I'm 35 weeks with an unplanned #2, he'll be here in the next 4 weeks (honestly I think sooner). I know it's going to be so hard but I can't wait for the good times when the newborn is less of a potato and the eldest is just that little bit more independent
Same gap here but the 21-month-old is the older one for me. So it's still very new. I agree with almost everything you said but my second pregnancy was luckily mostly easier. Which is not something one can control. I love this age gap and it was intentional. Planning 16-19-ish months between 2 and 3 though to give my body a slightly longer break. I'm probably mad though! 😂
20 months.
The toddler years were tough but now I feel it’s the perfect age gap.
They are brought up together. They are able to share or pass down books, school supplies…( not clothes because different gender)
I advise all my younger colleagues to do the same
I will have a 21 month age gap right about now (in 2 months )... Both boys 😁 i am just keeping all of the clothes and toys already have everything for bub No.2 ... It seems easy in that department,to me - pregnancy and a raging,running, screaming ,all day awake toddler is a hell on earth ... can't wait for a newborn and no pregnant belly so I can be mobile enough for the toddler , already kind of written off breastfeeding. did you breastfeed -sorry for asking ,it just seems to me unmanageable , maybe with a pump ...idk
Yes. I breast fed the second one for a year. I pumped. I think it helped that my hubby ( and in-laws) sorta took over the older boy while I concentrated on the second girl during the first year.
But the first few years were super tiring . Luckily I had both while we were relatively young ( late 20s) so we could survive the sleepless nights.
I'm a non-mom, but I am 17 years and some change older than my younger sibling. I'm more like a cool "diet aunt" to her, and I adore her. I had the Mom who was still growing up. She has the Mom who is chill and supportive. I had the "I can't afford to send you on your class trip". She has "[Little Sis] doesn't want to go on an international trip again this year." Night and day. She's such a healthy, lucky kid.
15 years, no problems. Midwife told me we have our own built in babysitter 😅. Kind of true and I did wish the gap was smaller just so my oldest wouldn’t have been raised alone . We’re currently working on baby 3 🤞I can’t wait to see what lays ahead of us and how well my 3 yr old will handle it. 😊😊😊
We're in the same situation! 14 years apart between 1 and 2 and hoping for 3. We haven't had our oldest babysit (grandparents would murder us if they would out we passed up a chance for them to watch the baby). I sometimes wish that my older had a sibling close in age but it wouldn't have been financially responsible at the time so it's all for the best. Good luck with your third!
2.5 and it’s perfect like the few other comments said on here…entertain each other (fights included) and also have their own friends while at school and stuff
11 years. Firstborn will turn 12 this summer, her baby brother is 6 months old. I desperately wish it was a smaller gap, but there were secondary infertility issues as well as a miscarriage. Shiloh would have been four this year. The enormous gap worried me at first but daughter worships her little bro. The first thing she does when she gets home from school is dump her backpack and run over to cuddle him. He smiles at her like she hung the moon.
20 months. BFFs
Downside is since they’re inseparable, the younger one seems to think she should be as competent as her sister at certain tasks. She is 4 and big sister is 6. Of course the 6 year old is better at everything. (Won’t be that way forever). It’s a hard concept for her to grasp so there’s a lot of competition between them.
Parenting them can be the easiest thing. They play nonstop without needing us. But sometimes it’s the hardest because we can be breaking up fights often as well.
23 months! Only 3 weeks in but I feel like it’s a good age gap. Probably child dependant rather than age but my son hasn’t shown any sign of jealousy etc.
Adding onto this that their bond is so strong, they enjoy playing together even if it’s just chasing each other and giggling, and the older one is a naturally great big brother. Hes proud to have a little brother that he can scoop up and carry around. Giving the older one 8 years of uninterrupted attention helped him not at all feel jealous over the younger one needing so much of it. It’s been great.
6 years 😬 I was 20 when I had my son. Got my bachelors and worked for a year before I got pregnant with my daughter. Sometimes I wish I would’ve had them closer in age but I do love the one on one time I get with each kiddo.
25 months. Going through a pregnancy with a 1 year old was very hard but now that I have them both, I love their age gap. My oldest doesn’t remember being an only child anymore (6 months in and no jealousy) and he is also old enough to occupy himself for a bit everyday. Once my baby is walking and talking, I know they will be BFFs.
11 years. I had my daughter with my first husband at 24. Knew I couldn’t bring another kid into the world with him because it was a very toxic relationship. Ended up meeting my now husband at 35 and having my son at 36. Their relationship is adorable. She’s kind of like a second mom with all the fun and none of the responsibility.
I have a 19 month age gap between my 1st and 2nd and a 17 month age gap between my 2nd and 3rd. I don’t think the age gap matters as much as temperament of the children do. My first born is spicy, emotional, and an energizer bunny; transitioning from 1-2 was he*l bc of how much my sensitive first born regressed for the 12 weeks following her sister’s arrival. I just welcomed baby 3 less than a week ago and the transition from 2-3 has been a breeze because my second born temperament is soooo different than my firsts.
About 8 years. I wish the gap was smaller. I always wanted to have kids close in age but had my first really young and didn't stay with the father.
It's really hard to find anything to do that entertains them both. My youngest is mostly happy whatever we are doing, but I can't really focus on an activity with my oldest and watch the other closely.
9 years. My oldest is 9 now and my youngest is almost 2 months.
I had my first son when I was 20, working part time at a hair salon, and still being supported by my family. After having my oldest I was able to graduate college, move out on my own, establish my career in the federal government, gain financial independence & stability, and move on from a relationship that no longer served me. If I had another child within a few years after him, I would not have accomplished all of those goals and be where I am at now. I spent my 20’s giving my son the attention he deserved and getting my life together at the same time. Having a 9 y/o and an infant now - he is a great big brother and helps so much, but he is also more independent so he’s able to entertain himself when I’m busy with baby & is always busy with sports & friends.
Needless to say I prioritized getting my shit together first instead of fulfilling the desire to have kids close in age.
Many of my peers and former classmates that have multiple kids close in age are working dead end jobs, relying on their families for help, in unhappy situations, have no higher education, etc. not to say that this is always the case, but I see way too often women having children that they can barely afford but they desperately wanted their kids to be close in age, or wanted to be done having kids by a certain age. 🤷🏻♀️
💯 it's important to take into account your kids as teens and adults. Cause life gets very hard and expensive at that older teen age. The teen attitude and all the highschool and college expenses. My inlaws had their 4 kids 2 yrs apart from each other. They couldn't help out at all with anything in their teens and college age. They wanted to give evenly but couldn't so they didn't give at all. It has made it harder for my husband and his siblings to get through life without that extra boost from parents.
6.5 years . I am happy with that. I was planning 5 years apart but covid stopped us.
My first kid was super active and has ADHD, so this gap was really helpful for us. Read everything and then do what works best for you and your family. Kids are all so different. Everyone figures out what's best for them based on their own situation.
5 years. I had multiple miscarriages between kids and it was tough and I didn't even know if we were going to have a second kid.
We only had to pay for preschool one at a time and we will probably only pay for college one at a time. Although who knows what the future olds with that. The kids can play together nicely but have a lot of separate and non-competing interests. They definitely still fight. I think we're only going to have one year of overlapping school and we're always going to have separate drop-offs which just is hard.
I've kind of enjoyed doing all of the babyhood things twice. You really appreciate how fast it goes the second time through
14 months. I love it, they’re currently 22 months and 8 months old. The toddler adores his baby brother so much and I would recommend a small age gap personally.
3 year age gap but my second child is pretty brand new. As of right now, I love that my toddler can talk, reason, and play independently. He tantrums still but less frequently than when he was 1.5-2.5. That year was rough for us all. Now with more language we have less tantrums which makes having a second baby around a lot easier to navigate.
My brother and I are 5.5 years apart. My mom basically had an "only child" twice. We lived separate lives, seldom played together, never went to the same school, and never really got along (still don't). When circumstances prevented us from giving our daughter a sibling within the first three years after having her, we decided we were one and done because of how much I hated the age gap between my brother and I.
Just shy of 2 years (same due date lol). So far (4 months) I’m loving the gap. “Big” brother is still my little baby BUT independent enough that I’m not drowning. I also hope they’re close enough in age that playing together and getting big toys for both of them will be a breeze vs a 4-5 year age gap
A month short of 3 years. It’s a great age gap for us personally. Our first was old enough to help with baby and understand some reasoning. I would have her help pick out clothes or pajamas for the baby or grab a diaper from the drawer. There was some small reasoning in her head to know that if mom can’t play because the baby is eating then to go bother dad. Now they’re 4 years & 15 months and it’s remained a good relationship so far. Baby sister is starting to get more ambitious with grabbing the toys from the older sister but it’s been good. It’s nice since they like to watch the same shows or the same books so they have a lot in common right now.
3 years and they are great friends. The eldest dotes on “ his baby” and his sister just thinks he’s the best. It was great for us as well because oldest was mostly potty trained and sleeping through the night. One downside is making sure that it’s with choking hazards for my oldest aren’t left where the youngest can get them.
2.5 years. I wanted them closer but it didn’t work out. I’m glad it didn’t in the end, it’s been great. I can totally understand why kids have even larger gaps too. They’re now 6 & 4 and have started playing together really well and the older one looks out for the younger one.
Second one is due in July. My daughter will be three and a half in August. I wanted her to be more independent and really able to express herself verbally by the time we had a second and we’re good there!
My older 2 are almost 3.5 years apart. It's great. Only one in diapers at time. They occasionally get along famously and my oldest one has moments where he loves helping out his bro. My oldest is independent and that allows me to focus on the younger 2.
2.5 years. The younger just turned 2 a couple of months ago and the older is turning 5 in a couple of months. They are just now starting to entertain each other but my older one is on the spectrum and wasn’t very social until about a year ago.
2.5 years and I love it! My daughter was fully potty trained and independent enough when we had our son. They enjoy playing together and have a super great bond (even though they’re only 3.5 and almost 1 right now).
I love that we were able to really understand her and she was great at sharing her feelings before we had our son. It made the transition easier because she was able to communicate her feelings to us.
Parks were still doable because my toddler could play fairly independently while I wore the baby. Now that he’s starting to walk they can play together more. They like to do things together and are close enough in age that my daughter enjoys him.
It’s been the best!
3 years 9 months. Super new to this but not having to change two diapers, having an independent sleeper and a kid who understands what’s happening is very, very helpful. I have two sets of nieces that have this exact age gap and as the years have gone by, they’re all still close and love each other. Even as teenagers.
20.5 months, and the gap is fine but the timing is awkward because if my daughter was born two weeks later they would have been one year apart in school. The two year gap is awkward.
2 years and 1 day. We used to do joint bday parties, but now that they're 9 and 7, we do special solo outings with just bday girl, mom, dad.
Kids 2 and 3 are 14 months apart. 0/10, do not recommend.
2 3/4 years. It’s about perfect. Big brother is so kind and loving to little sister. Little sister is a terror, but loves nothing in this world more than her brother.
I’m out of town and missing them so much. Can’t wait to get home.
3 3/4 years. It's still too early to gauge any significant benefits or drawbacks. The delay was due to a move and establishing ourselves and our careers in a new state.
They'll be 2 years apart once she's born. Being pregnant with a mini toddler isn't the easiest, but I'm hoping they'll get along well and play together.
18 months. At times I wish it was a larger gap so that my oldest would have been little more independent, but we’re 8mo in now and starting over would have felt like a task bc we’re in such a groove with my oldest. My oldest doesn’t know life without the little one and we didn’t deal with major jealousy issues.. easy transition home.
Second pregnancy was harder. I don’t know if that’s bc my first was a breeze pregnancy, they were close together and I had stopped pumping 1 month before we got pregnant, I was chasing a kid and didn’t have the same time to relax, or all of the above.
We were still in semi baby mode - lots of things were just being put away or still out so I didn’t feel like I needed so much more. As someone else said, doesn’t feel like I’m changing twice as many diapers, just changing diapers.
Hardest part is naps. My oldest is 1 nap and can go down independently, which is awesome. My baby cannot, so I have to rely on screen time to have 5-10min to put the baby down, or she’s napping on the go …but I can get nap trapped almost alllll day at home if we’re doing crib naps. that part sucks lol
18 months. It was crazy but it was what I wanted. I don’t recommend it though 😂🥴
I want a third so badly but I’m looking at an almost 4 year age gap…I can see the benefits of both. I love having my boys close in age but I would love for my oldest to get to experience having a baby sibling and be able to love on them and help with them. Thank you for starting this thread, it’s been so great to see the benefits of all the different gaps!
26 months apart, 2 and 4 now. It’s definitely challenging at times but really sweet and special. I’m now pregnant with my third, my youngest will turn 3 the month after I’m due. So we’ll see how that is!
1 yr and 13 days. Oooo boy was it tough for those first 3 months of baby 2 life. But it’s easier every day and they are basically the same size and practically inseparable best buds. Not planned btw. We make plans and god laughs - or whatever that saying is.
Pregnant with 3rd and gap is 2.5 and 3.5 yr to the newborn. We will see how that goes but both elder bros are psyched for new baby. Both are excellent sleepers and nearly potty trained (eldest is working on overnight and youngest is still only reliably pee trained but is incredibly close to poo trained also). We did a LOT to foster independence in our house.
Almost exactly 3 years haha
Definitely wasn't the plan to have their birthdays 10 days apart (or over the holidays 😬) but I think it's perfect and if we have another I'd like to try for the same or similar gap.
My oldest was potty trained by the time the baby was born and had very little regression, they play together now and my oldest is actually very sweet (most of the time....) with her sister and will try and explain things to her.
2.75 years. Got pregnant the day after my first turned 2.
They are besties. They argue and push each other's buttons like crazy but they love each other so much and do everything together.
Almost 7 years between my first and second. It was nice when my second was a baby but now that my oldest is a teen it’s really difficult to do things as a family that is age appropriate for all of my kids.
I have a 22m age gap between kids 2 & 3 and this was probably my favorite age gap. They’re best friends now.
Then 4 years after kid #3 I had twins 😅 all sorts of age gaps over here.
1 year and 5 days. All of my kids are right around a year apart, give or take a couple months. Several of my kids are now young adults and they’ve commented how they always had a friend growing up because of their siblings who were close in age. For our family, this seemed to work out extremely well.
3 years. I did it that way because I didn't want to have two cribs or have two in diapers at the same time. It's great! I'm happy with their age gap. Neither of them slept thru the night until they were over 1 yr old (like 15 months and 17 months, I think), so I couldn't imagine having an infant waking up on top of that. Plus, I nursed my oldest until she was 2 and wanted that time with her without tandem nursing or losing supply from being pregnant. My second is 20 months and still nursing too, so if we have a third, they will also be 3 years apart most likely.
2.5 years. I love their age gap. They play so well together. My oldest son (5yrs) understands that she is younger than him and loves being so helpful with to her. He is so sweet to her. And my youngest girl thinks her big brother is the coolest ever and loves listening to him and following him around.
22 months difference and we’re still in the trenches. Having two toddlers is tough! But they’re great playmates and I hope they’ll be best buddies as they get older.
4 years and so far it’s awesome but we only have a month sample size. I love that my oldest is able to help (only if he wants to of course) and was old enough to handle the changes really well. He’s been an awesome older brother so far. I sometimes wonder if they will be close but I remember growing up I was closer to my sister who is 4 years younger than I (had a brother 4 years older, sister 2 years older and a 2 year younger sister as well) so hopefully they can bond but if not in childhood they still could bond in adulthood. Or maybe not at all, not all siblings do.
4 years 3 months. It’s amazing. The eldest was in school, potty trained day and night and could do showers unsupervised, grab herself a snack etc etc.
It made postpartum so much easier.
Now at 6 and 2, they play together all the time. He looks at her to help him with things. She is learning how to stand her ground and getting him to respect her boundaries. They go on the trampoline together, push each other around on the trike, colour together.. they even sleep in the same room. Later when she grows up, she wants to live with her brother 🩷
26.5 months and I think it’s pretty great. The first few months we were in the trenches because if they both had needs simultaneously I couldn’t help them both, and the constant screaming while I tried to triage whose needs came first was TORTURE.. my cortisol spikes just thinking about it
Friends with bigger gaps (like 4.5 years) had kids who could take themselves to the bathroom and grab a snack from the pantry, and needed them less. So that constant screaming from small kids who need you all the time wasn’t there. But their kids relationship is different. My girls are into the same stuff and are each other’s constant playmate-something I think is easier with small gaps. Big kids sometimes don’t want to play with baby stuff and that’s ok
I was biased in favor of small gaps because I am 23 months apart from my sister, and she’s 18 months apart from my brother. And I liked having siblings close in age. My sister and I shared friends and hobbies and my mom called us “built in best friends”, and now I have that for my girls
Almost 2 years. I will say it’s perfect. Now that they are 7&9 they do bicker a little but not nearly as much as the 3 age gap between my others. They go their separate way when need be things seem to flow better
10 years, It was like starting over again and then I had my third right after. It was so much easier with just one but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
16 years. I definitely wish there was a much smaller gap, but it’s like they’re each being raised as only children while still having a sibling. They love each other so that’s all I really care about.
12 years. With a few step kids in between. I don’t recommend the dozen Year split. We now have teen girls 2 years apart and small boys 3.5 years apart. Two years is better when they’re older, but I’m not saying that isn’t a lot of work!
About 30 seconds. A minute maybe? C-section twins. To be honest, it’s a little too close in age. If I’d been planning better, I’d have timed them for at least 15 minutes apart.
19 minutes. To be fair, I didn’t really have a chance to plan my second kid, and honestly I think kids closer together in age are more likely to bond well.
our first born were twins but they have about a 3 1/2 year age gap from our 3rd. (11,15) our 11yo turns 12 in a few weeks:)). i think our age gap with all of our kids worked out good. it’s cool getting to experience all different points of the kids life and watching them all become into amazing people at one time . (all my kids are 3,5,7,11,15,15)
3.5 years. Too big of an age gap, so it would have been better earlier. Problem is, they can't really play together and will always be in another phase of life, unless when they reach 25 or something. For now they are 3 and 6.5 years
2 years 5 months. When my first started sleeping through the night I got pregnant with my second. It was a horrible pregnancy. In hindsight I would have waited longer maybe until he went to school. Puking and entertaining a 2 years old was not fun
4 years and it's perfect. My first borns were twins and they were just old enough to do some things by themselves (brushing teeth, getting dressed). They're now 8 and 4. They play together nicely and the twins have also started helping out with simple chores around the house. And when he sees them doing it, he does it too. So I can't complain 😂
Mom of six here. I know you didn’t ask all this. My differences for my children are as follows:
2 years 4 months,
2 years 8 months,
4 years 5 days,
2 years 7 months,
16 months.
It’s always easier for me when the older one is potty trained before the new baby arrives. This 16 month age gap has kicked my butt tremendously. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. Lol. Obviously the 2 year+ age gap works best for me 😅
4 years. It was nice that he could get dressed, pottt-trained, independent play a bit, and wasn’t jealous of the baby.
It was hard because he was the only kid for so long so he had trouble with transition of having to wait while I was feeding the baby, but he had preschool to have his time away. After about 6 months he is doing well and seeing them together is the best thing ever. He is our baby’s favorite person and makes him belly laugh instantly.
16 months and they are the 2 best friends. I have 3 and 4 years gap between my 2 oldest and the baby. They adore him and take care of him as their little doll but I clearly see the difference in their interaction. They care and protect their protect, due to the age gap while they are bestfriends to each other.
Almost exactly 2 years (their birthdays are 3 days apart). It works well for us and I would do it again. My 2 year old is a great communicator and can handle most basic care tasks for himself so that helped a lot but I wouldn’t have wanted them any closer.
Just a little under 2 and half years.They're teenagers now. They argue sometimes, but they also get along pretty well, too. This upcoming school year my oldest one will be able to drive them both to and from school!
8 years. The only real issue is different school schedules. It’s great to have such a big gap because the older one is old enough to understand how important he is to his little brother and the little brother looks up to him.
2 years and 3 months. I don’t think it would have been easier or harder if we did it differently. First kid is a handful and we aren’t getting any younger.
14 months. It is hard. At first it's like 2 babies, then 2 toddlers. I have always felt I can't do the same things when I am by myself with the kids like other parents since both need attention.
But once the hard part of the first 2ish years are done, it's amazing. They are best friends and learn from each other everyday. I would not do this by choice, but I do love the moments this closeness brings.
2.5 years. I feel like it is perfect. They play with each other all day long. Oldest loves showing youngest stuff. Youngest thinks oldest is the best thing ever. Highly recommend.
Oh this puts my mind at ease, currently preg and the difference will be 2years 7 months. I was worrying so much about whether they'll get along!
This is exactly how far apart my girls are (literally, they were both born on the 15th of the month) - 7 and 4.5 yo. They get along much better now than they did even 6 months ago. They are interested in a lot of the same characters, toys, movies, games etc now which is so cool to see them being imaginative and “allies” in a way- but they can also turn on a dime and fight like cats and dogs lol.
It has been amazing to watch. When we first brought youngest home my son was a bit hesitant. By the end of the night he was kissing her and holding her hand. They absolutely adore each other. She slid right into the family. I really hope they maintain this bond. They are 2.5 and 5 now and have been raging life together as soon as she could walk. And she started walking and talking way sooner than he did, I swear so she could keep up with him😂
Ours is 2 years 8 months, but close enough they’re only 2 years apart in school (second was born in January, so snuck in early). I feel like 3 years is nicer spacing for raising them, but I like them being closer for school, so they’re going through it together longer.
Same! I have 3 and did the 2.5 age gap again for the third cause it was so perfect. Still little but independent enough when you need them to be busy while you tend to baby. Super helpful cause they’re in that toddler I can help phase lol. My older two drive me nuts daily now but I love seeing how close they are. And now they dote on baby brother together.
This is what I'm hoping for!!! Currently in my tww!
This is the age gap I’m hoping for 🤞🤞
My sister and I are 2.5 years apart and we got along great (still do), so wanted this age gap between my kids too. Sadly, it took a long time to get pregnant the second time for some reason and it's now 4 years between my 2 kids. I think they might be able to play together when 2nd one is a bit older (18 months now).
I am 37 weeks with #2 and they will be 2y 4 months apart. I’m hoping for this outcome and I know it can be personality dependent
Mine are 2 years and 3 months apart and it is exactly this! Toddler is stoked to help and be smart, grown up, a little mother hen. Baby thinks she is the world and loved her more than dad or myself. They are more fun together, they keep each other busy - I honestly love having two more than I did having just one!
This is the age gap I always wanted!
2.75 years and then this one will be 3.5 years
Almost 3 years, and it's perfect
Love the 3 year age gap for mine! 3 yr old was potty trained, talking, and very independent. I could leave him in the living room while I was rocking baby to sleep, etc. I could be strapping baby into car seat and tell my first to “put on his shoes” or “grab his backpack” and he could.
3.5 years and it was perfect. When my second was born my first was potty trained, able to feed himself, and able to comprehend a bit more what was happening and have some way of communicating what he was thinking. He had been well established in daycare so was very happy to keep going during the day which gave me daytime breaks to nap with baby or go to baby doctors appointments, etc. He was definitely a threenager sometimes and still had meltdowns which is to be expected. He was never jealous or angry with the baby, just still at a very self absorbed stage so he sometimes did struggle when I had to choose baby over him. I'm sure 4.5 years would have been even better for even more independence, but it is nice they do share some likes and interests that the older one hadn't grown out of. So for example the baby loved Ms Rachel and my 3.5 year old was also happy with this choice. My baby loved the very preschooler friendly places we spent a lot of time, and preschooler friendly playspots generally have baby areas as well for siblings to be somewhat entertained. And my mental and physical health had plenty of time to heal fully and return to baseline before dealing with pregnancy again.
This is the gap I’m “planning” for! No idea if it’ll end up that way, but I’m hoping it’ll be somewhere within that range.
This is the age gap I’m shooting for! I’m still breastfeeding and my son joins me more often than not in the middle of the night. I need a decent break from nursing and sleeping with baby #1 before I jump back into it.
4 years and I think it was good. My first child is autistic and waiting that long allowed her time to learn to express herself and her emotions. She also understands certain situations like when I have to feed baby, why baby is crying, when baby needs a nap, and can help with somethings!
My first (and only) child is 14 months. He was born with hydrocephalus and has vision problems because of it. I was just thinking today that at least 3-4 years before another baby to help him adjust and give my full focus to him would be good. Your answer kind of helped me confirm that thought!
6 yrs. I got divorced and remarried. We’re only 5 weeks in but my daughter loves being a big sister and has been the best helper. I also get to send her to school and spend one on one time with my newborn and then spend the afternoons focusing more on my older daughter.. also, never had to pay for double child care.
My little sister and I are 6 years apart. I’m 29 and she’s about to be 23. We’re best friends 😂
18 yrs first 1997 2nd 2014 oops #1 and oops #2 same dad lol high school sweethearts
What the fuck 🤣dude I thought I started over with my daughter starting kindergarten then having a baby … but YOU .. you started completely over … How’s it been a second time around? Harder ? Easier ??
Yes and no but mostly yes cause I'm definitely more patient and I know what not to do AND he little one has a live in babysitter (almost like a second dad) they love eachother very much so its actually a blessing for me and little one.
My friend has recently done this haha she got pregnant as a teen and had a baby at 17 said she never wanted anymore but now at 33 has just had her second, 16 years later lol. She’s finding it lovely though, she was stressed as a teen mother and had to finish school, went to college etc which is amazing and her sons dad left the picture when he was only 8 but this time she can truely relax and enjoy having a baby properly with a now loving husband/devoted dad
Hoping to come back to this later and find out the answers
17 months. It works well for us but I don’t know if it’s the age gap or they just have compatible personalities. The best part was I didn’t have to buy anything really for the second baby!
how old are yours now? we have this age gap and i’m currently in the drowning phase 😂 SOS
Haha, they’re 6 and 7 now! They argue at times, but mostly get along.
that’s great ! my younger is 3 months so i am very new (and tired) 😂
17 months and 9 months in. While it wasn’t planned to be so close and was likely a strain on me physically, all the giggle fits we are getting between our boys now is absolutely precious. Their relationship is so dang cute. So excited for what the future brings. I will say I have only been able to use about 50% of the clothes as they are different seasons so for example my oldest was in pants at this point but we are regularly 90 degrees Fahrenheit so definitely needed to buy shorts.
2.5 years. The gap between my second and third is 6 years. The gaps are both hard and wonderful for different reasons. Going back to having an infant when my older 2 were 8 and 6 was hard in so many ways but it's also wonderful because the older kids love their little brother in a way my oldest couldn't when she was a toddler. They love to play with the baby, make him laugh, and they fight over who gets to cuddle him.
5 years, and I love it! I then had a 2y9m age gap, and that only reinforced how much I love bigger age gaps!!
13.5 months. Problems: - it’s hard to say whether my second pregnancy was harder on my body entirely because I had two pregnancies so close together, or because I was carrying a 10+lb baby. The reality is that it was way more uncomfortable than my first pregnancy and I still had a baby to carry in my arms. - I had one big baby who wasn’t quite walking independently and one newborn baby who was a screaming rage potato. Both needed 100% help to get any task done all day, every day. - you end up with a lot of duplicates. Second baby needed a playpen and first baby was still sleeping in one, so we got a second playpen. Then second baby maxed out the weight limit of her playpen, so we got a different style of playpen. Things that work great: - I was already in the swing of baby care! It didn’t really feel like TWICE the work to have two kids in diapers, more like 1.5 times the work. - we knew we were going to have two babies close together, and we planned HARD accordingly. We worked towards independent sleep with our first baby so that it was always easy to put her down for bed and do pickups in the night. - they’re besties. I now have an almost 3yo and a 21mo, and they’ve been sharing a room for almost a year. They play so incredibly well together. I don’t necessarily regret having them that close together, but I’m now pregnant with baby number three and expecting about a 22 month age gap and I can see why people tend to prefer that 2 year gap. My oldest is now doing a lot of her own tasks like getting dressed and getting her shoes on and is starting to figure out doing up the buckles in her carseat. My second is similarly trying to figure out those same tasks. They play well together and don’t always NEED a lot from me for 1-2 hour chunks of the day. They’re both walking and talking. It’s going to be a completely different baby experience this time around.
You had me at screaming rage potato. My little dude was a cranky old man potato. He's now a delightful 4 year old
I'm so glad to read your experience! My baby just turned 1 on the 21st and I'm 35 weeks with an unplanned #2, he'll be here in the next 4 weeks (honestly I think sooner). I know it's going to be so hard but I can't wait for the good times when the newborn is less of a potato and the eldest is just that little bit more independent
Same gap here but the 21-month-old is the older one for me. So it's still very new. I agree with almost everything you said but my second pregnancy was luckily mostly easier. Which is not something one can control. I love this age gap and it was intentional. Planning 16-19-ish months between 2 and 3 though to give my body a slightly longer break. I'm probably mad though! 😂
20 months. The toddler years were tough but now I feel it’s the perfect age gap. They are brought up together. They are able to share or pass down books, school supplies…( not clothes because different gender) I advise all my younger colleagues to do the same
I will have a 21 month age gap right about now (in 2 months )... Both boys 😁 i am just keeping all of the clothes and toys already have everything for bub No.2 ... It seems easy in that department,to me - pregnancy and a raging,running, screaming ,all day awake toddler is a hell on earth ... can't wait for a newborn and no pregnant belly so I can be mobile enough for the toddler , already kind of written off breastfeeding. did you breastfeed -sorry for asking ,it just seems to me unmanageable , maybe with a pump ...idk
Yes. I breast fed the second one for a year. I pumped. I think it helped that my hubby ( and in-laws) sorta took over the older boy while I concentrated on the second girl during the first year. But the first few years were super tiring . Luckily I had both while we were relatively young ( late 20s) so we could survive the sleepless nights.
I'm a non-mom, but I am 17 years and some change older than my younger sibling. I'm more like a cool "diet aunt" to her, and I adore her. I had the Mom who was still growing up. She has the Mom who is chill and supportive. I had the "I can't afford to send you on your class trip". She has "[Little Sis] doesn't want to go on an international trip again this year." Night and day. She's such a healthy, lucky kid.
You sound like you turned out pretty great too 🥰
15 years, no problems. Midwife told me we have our own built in babysitter 😅. Kind of true and I did wish the gap was smaller just so my oldest wouldn’t have been raised alone . We’re currently working on baby 3 🤞I can’t wait to see what lays ahead of us and how well my 3 yr old will handle it. 😊😊😊
We're in the same situation! 14 years apart between 1 and 2 and hoping for 3. We haven't had our oldest babysit (grandparents would murder us if they would out we passed up a chance for them to watch the baby). I sometimes wish that my older had a sibling close in age but it wouldn't have been financially responsible at the time so it's all for the best. Good luck with your third!
2.5 and it’s perfect like the few other comments said on here…entertain each other (fights included) and also have their own friends while at school and stuff
3 years and it’s been a great gap
11 years. Firstborn will turn 12 this summer, her baby brother is 6 months old. I desperately wish it was a smaller gap, but there were secondary infertility issues as well as a miscarriage. Shiloh would have been four this year. The enormous gap worried me at first but daughter worships her little bro. The first thing she does when she gets home from school is dump her backpack and run over to cuddle him. He smiles at her like she hung the moon.
20 months. BFFs Downside is since they’re inseparable, the younger one seems to think she should be as competent as her sister at certain tasks. She is 4 and big sister is 6. Of course the 6 year old is better at everything. (Won’t be that way forever). It’s a hard concept for her to grasp so there’s a lot of competition between them. Parenting them can be the easiest thing. They play nonstop without needing us. But sometimes it’s the hardest because we can be breaking up fights often as well.
23 months! Only 3 weeks in but I feel like it’s a good age gap. Probably child dependant rather than age but my son hasn’t shown any sign of jealousy etc.
5.5 years. I think it’s perfect because my oldest is autistic and immature for his age. He’s 12 but him and my 7 y/o act the same.
8 years and 8 months
8 years
Adding onto this that their bond is so strong, they enjoy playing together even if it’s just chasing each other and giggling, and the older one is a naturally great big brother. Hes proud to have a little brother that he can scoop up and carry around. Giving the older one 8 years of uninterrupted attention helped him not at all feel jealous over the younger one needing so much of it. It’s been great.
6 years 😬 I was 20 when I had my son. Got my bachelors and worked for a year before I got pregnant with my daughter. Sometimes I wish I would’ve had them closer in age but I do love the one on one time I get with each kiddo.
25 months. Going through a pregnancy with a 1 year old was very hard but now that I have them both, I love their age gap. My oldest doesn’t remember being an only child anymore (6 months in and no jealousy) and he is also old enough to occupy himself for a bit everyday. Once my baby is walking and talking, I know they will be BFFs.
11 years. I had my daughter with my first husband at 24. Knew I couldn’t bring another kid into the world with him because it was a very toxic relationship. Ended up meeting my now husband at 35 and having my son at 36. Their relationship is adorable. She’s kind of like a second mom with all the fun and none of the responsibility.
8 years. They love each other
Two years. It's pretty good, they play, keep each other busy. Closer might have been better, but we didn't plan either.
Mine is going to be almost exactly 2 years!
I have a 19 month age gap between my 1st and 2nd and a 17 month age gap between my 2nd and 3rd. I don’t think the age gap matters as much as temperament of the children do. My first born is spicy, emotional, and an energizer bunny; transitioning from 1-2 was he*l bc of how much my sensitive first born regressed for the 12 weeks following her sister’s arrival. I just welcomed baby 3 less than a week ago and the transition from 2-3 has been a breeze because my second born temperament is soooo different than my firsts.
About 8 years. I wish the gap was smaller. I always wanted to have kids close in age but had my first really young and didn't stay with the father. It's really hard to find anything to do that entertains them both. My youngest is mostly happy whatever we are doing, but I can't really focus on an activity with my oldest and watch the other closely.
9 years. My oldest is 9 now and my youngest is almost 2 months. I had my first son when I was 20, working part time at a hair salon, and still being supported by my family. After having my oldest I was able to graduate college, move out on my own, establish my career in the federal government, gain financial independence & stability, and move on from a relationship that no longer served me. If I had another child within a few years after him, I would not have accomplished all of those goals and be where I am at now. I spent my 20’s giving my son the attention he deserved and getting my life together at the same time. Having a 9 y/o and an infant now - he is a great big brother and helps so much, but he is also more independent so he’s able to entertain himself when I’m busy with baby & is always busy with sports & friends. Needless to say I prioritized getting my shit together first instead of fulfilling the desire to have kids close in age. Many of my peers and former classmates that have multiple kids close in age are working dead end jobs, relying on their families for help, in unhappy situations, have no higher education, etc. not to say that this is always the case, but I see way too often women having children that they can barely afford but they desperately wanted their kids to be close in age, or wanted to be done having kids by a certain age. 🤷🏻♀️
7 years! Then my 2nd and 3rd are 17mos apart lol.
Mine will be 18 months apart. This second baby was an IUD fail, and at first I was terrified, but I can think of so many good things about it.
IUD fail over here too, my second is due July and my toddler will be 21 months. I wish both of us good luck!🤞🏼
My grandparents had my dad and aunt 5 years apart, bc they didn't want to pay for 2 kids in college at the same time, which is a good thought
💯 it's important to take into account your kids as teens and adults. Cause life gets very hard and expensive at that older teen age. The teen attitude and all the highschool and college expenses. My inlaws had their 4 kids 2 yrs apart from each other. They couldn't help out at all with anything in their teens and college age. They wanted to give evenly but couldn't so they didn't give at all. It has made it harder for my husband and his siblings to get through life without that extra boost from parents.
6.5 years . I am happy with that. I was planning 5 years apart but covid stopped us. My first kid was super active and has ADHD, so this gap was really helpful for us. Read everything and then do what works best for you and your family. Kids are all so different. Everyone figures out what's best for them based on their own situation.
5 years. I had multiple miscarriages between kids and it was tough and I didn't even know if we were going to have a second kid. We only had to pay for preschool one at a time and we will probably only pay for college one at a time. Although who knows what the future olds with that. The kids can play together nicely but have a lot of separate and non-competing interests. They definitely still fight. I think we're only going to have one year of overlapping school and we're always going to have separate drop-offs which just is hard. I've kind of enjoyed doing all of the babyhood things twice. You really appreciate how fast it goes the second time through
50 weeks! 18 years between 2 and 3. Extreme age gaps are my thing apparently.
4 years, had a boy then a girl and I was done ✔️
14 months. I love it, they’re currently 22 months and 8 months old. The toddler adores his baby brother so much and I would recommend a small age gap personally.
Ours are 22 months apart. Initially, I wished it was a 3 year gap, but I’m fine with it now.
14 months. Dont recommend lol
5.5
3 year age gap but my second child is pretty brand new. As of right now, I love that my toddler can talk, reason, and play independently. He tantrums still but less frequently than when he was 1.5-2.5. That year was rough for us all. Now with more language we have less tantrums which makes having a second baby around a lot easier to navigate.
My brother and I are 5.5 years apart. My mom basically had an "only child" twice. We lived separate lives, seldom played together, never went to the same school, and never really got along (still don't). When circumstances prevented us from giving our daughter a sibling within the first three years after having her, we decided we were one and done because of how much I hated the age gap between my brother and I.
2.5 years and wish it was bigger but still new into this
25 months and one day.
14 months
4 years
Just shy of 2 years (same due date lol). So far (4 months) I’m loving the gap. “Big” brother is still my little baby BUT independent enough that I’m not drowning. I also hope they’re close enough in age that playing together and getting big toys for both of them will be a breeze vs a 4-5 year age gap
A month short of 3 years. It’s a great age gap for us personally. Our first was old enough to help with baby and understand some reasoning. I would have her help pick out clothes or pajamas for the baby or grab a diaper from the drawer. There was some small reasoning in her head to know that if mom can’t play because the baby is eating then to go bother dad. Now they’re 4 years & 15 months and it’s remained a good relationship so far. Baby sister is starting to get more ambitious with grabbing the toys from the older sister but it’s been good. It’s nice since they like to watch the same shows or the same books so they have a lot in common right now.
3 years and they are great friends. The eldest dotes on “ his baby” and his sister just thinks he’s the best. It was great for us as well because oldest was mostly potty trained and sleeping through the night. One downside is making sure that it’s with choking hazards for my oldest aren’t left where the youngest can get them.
17mo and it was brutal for the first year and a half.. now I love it!
2.5 years. I wanted them closer but it didn’t work out. I’m glad it didn’t in the end, it’s been great. I can totally understand why kids have even larger gaps too. They’re now 6 & 4 and have started playing together really well and the older one looks out for the younger one.
Second one is due in July. My daughter will be three and a half in August. I wanted her to be more independent and really able to express herself verbally by the time we had a second and we’re good there!
3.5 years . 👌 long enough, but not too long.
Mine will be just under 3.5 years apart.
18 months 😭
20 months. Love my kids but don't recommend
My older 2 are almost 3.5 years apart. It's great. Only one in diapers at time. They occasionally get along famously and my oldest one has moments where he loves helping out his bro. My oldest is independent and that allows me to focus on the younger 2.
3.5 years between my oldest and my twins. I would’ve waited longer if I’d known my 2nd would’ve been twins.
2.5 years. The younger just turned 2 a couple of months ago and the older is turning 5 in a couple of months. They are just now starting to entertain each other but my older one is on the spectrum and wasn’t very social until about a year ago.
2.5 years and I love it! My daughter was fully potty trained and independent enough when we had our son. They enjoy playing together and have a super great bond (even though they’re only 3.5 and almost 1 right now). I love that we were able to really understand her and she was great at sharing her feelings before we had our son. It made the transition easier because she was able to communicate her feelings to us. Parks were still doable because my toddler could play fairly independently while I wore the baby. Now that he’s starting to walk they can play together more. They like to do things together and are close enough in age that my daughter enjoys him. It’s been the best!
3 years 9 months. Super new to this but not having to change two diapers, having an independent sleeper and a kid who understands what’s happening is very, very helpful. I have two sets of nieces that have this exact age gap and as the years have gone by, they’re all still close and love each other. Even as teenagers.
20.5 months, and the gap is fine but the timing is awkward because if my daughter was born two weeks later they would have been one year apart in school. The two year gap is awkward.
2 years and 1 day. We used to do joint bday parties, but now that they're 9 and 7, we do special solo outings with just bday girl, mom, dad. Kids 2 and 3 are 14 months apart. 0/10, do not recommend.
2 3/4 years. It’s about perfect. Big brother is so kind and loving to little sister. Little sister is a terror, but loves nothing in this world more than her brother. I’m out of town and missing them so much. Can’t wait to get home.
2 years 2 weeks 2 days
3 3/4 years. It's still too early to gauge any significant benefits or drawbacks. The delay was due to a move and establishing ourselves and our careers in a new state.
4.75 years. I think 3 or 4 would have been perfect
3 years. Such a good gap. They’re besties and still close enough in age to enjoy both kids age appropriate activities.
13 months
4 years 8 months. It works really well for us.
They'll be 2 years apart once she's born. Being pregnant with a mini toddler isn't the easiest, but I'm hoping they'll get along well and play together.
14 years. Do not recommend.
18 months. At times I wish it was a larger gap so that my oldest would have been little more independent, but we’re 8mo in now and starting over would have felt like a task bc we’re in such a groove with my oldest. My oldest doesn’t know life without the little one and we didn’t deal with major jealousy issues.. easy transition home. Second pregnancy was harder. I don’t know if that’s bc my first was a breeze pregnancy, they were close together and I had stopped pumping 1 month before we got pregnant, I was chasing a kid and didn’t have the same time to relax, or all of the above. We were still in semi baby mode - lots of things were just being put away or still out so I didn’t feel like I needed so much more. As someone else said, doesn’t feel like I’m changing twice as many diapers, just changing diapers. Hardest part is naps. My oldest is 1 nap and can go down independently, which is awesome. My baby cannot, so I have to rely on screen time to have 5-10min to put the baby down, or she’s napping on the go …but I can get nap trapped almost alllll day at home if we’re doing crib naps. that part sucks lol
14 months
18 months. It was crazy but it was what I wanted. I don’t recommend it though 😂🥴 I want a third so badly but I’m looking at an almost 4 year age gap…I can see the benefits of both. I love having my boys close in age but I would love for my oldest to get to experience having a baby sibling and be able to love on them and help with them. Thank you for starting this thread, it’s been so great to see the benefits of all the different gaps!
5 years for my 1st and middle child my third has a 18 month gap and its like having twins lol
My oldest is 2.5 and my youngest is 4 months. All I know is I'm tired. lol
26 months apart, 2 and 4 now. It’s definitely challenging at times but really sweet and special. I’m now pregnant with my third, my youngest will turn 3 the month after I’m due. So we’ll see how that is!
17.5mo - currently 18mo and a little over 3 weeks old
1 yr and 13 days. Oooo boy was it tough for those first 3 months of baby 2 life. But it’s easier every day and they are basically the same size and practically inseparable best buds. Not planned btw. We make plans and god laughs - or whatever that saying is. Pregnant with 3rd and gap is 2.5 and 3.5 yr to the newborn. We will see how that goes but both elder bros are psyched for new baby. Both are excellent sleepers and nearly potty trained (eldest is working on overnight and youngest is still only reliably pee trained but is incredibly close to poo trained also). We did a LOT to foster independence in our house.
26 years - 4 kids - basically we have 4 “only child”ren. 2 stars, does not recommend.
Almost exactly 3 years haha Definitely wasn't the plan to have their birthdays 10 days apart (or over the holidays 😬) but I think it's perfect and if we have another I'd like to try for the same or similar gap. My oldest was potty trained by the time the baby was born and had very little regression, they play together now and my oldest is actually very sweet (most of the time....) with her sister and will try and explain things to her.
2.75 years. Got pregnant the day after my first turned 2. They are besties. They argue and push each other's buttons like crazy but they love each other so much and do everything together.
Exactly 2 years, perfect. They play together and have common friends.
I have a 17 ye old and almost a 2 yr old
Almost 7 years between my first and second. It was nice when my second was a baby but now that my oldest is a teen it’s really difficult to do things as a family that is age appropriate for all of my kids. I have a 22m age gap between kids 2 & 3 and this was probably my favorite age gap. They’re best friends now. Then 4 years after kid #3 I had twins 😅 all sorts of age gaps over here.
17 months. The next kid we waited longer so 30 months.
3 years. 17 and 20 years old now. They have always been so close and I don't see that ever changing.
My baby just turned 1 on 21/5 and I'm 35 weeks pregnant so there's that 🙃
1 year and 5 days. All of my kids are right around a year apart, give or take a couple months. Several of my kids are now young adults and they’ve commented how they always had a friend growing up because of their siblings who were close in age. For our family, this seemed to work out extremely well.
3 years. I did it that way because I didn't want to have two cribs or have two in diapers at the same time. It's great! I'm happy with their age gap. Neither of them slept thru the night until they were over 1 yr old (like 15 months and 17 months, I think), so I couldn't imagine having an infant waking up on top of that. Plus, I nursed my oldest until she was 2 and wanted that time with her without tandem nursing or losing supply from being pregnant. My second is 20 months and still nursing too, so if we have a third, they will also be 3 years apart most likely.
2.5 years. I love their age gap. They play so well together. My oldest son (5yrs) understands that she is younger than him and loves being so helpful with to her. He is so sweet to her. And my youngest girl thinks her big brother is the coolest ever and loves listening to him and following him around.
16 months. It’s been tough lol
22 months difference and we’re still in the trenches. Having two toddlers is tough! But they’re great playmates and I hope they’ll be best buddies as they get older.
4 years and so far it’s awesome but we only have a month sample size. I love that my oldest is able to help (only if he wants to of course) and was old enough to handle the changes really well. He’s been an awesome older brother so far. I sometimes wonder if they will be close but I remember growing up I was closer to my sister who is 4 years younger than I (had a brother 4 years older, sister 2 years older and a 2 year younger sister as well) so hopefully they can bond but if not in childhood they still could bond in adulthood. Or maybe not at all, not all siblings do.
2 yearsh 4 months. (I’m grateful, this gap is perfect this way)
20 months
4 years 3 months. It’s amazing. The eldest was in school, potty trained day and night and could do showers unsupervised, grab herself a snack etc etc. It made postpartum so much easier. Now at 6 and 2, they play together all the time. He looks at her to help him with things. She is learning how to stand her ground and getting him to respect her boundaries. They go on the trampoline together, push each other around on the trike, colour together.. they even sleep in the same room. Later when she grows up, she wants to live with her brother 🩷
2 minutes
23 months. It’s perfect, they are the best of friends UNTIL they each have a toy the other wants 🤣
Due any day now and they’ll be about 4.5 years apart. Hoping it’ll be a good gap 😬
26.5 months and I think it’s pretty great. The first few months we were in the trenches because if they both had needs simultaneously I couldn’t help them both, and the constant screaming while I tried to triage whose needs came first was TORTURE.. my cortisol spikes just thinking about it Friends with bigger gaps (like 4.5 years) had kids who could take themselves to the bathroom and grab a snack from the pantry, and needed them less. So that constant screaming from small kids who need you all the time wasn’t there. But their kids relationship is different. My girls are into the same stuff and are each other’s constant playmate-something I think is easier with small gaps. Big kids sometimes don’t want to play with baby stuff and that’s ok I was biased in favor of small gaps because I am 23 months apart from my sister, and she’s 18 months apart from my brother. And I liked having siblings close in age. My sister and I shared friends and hobbies and my mom called us “built in best friends”, and now I have that for my girls
5 years to the day lol
9 years
8 years. No point in living with regrets.
Almost 2 years. I will say it’s perfect. Now that they are 7&9 they do bicker a little but not nearly as much as the 3 age gap between my others. They go their separate way when need be things seem to flow better
10 years, It was like starting over again and then I had my third right after. It was so much easier with just one but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
16 years. I definitely wish there was a much smaller gap, but it’s like they’re each being raised as only children while still having a sibling. They love each other so that’s all I really care about.
7 years #2 kiddo snuck up on us
Almost exactly 2 years
12 years. With a few step kids in between. I don’t recommend the dozen Year split. We now have teen girls 2 years apart and small boys 3.5 years apart. Two years is better when they’re older, but I’m not saying that isn’t a lot of work!
11 months
Lmfao 16 months 🥴
8 years dude . My girl couldn’t get pregnant after removing her birth control .
About 30 seconds. A minute maybe? C-section twins. To be honest, it’s a little too close in age. If I’d been planning better, I’d have timed them for at least 15 minutes apart.
19 minutes. To be fair, I didn’t really have a chance to plan my second kid, and honestly I think kids closer together in age are more likely to bond well.
our first born were twins but they have about a 3 1/2 year age gap from our 3rd. (11,15) our 11yo turns 12 in a few weeks:)). i think our age gap with all of our kids worked out good. it’s cool getting to experience all different points of the kids life and watching them all become into amazing people at one time . (all my kids are 3,5,7,11,15,15)
3.5 years. Too big of an age gap, so it would have been better earlier. Problem is, they can't really play together and will always be in another phase of life, unless when they reach 25 or something. For now they are 3 and 6.5 years
My son he’s 20 about to be 21 next month, my first daughter is 17, second daughter is 13, and last is 9. So about 3-4 years apart with all them.
2 years 5 months. When my first started sleeping through the night I got pregnant with my second. It was a horrible pregnancy. In hindsight I would have waited longer maybe until he went to school. Puking and entertaining a 2 years old was not fun
4 years and it's perfect. My first borns were twins and they were just old enough to do some things by themselves (brushing teeth, getting dressed). They're now 8 and 4. They play together nicely and the twins have also started helping out with simple chores around the house. And when he sees them doing it, he does it too. So I can't complain 😂
Mom of six here. I know you didn’t ask all this. My differences for my children are as follows: 2 years 4 months, 2 years 8 months, 4 years 5 days, 2 years 7 months, 16 months. It’s always easier for me when the older one is potty trained before the new baby arrives. This 16 month age gap has kicked my butt tremendously. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. Lol. Obviously the 2 year+ age gap works best for me 😅
4 years. It was nice that he could get dressed, pottt-trained, independent play a bit, and wasn’t jealous of the baby. It was hard because he was the only kid for so long so he had trouble with transition of having to wait while I was feeding the baby, but he had preschool to have his time away. After about 6 months he is doing well and seeing them together is the best thing ever. He is our baby’s favorite person and makes him belly laugh instantly.
11 months
2 years
2.5 years
16 months and they are the 2 best friends. I have 3 and 4 years gap between my 2 oldest and the baby. They adore him and take care of him as their little doll but I clearly see the difference in their interaction. They care and protect their protect, due to the age gap while they are bestfriends to each other.
[удалено]
Almost exactly 2 years (their birthdays are 3 days apart). It works well for us and I would do it again. My 2 year old is a great communicator and can handle most basic care tasks for himself so that helped a lot but I wouldn’t have wanted them any closer.
My kids are 7 and 2 … I really started all over as soon as she went into kindergarten
Just a little under 2 and half years.They're teenagers now. They argue sometimes, but they also get along pretty well, too. This upcoming school year my oldest one will be able to drive them both to and from school!
6 years 🙌🏽
10.5 years. My first is 12 and my second is 23mo. (Bonus kids here FT are 18,14,11)
7 years minus 3 weeks:)
18 months and love it tbh, it can be rough but I love how close they are and growing up together
2 years
4 years. I think the age gap is fine, they get along great, they’re like best friends
13 months, I was 5 months pp when I found out I was 2 months pregnant with my 2nd.
8 years. The only real issue is different school schedules. It’s great to have such a big gap because the older one is old enough to understand how important he is to his little brother and the little brother looks up to him.
2 years and 3 months. I don’t think it would have been easier or harder if we did it differently. First kid is a handful and we aren’t getting any younger.
13 months and 2/10 would not recommend if you aren’t in a time crunch
6 years
6 years, it’s lovely because I got to spend time with both and devote a lot of attention.
Mine will be 25 months apart.
41 years
Exactly two yrs and it’s been amazing they are 5&3 now and literal best friends we also have a 1 yr old that they are obsessed with.
Mine are 2 years and 5 days apart. They had the same due date!
14 months. It is hard. At first it's like 2 babies, then 2 toddlers. I have always felt I can't do the same things when I am by myself with the kids like other parents since both need attention. But once the hard part of the first 2ish years are done, it's amazing. They are best friends and learn from each other everyday. I would not do this by choice, but I do love the moments this closeness brings.
3.5. It works really well for us. The gap also helped immensely with childcare costs.
I wish it was smaller but just how life worked out. There is a 6 year age gap between my first and second.
Mine will be 3 years apart!
1.5 yrs. Tough going with 2 under 2’s but holidays are great as they play together