What's the ideal gap between children?

Gillyx

Hello Dizzi, long time no see happy to hear you're having another little girl, Congratulations xx

fluffnutter

Congrats on another little girl, dizzi. You're much missed on the newborn thread.

fluffnutter

I'm about 9000 years old and if I want another one (my little boy's five months old) I'd probably better get my skates on. The thought of being pregnant again fills me with dread though - I loved the fact I was pregnant (after trying for nearly a decade) but hated the pukey reality

Gillyx

You may have a better pregnancy next time Fluff, My pregnancy was a dream, but I know nature just isn't that kind, to hope for it again x

System

There was 14 months between my firstborn son and my daughter. They were company for eachother when they were little but i found it was hard work as they were both still babies. Toilet training was a challenge when there was a baby around and i had to take dummies off both children as my son would pinch his sisters.

3 years between number 2 and number 3. 3 years between number number 3 and 4. I found this was ideal.

There was 7 years between number 4 and number 5 which i found was too long. They grew up miles apart.

Gorgeestwo

There is 20mths between my two and for us its just right, we didn't have an easy time when they were born as we spent a lot of time in and out of hospital with them, but if we'd had any more children then I would have loved another small age gap, they are now 6 and 7 and although they're competitive, they do generally get on well together, as others have mentioned its nice that they have the same interests etc, how long that'll last I don't know, but while it does its nice

milliemonster

The is a gap of just over 4 years between my two which was deliberate, a because it takes a year for your body to recover after a pregnancy but mostly I wanted to devote my time to my first and get her to school before I had the next one so I could concentrate then on him, it worked perfect for us and meant I got to spend all my time on each time through their toddler years, the only disadvantage I have found was that my daughter was so used to having me to herself for the first 4 years for her life, that when my son was born she was insanely jealous and has been ever since! (she is almost 14 now)

JoJoArmani

Just read that article! What a crock of c@@p! what a ridiculous woman to write such drivell. I had my last 2 within a year of each other, they have just turned 5 and 6 and I found it extremely easy to have them close together. I never left them alone to shower, I waited until my OH was home, or they were asleep in their own cots! In fact found it so easy I would do it all over again if I had my time over and have had the 3 close (eldest is 10). It is suprising what you can do when you have to, the shock of having a second child is the issue with this woman.

I found 2nd child a lot more work to do in general, laundry, shopping, cleaning etc, but come the 3rd it was like the more the merrier. So it is not about the age gap in reality, it is just the huge difference child number 2 makes to your life. For the better, but at first can seem all too much ha ha ha XX

Emmarillo

The gap between mine is exactly 2.5 years. It just worked out like that and would have only been 17 months but I had a miscarriage.

I think its a good age gap and the girls have always been very close. Also the eldest was off to pre school at 2 years 9 months which gave me some time alone with the younger one, but not so near to the birth that it seemed as if the older one was being sent away. However, with the closeness comes a lot of arguing and sometimes they can be awful to one another. I know families with 4 years plus between their children and they don't seem to bicker so much but don't seem so close either.

I don't believe theres a 'perfect' age gap. I personally wouldn't want my children as close together as Lily Allen's will be, but if it happened I would have coped. Does anyone really choose the gap between their children? I don't think our bodies are as obedient as that.

RedBern

What's the ideal gap between children?.

I find two arms lengths is about right.......:)

There's 22 months between my first two and that was manageable as far as I recall. Next one is around 3 years gap, and then 5years.
The youngest is 10 years younger than the eldest, and it has taken until he's an adult for him to get to know his big brother as he'd moved out to uni when no. 4 was 8!