spacing of children

@AICIRT81 (847)
United States
March 13, 2008 4:21pm CST
How far apart in age are your children? Do you think their difference in ages worked out well? If you could do it again, would you have them closser together? Farther apart?
1 person likes this
10 responses
@mummymo (23706)
13 Mar 08
My two are 8 years and 10 days apart! This wasn't planned but my marriage broke down when my eldest was a baby and I had to have fertility treatment for my youngest! In an ideal world I would have had them closer to each other in age but all in all I would say the age difference has worked out well! They argue sometimes but are very close and protective of each other! xxx
@AICIRT81 (847)
• United States
13 Mar 08
My sister, brother and I always argured too but we are very close and protective of one another. I am 3 years older than my brother and 4.5 years older than my sister. My husband and I have a 14 month old and discussing the timing of #2.
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@mummymo (23706)
14 Mar 08
Well sweety my advice would be to go with what suits you both, compromise comes in to play here and there is no point in upsetting a relationship over the issue! I hope that you make the decision you want and wish you every success and much enjoyment in the process! lol xxx
@AICIRT81 (847)
• United States
14 Mar 08
Thanks! Our relationship is strong so I am not worried about it. We are not fighting about it just discussing the Pros and Cons. Any decision that we make will be mutually agreed upon. We are and will happy no matter what.
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@Sissygrl (10912)
• Canada
14 Mar 08
My kids are going to be about 20 months apart. and i'm not sure if its going to be a good thing or bad thing yet... but at the least they are both girls, so that may work to my advantage at least till they get to their teenage years huh ?
@AICIRT81 (847)
• United States
14 Mar 08
They'll have a life long friend for a sibling. I think thats great they'll be able to share so much. Sure there will be challenges but thats true with everyone. The teenage years are rough even if the gab is larger. At 18, I came home from college to find out that my 13 year old sister had loned out all my clothes to her friends. It never ends but I love her to peices.
• United States
14 Mar 08
I have 4 kids born in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2006. There are 15 months between #1 and #2, 13 months between #2 and #3 and 3 1/2 years between #3 and #4. I much preferred the 1 year difference between my first 3. I never really thought about it when the next baby was born, the bottles were never packed away, the baby stuff was just sitting in a closet waiting. I had 3 in diapers for about 8 months before my oldest finally started using the potty at 3. It was crazy fun with 3 toddlers. Then when they were almost 6, 4 1/2 and 3 1/2 our youngest was born and I just never adjusted to having a baby in the house again. She's almost 2 and it's starting to get easier but I wish I could have had another one right away so she would have a sibling her age to play with. Her brother and sisters play with her but loose interest after awhile. She mostly plays with her 5yo sister but she starts school next fall and then it will be just her at home. My other kids always had each other to play with and I love it that way.
@AICIRT81 (847)
• United States
14 Mar 08
I am definately making my husband read these. Thanks for the help.
@asgtswife04 (2475)
• United States
13 Mar 08
My two oldest are 18 months apart and then i have a two year old. my boys are 9 and 8 and my daughter is two, so there was quite a difference between my boys and my daughter. Sometimes it's a good thing because they really look after her, but sometimes they get aggravated because she is still to young to understand or do certain things they like to do. I would have had them closer, but was divorced for years before my current husband and i got married and he was sent overseas the first year we were married so we didn't even try to get pregnant until he got home. I think in the long run though it will be great the older she gets because they will really protect her when they can. My oldest son is actually really really good with her and will read to her and play with her, while my second son is a little bit more aggravating to her and gets all up in her face and makes noises. he's going through that aggravating stage though, so hopefully it will be out of him soon. LOL! God bless
@AICIRT81 (847)
• United States
14 Mar 08
Thanks and I hope the aggravating stage passes quickly. There seems to pros and cons not matter what the spacing. Its great that the older two can help out with the baby and still each other close in age to be friends with.
• United States
13 Mar 08
I have 5 children...one will be 12 next month, a 9 1/2 year old, 7 1/2 year old, 4 1/2 year old and my youngest turned 3 last week. I love it!!! I consider myself a young mom (32)and I think I have more energy now than I did at 18! None of my children were planned, but if I had planned them, I couldn't have planned it better than it happened on its own. I love having them so close in age. They help each other and seem to get along better than other children I know whose ages are farther apart. They take up for each other and really connect with each other. If I had it to do over again, I would definitely have them close in age again.
@AICIRT81 (847)
• United States
14 Mar 08
I think I am going to make my husband sit down and read all these replies with me. I am 26 and we have one son who is 14 months. I love being a mommy. the husband and I are discussing the timing of baby #2. It seems to me that everyone who has spaced them 2-3 years say that they would not have done it any other way. Thanks for the reply.
@kristy27 (14)
14 Mar 08
I have just had our second child she is 5 weeks old and my son is 18months, we wanted them a little further apart but it took 12months of trying to fall pregnant with my son till it happened so when he was 8months old we thought it could take another 12months before we fell preg again so we started trying and what do you know I fell pregnant on the first cycle. so if i could have chosen the age gap i would recomend at least 2yrs between each child because i have a demanding baby and a teething toddler and my partner works 10hrs a day, it make you very tired mentally and physically.
@AICIRT81 (847)
• United States
14 Mar 08
I can imagion how tiring that would be. Don't you wish somedays that you could bottle their energy and use it yourself. Atleast soon they will be able to play together. Thanks for the reply.
@gandatwo (602)
• Australia
13 Mar 08
Three children,born,1968..71...73 wished to have them pottie trained before having another,one in diapers is quite enough.
@AICIRT81 (847)
• United States
13 Mar 08
Atleast the oldest one should have been out of diapers by the time the youngest was born. 2 in Diapers is one my husbands reasons for wanting to wait. Our little man is 14 months.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
13 Mar 08
there are 4 years between my daughters...this worked out ok (i had a miscarriage too between them) because one was in school by the time the other one was born (we have junior kindergarten here in ontario and they start at age 4) so both kids got quality time from mom!
@AICIRT81 (847)
• United States
13 Mar 08
Quality time with mom is a very good thing. Sorry to hear about your loss. It is pretty cool that you have junior kindergarten. We don't have that here. I was almost 6 before I started kindergarden. My little man will be 5 and a half when he starts.
@joyce959 (1559)
• Philippines
13 Mar 08
My 2 boys are are 4 years apart in age. It works quite well, but there were times before that my old son become bossy over his younger brother. Now they seem to come along well. When my old son graduated from high school, young son graduated from elementary school. Now they are soon graduating from school again, my old son in college and my young son in high school. I'd say their space in age is good enough for me, don't want it closer or farther apart than 4years.
@kblakley (247)
• Loveland, Ohio
14 Mar 08
My oldest is 10yrs and 1 day older than my second, which sometimes I think is too big of gap, but my second and third are 22 months apart and sometimes I think their too close. Their both in diapers and both a handful right now, but I keep being told from others experience that things will be better when they're older and they will be close, because their close in age.........lets hope so :)