How far a part are you kiddos in age/what is your goal?

dunvilles

If you have 2+ kids, how far a part are they age wise? Do you wish you would have had them closer/further a part?

If you have only 1 LO, how close do you want to have your kids together?!

 We're thinking about trying for #2 in Aug/sept this year... that way they'd be 2-2 1/2 ish years apart.

milkyway

I think 2 years would be just about perfect.  I think we will try for 22-26 months apart.... which means only a few short (long) months until we can start TTC#2!!

monj76

 My kids are just under 6 years apart, and I want another less than 3 years younger than Logan.

 

arte79

We are shooting for 32-40mos (~3yrs) apart. I've heard of terrible twos and that 3yr olds are more helpful and less demanding. Plus I still can't imagine going through another sleep deprivation phase sooner than that. So we prefer 3 yrs.

Liss_37

we plan to start TTC when DS turns 2, hopefully they will be 3-4 years apart 

Ciarrai

My girls are 20 months apart and I love it.  DS is 24 months younger than DD#2 and I have to admit it's harder.  It would be fine if DD#2 was the oldest, but because of DD#1, she has grown up much faster than DD#1.  When DD#2 was born, the house was still baby-proofed.  We didn't have little tiny toys or birthday parties or anything that DD#2 couldn't have/do.  By the time DD#2 was about 6 months old, the girls did everything together - yes, at different levels, but we could take both of them to the park and they could both play/swing/slid.  We could take them to birthday parties and they'd both enjoy it.  It's even more so now with them doing everything together - literally, everything.  They're lost without one another.  DS is starting to get to the same point where he can play with them.  He gets all mad if we're downstairs with me cooking dinner or something and they're up playing without him.  Last week, all three of them were playing with Little People (and fighting over them) and it was soooooooooooooo cute.  It's hard...really hard especially once we threw a third into the mix.  But I wouldn't want it any differently.

ETA - Just as an FYI for the 3 year age gap.  For me and most of my friends, 3 is soooooooooooooooo much worse than 2.  Two was cake compared to 3.  Four has been pretty good, though DD#1 is a drama queen and I'm hearing great things about 5 from friends with older kids.  DD#2 is getting close to 3 and we can already tell it's going to be really really tough.

mbgreenwalt

If DH gets a steady job we will start trying next August.  I would like them to be 2.5-3 years apart.  We are only having 2.

qtjess1110

My ds is 11 months and my older ds is 5. I wanted them closer in age but we tried for a long time for my second. But now that I have them I feel like the age difference is fine.

emiliemadison

My kids are 2.5 years apart, which is the closest we wanted them (got pg as soon as we tried for #2 LOL!). I would definitely NOT want them closer than that, but it would have been find if they'd been up to 3.5 years apart. The 2.5 year gap is pretty ideal for us.

Zoie2010

Well, 1st we aren't sure if we will have more. SO says he wants DD to have a playmate that isn't to much younger than she. Though I am thinking 3 years or so would work that way they each get alone time too. One in preschool and others(twins if I could pick) in diapers sounds ok.

shopgirl78

DD and DS1 are 25 months apart; DS1 and DS2 are 27.5 months apart. Basically the same spacing.  I thought the transition from 1-2 was sooo easy, 2-3...not so much.   The hardest part about have them 2 years apart is potty training while having an infant.   I would have to set LO sometimes screaming while I rushed the older child to the potty.  Luckily, LO couldn't get into everything (not mobile) while I was PTing.  I also thought it was much easier to have a fall baby (for #2) rather than a winter baby (#3).  I hated being stuck inside with a cabin fever toddler.   

Mine are the best of friends and I can't imagine my older to without each other!!   They are really closer despite being the opposite sex.  

My advice is to keep the older child on their schedule and work baby around that.   If you are nursing, have special toys/ TV time while feed baby.  If things get to stressful, just get out of the house, even if its just to through the drive thru for coffee.   It's okay if baby cries for a minute (or in the case of the third baby for like 10 mins!).  The dishes & laundry will be there tomorrow.  Keep everyone dry, feed, and remotely happy including yourself.   It gets so much easier as they get older and entertain each other!

mrssmith717

I am a teacher and would love to have DC#2 in May/June of 2012.  That would make DD and #2 2 1/2 years apart.

SMA!

We will probably start talking about a second when DD  is 3.  Hoping for a 4-5 year age difference.   DH works 80+ hours a week and I can't see myself even thinking about being pregnant let alone taking care of a new born etc before then.  I want to have DD potty trained, in pre-school etc before we have another.  Although DD wasn't planned so who knows what wonderful surprises are  in store for us!

Sassystace

Mine are 30 mo apart. I would not want them closer. I think 3yrs might even be a little better. It helps if your older one is a little less dependent on you for everything by the time #2 comes.

Hot Sauce on a Stick

DS is 3 years older than DD. It's not a bad age difference, but I want my next one right around DD's 2nd birthday because we want 4 and I don't want DS to be too much older than #4.

wolverine8

We will start trying June 2012 and they would be about 3 years apart

MamatoJackson

Ours will be 12 months apart.  I can't tell you yet how it is but, at this point, I am glad we are having them together... We won't have to "readjust" to baby mode.  We have everything we need, we are used to making bottles and changing diapers and hopefully they'll be best friends. At least for a few years.

 

We're done at two! 

MSUMamaof2

Sam and Eli are nearly 21 months apart.  We made it work at the time, but it was hard.  I look at where Sam is today and think it would be infinitely easier to bring a newborn into the house.  I can reason with Sam more today, he understands what is going on, he responds to "no" and "time outs."  He is also potty-trained.  I think for Sam and Eli, the 2.5-3 year age difference would have been ideal. 

This differs from child to child, however.  Sam has already done the terrible 2s.  And yeah, they were terrible.  He's so much better than he was even 3 months ago.  Eli might skip the terrible 2s and go straight to terrible 3s.  Who knows.  

We are going to try for a 3rd, probably late summer next year.  That will give us a 2.5 year age difference between Eli and baby #3.  Hopefully that works out for us!  

goldenleaves

We want #2 between 2-3 years younger than Ryan. We'll probably start trying this spring. If we decide to try for a #3 after that, we'll most likely shoot for an 18month-2 year age difference between 2 and 3. We're done at three.

Mrs.LisaP

My girls are 5.5 years apart.

This is only because of secondary infertilty and not having a choice I was shooting for a 4 year apart difference. Even though we didnt plan it this way, it definalty has some great advantages!! See post: https://tryingtohavebabyp.blogspot.com/2010/11/gap.html

 If and a big *IF* we have another, I would like them to be no more than 3 years apart.

darlawoods

We plan to start ttc in January, so that our LO's would be 20 months apart.  However, I told DH I don't want to wait past May to get pregnant.

DrDPM

We have 11 months between DS1 and DD, and 20 months between DD and DS2 (31 months between #1 and 3).

I love having them all so close.  They all get along great, and my oldest really looks out for his little brother and sister.  But, like pp mentioned, 3 is way worse than 2.  Right now, I have both a 3 and a 2 year old, plus the little guy is teething. It's been a bit rough the last few weeks, but it's just a phase.  We're planning on one more, hopefully with about 20 months between the third and fourth.