Your opinion: ideal age gap?

[Anonymous]

My boys are two years apart and it has been great. The early years were tough but it was nice they had each during Covid and anytime.

We then have a 5 year gap between our middle child and daughter. I was able to spend time with the baby when older kids were in school. It has been nice.

[Anonymous]

The two year gap is also nice for family vacations. Everyone can do the same type of things together. You don't have dad and the big ones going on a hike or jet skiing or whatever and mom at home with the baby/toddler

[Anonymous]

We have a 3.5 yr gap and I can't really complain. It was nice the oldest could play by himself and understood WHY when I was busy with the baby. He was also completely independent with the bathroom. I think a 2.5 year gap would have been a fiasco- he matured so much in that year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2.5 years has been great for our two, they get along really well most of the time, make up games to play, daycare/teachers tell us things like they look for each other on the playground at recess, hug, then go back to their peer groups, etc.

At times I do feel it's a challenge for our older DS as he has to "hold back" on physical play with younger DD, play easier-to-understand board games, and generally can't always do things at "his level" or with challenge, so we try to make sure he does get adequate opportunity for that via extracurriculars or 1:1 time with a parent.

DD is late-Sept BD so will have a decision to make soon about whether to have them 2 vs. 3 grades apart... curious if anyone with experience would share some pros/cons on that (in particular thinking ahead to the teen years).

I can’t speak to the teen years yet but mine are 2 grades apart in upper elementary (also September birthdays) and I really like the 2 grade age gap. In our case, our 2 are very close and they love being in the same school together, have various pairs of friends that are also siblings in the same grade etc. but this is all I know, I am sure a 3 year grade gap is similar. I am glad my 2 will get one year in MS together and 2 in high school.

[Anonymous]

8 years.