Reply to Is 2.5 yrs an ok age gap for playing together? (2 girls)

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[quote=Anonymous]Hi,

I guess there is no point to this post because my girls are already born and it's not like I can change anything now (nor would I). But we just got back from visiting cousins over Thanksgiving and one thing about the dynamic made me a little concerned.

I have a 3 year old and a 7 month old, almost exactly 2.5 yrs apart.

They have a 4 year old cousin (boy, almost the same age as my oldest), a 6 year old cousin (boy, 3 yrs older than my oldest) and an 8 year old cousin (girl, 5 years older than my oldest).

My 3 yo loved to play with the 4 year old because they liked the same things and communicated similarly. They argued a few times but still generally interacted and played well together. The 8 year old was also great with her, but more in a "motherly" kind of way - she found fun toys for her, helped her figure out a puzzle, and generally took care of her.

The 6 yo boy wanted nothing to do with her. She was too little to enjoy the same things as him, but the gap was too close for him to feel any sort of "older kid" protectiveness over her. If anything, he acted like she was a huge nuisance and acted embarrassed if she wanted to play with him. A few times he told her she was a baby and made her cry.

I don't really care about the 6 yo's behavior, he's a good kid and I think it was totally normal 6 year old stuff. But it made me sad because I realized that that is almost exactly the gap my kids have. Is it a bad age gap? Are they going to be too far apart to enjoy the same things, but too close in age for my oldest to feel protective over the little one? Maybe because they are both girls the dynamic will be different, or maybe because they will grow up together? The 6 year old is an only child so he's not used to having siblings around.

Anyway like I said, no real point to this post I just got a little sad over Thanksgiving when it seemed like a closer or a bigger age gap would be better, and that we are right in the "worst of both worlds" spot in the middle. [/quote]

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