https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:45:40 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be/page/2#post-1694618 Thu, 12 Jun 2014 00:08:00 +0000 QBbride 1694618@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's funny because I feel like time is passing soo quickly. I always thought I'd want my kids 2 years apart, but LO is almost 12m and I haven't even got my cycle back, so 2 years seems pretty unrealistic at this point.</p> <p>Then again I think we'll probably only ever have 2 babies, and I'm not ready to be done yet! So I think i might want to prolong the baby making years a bit, haha! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be/page/2#post-1690005 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 21:21:24 +0000 Moming About 1690005@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My children are 7.5, 4, and newborn. Around 4 years is the ideal spacing for me, though 3 years might not be so bad.</p> <p>Pros:<br /> - Older child was potty trained before new baby arrived.<br /> - Child understands more of what's going on<br /> - Two's and even three's can be very challenging, depending on the child<br /> - Neither of my two older children have shown jealousy or anger when they got a new sibling<br /> - Still close enough to play with each other (my 4 and 7.5 year-old are great buddies)<br /> - Child is more self-sufficient, independent, and self-reliant</p> <p>Cons:<br /> - Children are not super close in age, so they may not be as close (friendship-wise) as they get older<br /> - Closer together means you get it over with (that's sounds harsh, doesn't it?) faster</p> <p>I really can't think of many cons because I've had such a great experience with this age gap. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689606 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 16:51:04 +0000 googly-eyes 1689606@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't really know because I think it's so dependent on the individual children and you can't predict that!</p> <p>We are going for a 2-3 year spacing (LO is 21 months now so at min 30 month spacing.) But we're basic that on our future family plans, not so much based on the young baby/toddler stage. Well, we base it on our current child but we have no idea what the next one might be like or how LO might react or just how she will be at that age compared to now, so I'm not sure how much help that is. I will say I sure am glad we didn't ttc at lo's first birthday like we talked about. Dd has been a handful lately and it would have been a little shock to the system to enter this stage, have some of our other stuff going on in life, and have a newborn all at the same time. But other people say their kids mellowed out around this age. Therefore I base it more on when we can handle the challenge! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689505 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 16:06:50 +0000 sandy 1689505@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH wanted about 2 years apart but I wanted closer to 3 years apart...not a huge difference but a part of me just wasn't ready to be pregnant and I just wanted to enjoy my time with LO. When she turned 2 I felt more ready. Our kids are going to be 3 years and 3 weeks apart which I'm happy about. She'll be potty trained for a full year by the time baby arrives and she is at an age where she can communicate/understand that she needs to be patient and "wait her turn" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689493 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 16:02:21 +0000 Mrs.Panda 1689493@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2-3 years so they can be close but enough alone time being the baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689439 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:39:11 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1689439@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2 years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689428 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:36:25 +0000 mrsjyw 1689428@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2.5 yrs! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689420 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:34:29 +0000 catlady 1689420@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Between 2.5 and 3 years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689413 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:32:02 +0000 FancyGem 1689413@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We aren't 100% sure that we would like to have another at this point. My son is currently 2 years old. We said that we will wait until our son is 4 before we make our decision. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689408 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:28:26 +0000 mfa_lady 1689408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Disclaimer: I have no experience raising babies because my first one is still baking (and has a long way to go!), but....</p> <p>In a perfect world, we'd have four kids. We can probably never afford that, but I'm going with the "ideal" here. So, if we could actually have four, and the first is coming soon after I turn 28, I'd like them to be 2 years apart so I could be done by 35 or 36. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689399 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:24:53 +0000 loveisstrange 1689399@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: Not necessarily. I think that depends on personality. My brothers are 7 and 9 years older and Im much closer to them individually than they are to each other, being just over 2 years apart. Their personalities dont mix at all (they are complete opposites), whereas I do fine with either of them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689363 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:14:00 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1689363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I were younger I'd have aimed for 2.5-3 years but I'm 33 and we'd like three more soooo... DD and #2 will be just under 2 years apart. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689360 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:12:47 +0000 delight 1689360@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We will aim for 2 years and see what happens. May start trying just after she turns 1 cause it took ~6 months the first time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689353 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:09:58 +0000 LuLu Mom 1689353@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2 1/2 - 3 years for us! I'm hoping closer to 2 1/2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689336 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:03:14 +0000 dolphin 1689336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm hoping for 2.5 years apart. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689331 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:02:16 +0000 snowjewelz 1689331@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd say at least 2 years but under 4. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689299 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:48:00 +0000 Amelieisme 1689299@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am only 10 weeks into this parenting of two thing, but mine are 20 months apart and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. That being said, I have a super easy newborn who sleeps at night and is generally pleasant. My toddler isn't jealous of the baby at all. Its nice that I am getting a lot of the baby stuff over with at the same time since I'm planning to stop at two. They'll be ready for bigger kid stuff at the same time. I was terrified when I was pregnant, but so far, it hasn't been too bad! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689294 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:47:13 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1689294@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If we were having another child... I have different preferences dependent on ages.</p> <p>Siblings who are older and grow up within 1-2 years of each other tend - from purely anecdotal evidence- to be much closer than those 4+ years apart.</p> <p>However, I would never want young children only two years apart - so much work in those first few years. I would prefer more like 3-4 years between them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689284 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:43:05 +0000 MrsKRB 1689284@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I would prefer 2 years, but due to the high cost of daycare it will most likely be 3-4 years </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689281 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:41:50 +0000 lilteacherbee 1689281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2-2.5 years. We will start TTC when LO is 13 months (because of his birthday-we'd like them to be at least 2 grades apart in school). It took over a year to conceive him, so we want to start on the earlier side of 2 years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689269 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:37:41 +0000 lawbee11 1689269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're not having another but if we did I'd want a minimum 3 year age gap. My LO is 10 months and even though she is almost a toddler she still seems like such a baby! So I'd want a few years of alone time with just her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689268 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:37:36 +0000 MrsKoala 1689268@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2-3 years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689259 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:34:01 +0000 matador84 1689259@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our two are 17 months apart. I'd love to have 2 more once they are both in kindergarten, and space them out 17-18 months again...we'll re-evaluate in a few years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689252 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:30:49 +0000 Sapphiresun 1689252@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think we're aiming for DD to be between almost 3-3.5 we have another. </p> <p>In Canada we get one year off at least partially paid, and then they'll hold my position for another year, so having #2 when she's three will allow me to be off until my older one goes to kindergarten, since two in full time day care would be so expensive it's almost pointless. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689246 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:28:48 +0000 cascademom 1689246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2 years was the ideal for us, more me. Life got in the way, so it's going to be more like 3 years. Anymore than that, I'm not comfortable with for my health and sibling relationship reasons. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689230 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:19:53 +0000 NovBaby1112 1689230@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used to want a 2-2.5 year gap, but now I am leaning towards 2.5-3 years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689228 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:19:11 +0000 littlek 1689228@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our gap will be 2.5 years. I'm not sure what ideal is, I think it varies by the individual. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689219 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:15:10 +0000 septca 1689219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>22-26 months who be my ideal. :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689215 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:14:02 +0000 Adira 1689215@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>18 months was our ideal, but they'll be 22 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-would-your-ideal-spacing-between-kids-be#post-1689208 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:11:00 +0000 Silva 1689208@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are planning a 3.5 or so year gap. Originally we were thinking we'd start trying when she was about 2, but now we will be waiting until 2.5 or closer to 3 for trying.</p> <p>I knew I wanted some time to myself (not nursing, not pregnant), and wanted to avoid 2 in diapers. We have extended our time frame because my husband is in residency and it's been challenging to have a demanding schedule and no sleep. So we are waiting until he is done with that. Also, we really can't afford another baby until he is done.<br /> The other thing I like about this spacing is that I've stayed home with my daughter for over a year, and will be working part time for over two years before I leave to have the next baby. That way my resume will be up to date, and not with a short term job, when I return to work after the second baby is older. </p>