Comments on: Sibling Spacing: Two Years Apart and Getting Easier with Age

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:12:33 +0000

I’m crying as I read this article, it is exactly what I needed today! When my second daughter was born, my older daughter was just under 24 months. My husband was home for only 10 days then back to work, on his rig, for 2 weeks. He generally works 20 on (away from home that whole time) and 10 days off. However due to much time off in december, when our daughter was born and again at Christmas, his most recent hitch is 30 days. He’s due to be home in 3 days and I’m barely hanging on. Definitely the hardest part of my day, after so many days on my own, is juggling my girls’ needs. The baby, now 8 wks, needs me and I often think of my 2 year old as being a “big girl” and that she just “wants” mommy. Today I had to stop and remind myself that her needs are just as real as my NB. She needs her one on one time with mommy, and doesn’t understand that I can’t stop nursing the little one to get her juice THAT SECOND! I’m know with age that will get easier, as she understands more.

Watching my girls together is a huge payoff! Just the other day, my 2 year old got up from her nap and ran over to her sister and asked i take their picture. However there are still days like today where I have a hard time juggling and feel one or both is being neglected. It’s good to remind myself to slow it down and spend quality time with both my girls, individuality or together.

Thank you for this article!

By: Marie

Marie — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:45:55 +0000

My oldest is almost four, then we have a almost two and a half year old, then a seven month old, and our next child is due in less than two months. Some were born biologically. Some were adopted. Not how we thought our family would be built, but one day at a time and things are working so just fine… so far.

By: Georgia

Georgia — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:39:33 +0000

Really interesting post! A new study came out this past week about spacing children, saying that spacing them two years apart actually makes them smarter, especially the older. Here’s a link to a video about it: (http://www.newsy.com/videos/new-study-says-children-benefit-from-two-year-birth-spacing/). Best!

By: mindy

mindy — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 03:13:44 +0000

This is a great article and is describing my life as we speak. My boys ages are 27 months and 2 months. It was a rough road the first month, its getting easier. I co sleep with the baby and the toddler sleeps in his own bed. My toddler also has quit taking naps when the baby was born. The toddler sometimes wants to play but the baby doesn’t play back so he loses interest. I hope he isn’t too bad when the baby starts crawling. The only thing that bothers me is I wonder by spending so much time with the older one if it will affect the younger one.

By: Rane dae

Rane dae — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:11:54 +0000

My sons are 2 years and 4 days apart. The older boy sleeps well on his own (most of the time) and is welcome in our bed as long as he’s quiet and calm. At 3, he is still nursing, but we nightweaned at 18 months because I was pregnant. He is very attached to nursing so I’m grateful to still have it as a tool to feed and comfort him. Our little one is 15 months and sleeps with us. It is challenging to think where he will go. Will he be safe with his brother in the same bed, same room? Are we ready to let him go? Tandem nursing has been very challenging at times but it will all be worth it when they are ready to let it go. I want them to experience something I never did. Moving forward when they are ready because the need is fulfilled. I still have a lot to learn about how to treat them equally while being attentive to their individual development path. It’s hard to not expect too much for the older one because he’s older. Safety has been a concern with rough and tumble play between them. The little one has been to the ER twice and got stitches on his head once. I’m hoping this isn’t a continuing trend! But they love each other very much and I’m so glad they have each other and will, for their whole lives!

By: N M

N M — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:24:56 +0000

Thank you for this. I’ve been worrying that 2 and a half years apart would be too difficult for my son and myself. I feel much better after reading this. We co-sleep as well, and I figure the new baby will be spending a lot of time in the sling. I want to tandem nurse and I think that will help a lot as well.

By: Siobhan

Siobhan — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:06:38 +0000

I am looking for any hints – My son is 2 and a half and my daughter is 10 months old. All has been going well until she started to get mobile. My son has been so sweet and helpful but now is becoming very possesive over anything – his stuff, my stuff, the cupboards – literally anything. If my daughter starts to play with anything he roughly snatches it away or knocks her over. It is very hard to handle – I end up shouting at him which I know is wrong but with sleep deprivation and desperation eating me I need some advice.

I read the Continuum Concept when my son was one – he was immediately moved into our bed – since has moved back into his own bed but if he comes into our bed its ok, we leave him in it. my daughter is still in our bed and has been since day one. I am breastfeeding my daughter. my son was breastfed til 16.5 months (although i stopped feeding at night around 9 months old – I was exhausted with getting up to feed him – stupidly I did not know about co-sleeping at that stage). I was 4 months pregnant at the time so he just quit. He showed no interest initially when my daughter was born, but about a month later told me he also needed milk out my boob. I gave him a try thinking he would be put off, but he is very keen – so we now have an arrangement that he can have milk in the morning when he wakes up. not sure if there is anything else that may help.

thanks
Siobhan