Anything over 5 years is considered a large age gap. This could be planned or is sometimes a whoopsie or just situational, such as children from different relationships. A larger age gap doesn't mean siblings can't be close, it is just will be a different type of relationship.
Couples with an age gap of 1 to 3 years (with the man older than the woman) were the most common and had the greatest levels of satisfaction. Relationship satisfaction decreased slightly for couples with age gaps of 4 to 6 years and continued to decrease for couples with an age gap of 7 or more years.
Indeed, this is totally a personal decision which may depend on various factors but there are certain things you must consider if you think about a healthy mother and a child. Some may want give a gap of two years, many may want to wait for as long as five years.
Potential challenges of a 3-year age gap
This can be a difficult age gap for parents, as the older sibling isn't capable of caring for himself but has needs that aren't as easily met as a younger firstborn's are. Sibling jealousy can still be a problem.
Wider age gaps seem to be related to less conflict, while smaller age gaps are related to a closer sibling relationship (Newman, 1996).
Although you are somewhat less likely to meet a family with a four- or five-year gap—much less an eight- or nine-year gap—there are plenty of these families out there. And they are equally likely to be happy and thriving.
This paper shows that larger age gaps between siblings negatively affect personality traits of the youngest child in a two-child household. Specifically, a larger birth gap leads to more disorganized behavior, more neuroticism, and more introversion.
Two girls make the best sibling combination because they tend to be more communicative, empathetic, and collaborative than other combinations. Most likely, they'll genuinely like each other and get along in a quiet-ish manner.
What's the best interval between pregnancies? To reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and other health problems, research suggests waiting 18 to 24 months but less than five years after a live birth before attempting your next pregnancy.
Even with all the understandable talk of “windows of opportunity” and “biological clocks,” there are ways for women over 35 to make motherhood a reality. Infertility treatments can be difficult and expensive, but fertility specialists can talk with you about options. Age is less of a limitation than it used to be.
GAP OF TWO YEARS: There are doctors who recommend couples two years to have a second child. Not only it is good for mother's and new born's health, the first also reaches at a stage where he/she could express and starts to understand things better.
A relationship age gap bigger than 10 years often comes with its own set of issues. “While there are always exceptions to rules, a good rule to remember is that dating someone more than 10 years older will present challenges now or later that add to the preexisting challenges any relationship has,” he says.
Obviously, the only “perfect” family is one with two children, a boy and a girl. Unfortunately, the odds of achieving that family dynamic – even if you wanted to – are fairly slim. Looking at my own friends and family, only 22 out of 100 randomly selected women have the coveted one-boy-one-girl combo.
“It depends on how old you are. If she's 18 and you're 23, it's a little creepy. But if you're 30 and she's 25, it's not such a big deal. Five years is absolutely nothing once both of you are over 30,” another Reddit user stated.
“If we have a five or more years difference, the child might be third in chronological birth order but becomes a psychological firstborn because the other two siblings are much older.” In other words, the child may exhibit firstborn tendencies even though they came third in line because of the large age gap.
The Perfect Age Gap Between Kids Is A Myth
There are benefits and drawbacks to having children spaced closely together just as there are pros and cons of having kids spaced further apart. It all depends on your particular family dynamic and what you can handle or want for your family.
Anything over 5 years is considered a large age gap. This could be planned or is sometimes a whoopsie or just situational, such as children from different relationships. A larger age gap doesn't mean siblings can't be close, it is just will be a different type of relationship.
Medium gap (two to four years)
You'll be (mostly) up-to-date with your knowledge about all things baby-related. You can save cash by re-using the baby equipment your first child doesn't need any more. It's the most common age gap so your mum friends are likely to have second children at a similar time too.
For a long time, your first child was the centre of attention in your family. Now they have another sibling to “compete” with. Older children often want to protect and take care of their younger siblings, but they also might feel a little jealous.
Grow your family to at least four children! According to a study out of Australia's Edith Cowan University, parents with the most life satisfaction (which means those who are the happiest) are those that have four or more children.
Is it a household of girls, a household of boys, or a mix of the two best for parents? According to a survey conducted by British parenting website Bounty, two girls are considered the best combination for parents to have a happy and harmonious family life.
They have nailed it – as according to a completely above board legit scientific study it turns out that the best combination of siblings for a happy and peaceful family is two daughters. The research from British website Bounty examined the lives of families with different combinations of children.
If you're older than 35 and hoping to get pregnant, you're in good company. Many families are delaying pregnancy well into their 30s and beyond — and delivering healthy babies. Taking special care can help give your baby the best start.
While four-year-olds often do behave better than 3-year-olds, both ages present their own unique challenges. It's important to remember that our little ones are developing rapidly in these early years and need our support to learn how to regulate their emotions.
Sibling estrangement is an outgrowth of "drifting apart and taking different paths. The more painful (break-up) is when it comes out of a conflict or many conflicts," Kennedy-Moore said. Often cutting off the relationship arises when one sibling "finds it toxic to have that person in their life," Kennedy-Moore said.