Age Gap Between Siblings and Its Consequences
Age Gap Between Siblings
If there is a small age gap between siblings:
• A small age gap is hard work. You might be woken up by two different children on the same night. Both might be in diapers. Neither might want to give up their place for the other. It's much like being the parent of twins.
• It's an expensive process. You need two of everything for each child. Two cribs, two strollers... You can't keep up with everything at once, so things like bicycles and toys need to be shared.
• Your body needs about a year to recover from the fatigue of pregnancy and childbirth. That's why you might feel physically more exhausted after your second birth.
• Caring for children with a small age gap can require intense effort. Therefore, disagreements within the family or separations are common.
• However, many families have children with small age gaps. It might be easy for you to connect with such families.
• A small age gap between siblings means your children will always have someone to play with at a similar age.
If there is a large age gap between siblings:
• A large age gap means you'll relive those first days with your first child, which you thought you'd gotten through.
• Even if your older child is helping you, don't let that fool you. Be careful not to burden your older child with too much responsibility and remember that they are still children.
• Older siblings may still need you to mother them, even if they are girls or young men. Especially if they are used to growing up as an only child until this point.
• Children with a large age gap spend less time together.
• The sibling rivalries seen between children with small age gaps are less frequent.
• Moreover, you can fully enjoy the babyhood of both children.
Case Study on Age Gap Between Siblings
Ece has two children: Cem and Can. They were born 14 months apart and are now four and five years old. "Cem was a very mischievous child. That's why the first month after I found out I was pregnant again was very difficult for me to get through. But still, when my baby Can, who was thankfully less tiring than his older brother, was born, Cem was still taking long daytime naps during the day. It was a great fortune for both of us that my husband worked in the city where we live and could finish work before the evening, which is the hardest part of the day for me. After he came home from work, my husband took care of Cem. Besides that, my mother, father, or sister coming home to help with the children made my job even easier. Without them, I would have been in a very difficult situation. I was careful about Cem's feelings. When he came to me for his morning kiss after waking up, I made sure Can wasn't in bed. He was always in his crib. I would feed Can, take care of his other needs, and put him back nicely before Cem arrived. That way, I could dedicate the rest of the time to Cem. I don't think Cem ever felt neglected because I don't remember a single moment I was alone. I don't recommend anyone leaving such a small age gap between their children. It's really hard work! But if you have no other choice, don't worry too much and never regret it. Because my children are sometimes a perfect duo. They are almost the same age, and since they are both boys, they enjoy playing the same types of games. I have friends who have just had their second child, and I see that starting everything over again is really difficult for them. As a family, we can do everything together, and when we want to spend our time outdoors, we have no trouble finding things that everyone will enjoy at the same time." While an age gap of four years or more between siblings is not very common, this is actually the age range that nature deems appropriate. Researchers believe that a four or five-year age gap between siblings is normal and ideal due to the preventive effect of natural and prolonged breastfeeding on pregnancy.
