Susanne Remic is a primary school teacher, freelance writer and parenting blogger. She writes at Ghostwritermummy and Maternity Matters and in between all of that she regularly wins mummy of the year awards for running around after her two children, aged six and 19 months. This is her pregnancy blog: an online diary of her third pregnancy as she strives to overcome two difficult births, one angel child and one awkward toddler. Join Susanne as she shares every step of her journey from bump to baby!
Perfect timing?
By Susanne Remic on 28 Oct 2011
When my son was born, we thought we had timed it really well. My daughter had just turned five and she was very handy, to say the least. If we needed a nappy, she would collect it. If we needed someone to watch him in his seat while we nipped to the loo, she gladly obliged.
As he got older, my daughter quickly became the baby’s biggest source of amusement. Now, they play together really nicely and at times they seem like the best of friends. Of course, they argue and the toddler sometimes hurts her by pulling her hair or similar, but mostly they are continually amused by each other. So how will the new baby fit into this?
My daughter will be seven and the toddler will have just turned two when the baby arrives. Obviously, being seven and a keen helper, my daughter will be even more of a bonus when it comes to entertaining and nappy collecting.
But what about the toddler? How will he react? There is no real way to tell, since we’ve no experience of such a small age gap. It makes me wonder whether there really is any such thing as perfect timing when it comes to kids.
Will my son take it all in his stride and transform the baby into his closest ally, pal and confident? Or will he resent the baby? Will he refuse to relinquish his position as the baby of the family without a fight, and am I ready for him to be a big brother anyway?
My son is my baby. My son is the one who I - wrongly or rightly - believe needs me a bit more than my daughter did at this age. My son is the one who was robbed of early-days kisses and cuddles because his mummy was too broken to bond. My son is the one who needs more time. Is two years long enough? My daughter had five. She adjusted well. Will my son be the same?
I suspect not. My son is so different from his sister, as he should be - he is a different person, after all. I just worry that I won’t be able to control the tantrums and look after a new baby too!
What are your experiences of age gaps between siblings? What is the perfect timing anyway?
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