Advice for mom with large age gap between children

Thank you so much for the encouraging words! And that is a great idea, maybe we can do bowling at DSprings or something that they can try to ' do together' :)

Are you going to Animal Kingdom? Perhaps your DS would consider working on a Wilderness Explorers book with DD? In EP, in Innoventions, there is a Glidden exhibit where you can "paint" a mural as a family. Perhaps he would consider doing that with her?

You sound like a very thoughtful, loving mom who is very attuned to her children. I applaud you for recognizing the issue and trying to find a way to proactively address it. It's not easy. I hope things get better soon and that you have a wonderful trip with DD and DS.
 
I wanted to share that my son had problems adjusting to a new sibling, my kids are 8 years apart and he was very comfortable as an only child. I didn't read all the replies so I don't know whether your son is already in therapy, but it was a big help for my son. Like Queen Isabella, my situation was complicated by my son's Asperger's. He doesn't do well with changes to his routine and the unexpected surprises that pop up with little ones, so we had a rough couple of years until he adjusted. I would definitely recommend having your son see a kid's therapist, would you consider doing family therapy all together too? That helped us a lot, I think it helped everyone learn how to adjust to the family growing, and that way your son can see that you all have things to learn about being a family, so he doesn't feel stigmatized like the problem is just with him.
 
Posted too soon. I wanted to add that I think what you are doing with KNO and making special time with your son is so great and exactly what he needs right now! :)
 
I have no children so I have no advice. I hope your trip turns out wonderful though. Maybe your son will surprise you once he gets there.
 
I appreciate that you took my comments in the spirit with which they're intended. I think you're doing the best you can, given your circumstances. I'm actually much more bothered by the 2-week hunting trip, which has little to do with you and your children. I think you're in a tough spot. FWIW, I have 4 kids over an 11-year span, which was why I opened this thread--I thought I could provide some insights. But, I have different problems (#1 and #4 get along fine, but the oldest has moved out--now #2 and #3 gang up on #4. Except the tide will turn--he's already taller than #3, and still growing...). I do wish you the best.

It might help if, one day on the trip, you have a day that focuses all on what your DD would like. I know she can't add a lot of input, but maybe spend a day in Fantasyland, character meal, etc. Have your DS help you plan such a day as "Sissy's Big Disney Day". As you see her enjoying Dumbo/breakfast with Pooh/Peter Pan's Flight, praise your DS for the wonderful choices he made for the day. In our house, we talk a lot about how a Bibboo (big brother) is such an important role. My older son (now 21) has Asperger's, so adjusting to his younger siblings (after 6 and 9 years, respectively), was difficult.

Currently I have KNO booked for the 5 days but only 5 hours each morning...DS and I normally only do our 3 fp' s plus a 4 the and 5 the if able to get any he wants, then head back to the resort to swim together......without baby in tow. Then my hopeful plan is to go back in the park to ride a ride or two that DD would like. Maybe ask DS to pick one for her. We don't do character meals normally, as I just can't justify the cost for us, but DD LOVES Minnie, so we are doing breakfast one morning at Cape May . I can imagine the dynamic with 4 children is different! DH is the oldest of five, my MIL is amazing. She handles things so we'll, as I am sure you do as well with multiple children. I am always in awe of moms that can juggle all of that so well!

As far as the hunting trip for DH......ah, well that has been a point of contention for 13 years. His family has a hunting cabin in the UP and the tradition began with his great grandfather that every year they go for 2 weeks ending weekend of Thanksgiving ( I've actually never seen or celebrated Thanksgiving with my DH!). DH goes with all the men in his family, yes no girls allowed. We talked about this before getting married, I told him what I was okay with....long story short, he would never stick to what we agreed upon. I gave up arguing about it years ago. We also do not live near any family, but fly to visit DH family every year. I fly to see mine with kids, DH won't come. I know it would benefit our children for DH to change a bit, but I also don't believe in threatening. I am not going to leave, this is the best situation for my cchildren.Everything will work out! Thank you so very much for taking the time to send your opinion :)
 
Are you going to Animal Kingdom? Perhaps your DS would consider working on a Wilderness Explorers book with DD? In EP, in Innoventions, there is a Glidden exhibit where you can "paint" a mural as a family. Perhaps he would consider doing that with her?

You sound like a very thoughtful, loving mom who is very attuned to her children. I applaud you for recognizing the issue and trying to find a way to proactively address it. It's not easy. I hope things get better soon and that you have a wonderful trip with DD and DS.

Thank you so very much for the kind words ! We love the Glidden painting exhibit, although haven't done it the past few trips, that is a GREAT IDEA!! :)
 
I wanted to share that my son had problems adjusting to a new sibling, my kids are 8 years apart and he was very comfortable as an only child. I didn't read all the replies so I don't know whether your son is already in therapy, but it was a big help for my son. Like Queen Isabella, my situation was complicated by my son's Asperger's. He doesn't do well with changes to his routine and the unexpected surprises that pop up with little ones, so we had a rough couple of years until he adjusted. I would definitely recommend having your son see a kid's therapist, would you consider doing family therapy all together too? That helped us a lot, I think it helped everyone learn how to adjust to the family growing, and that way your son can see that you all have things to learn about being a family, so he doesn't feel stigmatized like the problem is just with him.

Thank you for sharing your experience! No he isn't in therapy, but I am definitely calling Monday. I called yesterday to find family therapist that are on our insurance. As far as family therapy, I think that would be a tremendous idea, but I know DH won't go. I mentioned this last night, he says he just simply doesn't have time :( I will definitely go with DS and see what tactics I can implement here at home though. Fortunately we are not dealing with Asperger's, as I realize how challenging must have been for you all. This is a big adjustment, I am an only child; so I try to think of how I would have felt in these situations. Again thank you for your reply :)
 
I think it will be a good opportunity for you to explain that dear daughter is now a part of your family and the family will change, but she will also make it more fun! I think it would be a great idea to plan with your son rides and things that she can do and you all can enjoy together for the 1st part of the day. Then go back to the resort and swim and reserve the kids club for dinner/evening most nights and go back with him to do the things that he wants to do that she cannot. You could also stress that if he has a bad attitude during the day you guys will not be going back in the evening.

I read comments about changing the trip but I really do not suggest that. I think this is a great opportunity for him to see this as his family change is going to be different, but still fun, and it wouldn't surprise me if he came back more bonded with his sister. He probably is just afraid that he can't do all the fun things but maybe this opportunity will allow him to see that he gets to experience the joy of seeing someone else fall in love with Disney and experience the magic, plus he can still get to do what he wants.

I know when I go with my friends or my family there are rides all of us do not prefer and we take turns waiting for each other. When you travel with others we need to be respectful to make sure that everyone gets to do something on their list and seeing someone else happy brings us happiness as well!
 
Imo, and don't take this the wrong way or personal, DH isn't going to change. That is what it is.
DS is jealous you can't give him 100% attn. as much as you might want to give him more attention you can't. You can't because you have DD AND DS needs to learn this is the new life. It will be hard for him but you can't bend over backwards to make him happy. The sooner he realizes that making memories WITH DD the better everything will be.
I recommend taking a strong stance and informing him that if he wants to continue to do these fun FAMILY things that he needs to be a team player. make him understand that when he is a team player vs pushing her away and closing the door, that he is helping you and that will bring benefits and rewards
 
I think it will be a good opportunity for you to explain that dear daughter is now a part of your family and the family will change, but she will also make it more fun! I think it would be a great idea to plan with your son rides and things that she can do and you all can enjoy together for the 1st part of the day. Then go back to the resort and swim and reserve the kids club for dinner/evening most nights and go back with him to do the things that he wants to do that she cannot. You could also stress that if he has a bad attitude during the day you guys will not be going back in the evening.

I read comments about changing the trip but I really do not suggest that. I think this is a great opportunity for him to see this as his family change is going to be different, but still fun, and it wouldn't surprise me if he came back more bonded with his sister. He probably is just afraid that he can't do all the fun things but maybe this opportunity will allow him to see that he gets to experience the joy of seeing someone else fall in love with Disney and experience the magic, plus he can still get to do what he wants.

I know when I go with my friends or my family there are rides all of us do not prefer and we take turns waiting for each other. When you travel with others we need to be respectful to make sure that everyone gets to do something on their list and seeing someone else happy brings us happiness as well!

Thank you! All great ideas :) yes, we all have to respect each other, on vacation and at home.
 
Imo, and don't take this the wrong way or personal, DH isn't going to change. That is what it is.
DS is jealous you can't give him 100% attn. as much as you might want to give him more attention you can't. You can't because you have DD AND DS needs to learn this is the new life. It will be hard for him but you can't bend over backwards to make him happy. The sooner he realizes that making memories WITH DD the better everything will be.
I recommend taking a strong stance and informing him that if he wants to continue to do these fun FAMILY things that he needs to be a team player. make him understand that when he is a team player vs pushing her away and closing the door, that he is helping you and that will bring benefits and rewards

I am not taking it the wrong way at all! :) I realized long ago DH is most likely not going to change. I am an educated adult, so obviously I could leave if I really wanted to....for my own reasons I won't.....but this thread is about the kids lol.

I agree I can't give DS all my time, and he is going to have to get used to this. I thought he was coping well since this has been happening only recently, but obviously it's time for new evaluation and implementation of some new rules :) thank you so much for the response :)
 
Ok I hope I don’t get flamed for my comments but I had a late in life baby that was a surprise and my children (4) have large age differences. I also have a husband that works a stressful job and loves his hunting/fishing trips with the guys. I allow him to go without hesitation. We always try and take a vacation on our own when he goes. One of our best ideas was taking a friend with us for the older kids. This gave them a friend to ride with. Also I think your son knows it makes you feel bad to complain about his sister and uses it against you. I’m more of the “suck it up buttercup” type of parent. He’s old enough to understand that this is permanent and unless he has any behavioral health issues, he will get over it. I personally wouldn’t even use a babysitter. To me it teaches him that if he complains enough you will get rid of her. But that being said, Don’t let people tell you how to parent, or tell you that you are a bad parent( for heavens sake your taking your kids to WDW). Also your marriage is your business and if it works for you then that is all that matters. If you think the trip will be good for you both, then go. I like the idea of having him help you plan a day revolved around his sister!!!
 
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I was 10 when my younger brother was born, and while I of course loved him very much, he drove me crazy. 10-12 I thought were always awkward years because you're growing out of the kid stuff, but you're not at the teen stage yet, plus right before and during puberty is always a tough time. (Not trying to pry but maybe his recent behavior is related to that "magical" time approaching.) Anyway, my brother used to get into my things a lot too, and it was the perceived violation of privacy and personal space that I really didn't like. If you don't already, I would suggest buying some sort of lock or childproof knob cover for his room and the bathroom. They have plastic pieces that can snap on over the knob that the little one won't be able to open, but you guys and DS could by squeezing it. That could possibly reduce some of the aggressive behavior, but I would also make it crystal clear that any mean behavior will absolutely not be tolerated. Set rules and consequences and stand by them. There's no way I'd personally allow electronics if there are behavior issues, but I'm also a mean mom that has yet to buy my 8 yo any electronic device.

Next, if your DD is keeping him awake at night, I'd look into earplugs, noise cancelling headphones, a white noise machine, or something to help reduce the sounds. If he's not getting enough sleep, that could be contributing to his crankiness.

It sounds like between homeschooling, never really taking time alone for yourself, and your DH not always being around due to work, etc, that your DS spends almost every second with you. Frankly, it sounds like YOU need a break. Rather than getting a sitter every other week for your DD so you have more time with DS, I'd consider having a sitter stay with both of them (or your DH, but if he won't, do the sitter) at least once a month so you have some time to yourself. You seem a bit overwhelmed and something I've had to learn is you have to take time for yourself or you won't have as much energy to devote to your kids. It might also be good for your DS to have that little bit of time away from you. I know it's tough when your best friend moves, but if there's any way he could spend more time with other kids his age (through the homeschool groups, going to the park, kids activities at the library, kids bowling league, etc), that might help as well.

In regards to your trip, I personally wouldn't leave DD with a babysitter for that many days. Yes, the trip will be different, but he has to learn to accept that things will be different with a younger sibling and that family trips are for the family to spend time together. He's had several trips that were devoted solely to him (whereas his sister hasn't and may never have one where she's the focus of everything) and it's not really fair for his sister to be left behind, just like it wouldn't be fair for him to be left behind for half of the vacation.

Do you have photos of him at Disney when he was young? Bring those out and point out the joy on his face and tell him about memories you have of taking him when he was so young. Explain to him that his sister is going to be so in awe of everything around her and he gets to be a part of that magic. (Because even though she has been before, there's a huge difference between 6 months and a year and how the little ones see and react to the park.) Emphasize that he gets to help "create" the magic for her by showing her all the things he loves at the parks. He might like being allowed to plan a day at the parks so he can "introduce" her to all of the cool things he enjoys. Let him know that being a big brother comes with the responsibility of looking out for his sister, but also teaching her about the fun stuff. With responsibility also comes benefits, like maybe staying up a little later while his sister goes to bed, but those benefits have to be earned.

Good luck with everything.
 
I'm not a parent so take this with a grain of salt. However, I learned this from my mother who raised several children, hers and a neighbor's when she was doing babysitting. We were close in age. However she did have a good friend who had two daughters that were about 7 to 9 years apart.

This is the advice she gave her friend although it was not taken. Those two girls still dont get along to this day, and it's been at least 25 year.

This is also the advice that she gave to us, even though we did not have children of our own.

Make your son a part of your daughter's life. Make him feel important in your daughter's life. This can be accomplished in different ways. The easiest way is to have him help do things with your daughter. Such as helping to feed her, helping to change her diaper, burp her, walking with her, etc. Don't make it seem like it's a chore for him.


Right now, he is feeling jealous because he had you all to himself for many years.

The more you make him feel that he is important in your daughter's life, the less he will act up.
 
Hi, my kids are grown, but they grew up with large age gaps. They are now 37,27 and 22. Take my advice with a grain of salt.

My dh was around very little when they were growing up. I never took them to wdw without him, but we did travel closer to home without him. I also worked full time and oldest DS has Asperger Syndrome.

Instead of therapy, I think your DS needs his own activities. I know your DS can’t go to public school, but can he start to attend some programs that are just his? Story hours, sports, day camps. Keep him busy and since he has his own activities he won’t be as jealous. Remind him only big kids can do these things so he will feel important. Try and let him see the positive things the sister can bring. You are the big guy so you can show your sister how to do things since you are a big kid that knows how to do this already.

I’ll never forget when my youngest was born, my mom asked him if he was glad we decided to keep her and he got excited and said “you mean we can still send her back?”

Now that they are grown, my oldest and my youngest are still really close. He let her move into his house after she graduated from college.
 
I know that I (and others) have already said it, but showing him how to be a loving and responsible big brother is really important. One thing that helped our older son quite a bit was, we emphasized "sharing the magic" (for WDW, holidays, etc.) from the other side. For example, we had one of those Christmas elves, and ours was a naughty elf who did pranks every night. My older son loved to be in charge of each night's prank, setting it up to make the younger kids laugh--whether it was wrapping the tree in toilet paper or tinting the toilet water green, he was all over it. He still talks of it fondly. Now that my youngest is 12, we no longer get visited by the elf, but my younger two can't believe their older brother was behind the pranks!

He's not going to change overnight, but I would praise every little improvement that you see--let him know that you're watching, and you see that he's trying. It IS harder when your younger sibling moves into the toddler years--they're mobile, they're curious, and they don't listen to reason!
 
Ok I hope I don’t get flamed for my comments but I had a late in life baby that was a surprise and my children (4) have large age differences. I also have a husband that works a stressful job and loves his hunting/fishing trips with the guys. I allow him to go without hesitation. We always try and take a vacation on our own when he goes. One of our best ideas was taking a friend with us for the older kids. This gave them a friend to ride with. Also I think your son knows it makes you feel bad to complain about his sister and uses it against you. I’m more of the “suck it up buttercup” type of parent. He’s old enough to understand that this is permanent and unless he has any behavioral health issues, he will get over it. I personally wouldn’t even use a babysitter. To me it teaches him that if he complains enough you will get rid of her. But that being said, Don’t let people tell you how to parent, or tell you that you are a bad parent( for heavens sake your taking your kids to WDW). Also your marriage is your business and if it works for you then that is all that matters. If you think the trip will be good for you both, then go. I like the idea of having him help you plan a day revolved around his sister!!!

Thanks for the response! Yes, DH, like yours does have a very high demands job. He does deserve to go on his trip. Our original agreement was for him to go, then I would get to go have a few days to myself and go somewhere without kids too......he just has never reciprocated. Love your ' suck it up buttercup' saying....lol my mom used to use this phrase often. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts
 

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