Updated: Nov 13, 2019
When you raise kids in two different decades, there is a world of change to deal with. To establish and grow positive relationships with both children, there are so many new things to be aware of! Is the eldest feeling loved? Am I leaving her out? Does she need to have special days to herself? Then there is creating the bond between them too! How does a 14 -year-old connect with and learn to love a newborn? Having gone through it myself, I can offer some tips for moms parenting kids with a large gap in age.
Is it possible with such a wide gap?
As someone who has successfully parented children with a 14-year age gap, I know it is not only possible, but it is crucial. When my youngest was born, my eldest was old enough to legally babysit! For me, the key to success was inclusion. Babies always get lots of gifts, so I would make sure to include my eldest and treat her to things too. I would remind my eldest that she now had an admirer, someone who would always be looking up to her. This made her extra proud and feel important in the baby’s life. On the flip side, as the baby grew up, he learned to see his big sister as a protector. To this day, he sometimes cries for her first.
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