I’m so sorry that Mario definitely got a melted version of his advent, because I have the same one and my chocolate looks normal and isn’t crumbly. Also just a heads up that some of the flavors have wheat syrup. My husband is GF and I had to check which ones he could eat.
I feel when it comes to the age, it's more about the dynamic that you help foster between them. Like siblings close in age can be the best of friends or resent each other for tagging along or older getting stuck taking care of younger. And then further apart they have nothing in common. I think it helps to put special focus on your older child in the beginning so they don't see the younger as a burden or taking something away from them. Because they have no idea what's going on right, so you can help set their perspective on a positive path!
I get excited every time I see that you have a sponsorship!!! I'm just like "Hell yea Rachel get that bread!!!!" 😂 eye mask looks amazing!! Definitely hyped for the prospect of more content from you!! I would be curious to hear your thoughts on if thinking of your channel as more of a job than a hobby will take the fun out of it for you or if it will just further feed that logistical organizational part of your personality in avery satisfying way ya know? I'm excited for you and excited for us as your viewers!!! Lol
I love that you partnered with Bob and Brad. I am in my 30s, but I have a chronic health condition that has caused arthritis. I’ve actually referenced SO many of their videos in the past for help. Honestly wish I could go to them in person. They are amazing. I had to enter the giveaway. If I don’t win, I’ll probably buy one. Such a cool device!
since you asked for peoples opinions on age gaps between siblings- i figured i’d share my experience. i am 5 years older than my brother, we are the only siblings and personally i have always loved that age gap. i know some people think 5 years is too much but to be honest- my brother and i are super close and it’s been like that our whole lives. i love that i was old enough to remember the day he was born, i remember when he was little and was able to help my mom take care of him a bit. but also it was nice that we were never in the same school at the same time. obviously you guys are great parents so im sure your children will be happy healthy kids regardless but id say don’t feel like you need to rush to keep a small age gap ❤️
Came here to say the same thing. I am 4 years older than my sister and it was less about the age gap and more about the fact that my parents fostered a close relationship with us! ❤😊❤
When it comes to age gaps, my sister and I are 28 months apart and we enjoy it. You’re close enough in age to play when you’re little kids and close enough in age in adulthood to relate to each other.
So my younger brother is 3 years younger than me. And now my kids have a three year age gap. I absolutely love it. My daughter was old enough to help and understand that her brother was new and not replacing her. That's what i noticed with my friends who had kids very close. They got jealous of the younger sibling. So having her a little older i think helped her understand what a sibling was. 😊
My siblings and I are 7 & 8 years apart. We do not have close relationships because of the large gap…however when I decided to have kids, I thought 2-3 years was best. My kids get to go to elementary and HS together for a few years together. My kids have been close and supportive of each other through the years. That worked best for us. Ultimately, it’s what works for you and your family.
Let me preface my statement with two things: 1. I don't think that telling your kid Santa exists is a "lie" - if you want to keep it magical for your kid, that's amazing 2. Not doing Santa because it feels dishonest is also totally valid and everyone needs to do what feels best for them and their family I feel like there's a middle ground between these two options and that's where my family has landed. My kid is 4 and has asked me point blank if Santa was real and I was truthful and said that Santa is pretend. Kids totally understand pretend and we've still had fun talking about going to visit Santa at the mall and what he's going to ask for from Santa, but being truthful in that way means that I don't have to worry about the logical inconsistencies surrounding Santa or worry about a Christmas movie or show spoiling Santa for him. That's also my line for things like Disneyland - when he was scared or overwhelmed by something, we would talk about how everything at Disneyland is just for pretend and how sometimes it's fun to do something scary when we know it's pretend and that we're safe.
On sibling age: I think it’s more about personality and family dynamic than age gap. I have an older brother whose 5 years older, a twin sister(not really relevant for most but I have a lot of thoughts on twins too), and a younger brother who is 9 years younger. For my older brother, I never remember being close as kids and then once me and my sister reached college we got closer. We had wildly different interests and hobbies. He was a big sports guy with a male cousin who was his age that we saw every day he just naturally spent more time fostering that relationship. For my younger brother, before me and my sister left for college we were always super close to him. I think it was being old enough to really be aware he was being born and get to be excited. The negative to me on an age gap this big is that once me and my sister went to college hours away when he was 9 and didn’t have a phone we didn’t talk much. I always feel he is living half of his childhood with siblings and without since he had us in the house until he was 9 and now he’ll do 9-18 by himself as an only child. So there’s all my thoughts and sibling dynamics. When me and my husband talk about having kids I think we’ve decided somewhere around a 3 year age gap may give them the best shot at being best friends. They are close enough in age so they are going through similar things (get to do a year of high school and college together) but far enough that they wouldn’t be default lumped together like some super small age gaps do.
Here’s my experience as a sibling, and as a parent of two. I have a brother who is 10 years older than me, and one who is 3 1/2 years younger than me. I adored my older brother, still do, and looked up to him very much, but we were never especially close because of the large age difference. He also moved out of the house when I was 10. My little brother and I were pretty close growing up and still are. My two daughters are two years and two months apart. I got pregnant with our second when our first was just about 18 months old. It was pretty challenging for the first year or two with both of them being that little. I think ideally, I would’ve preferred to have at least another six months in between their ages . They are currently seven and 4 1/2, five in February, and are very close. They play really well together most of the time, and it makes my heart so happy! Obviously there are so many factors that go into it, but if someone were to ask me the ideal age gap between siblings, I would probably say 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years.
I have three younger siblings, and I love them all so much, but I’m closest to my youngest brother, who is seven years younger than me. I think it had to do with there being no competition between us growing up because we were at such different stages of life. We could just be fully supportive of each other. We talk to each other every day now
I have a little brother and we are 8 years apart. I always felt like him and I were in two completely different stages of life. I always wanted a sibling closer in age to experience the same things with. But you know what’s best for your body and when you’re ready. I definitely think August would be an amazing sibling with whatever gab you guys decide. Love your channel so much! 💛💛
I have a 8 and 2 year gap between my brothers (I'm the middle one) There are stages in life where we feel more connected than others And right now (30s and 20s) we have a better understanding of life and one another. We're a team whose main goal is to give back to our parents
Sibling age gap thought! I’m the oldest of 4, and there are 5, 13, and 18 years between me and my siblings. I don’t view any of them as my “best friends” or anything, but I love all of my siblings so much and I don’t think I ever felt left out or anything for not having siblings close in age
I have an 8 month old and we’re currently trying for number two (and last baby) so they can play together asap! I love having a sister close in age. Plus I don’t know if I could deal with a feral 3 year old when I have a newborn. But my OB said I’m young and healthy with no risk factors and had a great first pregnancy so there’s no huge reason to wait
oldest of two here: I LOVED the age gap i had with my little sister growing up. we're 2.5 years apart (two years in school) and i loved seeing her around the building when we were in school together like i would've been heartbroken if when we left elementary school we'd never be in the same building again, if that makes sense. all that being said, we definitely fought and butted heads more because we were so close in age so obviously there's good and there's bad. excited for however your family grows!
Myself & my older brother are 3 years apart. We are very close we were able to enjoy going to school together but also have enough of a gap that we enjoyed our separate friends but now that we are older we also have a lot Of things in common.
loved being 3.5 years apart with my brother. close enough that we had things in common but far enough apart we had totally different friend groups in school!
Closeness with siblings has more to do with personality than age gap. Neither my husband or I are close with our siblings ( 2 to 4 year age gaps). My parents are both from very large families, and they are each only close with a few siblings. My kids ( teen and tween) are 5 years apart and get along really well, but we'll see what happens as they become adults.
definitely entered this giveaway!! as someone who works full time at an office job and is doing grad school part time, i'm staring at my screens all the time.
Any chance we can get maybe a top-view camera for the escape room calendar? I think it will help feel a bit more of the experience of you solving it because we may be able to see more. When you give a summary of what you did it could help to see a bit of what was done, like a screen shot of how some board looked when solved, some examples of stuff you decoded. We don't need the full solution, but maybe it would help feel a bit more part of the experience.
I wasn’t able to listen to audiobooks at first unless I was working and using headphones but now listening to it at 2.5 speed helps. My dad used to dress up as Santa and let me and my brother decide when we didn’t believe anymore but when my brother spoiled it at 5/6 my parents spun it so it kept me believing for a while longer so I wouldn’t spoil it for anyone else my age by saying he ment that dad is a helper of Santa and now I get to be a helper elf and help out when he was Santa
My stepson and son are 6.5 years apart and they get along really well. They’re currently 7 and 14. My brother and I were 2 years apart and fought constantly and still aren’t very close. We were just in constant competition for attention and I don’t think our parents did a good job facilitating a relationship. I’m closer to my sister that is 8 years older than me who played a second mom role, also not super healthy. 😅 What I didn’t like about Santa was that it gives kids the assumption that every kid gets big, extravagant gifts on Christmas and like why help the needy then? Santa can just give them gifts. So we work around that bc Santa only fills stockings and brings 1 or 2 gifts at our house. Everything else is from mom and dad, and Santa does not bring technology (the elves don’t know how to make it😂). So when we do angel trees and toy drives my son understands that if people don’t help, some kids won’t get much.
8:50 my older sister and i are 4 years apart. i was happy that in middle and high school i never had to deal with my older sister being at that school, but we did fight a LOT and i think that would’ve been significantly less if we were a little closer in age. my best friend and her sister are 3 years apart and have been best friends most of their lives. my (not so) baby brother is 8 years younger than i, and i am lucky to be kind of a guiding light for him (and his girlfriend especially). that being said, he and my sister are 12 years apart and have not much of a relationship since he doesn’t remember her really living at home. anyway u asked for age gap input and there’s my really long 2 cents. TLDR- 3 years apart seems great, 4-5 i can see there being some dramaaaaa
Just entered the giveaway! This was perfect timing to watch on my lunch break. I really love hearing your opinions and thoughts about various things. Can’t wait for all the new content next year!! ❤
Love Actually is also my fave! And here I was thinking I was the only one. I don´t even know how many times I´ve watched it 😊 And I´m here for your 2025 content. You are going to FOR SURE kick ass!
Yay! I am so enjoying your vlogmas videos! To answer the age gap question…my brother and I are 6 years apart and never got along that well but we are very very different people and I think it has more to do with that than the age gap. My kids are 5 years apart and I was worried about the age gap but the are teenagers now and have always been the BEST of friends. They are so close and I love that for them so much. As a parent even though the age gap was not necessarily planned, it was so nice to be able to enjoy my time with my first and then when my second was born, the first was in kindergarten so I had good quality time with my younger son while his brother was in school. So from my experience, I don’t think the age gap matters as much as personality.
Entered the giveaway! I have been suffering from excruciating headaches as part of my long covid symptoms, so regardless of this giveaway result I will be purchasing one! Thank you for choosing such a great sponsor!
I’m very excited to hear your plans for next year. ❤ Me and my brother are around 3 years apart and it’s perfect. We grew up together, through all the ups and downs of life. We are really close for being a boy/girl friendship. You always hear about sisters or brothers being close but never the opposite. Also my kids are very close to being that same age apart. If I can give some advice from being a mom myself, it’s that you really have to think of the hard times; like potty training, sleep training, house space, how much help you have or can afford for babysitting. And seriously make time for eachother over the “family” like just don’t forget why you’re together cause one kid seems fine… but adding to the chaos becomes so much more family dependent. Meaning you can go out shopping with one kid, but add a three year old and a baby and now go shopping for groceries. It can feel like a lot and if you’re always waiting on your husband to help when he gets home, that just adds to your stress. I need to go to the doctors around 4/5 times a year for health stuff and it’s super hard to take the kids. I have help here and there but not a lot and I don’t overuse it either. The majority of the public is so helpful; holding doors and not caring you have noisy kids or crying babies but that doesn’t make it less anxious in a crowd. Also also because I’m rambling don’t forget about the tantrums coming that you will have to parent through as you have a baby. Seriously just message me if you have any questions on age gap lol 😂 Happy Holidays to your family Rachel! Love watching you!
My sister is almost 4 years older than me and we were always so far removed from each other's reality growing up that we didn't have much of a relationship. However, our personalities were also soooo different too. My kids are 2.5 years apart exactly and it has been GREAT thus far (granted, my youngest is only 15 months old lol)
I definitely think it varies per family, I'm the middle of 3 and I'm 5years apart from each one, my older sister and I did not get along growing up, we basically did our own thing, whereas I think because I wanted that sisterhood I bonded with my little sister waaaay more. I think in childhood closer together is better. But it was nice to be able to go to schools and not overlap too much and have that personal freedom of not being compared.
I entered! That sounds soo nice i always get headaches because i work from home and all I do is just stare at a computer all day. Also love that you watch Perfect Person! That podcast is my fave maybe you can be a guest one day!
Hi Rachel, I am wondering if you could do a vlog or incorporate it into one about the discussion of being an only child and your decision to have more than one child. We have one now and I am always so open to hearing peoples experiences being only children, what they liked and don’t like, etc. I come from having siblings so do not have that experience. I would really love to hear you and Mario share more on this!
I’m an only child married to one of nine! We always knew we wanted at least two, probably 3. Growing up and old child was really lonely as my parents worked full time. I also was adultified really young? I was expected to interact with adults from a very young age because that was the only people I had access to. My parents’ friends didn’t have kids until I was at least 5 and all the kids in my neighborhood also had siblings. I could probably go on about how I think I’m worse for not having siblings (which wasn’t my parents’ choice!) but I’ll leave it at this: every only child I know doesn’t want to have just one.
My brother and I are 2 and a half years apart (I’m the oldest) and I love the age difference between us!! Obviously I don’t know anything else, but when my mom got pregnant with him I was super excited and called him “my baby”. We always were and still are super close and I wouldn’t trade our sibling bond for anything!! Not advice, just my take lol!! Loving vlogmas so far, so excited for the rest!! 💕💖💜🎄
I don’t have kids, but I do have a sister who is two years younger than me. I feel like it’s different for everyone, but my sister and I did not get along great when we were kids. Now as adults, we’re best friends. And since I was so young when she was born, I literally don’t remember life before her
My husband and his sister are only one year/grade apart, and he often felt suffocated and they often got lumped together for things. Whereas, I’m 3 grades (2.5 years) apart from my brother and we really enjoyed that age gap.
My siblings and I are 4 and 5 years apart but as a pregnant FTM thinking about our second baby I never really liked that huge of an age gap. I love my siblings but due to the larger age gaps I didn't feel super connected or close to them until we got older and became adults. This might be because I was the older sibling so I was a teen while my sisters were still in elementary and middle so my interests were way different than them due to the age. For me I think I like the idea of 2 years apart maybe 3 years so they can grow up together and also be able to be in school around the same time. But not too early that I'm dealing with two under two as I heard that's a little difficult. Though I do not have two kids yet since I'm only on baby one right now so I don't have a huge perspective on what raising two children would look like.
I just entered!! I was the same with audiobooks but i love them now. Usually I sit to listen to like the first chapter maybe the second one and pay attention and try to really focus and somehow the ears adapt. After that i can do pretty much everything and focus on the audible. Its like take some time to adapt your ears to the narrator and the story. Hope it helps!
me and my brother are 4 years apart, im older and i think it was great bc it was only the two of us.. if they’re were more siblings the gap would be too much
Hi! Silent viewer here! But omg I love my siblings and I age gaps! My sister and I are 9years, my brother and I are 4, and my sister and brother are 5! I loved that we each got our own spotlight and moment with our parents! Getting their undivided attention! Unpopular opinion I live for and love big age gaps!
My brother and I are 2.5 years apart and I think it's a really good age gap. I wasn't old enough to like change diapers or anything and we grew up together. Also I have a 15 month old and the age gap thing is constantly on my mind. We'll probably be trying late next year too!!
8:49 All my siblings have a large age gap. My sister is 8 years older than me and my older brother is 6 years older than me and my younger brother is 4 years younger than me. I always wanted a closer sibling as a kid. There is value in a large age gap because you learn from your older siblings mistakes. I also moved in with my aunt and uncle when I was 15 and my cousin was a year and half younger than me. That was a cool experience because we got to go through high school together and tell each other secrets that we didn’t tell our parents lol. When I have kids, I hope to have them closer in age.
I'm a had an older sibling 13 years older and two younger siblings 3 years and 10 years younger. I was closer to my younger siblings. The closest with my sibling that is 10 years younger. I believe it's the personality of the sibling not their age that makes the difference.
I have a 3 year age gap between me and my sister, and another 3 to the next brother. I think 3 years is great! Me and my sister are best friends. I'm now pregnant with my 2nd and we'll have an almost 3 year gap. I can't say from experience on them yet, but I can see on my 1st how much more independent she is and I feel she's in a much better place to accept the new baby And also, her Independence will allow us the option to focus on the new baby more than if she was younger, so we expect it to be more manageable for us as parents
I have a 9 year age gap with both of my sisters and it's a hit or miss. My older sister and I were not close until we became adults and my little sister and I were thick as thieves for the entirety of our childhoods. My older sister resented the fact that I took away the fact that she was an only child and my little sister was the answer to me wanting someone to play with.
Skyjo is a great, easy card game I would recommend to anyone. The rules are simple and straightforward, so it's a great game you can play while still carrying on a conversation around the table.
Re age gap: I am 26 and I have two sisters- one is 23 months younger than me and the other is 5 years younger than me and I’m close with both of them, but closest to my youngest sister. They have a three year age gap and have tended to argue more, but I think it really comes down to personality than age. :)
Less than 4 is ideal. My sister and I are two years apart and really close. My brother and I are 4 years apart and really close. That makes my sister and brother 6 years apart and they fought like cats and dogs.
We got our son a fluffy orange cat for his first birthday. It was great to do before he could walk confidently; so the cat could run away, while acclimating to our home. It was a great idea. They have bonded (even though he is a bit rough). He loved my 2 older babies (cats) but they were both kind yet standoffish. I hope the experience it equally as wonderful for you! 3 cats with 3 humans is the perfect equation in my opinion!
Entered the Giveaway! Also I asked the pet question, and it always make me laugh when you refer to August as Goosey, because that's the name of one of my cats. Well, her government name is Lucy, but she's a little gray cat and so it became Gray Goose, and now almost exclusively referred to as Goose, or Goose-Goose.
My two boys are 3.5 years apart and I love that gap. My oldest was out of diapers when I had my second, which was amazing. And now they are currently 12 and almost 9, they are best friends, but they also each have their own individual friend group and activities so they get a good amount of together time and separation. We debated having a third for a long time, but ultimately decided that we could do a lot more as a family of four than a family of five just for logistical reasons and financial reasons, so I’m happy we decided to stop at 2.
A lot of the time, when UA-camrs have sponsorships, I click the link and get disappointed by the price, but holy crap. That is such an amazing deal! I entered the giveaway cause why not, but I'm definitely buying it if I don't win. I'm like you and spend at least 8 hours a day staring at a computer, and I have chronic migraines due to a series of concussions, so this is perfect! As a side note, I did want to add that my oldest sister and I are 6 years apart and my second older sister and I are 17 months apart. I love both my sisters and we get along great (as adults lol) but I have to say growing up, I was a lot closer to my older sister than my oldest sister. The 6-year age gap caused a lot of differences in what we were experiencing, like when I was starting elementary school, my sister was in middle school, and when I was starting middle school, she was graduating. So we didn't really spend time together until I was in high school. Like I said, we're really close now, so don't let age gaps worry you too much, I just thought I'd share my experience since I have two different experiences with age gaps.
Me and my husband are only children too and I’m about to have my second baby early next year. Our kids will be 2 years 2 months apart. I’ve been ready for another for a while but my son has recently fully hit the toddler stage and I’m beginning to think WOW we are in for a ride when this baby gets here😂 but jokes aside, whenever I see my toddler play with other kids I get so excited for him to experience having a sibling. Although I know I am probably romanticise the idea!
I am 4 and 7 years younger than my sisters. I wish i would have had a smaller age gap. Even at 4 years apart we were very close but when she was a teen we spent less time together. I think a 2 year age gap is good. But I have no kids so who am I to say. Dont worry about the space in your house. Kids can share a room.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I’m so sorry that Mario definitely got a melted version of his advent, because I have the same one and my chocolate looks normal and isn’t crumbly. Also just a heads up that some of the flavors have wheat syrup. My husband is GF and I had to check which ones he could eat.
I feel when it comes to the age, it's more about the dynamic that you help foster between them. Like siblings close in age can be the best of friends or resent each other for tagging along or older getting stuck taking care of younger. And then further apart they have nothing in common. I think it helps to put special focus on your older child in the beginning so they don't see the younger as a burden or taking something away from them. Because they have no idea what's going on right, so you can help set their perspective on a positive path!
I get excited every time I see that you have a sponsorship!!! I'm just like "Hell yea Rachel get that bread!!!!" 😂 eye mask looks amazing!! Definitely hyped for the prospect of more content from you!! I would be curious to hear your thoughts on if thinking of your channel as more of a job than a hobby will take the fun out of it for you or if it will just further feed that logistical organizational part of your personality in avery satisfying way ya know? I'm excited for you and excited for us as your viewers!!! Lol
So excited to hear about your plans for 2025! Your content is far and away what i look forward to the most.
I love that you partnered with Bob and Brad. I am in my 30s, but I have a chronic health condition that has caused arthritis. I’ve actually referenced SO many of their videos in the past for help. Honestly wish I could go to them in person. They are amazing. I had to enter the giveaway. If I don’t win, I’ll probably buy one. Such a cool device!
I've been looking at them as well and reading the reviews
since you asked for peoples opinions on age gaps between siblings- i figured i’d share my experience. i am 5 years older than my brother, we are the only siblings and personally i have always loved that age gap. i know some people think 5 years is too much but to be honest- my brother and i are super close and it’s been like that our whole lives. i love that i was old enough to remember the day he was born, i remember when he was little and was able to help my mom take care of him a bit. but also it was nice that we were never in the same school at the same time. obviously you guys are great parents so im sure your children will be happy healthy kids regardless but id say don’t feel like you need to rush to keep a small age gap ❤️
I'm 5 years older than my brother and have had the exact same experience! He's my best friend and we've never had to compete over anything.
@@alliekauffmann7976 aww yeah i totally get it, little brothers are the best!
Definitely after little brothers are the best. I always wanted an older brother but my little brother is the bees knees
Came here to say the same thing. I am 4 years older than my sister and it was less about the age gap and more about the fact that my parents fostered a close relationship with us! ❤😊❤
I swear that the cats will begin to love August as he gets older and bigger. Babies definitely freak a lot of cats out. ❤
When it comes to age gaps, my sister and I are 28 months apart and we enjoy it. You’re close enough in age to play when you’re little kids and close enough in age in adulthood to relate to each other.
I am buckled in and ready for your 2025 content - woohoo! ❤
All of my brothers and I are 1.5 yrs apart. I’m the youngest and I love it! I think it was a really healthy happy dynamic growing up
Aw bummer I won't be able to enter the giveaway but I'm so excited that you have one regardless!
That eye massager looks like it does wonders!
So excited to see what your project for this channel is gonna look like next year, I'm an ooooold subsriber and I'll keep around for sure 😅❤
So my younger brother is 3 years younger than me. And now my kids have a three year age gap. I absolutely love it. My daughter was old enough to help and understand that her brother was new and not replacing her. That's what i noticed with my friends who had kids very close. They got jealous of the younger sibling. So having her a little older i think helped her understand what a sibling was. 😊
My siblings and I are 7 & 8 years apart. We do not have close relationships because of the large gap…however when I decided to have kids, I thought 2-3 years was best. My kids get to go to elementary and HS together for a few years together. My kids have been close and supportive of each other through the years. That worked best for us. Ultimately, it’s what works for you and your family.
So excited to hear about the plans you have for this channel! You have quickly become one of my top 3 favourite UA-camrs! ❤
Let me preface my statement with two things:
1. I don't think that telling your kid Santa exists is a "lie" - if you want to keep it magical for your kid, that's amazing
2. Not doing Santa because it feels dishonest is also totally valid and everyone needs to do what feels best for them and their family
I feel like there's a middle ground between these two options and that's where my family has landed. My kid is 4 and has asked me point blank if Santa was real and I was truthful and said that Santa is pretend. Kids totally understand pretend and we've still had fun talking about going to visit Santa at the mall and what he's going to ask for from Santa, but being truthful in that way means that I don't have to worry about the logical inconsistencies surrounding Santa or worry about a Christmas movie or show spoiling Santa for him.
That's also my line for things like Disneyland - when he was scared or overwhelmed by something, we would talk about how everything at Disneyland is just for pretend and how sometimes it's fun to do something scary when we know it's pretend and that we're safe.
So excited for your content in 2025 😍
On sibling age: I think it’s more about personality and family dynamic than age gap. I have an older brother whose 5 years older, a twin sister(not really relevant for most but I have a lot of thoughts on twins too), and a younger brother who is 9 years younger.
For my older brother, I never remember being close as kids and then once me and my sister reached college we got closer. We had wildly different interests and hobbies. He was a big sports guy with a male cousin who was his age that we saw every day he just naturally spent more time fostering that relationship.
For my younger brother, before me and my sister left for college we were always super close to him. I think it was being old enough to really be aware he was being born and get to be excited. The negative to me on an age gap this big is that once me and my sister went to college hours away when he was 9 and didn’t have a phone we didn’t talk much. I always feel he is living half of his childhood with siblings and without since he had us in the house until he was 9 and now he’ll do 9-18 by himself as an only child.
So there’s all my thoughts and sibling dynamics. When me and my husband talk about having kids I think we’ve decided somewhere around a 3 year age gap may give them the best shot at being best friends. They are close enough in age so they are going through similar things (get to do a year of high school and college together) but far enough that they wouldn’t be default lumped together like some super small age gaps do.
All hail smutty books ! 😂😂😊
Entered the giveaway! As someone with chronic migraines the eye mask would be such a big help! Glad to see you have a sponsorship!
Here’s my experience as a sibling, and as a parent of two. I have a brother who is 10 years older than me, and one who is 3 1/2 years younger than me. I adored my older brother, still do, and looked up to him very much, but we were never especially close because of the large age difference. He also moved out of the house when I was 10. My little brother and I were pretty close growing up and still are.
My two daughters are two years and two months apart. I got pregnant with our second when our first was just about 18 months old. It was pretty challenging for the first year or two with both of them being that little. I think ideally, I would’ve preferred to have at least another six months in between their ages . They are currently seven and 4 1/2, five in February, and are very close. They play really well together most of the time, and it makes my heart so happy! Obviously there are so many factors that go into it, but if someone were to ask me the ideal age gap between siblings, I would probably say 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years.
I have three younger siblings, and I love them all so much, but I’m closest to my youngest brother, who is seven years younger than me. I think it had to do with there being no competition between us growing up because we were at such different stages of life. We could just be fully supportive of each other. We talk to each other every day now
i’m loving vlogmas, rachel!
Thanks for putting the time it takes to solve the advent puzzle. I thought it was like 3 minutes but the recent ones have been 10 or 15!
I have a little brother and we are 8 years apart. I always felt like him and I were in two completely different stages of life. I always wanted a sibling closer in age to experience the same things with. But you know what’s best for your body and when you’re ready. I definitely think August would be an amazing sibling with whatever gab you guys decide. Love your channel so much! 💛💛
I have a 8 and 2 year gap between my brothers (I'm the middle one)
There are stages in life where we feel more connected than others
And right now (30s and 20s) we have a better understanding of life and one another. We're a team whose main goal is to give back to our parents
Sibling age gap thought! I’m the oldest of 4, and there are 5, 13, and 18 years between me and my siblings. I don’t view any of them as my “best friends” or anything, but I love all of my siblings so much and I don’t think I ever felt left out or anything for not having siblings close in age
You guys are killing the advent calendar!!
Not the "bless up!" 😂
I have an 8 month old and we’re currently trying for number two (and last baby) so they can play together asap! I love having a sister close in age. Plus I don’t know if I could deal with a feral 3 year old when I have a newborn. But my OB said I’m young and healthy with no risk factors and had a great first pregnancy so there’s no huge reason to wait
oldest of two here: I LOVED the age gap i had with my little sister growing up. we're 2.5 years apart (two years in school) and i loved seeing her around the building when we were in school together like i would've been heartbroken if when we left elementary school we'd never be in the same building again, if that makes sense. all that being said, we definitely fought and butted heads more because we were so close in age so obviously there's good and there's bad. excited for however your family grows!
Myself & my older brother are 3 years apart. We are very close we were able to enjoy going to school together but also have enough of a gap that we enjoyed our separate friends but now that we are older we also have a lot
Of things in common.
100% agree with your sentiments on Santa. My son is 2.5yrs old and is so excited about the magic of Santa 💕
Yesss, was refreshing until the new vlogmas popped up 🙌🏻❤
loved being 3.5 years apart with my brother. close enough that we had things in common but far enough apart we had totally different friend groups in school!
No Tony's choc is normally very smooth so must be as it had melted. Very excited for 2025 content on your channel!! Xxx
Oh! That’s a bummer. It’s still yummy!
Closeness with siblings has more to do with personality than age gap. Neither my husband or I are close with our siblings ( 2 to 4 year age gaps). My parents are both from very large families, and they are each only close with a few siblings. My kids ( teen and tween) are 5 years apart and get along really well, but we'll see what happens as they become adults.
Congrats on the sponsor and thanks for the chance to win the giveaway 😊
Here to recommend the strapsicle over the pop socket 😊
definitely entered this giveaway!! as someone who works full time at an office job and is doing grad school part time, i'm staring at my screens all the time.
Any chance we can get maybe a top-view camera for the escape room calendar?
I think it will help feel a bit more of the experience of you solving it because we may be able to see more.
When you give a summary of what you did it could help to see a bit of what was done, like a screen shot of how some board looked when solved, some examples of stuff you decoded.
We don't need the full solution, but maybe it would help feel a bit more part of the experience.
I’ll work on this! I’m a few days ahead of myself so you’ll see it around day 14!
I wasn’t able to listen to audiobooks at first unless I was working and using headphones but now listening to it at 2.5 speed helps. My dad used to dress up as Santa and let me and my brother decide when we didn’t believe anymore but when my brother spoiled it at 5/6 my parents spun it so it kept me believing for a while longer so I wouldn’t spoil it for anyone else my age by saying he ment that dad is a helper of Santa and now I get to be a helper elf and help out when he was Santa
My stepson and son are 6.5 years apart and they get along really well. They’re currently 7 and 14. My brother and I were 2 years apart and fought constantly and still aren’t very close. We were just in constant competition for attention and I don’t think our parents did a good job facilitating a relationship. I’m closer to my sister that is 8 years older than me who played a second mom role, also not super healthy. 😅
What I didn’t like about Santa was that it gives kids the assumption that every kid gets big, extravagant gifts on Christmas and like why help the needy then? Santa can just give them gifts. So we work around that bc Santa only fills stockings and brings 1 or 2 gifts at our house. Everything else is from mom and dad, and Santa does not bring technology (the elves don’t know how to make it😂). So when we do angel trees and toy drives my son understands that if people don’t help, some kids won’t get much.
What a fun giveaway! I entered 😊 Happy vlogmas 🎄🎅🎁
8:50 my older sister and i are 4 years apart. i was happy that in middle and high school i never had to deal with my older sister being at that school, but we did fight a LOT and i think that would’ve been significantly less if we were a little closer in age. my best friend and her sister are 3 years apart and have been best friends most of their lives. my (not so) baby brother is 8 years younger than i, and i am lucky to be kind of a guiding light for him (and his girlfriend especially). that being said, he and my sister are 12 years apart and have not much of a relationship since he doesn’t remember her really living at home.
anyway u asked for age gap input and there’s my really long 2 cents.
TLDR- 3 years apart seems great, 4-5 i can see there being some dramaaaaa
I believed in Santa till 7th grade and I love that my parents let me have this 😂
Just entered the giveaway!
This was perfect timing to watch on my lunch break. I really love hearing your opinions and thoughts about various things. Can’t wait for all the new content next year!! ❤
I just want to say that I’m super proud of you (in the least creepy way possible 😂). ❤
Love Actually is also my fave! And here I was thinking I was the only one. I don´t even know how many times I´ve watched it 😊 And I´m here for your 2025 content. You are going to FOR SURE kick ass!
Yay! I am so enjoying your vlogmas videos! To answer the age gap question…my brother and I are 6 years apart and never got along that well but we are very very different people and I think it has more to do with that than the age gap. My kids are 5 years apart and I was worried about the age gap but the are teenagers now and have always been the BEST of friends. They are so close and I love that for them so much. As a parent even though the age gap was not necessarily planned, it was so nice to be able to enjoy my time with my first and then when my second was born, the first was in kindergarten so I had good quality time with my younger son while his brother was in school. So from my experience, I don’t think the age gap matters as much as personality.
Entered the giveaway! I have been suffering from excruciating headaches as part of my long covid symptoms, so regardless of this giveaway result I will be purchasing one! Thank you for choosing such a great sponsor!
Sponsorship girl go off 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I’m very excited to hear your plans for next year. ❤
Me and my brother are around 3 years apart and it’s perfect. We grew up together, through all the ups and downs of life. We are really close for being a boy/girl friendship. You always hear about sisters or brothers being close but never the opposite. Also my kids are very close to being that same age apart.
If I can give some advice from being a mom myself, it’s that you really have to think of the hard times; like potty training, sleep training, house space, how much help you have or can afford for babysitting. And seriously make time for eachother over the “family” like just don’t forget why you’re together cause one kid seems fine… but adding to the chaos becomes so much more family dependent. Meaning you can go out shopping with one kid, but add a three year old and a baby and now go shopping for groceries. It can feel like a lot and if you’re always waiting on your husband to help when he gets home, that just adds to your stress.
I need to go to the doctors around 4/5 times a year for health stuff and it’s super hard to take the kids. I have help here and there but not a lot and I don’t overuse it either. The majority of the public is so helpful; holding doors and not caring you have noisy kids or crying babies but that doesn’t make it less anxious in a crowd. Also also because I’m rambling don’t forget about the tantrums coming that you will have to parent through as you have a baby.
Seriously just message me if you have any questions on age gap lol 😂
Happy Holidays to your family Rachel! Love watching you!
My sister is almost 4 years older than me and we were always so far removed from each other's reality growing up that we didn't have much of a relationship. However, our personalities were also soooo different too.
My kids are 2.5 years apart exactly and it has been GREAT thus far (granted, my youngest is only 15 months old lol)
YOU LISTEN TO MILES!!! I LOVE MILES
Miles nation!
@RachelRambles have you seen him on the try guys when he zachs goth boyfriend? I love him
I definitely think it varies per family, I'm the middle of 3 and I'm 5years apart from each one, my older sister and I did not get along growing up, we basically did our own thing, whereas I think because I wanted that sisterhood I bonded with my little sister waaaay more.
I think in childhood closer together is better. But it was nice to be able to go to schools and not overlap too much and have that personal freedom of not being compared.
I entered! That sounds soo nice i always get headaches because i work from home and all I do is just stare at a computer all day. Also love that you watch Perfect Person! That podcast is my fave maybe you can be a guest one day!
Hi Rachel, I am wondering if you could do a vlog or incorporate it into one about the discussion of being an only child and your decision to have more than one child. We have one now and I am always so open to hearing peoples experiences being only children, what they liked and don’t like, etc. I come from having siblings so do not have that experience. I would really love to hear you and Mario share more on this!
I’m an only child married to one of nine! We always knew we wanted at least two, probably 3. Growing up and old child was really lonely as my parents worked full time. I also was adultified really young? I was expected to interact with adults from a very young age because that was the only people I had access to. My parents’ friends didn’t have kids until I was at least 5 and all the kids in my neighborhood also had siblings. I could probably go on about how I think I’m worse for not having siblings (which wasn’t my parents’ choice!) but I’ll leave it at this: every only child I know doesn’t want to have just one.
Audiobooks at 1.5x or 2x speed might do the trick! I had the same experience before speeding it up a bit, really helped my brain to latch on
This is interesting bc I do watch UA-cam on 2x speed!
ENTERED - have migraines would appreciate winning the eye massager. 3 yr old makes me exhausted and work in front of a screen
My brother and I are 2 and a half years apart (I’m the oldest) and I love the age difference between us!! Obviously I don’t know anything else, but when my mom got pregnant with him I was super excited and called him “my baby”. We always were and still are super close and I wouldn’t trade our sibling bond for anything!! Not advice, just my take lol!! Loving vlogmas so far, so excited for the rest!! 💕💖💜🎄
I don’t have kids, but I do have a sister who is two years younger than me. I feel like it’s different for everyone, but my sister and I did not get along great when we were kids. Now as adults, we’re best friends. And since I was so young when she was born, I literally don’t remember life before her
My husband and his sister are only one year/grade apart, and he often felt suffocated and they often got lumped together for things. Whereas, I’m 3 grades (2.5 years) apart from my brother and we really enjoyed that age gap.
I’m excited for you! ❤
My siblings and I are 4 and 5 years apart but as a pregnant FTM thinking about our second baby I never really liked that huge of an age gap. I love my siblings but due to the larger age gaps I didn't feel super connected or close to them until we got older and became adults. This might be because I was the older sibling so I was a teen while my sisters were still in elementary and middle so my interests were way different than them due to the age. For me I think I like the idea of 2 years apart maybe 3 years so they can grow up together and also be able to be in school around the same time. But not too early that I'm dealing with two under two as I heard that's a little difficult. Though I do not have two kids yet since I'm only on baby one right now so I don't have a huge perspective on what raising two children would look like.
YYAAAAASSSSSS 🎉🎉🎉🎉 Rachels Version 2025 Boss lady!
I don't need to win- BUT- I agree, they are FANTASTIC it's the best feeling on your eyes!!
The eye massager looks perfecttt for relaxing after gaming or a long day at work! Entered the giveaway 🤗
I have 2 cats. They were indifferent to our son until he was about 18mo he now pets them and love on them all the time! They will warm up to him!
Beethoven is already starting to come around!
Love this and you! My brother and I have a six year age gap and we actually get on and have gotten on really well ❤
I just entered!! I was the same with audiobooks but i love them now. Usually I sit to listen to like the first chapter maybe the second one and pay attention and try to really focus and somehow the ears adapt. After that i can do pretty much everything and focus on the audible. Its like take some time to adapt your ears to the narrator and the story. Hope it helps!
Thanks for sharing everything! ❤️ we are in the same boat on wanting to try for another baby next year. We are about to have a 1 year old!
me and my brother are 4 years apart, im older and i think it was great bc it was only the two of us.. if they’re were more siblings the gap would be too much
Hi! Silent viewer here! But omg I love my siblings and I age gaps! My sister and I are 9years, my brother and I are 4, and my sister and brother are 5! I loved that we each got our own spotlight and moment with our parents! Getting their undivided attention! Unpopular opinion I live for and love big age gaps!
My brother and I are 2.5 years apart and I think it's a really good age gap. I wasn't old enough to like change diapers or anything and we grew up together. Also I have a 15 month old and the age gap thing is constantly on my mind. We'll probably be trying late next year too!!
My brother and I are 2 years apart and I really love our age gap!
8:49 All my siblings have a large age gap. My sister is 8 years older than me and my older brother is 6 years older than me and my younger brother is 4 years younger than me. I always wanted a closer sibling as a kid. There is value in a large age gap because you learn from your older siblings mistakes. I also moved in with my aunt and uncle when I was 15 and my cousin was a year and half younger than me. That was a cool experience because we got to go through high school together and tell each other secrets that we didn’t tell our parents lol. When I have kids, I hope to have them closer in age.
I'm a had an older sibling 13 years older and two younger siblings 3 years and 10 years younger. I was closer to my younger siblings. The closest with my sibling that is 10 years younger. I believe it's the personality of the sibling not their age that makes the difference.
I have a 3 year age gap between me and my sister, and another 3 to the next brother.
I think 3 years is great!
Me and my sister are best friends.
I'm now pregnant with my 2nd and we'll have an almost 3 year gap.
I can't say from experience on them yet, but I can see on my 1st how much more independent she is and I feel she's in a much better place to accept the new baby
And also, her Independence will allow us the option to focus on the new baby more than if she was younger, so we expect it to be more manageable for us as parents
So excited to see what 2025 brings! I love your videos and post! ❤ I also entered
I just entered!!! My husband spends 9 hours a day on the computer for work and I would love to be able to gift him the eye massager!
My comfort creator 🥹🩷
🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
Speaking on my own experience, I have a sibling that is 4 years younger and we are super close. Basically bestfriends.
Just entered! And loved the Q&A 😊
That would be awesome if you could be a full time UA-camr! Good for you!! We love you!
I have a 9 year age gap with both of my sisters and it's a hit or miss. My older sister and I were not close until we became adults and my little sister and I were thick as thieves for the entirety of our childhoods. My older sister resented the fact that I took away the fact that she was an only child and my little sister was the answer to me wanting someone to play with.
That eye massager looks amazing ngl! What a cool giveaway! I entered!! ❤
Skyjo is a great, easy card game I would recommend to anyone. The rules are simple and straightforward, so it's a great game you can play while still carrying on a conversation around the table.
Omg I went to a hippy dippy New Hampshire summer camp …. Did you go to Windsor mountain 😮 lol
No I worked at the Audubon!
Just entered the contest. That looks so relaxing!
Re age gap: I am 26 and I have two sisters- one is 23 months younger than me and the other is 5 years younger than me and I’m close with both of them, but closest to my youngest sister. They have a three year age gap and have tended to argue more, but I think it really comes down to personality than age. :)
Less than 4 is ideal. My sister and I are two years apart and really close. My brother and I are 4 years apart and really close. That makes my sister and brother 6 years apart and they fought like cats and dogs.
We got our son a fluffy orange cat for his first birthday. It was great to do before he could walk confidently; so the cat could run away, while acclimating to our home. It was a great idea. They have bonded (even though he is a bit rough). He loved my 2 older babies (cats) but they were both kind yet standoffish. I hope the experience it equally as wonderful for you! 3 cats with 3 humans is the perfect equation in my opinion!
Love this!!!
Entered the Giveaway! Also I asked the pet question, and it always make me laugh when you refer to August as Goosey, because that's the name of one of my cats. Well, her government name is Lucy, but she's a little gray cat and so it became Gray Goose, and now almost exclusively referred to as Goose, or Goose-Goose.
So excited for a sponsorship! I entered 💜
I entered the giveaway!! I love all your vlogs!
My two boys are 3.5 years apart and I love that gap. My oldest was out of diapers when I had my second, which was amazing. And now they are currently 12 and almost 9, they are best friends, but they also each have their own individual friend group and activities so they get a good amount of together time and separation. We debated having a third for a long time, but ultimately decided that we could do a lot more as a family of four than a family of five just for logistical reasons and financial reasons, so I’m happy we decided to stop at 2.
A lot of the time, when UA-camrs have sponsorships, I click the link and get disappointed by the price, but holy crap. That is such an amazing deal! I entered the giveaway cause why not, but I'm definitely buying it if I don't win. I'm like you and spend at least 8 hours a day staring at a computer, and I have chronic migraines due to a series of concussions, so this is perfect!
As a side note, I did want to add that my oldest sister and I are 6 years apart and my second older sister and I are 17 months apart. I love both my sisters and we get along great (as adults lol) but I have to say growing up, I was a lot closer to my older sister than my oldest sister. The 6-year age gap caused a lot of differences in what we were experiencing, like when I was starting elementary school, my sister was in middle school, and when I was starting middle school, she was graduating. So we didn't really spend time together until I was in high school. Like I said, we're really close now, so don't let age gaps worry you too much, I just thought I'd share my experience since I have two different experiences with age gaps.
Me and my husband are only children too and I’m about to have my second baby early next year. Our kids will be 2 years 2 months apart. I’ve been ready for another for a while but my son has recently fully hit the toddler stage and I’m beginning to think WOW we are in for a ride when this baby gets here😂 but jokes aside, whenever I see my toddler play with other kids I get so excited for him to experience having a sibling. Although I know I am probably romanticise the idea!
My sister and I are three years apart and it’s the best age gap i think ever.
I am 4 and 7 years younger than my sisters. I wish i would have had a smaller age gap. Even at 4 years apart we were very close but when she was a teen we spent less time together. I think a 2 year age gap is good. But I have no kids so who am I to say. Dont worry about the space in your house. Kids can share a room.