how hard is it?

[~*clairesmum*~]

from going from 1 child to a 2nd one, as i want a 2nd baby dp is starting to saythings that he wants one ie when at target going through baby stuff for claire n he was pointing out stff that he wanted when we have a 2nd one, ayway we have all ready desided to ttc next sep so theres more then a 2yr gap which is fine with me cause then i get to spe 2yrs with just claire, but how har is it? n the moey side of it as well?? as im a sahm he works n he only gets 600 a wk from work we also get 400 a fortnite from centre link, which is good but i really want to no those 2 questions plz,

ps in the nesxt 6mths there is going to be 4babys born in my family, so there goes he clucky for mths lol

[punkbaby]

I wouldnt say financially its hard its more so learning to manage your time with two young ones, i found 1 to 2 harder than 2 to 3. I guess it was easy i felt as i had one child to look after they slept i slept or i did housework etc, when you have two you have to try and get both to sleep which can be testing, when they are sick its testing. In saying that though its not hard hard i mean 2 years is a pretty good age personally i wouldnt go any younger than 2 years difference. If you have your toddler in a good routine and they know to hold your hand when your down the shops etc, all these little things really help when you have a newborn :)

Financially as you have everything its not a huge difference mainly only food and nappies if you are happy to use everything again the basics like clothes, singlets socks etc you can use again as well although i admit each bubs i have bought new stuff for LOL but my cloth nappies, blankets sheets etc furniture and what not have all been recycled with every child :)

Good luck i am sure you will manage fine :)

[alisando01]

my DH makes less per week than urs. we get almost $600 per f/n from c/link with 2. we live quite comfortably and use a lot of 'hand me downs'. Financially i think it is a bit easier with 2.

[amumslove]

I agree that going from 1 to 2 was harder than 2 to 3, But you adapt pretty quickly. Money wise it doesn't make much difference if you already have everything. My DH makes just under $600 a week and i get just under $700 a f/n It is a struggle but the bills get paid and there is food in the cupboards. Just not as many luxuries.:wave:

[bellamia3]

I don't think it makes a great deal of difference financially, I think if you can cope well now you will manage fine with a second. I have three kids now but when we had our first it was financially a struggle. DH made about $500 and c/link gave me just over $200 a f/n (why did I only get 200..lol?!!) it must have increased over the last 6yrs.
Now we find we manage really well, his income is quite good and c/link give me $500 a f/n. We are better of now than we were with two kids and me working part-time.
I had 3 years gap between my first two and that suited me fine, I found the transition easy and really enjoyable. By three they are usually toilet-trained, less dependent on you, easier to take out and my dd being a girl mothered her baby brother as much as me! lol.
good luck.

[mmg]

How do you manage to get 400 a fortnight?? my dh earns just over 600 and i can only get 240 a fortnight! I would love to be able to get a bit of extra money from centrelink, it would mean that i dont have to go back to work and can stay at home with my 11 wk old ds!

[punkbaby]

its all worked out by what you earn assets and how many children you have, plus rent assistance among other things :) i get 80 a fn :( and i am the only one working

[alisando01]

yes rent assistance big help. Also DH is earning a very low income. only just over $30000 per year so we get low income assistance too

[SummerLion]

The finances of baby #2 is something I've been wondering about also, but wowie I think things are a bit different where I live! lol. One person I see said they are on a low income with just over 30,000 a year. My husband only makes maybe 28,000 and we just now became considered making too much for low income help. We don't get assitance at all. We used to get food but since his new job and pay bump we don't get help at all. Don't get me wrong, DS has never wanted for anything. He's got toys galore, all the "needs", never ran out of food or clothes etc. But we have this dinky little car and a tiny apartment, and to be able to move out and get to somewhere big enough for us we have to get a room mate. Well, we wouldn't have to if I was working but I have some medical reasons why I am not. Anyways, I live in the U.S though so things are a lot different.

I know financially we aren't ready for a baby, but I have still been curious what its like on the finances to have baby #2. And just plain what its like to have baby #2. As far as sleeping routines go, I think our only problem would be getting the new baby to sleep, as DS sleeps like a rock 12 hours straight through the night, and has since 1 month old lol. Hopefully the second baby would be as good! I have this aweful feeling that I've already been blessed with one good baby, so the next one will be like sick all the time or something! Hehe.

P.S. If anyone reads this reply, what is center link? (just out of curiosity)

[alisando01]

P.S. If anyone reads this reply, what is center link? (just out of curiosity)

Centrelink is our social security system. The government reckons that a better name makes it better to deal with (which it doesn't) and imho they can't give the right advise and really need someone to sue them 4 misinformation (sorry little vent, they have cost me $144 bcoz of misinformation)