I have a 9 year age gap between DD2 and DD3. When DD3 arrived it was total chaos, emergency c/s 6 weeks early, so we were totally unprepared. She had to stay in hospital for 3 extra weeks, which gave me a lot of time to spend with my older girls. Once DD3 came home, thankfully on the last day of term, we had 2 weeks of school holidays to spend together. The girls wanted to help with everything, but I made sure that they still continued with their usual routines of activities.

School pickups were a little harder, as it was winter, so I had a few close friends that would bring my girls home for me, so that I didn't have to take the baby out in bad weather, but most days I would go and do school runs myself. I managed to work bubs routine so that she would be ready for a little awake time so that I would walk her in the pram to pick up the girls.

The girls wanted to help all the time with the little one, and even now they still do. They were really excited when she started kinder and school. They have been to all of her concerts and performances. Even though there is this big age gap, its totally awesome, the older girls take her out for lunch now, and shopping. They help her with her homework. The only thing I have found is the DD3 has so much energy that I am exhausted by her never ending bounding everywhere and wanting to do everything in a hurry!