Skip to content

Just added to your cart

    Qty:
    View cart ()
    Logo
    Log in Cart
    0 items
    • Shop
      Heartbeat Animals Accessories Supplies Gender Reveal Supplies Ultrasound Gifts Bargain Cave Sponsorship
    • About Us
      Our History FAQs Videos
    • Pregnancy Blog
    • Find Retailers
    • Become a Wholesaler
    • Sponsorship
    • Contact Us
    Access Denied
    IMPORTANT! If you’re a store owner, please make sure you have Customer accounts enabled in your Store Admin, as you have customer based locks set up with EasyLockdown app. Enable Customer Accounts
    Featured image

    Having Stairstep Kids

    by Elizabeth MacDonald April 30, 2020

    The term 'Stairstep Children' has been around for decades, but it isn't spoken as much as it once was. Let's be honest, if you hear these words, they tend to be from the mouth of a grandmother or a great-grandmother in line at the grocery store. After moving to the Midwest, I was told that I had stairstep children at least a dozen times. This lead me to do what I do best: research. I feel as though most of the people using this term, use it in an affectionate way -- almost as if they are wanting to tell me about their 6 stairstep children they raised. But there are also many times in which the term is followed with, "One was enough for me!" and those are the times that I hate these words!

    ss

    What Are Stairstep Children?

    According to the big world of cyber space, I have combined a few definitions to try and appease the masses here. Stairstep kids are 3 or more siblings born with similar space gaps between their ages. For example, a family with a 6, 4, 2-year old and newborn at home have stairstep kids. Another family with 7, 4, and 1-year olds are also considered to be stairstepped. The term is generally used when referring to siblings 1-2.5 years apart, but I'm going to go with a broader definition to include large age gaps as well. The catch is this: true stairsteppers are not typically planned, but instead, the way the body naturally conceives at the same time after each baby is born. But, again, I'll be a little more liberal and allow this definition to include planned stairstepped siblings that occur when the parents want and not when the body is ready!

    ss3

    Families with stairstep children generally get asked (or told) many random (and unsolicited) things when out and about with their kids:
    Don't you know how babies are made?
    ss10
    MY! You have your hands full!
    I'm tired just looking at you all.
    ss4
    You sure do have a lot of helpers with you today.
    Are they all yours?
    ss9
    Are those two twins?
    Are you done or will you have more?
    ss7
    I don't know how you do it.
    I could never have had 3 (4, 5, etc).
    ss2
    And my favorite... "Better you than me!"

    ss1

    I'll throw this out there, we have five babies ages 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 years old. Our age gaps were pretty close to exactly 2 years between the first four, and then a very unexpected 17-month age gap with #5. I wouldn't have it any other way, although this last age gap definitely did me in! Our kids are best friends with each other. They spend all day, every day together -- and normally sleep together at night. Sure, they fight, but that's part of life! Having several kids close in age is hard, but it is also worth it, and I guess I'm not alone in feeling this way! There seem to be plenty of us 'stairstep' mamas out there to keep this term alive and well. Now it's up to us to make sure that it is always used in a positive manner because someday we'll be the grandparents who comment on a family in line at the grocery store, and we want our words to only register in a happy way.

    ss11

    Back to My Baby's Heartbeat Bear
    Spread the word! Share this:
    • Share on Facebook
    • Tweet on Twitter
    • Pin on Pinterest

    Leave a comment

    Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

    Invalid password
    Enter
    fea

    Featured On

    • Logo
    • Logo
    • Logo
    • Logo
    • Logo
    Badge
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    Subscribe and Save!

    Receive updates, access to exclusive deals, and more!

    Shop
    • My Baby’s Heartbeat Bear
    • My Angel’s Heartbeat Bear
    • My Furbaby’s Heartbeat Bear
    • Gender Reveal Gifts
    Support
    • Contact Us
    • Shipping & Returns
    • FAQs
    • Search
    • Accessibility Statement
    Find Out More
    • Store Locator
    • Become a Wholesaler
    • Login
    • Blog
    • About Us
    Download the App

    Record your baby’s heartbeat with our app for safekeeping

    FIND OUT MORE
    © 2020 My Baby's Heartbeat Bear. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions
    Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device
    • Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
    • Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection.
    • Blue Gender Reveal Shirt
    • Pink Gender Reveal Shirt
    • Camo Shirt
    • Gender Reveal Kit
    • Custom Logo Shirt
    • Gift Card
    • Product Catalog Digital Download
    • Graduation Bear