Do you have an age of children you dislike the most?

I'm finding my DSS hard work at the moment. He's 8 and has recently started eye rolling, back chat, having to be told to do something 3, 4, 5 times. He also is going through a weird phase where he desperate to do grown up things like watch a scary film but still cuddles teddies at night so it's hard to suggest an activity that he won't sneer at for being "babyish" but not too old for his age realistically.

15 is HARD

Interesting and very wide variation!
Mine are grown up now.
Two boys two years apart FWIW.
I hated the baby stage.
So many people complaining about 7 to 11 age and I always thought of those as the golden years.
Teenagers? Mine were lovely as were all their friends.
But babies nearly did for me.

Brilliantly put.

When I was teaching...... those upper KS2 girls...oh dear. Give me stroppy teenagers any day of the week! I don't know what it is - but your analysis is as close as it gets.

Abso-freaking-lutely. The worst.

Give me allll the newborns. I'll gladly swap for the teenagers!

How many children you have, what the age gap is and personalities of the children has more of a bearing imo on how easy you find teenagers, than how happy you are (whatever you believe that to be as a result of)

Having a 3 year old in 2020

Approaching teens and starting to find it difficult

Babies/toddlers/young children are tiring but good parenting is fairly basic and straightforward (if there’s no additional needs etc).

But as they approach teens and into the teen years I think it’s so much harder to know what the right thing to do is, how to be a good parent all the while having to loosen the reigns. It feels so daunting!

Having worked with children over many years I'd say ages 8-10 are my least favourite. My eldest daughter is approaching 8 and I can already see it coming! The cockiness, the thinking they know better, the eye rolls alongside the silliness and having to allow them to start dealing with the social consequences of their behaviours without intervening too much i.e: falling out with friends etc. Obviously she remains one of my favourite people in the world who I would die for in an instant but my word I know the next couple years my head is going to be so done in....and then it's the middle ones turn 😂 also girls are waaaaay more annoying at that age than boys in my opinion.

13-15 - at their moody, teenage worst.

Same. 3-10 was just lovely .

8-12

Ugh!

love my kids at any age.

13 and 14 was my immediate response. I am SO relieved to see so many people put 13 or 13 to 15. Perhaps it isn't me and my kids after all. It is normal and there will be light at the end of the tunnel!!

12 year old boys are the worst. actually maybe 13 too seeing as my 13 year old keeps telling me to “shut up”. (But the 15 year old is more civil these days).

5 year olds are the best.

@SleepingStandingUp 😭 I'd best enjoy the next 9 months

What I also think you need to take into consideration is where you are with your own happiness- so teenage years for me is great but I am relationship, financial, career and health wise the best I have ever been so it will feel easier IYKWIM

I can't recommend investing in your own support system, find a good group of friends and spend time building a life outside the family - to give you perspective. Get interests outside the family- a hobby, your career etc it will help you mentally endure the hard parts of parenting

As a parent I hated the baby stage- I was bored, isolated and thoroughly unimpressed with my life (used to having an exciting career)
Loved the toddler stage and each year loved it more.
Teenagers is by far my favourite but also most challenging in terms of the lows are lower but are few and far between. I think sleep and hormones (of yourself) is massively impacting hence why I love the teenage years - same drama and irrational behaviour (demonstrated in sarcasm rather than tantrums) but they are so independent and amazing to be around the majority of the time

Toddlers and 14-18

Loved the baby stage and from about 3.5 - the end of primary school.

Toddlers are Hard Work, tantrummy and you’re constantly worried about keeping them alive. Teenagers are basically the exact same but bigger, smellier and with even more attitude. They also cost a fuckton.

I’ve got 2 teenagers and an 11 year old. The younger one is bloody adorable but I know what’s in store so it’s very bitter sweet.

Nah, she's just not reached 9 yet 👍🤣🤣🤣

My daughter is nearly 15. I thoroughly dislike the age between 13 and 16.
I've worked with children for 20 years, in various roles; and I can confidently say that it is the age and not the individual that I dislike. My daughter does have the additional complexity of being autistic, and everything is magnified because of that (eg, levels of irritation).

0-1, 11-12, and 17-18 years have been hardest ime.

Newborn... Yuck! I'm loving toddler and teach primary so I'm sure I'll enjoy those ages, too.

I disliked 12-18 months intensely.

I didn't like 3 with my eldest. My youngest is just three and still lovely.

My eldest is now 8, and I'm hating it.

Newborn is my absolute favourite.

12 to whenever!

Anyone got any tips for dealing with the rudeness, eye rolling, provocative behaviour?

Not all the time, just daily at the moment!