To ask if anybody actually enjoys parenting toddlers?

I try and remember that those tough few weeks usually always precede a jump in development and a lovely new phase with new skills tends to come next.

The toddler stage was hard! DS1 was sodding hard work and it was awful. DS2 was a delight but it’s still hard when they can’t do anything much but want to get into everything and everywhere. They’re now 10 and 8 which are totally wonderful ages, they’re such fun and my heart aches when we’re not together. It does get better. I look back on the baby and toddler years with some fondness now with my rose tinted glasses but bloody hell was it hard going back then, I only survived it because I’d met some lovely mum friends at baby groups!

Mine's very sweet and funny but has about 300 meltdowns a day over the tiniest things. I much preferred the baby stage and I work with teenagers and they are easier to reason with than toddlers!

I love seeing my 18 month old daughter learn new things and how pleased it makes her. I love cuddles with her.

But every time she chucks her dinner on the floor I want to scream. Especially when she cry-whinges because I won’t let her eat it after that. Oh and also when she kicks off because she wants to wear her wellies in the bath. Oh god the screaming.

It’s a mixed bag.

I find it utterly exhausting but wonderful at the same time. Being out the house is usually much easier but only if we are doing an activity that suits my nearly 3 year old.

I dread the thought of nipping to the shop because it’s so much effort and he runs at any opportunity. The battle to get him into the pushchair is just not worth my sanity.

But seeing his little face every morning as he bursts into our bedroom and gives me a cuddle is priceless. This lasts a few minutes before he demands his breakfast…

I work part-time and find going to work a lot easier! Then I miss him when I’m there.

We are expecting baby number 2 in the summer, I really didn’t enjoy the newborn stage but I think I will relish the snuggles over toddler chaos!

No I really disliked it and struggled a lot with just how loud, unreasonable, emotional and confrontational they can be!!

Mine was such hard work u til about age 4. very headstrong, would run off all the damn time but would NOT be restrained in any way. Lots of whinging and whining and being a general noisy pain in the arse.

Its hideous at the time but does pass relatively quickly (thank god)

one of the reasons I only had one child. Never again!

I absolutely loved parenting toddlers, all 4 of mine were pretty easy right enough. I found it easier to just go with the flow and accept they'll make a mess etc, I was very much the cheery fake it til you make it mum. But it worked an absolute treat, no angry words, just happy calm chat. They're now 17, 15 and 11yo twins. They've told me that's exactly what they needed.

The whole thing was never-ending torture. I loved the teenage years though.

This is so refreshing to hear so many people loving the toddler years I always read how awful they are and felt like I was on my own for loving it! Give me toddlers any day. Such a fun and simple time.

I found them absolutely fascinating. One of mine has ADHD and was a particularly interesting toddler!

I loved the baby years and the toddler years.

It was the teenage years that brought me to my knees!!

I found toddler years so much easier than teen years!

I loved the toddler stage. Yes there were hard days, but overall it was wonderful

I was often tempted to sell my teens on Ebay though. It was horrendous. I honestly think you either get easy toddlers who are nightmare teens or vice versa.

They are young adults now and mostly delightful.

I’m currently going through the same with my 2.5 yr old. Absolutely everything is a battle & the tantrums are ramping up.
He had a massive melt down this morning because he asked for cornflakes (which I gave him) then decided he didn’t want them & was so offended that I’d given him the breakfast that he’d asked for. I took them away, this caused him to shout & cry even louder asking for them back, he then proceeded to eat the entire bowl & asked for more 🤦‍♀️ why did we have to go through all that! Pre 8am.
Good job he’s cute & gives good cuddles after driving me literally insane most days.

Agree some toddlers are easy some are not, hang in there op, my first was soooo determined , temper tantrums aplenty really hard work , second child had one temper tantrum then never had another!
I could just say let’s go out now and lift the second one whereas the first would have had meltdowns at so many things. The only saving grace I would say op is she has done very well career wise because of that same determined nature and never gave me any concerns as a teenager (she must have got out all the anger in the terrible twos and threes ) 😃

I have loved ages 1-3 x 2. Youngest is still a toddler and is just heaven. I could keep him at age 2 forever.

Age 3 to 5 was however horrendous with DC1 and may well be with DC2 as well (they are quite similar characters). I would have a billion 2 year olds but age 3-5 with DC1 has made me firmly done with 2. It’s so child dependent.

OK we shall have it your way. We will just pretend that toddlers don't go through certain milestones and developmental leaps that are challenging to most parents that are listed in any parent/baby/toddler book that you may pick up. You've won congratulations! Perhaps the authors of those books should be sued for misinformation to the general public. Off to enjoy what's left of mothers day now. Enjoy feeling smug you won the argument bye bye 👋

I loved the exploration with toddler stage (mealtimes were horrific though 😳). 8/9 I still fondly remember as The Shouty Phase - child shouting, not me!

On FFS you’re quoting me and when I answer you I’m piling on. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️
You’re not the voice of reason you’re actually coming across as quite unhinged refusing to accept that several posters now just have a different opinion to you.

Your opinions are subjective not fact, you've had a different experience to the OP so just leave it at that instead of telling her how she should feel about her own experience.

Again point proven. Mothers need to stop the pile on. This is why people struggle. Even rational posts are twisted about. People need to look at why the voice of reason is always made to look like something else. No one wants to hear it. No one wants to hear that typical toddler behaviour can be difficult. Everyone is looking for a quick fix. I am here to tell you there isn't one, the time will pass and things will get better. I won't be made to feel bad about saying that because it is FACTUALLY true!

But you’re still inferring things as truths that aren’t.

You thought toddlers were hard, OP does, many people do not so no we don’t have to “be honest” because our experience is different.
I don’t think OP has received a single judgmental post.
She said your post didn’t resonate with her and you doubled down and made it seem like she was lying and unkind.

You’re lashing out emotionally and frankly it’s bizarre, no one called you a terrible person but literally for the third time in one post and more than that overall you’re repeating that you’re the only one in the right and the only rational person. 🤦‍♀️

I absolutely loved it. Hard work though.

It is factually true, that I have been tutted and huffed at in public, I know several other people that have had the same experience because of typical toddler behaviour. That is a fact not an opinion. I was merely stating that if everyone was honest with themselves we would all admit that toddlers can be hard work, and mothers should be supportive of each other instead of judging. But as I can see by the comments that is not going to happen anytime soon. If the OP is finding dealing with a toddler difficult when alone, I think it is because subconsciously as a society we are conditioned to think a toddler can perhaps behave better than they can/should, if the OP can recondition her thinking that her toddlers actions are normal development milestones, then looking at it that way may make it easier to deal with, by removing the stress that they should perhaps be behaving differently. But hey you right I am a bad, terrible person for trying to think rationally about stuff.