Which part of raising your child or children have you found hardest?

[bargainsgalore18]

Starting from birth, which stage was hardest for you and why?

0-18months. Thought I'd never enjoy being a parent but it did get better.

Teenager - a nightmare where you have very little control and end up being manipulated by them. It's a miracle that these teenagers come out the other end unscathed. We couldn't do a thing with our very bright daughter. I nearly fell over from shock the other day when she apologised and said how hideous she was to me during those years. I must say she is now a lovely, kind and hardworking adult.

Teenagers, still ongoing I have 17, 15 and 14, and an 11 year old already having strops!

0-3 before my youngest started playgroup, I'm a single parent with absolutely no help and not being able to go anywhere or do anything without them 24/7 for 3 years pretty much broke me.

My son has just turned 3. So I can only comment up to that age as I have no experience of a child older than that.
But for me from when he turned 2. The past year has been the hardest by far.
Give me a newborn, yes there's sleepless nights but I'd take that over a 2-3 year old any day. Miss him being a tiny newborn. I found it so easy.

14 - 19 fun but exhausting

Toilet training when they have sn. And that they (naturally) still have a disability as they physically grow bigger. Damn hard having to carry 9/10 year olds i tell ya

My DS is two and a bit. I found 1yr to 20 months really hard. He couldn't be left for a second as he would do something dangerous or slip or trip over. He wanted to walk everywhere but it took ages. He needed to go out a lot, but if we went for too long or did too much as he would get too tired and be awful.

I feel like we've come through the other side now. And he'll watch TV now which is like magic.

I wouldn't say any stage stands out as particularly hard. Maybe the first few weeks of my first new born when I didn't have a clue what I was doing. But even that was exciting in a way and had its rewards.

Each stage has its own particular challenges. Right now, I am contending with my 22 year old who is back home after 4 years at uni, completely unable to move forward, ie get a job, because telephones terrify him. I didn't even realise he had this phobia until this summer, because he hasn't had to use a telephone much before. I have no idea how to help him.

Another vote for teenagers. I know DSis actually still a little boy in a 6ft 2" body and he can't help his outbursts any more than he could when he was 2 but fuck me, I'm going to swing for him one day

Doesn't help that DS2 - 11 is quite obviously standing in the wings taking notes.

I hate, hate, hate dealing with babies and young toddlers. I actually love 3 and up. Still got to get to teen years...

The older they are the fewer the problems but the bigger. DD is now 19 and still has all the same traits and behaviours regarding likes and dislikes as well as being an entitled only one.
I don’t honestly believe there’s any easier age; they’re all fraught with problems 🙄

My DD is 17 and I think this is the time I've found most testing. She's not bad kid, but neither of get her way of thinking and worry things are going to backfire on her. I have a couple of friends with sons the same age, and they have worries for different reasons.

Toddlers for sure. Haven't got to the teen years yet though. I love babies and also primary age kids but toddlers cause so much chaos!

The sleep deprivation, when they were babies.

Leurve the teen years

0-2 was hard but the first year particularly nearly ended me!

18 months to 3.5 years (ish). Sleep deprivation, feeling touched out, nappies, buggies, being totally honest I don't find pre-verbal children great company, having to watch them every second they're awake, it being stressful to take them anywhere not set up for toddlers etc etc.. I enjoy the day to day so much more now (mine are 3.5 and 6yo) than I did a couple of years ago. But of course I'm yet to experience teenagers 😬

The first few months. The fact we had no help/break whatsoever. No offers to take them overnight or even for a couple of hours. My DM would only babysit when they were asleep in bed which offered no real benefit. I was with them 24/7 and went back to work pt at four and five months respectively as it was the only respite I got.

In my experience nothing ever gets easier, the challenges just change.

Hardest part emotionally has been my Dd moving to uni. It's just not the same having her under my roof and knowing what's happening. Now we don't know what she is doing until she snapchats or uploads photos on Facebook.

Teens!

The noise.

Late teens/adult dc - I wonder how many people who say different haven't actually got there yet!!

Puberty upwards. And adulthood with my eldest 2
My 8 and 9 year olds are manageable so far

Teens, and in particular when they learn to drive. I found that a truly terrifying stage to go through.

Toddlers is physically hard and exhausting.

Once you're past that, it becomes hard emotionally.

We're not at teenage years yet but I'm hoping I survive!