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

[bargainsgalore18]

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

I believe is just simply being a parent full stop from the day they are born to the day you die.

All ages have there unique worries, being a parent means that you never stop worrying.

Being a parent is the only place where you can experience heaven and hell at the same time!

I found with DS (6) that at every stage, some things got easier but there were always new challenges to replace them. You'd think, once they can do xx we can do yy but then zz would come along too. Oh, you can walk so you sleep better, but oh, now you run off all the time.

With DD (6m) I am trying to remember this and enjoy the good stuff but it's easier said than done. She was poorly at the beginning and I wished away the first 12 weeks wanting her to become robust, but now she's starting to be mobile she's showing that frustration of a non verbal baby trying to master their own body and get to all the good / dangerous toys, and weaning onto solids (which I was looking forward to) has all the mess and prep time for very little intake.

Also I have realised I'll never hold a newborn of my own again, and I am trying to hold onto those moments when we were snuggled up together contentedly, even in hospital, and she was just a wee dot.

0-3. It has sent me to the brink of my sanity on many occasions.

Hence, I will not have anymore children. I know for an absolute certainty that I would not cope with the early years again and I have to think about my own self preservation!

Hi op why do you ask? Are you struggling? Pregnant? Wondering whether to have one?
If you have dc what do you think is the hardest?

I would have said toddlers until I had teens. Teens are finishing me off. I’ve never felt so tired and stressed. And mine never slept when young so that’s saying something.

It varied - DD1 from 14, DD2 11 - 13, DS 13 - 19

For the person who is worrying it will just get worse until we die. No don't worry.

By and large they come out of the terrible teens between age 16 and 23 (depending on when they went into it and their character).

After that they become lovely again unless you are very unlucky.

Teenage years definitely .

So glad to read I’m not the only one who thinks the teenage years are the hardest.
With a five year age gap my eldest will reach 18 just as my youngest is 13 and I start again!!

I have found the teenage years easy by comparison to the transition between teen/adult.

all parts.

different problems at different stages.

I found having one baby ok but having a baby and toddler really hard as my second dd was quite highly strung and didn't sleep very long at a time. They are teen and pre teen now. Telling them their dad had died was incredibly hard of course, but i feel like i have a good relationship with them both so i think that's what will see us through it.

DS1 - 18m to 2y. He was such an active toddler and didn't sleep that well either.

DD - around 8yo she had some tricky friendship issues

DS2 - again 18m to 2yo. He went through a hitting phase which I found so stressful - I couldn't seem to stop him hitting other kids, however hard I tried. It was awful. He's now 9yo and a lovely gentle boy, so it was just a phase.

I haven't experienced teens yet!

Potty training 🤦🏻‍♀️

Now! Ds1 is 14, has adhd and tourettes and is trying us at every step. His attitude towards the rest of the household is fucking awful, he's kicked doors off hinges, punched holes in walls, currently not in school due to various reasons and we are trying to get the LA to assess him for a EHCP but they are not interested. He's just got away without a caution for punching another child and God knows what he's doing when he's out with his friends... We are literally at the point where we don't know what more we can do. He's been grounded for the last 6 weeks and will be for the foreseeable future

I have a 10 month old DS, DSD who is 13 and DSS who is 15. So a baby and two teenagers - these next few years will probably be quite challenging.

The teenagers live with us full time.

I'd say that the baby is more physically exhausting, but the teenagers bring more challenges to the mind and soul.

They do help out around the house tho which is handy and can look after themselves so I'd say for me the baby has probably been most challenging as at least the teenagers appreciate what we do for them and actually come to ask for advice etc.

I have 4 dc's and I have had worries and mild trauma with all of them at various times over the years.
They are all in their 30's now, and I find it very hard to see them making wrong decisions/ having difficulties without feeling concern and/or pain.
My youngest two are identical twins with sn's and various health concerns, and thay was very hard, but I enjoyed all of them being small, and watching them grow and learn, the teenage years were quite tough (especially the broken hearts), but I think that you imagine that when you and they are older that life should be more relaxed, but it doesn't work like that.

Newborn up to 9+ months were a breeze for me. Everything else has been hard work.

Under 2 was hard, then with DD she has most massive mood swings at 11-12 taken out on me. DS is ASD, lovely at home but hard work getting him through school.