Moments when you realise your children are growing up

[Soubriquet]

What are the little moments that make you realise just how quick your kids are growing?

Ds stands up to wee now. He’s 5. We’ve never taught him. He just learned to do it but everytime I see him doing it, it makes me realise he isn’t my little baby any more.

Dd is 7 but she can be so quick minded and has a cracking sense of humour. Again just makes me think, “where are my babies? Where have they gone!”

Wait until they’re taller than you, that’s a real lightbulb moment. DD (15) has been taller than me for a while; DS (12) just had a checkup and he’s only 3cm shorter than me. He’s going to tower over me in a couple of years!

I’ve found myself getting sentimental about babies and toddlers because I want someone small to cuddle. Our small dog is OK, but he’s abit smelly and bitey.🤣

Dd is already up to “booby height” as she calls it

I’m a short arse anyway so the idea of my Young dd being taller than me makes me

I was also going to say when they are taller than you. I'm 5'10 so they had a bit of growing to do to get there, but all three of my boys overtook me by the time they were 14. It's quite funny when you have to look up at them to tell them off

I failed to pick up 9yo DD a few months ago. She's up to my shoulder now. (I can give her a piggy back if she starts from a step).
She recently patted her father on the head. He jumped a mile as he didn't expect it.
I couldn't tell you what her class teacher looked like, her class is released into the wild after school (except for the handful without permission).

As for the 7yo... She's one of my Cub pack now.

Seems like yesterday I had a baby and a toddler.

My DS is 2 and now walks from the car to the childminders door (obviously with me close behind) on his own and knocks, as soon as she opens the door he shouts bye gives me a kiss and closes the door...I'm glad he does it but just makes me think it's one less thing I'm needed for!

Both of mine can pick me up and DD likes to carry me over to the sofa sometimes.

As Drama says, it’s weird telling them off when they’re so much bigger and stronger than you! But I still do it, of course.

@AmICrazyorWhat2

Wait until they’re taller than you, that’s a real lightbulb moment. DD (15) has been taller than me for a while; DS (12) just had a checkup and he’s only 3cm shorter than me. He’s going to tower over me in a couple of years!

I’ve found myself getting sentimental about babies and toddlers because I want someone small to cuddle. Our small dog is OK, but he’s abit smelly and bitey.🤣

My 3.5 yo won't let me cuddle him. Squirms and wriggles away if I get with it 3 ft of him :(

DS is away at University. For the first time since he was born I have no idea where he is from one day to the next.

My 2 year old put his backpack on and pushed me back towards the car so he could walk into creche alone. I cried. I'm going to be a mess when he starts school.

Ah the first time dd walked into nursery without giving me a kiss goodbye. Or even any goodbye actually

She was too focused on going to play with her friends

I kept my face happy and brave and sobbed when I got home instead

My eldest beat me in a swimming race aged 7. I was really trying too! ( she has always been a very good swimmer) I realised at that point she would be better placed to save me rather than the other way around.

For me, it was booking my daughter's driving lessons for her 17th birthday. It did suddenly brought the realisation that now she's a young lady and not a child!

Or when we were talking the other day and she was stressing because her bank balance had fallen below £1,000 and I realised she had more money and is probably more mature with money that I am!

Being the smallest in the house even though I'm quite tall.

booking driving lessons and discussing where they are going to be living sometime next year if things all go as hoped.

Just looking at photos, brings its all home how quickly they have grown.

dd2, 13, had a hair cut yesterday. When she walked out of the hairdressers I literally gasped. She had suddenly lost that last shred of childishness and was, without question, a young woman.

For DSS it was the transition between giving his dad a goodnight kiss before bed every night to shouting down NIGHT DAD because he'd spent all evening upstairs anyway through choice. Quite sad really, and he's not even mine!

When DD11 started acting like Kevin The Teenager! I want my sweet caring little girl back please! And her first day at secondary school. She just looked so grown up in her uniform. Didn’t seem 5 minutes since she was going off to reception class 😢

Definitely when they’re taller than you.

When they start shaving
When they have opinions about stuff with really well thought out reasons
when They order off the self serve machine in McDonald’s because I couldn’t work out how to use it.

DS walked off to town in summer to activate his cash card rather than wait for me to drive him. Got the biggest eye roll of my life when I asked if he knew the way.
Arranging their own play dates (it’s called hanging out).

The fact that my eldest, 10, is only half an inch shorter than me (I'm 5' 6.5" so not exactly short).

Applying for her secondary school place & dc5(3) primary school place at the same time made me realise how much they're all growing.

I find them growing up exciting though. Daft as this sounds, as I have 5, I wasn't overly keen on the 'baby' period. I love getting to know all of them as individuals, seeing the people they're becoming. Their similarities (both to each other & our families) & their differences.

@InMySpareTime

DS is away at University. For the first time since he was born I have no idea where he is from one day to the next.

It took me ages to get used to that feeling. Felt so weird not knowing where he was or what he was doing.

Talking of the height thing i read on here i think that a Mum had gone into her tall teen boy's room and had a go at him about something. He picked her up, put her outside his room and shut the door.

Spending hours in the upstairs bathroom and walking around with their hair in a towel but having absolutely nothing to wear, besides an entire wardrobe bursting at the seams.

This half term. I have taken 2 days off and its been a waste as neither of them want to spend time with me. They're 15 and 13.

DD (year 4, age 8) starting to walk out of school with her best friend & meeting me at the shop. She's already started asking to meet me a bit further away, I don't think she wants to be seen with me anymore

She hasn't held my hand for years, I kiss holding a tiny hand so offer to hold my friend's younger DD's hands

When he got up in the rain, the morning after the clocks changed (so he had to remember) did a paper round - then came back and made me a cuppa as i was just waking up. He then used his earnings to go to town and buy his own lunch! He literally just turned 13. It was moments ago I pushed him in a buggy and spoon fed him.

@Pyewhacket. The “nothing to wear“ is so irritating. DD’s been doing it for a while and now DS has started. We bought four new pairs of casual trousers recently as he’s outgrown all his warmer stuff.

Now he’ll only wear two of the pairs, because he’s gone off the other two. He picked them out HIMSELF two weeks ago.😡

DS1 and his fiance are in the process of buying their 1st house and are getting married next August.
DS2 recently asked me to have a quick proof read of one of his university essays to check for spelling and grammar. After I'd said yes, he messaged me to warn me that there were references to prostitution and sex trafficking in the essay. It doesn't seem so long since I was protecting him from potentially upsetting content.