Most and least favourite age of children so far?

[Lelophants]

Most: 7-9 months was fun for us. I also liked 2 months. Exhausting but easy in sense of feed, sleep on me, nappy, repeat. Still new.

Worst: 5 months was hell. Around 11 months was pretty awful too.

What fun/horrors do I have to come?

4-month sleep regression was hard for about a month and a half. 19-27 months also developmentally challenging with both my kids. Once they’re more verbal it’s much easier. I’m LOVING 3.5!

Baby stage is lovely if they sleep, very hard if they don't.
Toddler stage is hilarious
Primary is ok
Teenager is horrendous

16 is some sort of sleepless hell when they think they can do what they like because they are grown ups and you are totally unreasonable if you don't let them stay out all night at a party of someone you've never even heard of before.

The best age is three, when they are still light enough to carry and fit in to your bed and tell you they love you and they like your face, but don't need bottles or nappies, and if you're lucky, sleep through the night- ish. Three year olds are lovely.

My little boy is almost 2.5 & I'm finding it incredibly hard - he has a speech delay & I spend everything day worrying what the future will hold for him & that I'm not making the right decisions for him.

I'm also very aware that with every day that passes the gap between him and other children his age seems to grow I really hope it gets easier.

When our boys were teens and we had stern words, they’d grin and slink away to their rooms.

Dd fights it out to the last possible gasp with door slamming in for good measure.

Not sure we should be able to post on this thread until we have at least one or two twenty-five year olds (just kidding!)

The infant days of sleep deprivation are indeed killers but don't assume that once they are three that you are done with sleepless nights. Waiting for your teen or young adult who has only been driving for eighteen months to return from a party where she is the elected driver and it's 2 am and they've texted that they would be back an hour ago , isn't so great. Waiting for them to get back from the airport after a delayed flight, or just waiting for the key in the front door after an ordinary night out is a bit torturous. Especially when combined with menopausal insomnia.

Mind you, I think I have watched too many true crime series during lockdown

@Stompythedinosaur

The newborn bit was far, far the worst. I obviously loved the dc but they did not sleep. Breastfeeding hurt. I just wanted 5 minjtes that someone wasn't touching me. It was awful.

The dc are 9 and 7 (8 tomorrow) and we are in wonderland. They are good company, helpful and don't need constant supervision. They get on well. It's bloody brilliant!

I agree re the 7-9 ages Stompy. Mine were golden at that age for exactly the reasons you say. DH and I were actually saying the other day that if we’d had lockdown earlier, that would be the ages we could have dealt with best.

Mine are 19 and 17. We’ve had some teenage scrapes and I suspect we are not quite out of the woods yet. The 19 year old is largely an absolute pleasure - and took me to the pub and bought me a large glass of wine with his summer job earnings in the summer. The 17 year old is getting there.

My experience is that 13-15 year old girls are a bit ... draining.

I love teenagers ! Have had 2 of my own and I work with teenagers in the care system.

When DS1 turned 3 he became and absolute nightmare for 6 months. I was so smug about not having a terrible two until that point. He’s lovely now though, I’m really enjoying having a 4.5 year old. My youngest is only 15 months and was prem so not walking or standing yet and I’ve loved every age with him so far. Hope he is easier than his brother at three though!

Hard and relentless: birth to ten months.

Ten months up until now (2 and a half years) has been wonderful for the most part. Definitely don't think I'm cut out for the little baby stage, I find the sleep deprivation so hard.

I work with teens too. Mainly girls and I’m brilliant with them.

But my own glares daggers at me, like they never do. They just cry on me, and I’m great at that!

I think my favourites are 0-6months, 4-9 years. 0-6 is just cuddling and sleeping after 6 months they are mobile and get worse ( but adorable )until about 4 when they start having sense and then get gradually more independent and fun, then After 9it’s tween/ teen it’s not looking like my favourite age so far 😱

My 3 year old is just becoming a proper human being you can chat to. The youngest is just about to turn 2 - it's horrific.
The teen is good and bad in equal measures - good because you can have a sensible adult conversation. Bad because strops and "it's so unfaaaaair"

One DC, almost 3. Every month of his life has been easier and better than the previous. I hope this trend continues!

See with babies the sleepless nights you know where they are. Give me that any day. Worrying about teens independence is so hard. My son is going to uni next year im already worried lol

Worst - Under one
Best - One to 26😊

8+ has been great (I’m absolutely loving my ds right now who is nearly 10). Before that, as much I loved him and particular moments, I found it very grueling being a/his mother as he was a very intense child. Looking back, I couldn’t have imagined what a wonderful little boy he’s turned out to be.

3-4 was the worst for my two especially Dd2 she hated nursery and would play up something terrible every day we would get taken aside at pick up to be told off, it was so stressful.
They are 8 and 10 just now i love this age they are funny and great company, i enjoy every minute I spend with them, well mostly...

Under 2 fab
5 to 9 great

13 above by far my favourite my youngest is 17. The year I had 4 teenagers in my home is my freeze frame year.

Teenagers get a lot of flack but honestly the teen years were by far my favourites

Loving right now, 7.5 and 5.5. I'll admit to having found it all up until now a bit of a struggle!