What things made you realise you don't have 'little' kids anymore?

[Echobelly]

Mine are 9 (nearly 10) and 13 now, and it does kind of creep up on you gradually.

It was things like seeing a Cbeebies magazine and realising I didn't know anything about most of the programmes referred to (thank God)

Filling in reviews of holiday stuff and realising we didn't fit under 'families with young children' anymore once my youngest was past about 8.

Cleaner mixing up mine and eldest's shoes

Getting ads on social media for events and things and thinking 'Mine are way too old for that', in fact generally seeing lots of stuff your kids are too old for.

When DC grew too tall for soft play! Yippee!

We are planning what we think will be our last 'Santa experience '.

10 Yr old DS. Just noticed the beginnings of pubic hair when he was in the bath yesterday😭.

Started buying breakable ornaments and picture frames!!. Ds is 6 and able to keep his hands off!!
And remember to keep bloody balls out the front room!!

My dd telling me that her friend is expecting a baby.

Having a conversation with DH about both DD’s being at secondary school in 2yrs. I was already weirdly upset about secondary school as DD1 moves up in September.

when we stopped using baby stuff: cot, baby bottles, high chair & pushchair.

there are other miles stones too, all to do with gaining more independence, like getting dressed making own sandwich, going to school by themselves etc

I had a very defining moment on the day my youngest was exactly 3.5years old - I realised I don't have to check on him every 5 mins, he's not a toddler anymore and that the small child years are over forever!

But to me the most shocking moment was when my oldest became taller than me.
I still find it weird every time another one passes my height!

Looking at a Father Christmas experience for this year and realizing it would really be for me, he is too old for it now so not booked it. When you don’t see them much as they spend time in their rooms. When ds thanked me for clearing our loads of toys from his room and asked me if I would have time to clear our more the next day😭 he has just turned 9.

I think it hits me when at bedtime, I can just send them up to get ready and then pop in to say goodnight to a washed, tooth brushed, room tidied child who is curled on their bed reading...

You yearn to not be so needed, and then...

When my 10 year old daughter came home from primary school and said 'Mrs Smith (teaching assistant and very prissy neighbour of ours) had a fight in the playground with Mrs Caretaker. Mrs Smith's having an affair with Caretaker and is having a baby' . I was briefly speechless, thought 'that's a surprising amount of knowledge for one so young' and dismissed it as playground gossip. Unimaginable that churchgoing busybody Mrs Smith, married mother of 2, could be tucked in the broom cupboard after hours with the rather boozy, married, father of 3 Caretaker. But so it proved. Shocker.

My days of walking DDs to school is entering the final phase... youngest is only 8 but we can see the school from the house and there's a lollipop lady. She runs ahead most days anyway. 10yo takes herself off to maximise gossip time.

DD is now taller than me - not hard as I'm only about 5'2 , hopefully she'll take after my SIL who is tall and statuesque.

I just love the being less needed - especially in the last year I've been relieved we're well past the endless need for juice and snacks and general attention!

I don't spend every weekend in the park

They don't eat from the kids menu anymore

when the kids meal deals were no longer enough and I had to start paying for 2 adult meals

when i could leave the house with a teeny tiny clutch bag

The 16vyr old in my kitchen being an absolute brat cooking dinner.
She messed up my recipe and has been vile again.

Walking past the park and realising how long it is since I have needed to go into enclosed area.
Kids still do occasionally but don't want me to come!

Realising that Christmas shopping no longer involved Toys R Us was a watershed moment.
Also seeing a new Julia Donaldson book in Waterstones, and not buying it because nobody wanted a picture book at bedtime any more.
More recently, being treated to lunch out by one of my children.

When our youngest at uni came home and announced she was pregnant. That was an unexpected turn of events. It was three years ago and I'm a v proud grandma indeed

When DS2 disappears out the front door shouting "see you tonight"... gets in the car and drives to work!

DS (youngest) started closing his door to change, and his voice dropped about an octave (but not broken yet!).
And his eyes are level with mine

When you go to bed before they do ...

(just saw my eldest off at the airport this morning ... got a gap year job ... now that really feels strange, stranger than when she turned 18)

When they ask if you fancy going out for a pint with them

When you ring them up and say can you pick me up from work tomorrow?

When you phone them up because the electric has just blown in your house and they nip out if work with their electrician colleague and sort it out for me.

All have happened this week!

DD doesn’t even remember Waybuloo… and that was my favourite. I think I was so sleep deprived that their weird kind of kids yoga and the country setting seemed like heaven to my frazzled baby brain.

@1starwars2 - yeah, definitely survivors struck me how long it's been since we were in the little local playground! Both kids do still like a good playground, but it has to be a bit more significant than our local!

There was also the realisation that by the time we're out of the worst of this covid nonsense, we won't need an au pair anymore (we sent last one home at start of first lockdown). Youngest can walk home now, and between me and DH, someone will probably be at home every weekday