I will probably get flamed, but i cant eb the only one who struggles with this, can i?

[noda]

Or am i just a biatch?

Its other folks kids that i struggle with, not all of them, not all the time but i do find it difficult.

Im not and never have been a very great lover of children but something strange came over me when i hit 30, i became interested in them, facinated almost and actually enjoy spending time with them.

But i am unable to shake this discomfort and unease now i have my own and have to be around them more than i ever have. I dont feel relaxed or comfortable or even genuinely myself.

Just had a child for tea & to play after school with my son. The boy was so very different to ds in every way possible.
I was facinated to watch them together, same age, same class, very similar interests but the boy was, i found, rather hard work.

Do you all find that it comes naturally, or is it a monumental effort for any of you too?

YANBU, I love my friends children but they annoy me. They are so different from DS so I guess it is the whole not knowing how to deal with them.

Me too.
Dp's nieces and nephews are revolting.
(I do wonder why all the SILs seem to adore each other's kids and I'm there thinking, god I'm glad you're not mine.)

I also used to feel physically sick when watching other mums change shitty nappies. I could no more change another child's nappy than I could eat the contents.

That might be make me a bit unreasonable actually but it gets me out of babysitting toddlers

There are plenty of people who I don't like or don't get on with or just wouldn't ever choose to be in the same room as if I had the choice.

Theres no reason why being under the age of 10 would make me more likely to like someone, is there?

Bucharest that's exactly how i am with my dp's nieces and nephews!

YANBU. Some children are a delight, but some I genuinely have to grit my teeth to be around.

I feel I have very little confidence around anychild other than dd aged 8!!!

It's preculiar really, when you consider we have nurtured our own but sometimes i feel that other peoples children are aliens lol!!!
I feel I fuss over their well being too much on playdates, and god forbid I often find myself trying to be 'cool mum' PMSL.

cringe or what lol. she's gonna hate me when she's a teenager.

My Ds is a bloody handful, so I mostly find most people's kids a pleasure....and if they are 'worse' than DS, I feel sorry for them and like them and their parents even more

I find having other people's kids round quite hard but it depends on a. how the kid behaves, b.how over excited my kids gets & c.if the child's parent is there.

It is sometimes usually easier if the parent is not there if they are the type who has a very different idea of what acceptable behaviour is.

I stopped inviting someone I am very fond of round because she allowed her DD to hurt my DS all the time. There was always a reason 'he is bigger than her' 'she doesnt mean it' 'she is tired' etc. She would then try and find a reason why all of her DD's behaviour was down to my DS 'she is copying him' 'he is teasing her'. Did my head in. If she wasnt there her DD was fine.

I work with 'other people's children' and I LOVE it. In those circumstances I find it easier with them than with my own sometime.

OP, YANBU.

im no earth-mother but find most kids ok and some actually like,sometimes more than my own

2 of mine are now older so think its a bit easier with their mates,i must have been very lucky over the years as i found guests behaved it was mine that played up,but when they were the guests they behaved (well so i was told)

a comment was made about "well mine woud never say that etc" well good for you,im sure your child is a credit to you,and wonder if your DC friends parents think the same of your DC,sure their parents think and love their kids the same as you,different styles etc no right or wrong ways,bit judgey for me

there kids and 99.9% turn out ok,

who was it that said, "Kids are like farts, you can barely stand your own"

There is a friend's DS who is a horror when he comes round with her. Oh his own, he is fine. Last time they came round he leaped all over my living room so much he disconnected the wifi (behind a heavy piece of furniture!), and hurt my DD on purpose. I shouted at him, but friend knew he had been a brat.

I admit I'm not so keen on other people's children, unless they are family or close friends and i have known them for a long time. I have to force myself to invite other kids over to play with my son but he is an only child so it only seems fair to do it.

I love my own with a passion i never thought possible. I also like lots of my dc friends, but in general i dont actually like kids very much. I tolerate at best.

I used to love children but then I had my own. I adore my children, love them to bits (although they do drive me insane on a daily basis) but after having them I definitely developed an intolerance to other people's children with few exceptions.

Nope - I've found other people's children to be lovely on the whole. My own can be a bit challenging at times though....!

I really dont like other peoples kids :( I struggle so much with kids coming over toplay/stay for tea. I get all edgy, worried and cant realx. I constantly clock-watch, eager for them to go home!

I do love children but my god; they can be hard work. It really depends on the child tbh they are all different like us adults. But dd will always be more interesting than anyone elses child.

I love other people's kids. But I'm a teacher of young children :) Toddlers, though - I am much, much more fond of my own than others. Sometimes other people's toddlers annoy me but in general I do enjoy spending time with them. But, I think this is because my life career choice has much to do with a love for all children.

Some kids are vile, some are Okay, some are lovely. Like "real" people really.

(They're not another species!)

or are they??

I'm with nelliesmum, some I adore but others I can barely stand.

My children are wonderful. Everyone else's are slightly irritating/flawed at best, vile abominations at worst. It's normal!

YANBU. I was parent helper at playgroup today; it confirmed my dislike of small children other than my own!

I remember a work colleague years ago saying that 'Children are like 'farts' - you can bear your own (and only some of the time then!)'. In quite a lot of ways, I think she was right!