to think being a stay at home mother of babies and toddlers is an absolute bloody dodfle.

[StillIRise]

compared to being a full time working (shit shifts) mother of stroppy, hormonal, expensive, complicated teenagers.

I am much more bone achingly knackered now than I was then, after a day of playdough and music group, with an afternoon nap or quite hour in front of a disney dvd.

The days when i could do tea, bath, story and bed by 6.30pm.

Compared to 8 hours on my feet, bit stressy, get in, feed 3 different times, drop off, pick up, nag about homework, worry about dodgy friends, drugs and unprotected sex.

U?

I think not.

A level Politics includes the trip in the Prospectus bastards.

I love that they can do it as we wouldn't go to Washington start saving now but I struggle to think how we will afford it < more wine>

Actually I vote 60'ish as the hardest age, you've just retired, looking forward to pottering around the garden and buying shit slippers from catalouges while responding to the nice Nigerian fella who wants to give you $5trillion...when.......

The grandkids descend your child can't cope and dumps them on you for a week to bond with her husband, so while they tear your house apart as granny can't be the baddy you are trying to comfort your late 20 something who is having a house crisis, your food has been hoovered up by various s/dils dropping off the other cousins and your arthritis is playing up so you can't catch darling Tallahassee before she feeds the goldfish they won at the fair (but didn't want to look after) to the ageing dog with incontinence issues.

Then after bailing out DS2 with his credit card bill you get your pension not a pot to piss in statement........

Just saying,stay hopeful

It's east to you because you've already done it.

When you're inthe middle of it then it is hard. Bone crunchingly hard. I've got a 3 year old and 10 month old and I work part time. Full time at home is hard. Part time is hard.

It's hard.

YABU

She has never asked to go on the skiing trips or the french jollies or the watersports.

They'll be fundraising fir this one. Its a charidee go and live with a family in a link village place.

Fab opportunity. Bloody expensive though.

Will sell a kidney again.

Try having a newborn and 2 older ones. Every evening i seem to be dragging newborn out and back at silly oclock. Plus sleepless nights.
Although as others have said it isn't a competition. It's hard for everyone.

Sell a kidney again?!?

What do you do when you have five kids, like me!? I don't have enough kidneys!!

Iggly it is hard.

I chose to have a newborn with a 2 and 4.5 year old.

My choice, it was hard but got easier with practice.

The are now 13, 15 and 17. Physically not as hard to deal with but mentally you worry more when they're out of the house.

advance a newborn?? Awwww

Well 1 month. She still feels like a newborn to me and still has that special newborn cry!

I had three under four.

It was really hard.

They never slept, there was always one of them ill, I was knackered all the time.

But they loved me [sob]. They thought I was wonderful

Now I drive them places, hand out humungous amounts of money, and they still hate me and say I'm the most embarrassing person on the planet.

IT'S NOT FAIR.

As my children will obviously be helpful charming teenagers then YABU or there is always boarding school!

This thread has really made me laugh. But also worried about what state I'll be in say, 10 years. Will be wine-addled, knackered old hag with awful teens!

I've got teenagers and a toddler. And I work almost full time. I'm not sure which part of it is the hardest. Sometimes. I think life would be easier if I didn't work but other times I'm just pleased to be out the house!

I wouldn't change any of it though.

My DD is 6yo and has been like a mini teenager for the past three years. Is this a good sign for the teenage years???

I apparently was a really easy baby/toddler but a nightmare teen.

DH is planning to move into the garage when DD hits 13!

It must be your age, love

I am a wine addled knackered old hag.

Well I'll warn you all, my mum says the hardest hardest hardest part of being a parent is watching your grown up DCs live their lives, and have to trust that you've set them up to make good decisions, have to stand by and not interfere when your youngest daughter is in an abusive relationship but cant see it, watch your PFB give birth to your PFGC, with the real possibility that they could both die....
Just saying...

My exhausting meddle with everything, climb everything and happily stay up until 8 or 9 at night toddler, turned into a delightful 14y who has lovely sensible friends and cooks me tea

No competition. The little one was cute, but I refer the older model.

Oh be quiet. Why does it have to be a competition?

Still ,, u and me have lots in commen.

Are you, too, misding a kidney, knackered, unreasonable, yet incredibly beautiful and intelligent?

havent read most

my personal experience today,looked after my friends ds who is 10mths old today from 7.30 till 5.30 im bloody shattered,wouldnt let me put him down,only peace when he slept on a walk (total sleep all day just over an hour split in 2 sessions)

i have 2 ds's 13 ys old and a five year old

put it like this way no way do i want anymore

teenage misery is better than the baby stage imho

softlysoftly-that sounds grim! You should be able to peruse your slipper catalogue in peace!
Maybe pretend to be going senile? Start putting your knickers away in the fridge and calling everyone the wrong name.
Maybe that will get rid of the buggers/.

Hmmm -The sleepless,screaming baby stage,the whiny demanding toddler stage, the growing, demanding primary school stage, the high school, puberty,exams, know it all stage, and now the safe sex, unemployment,drugs and alcohol,out all night stage.
Know what? They ALL suck!

Yeah, but just look at your children. Aren't they the most fabulous people in the entire world?