To say that children really fray my nerves

[Ouchy]

Is this just me?

Mine are nearly 7 and 10.

I’m constantly watching what I say so I don’t accidentally say the wrong thing
Constantly breaking up arguments between them
Constantly fielding snack requests
Constantly have someone trying to negotiate how much screen time they should be allowed
I don’t have all the answers!!
Managing others’ emotions
Instilling table manners, tidy habits, personal care habits

I know a lot of this is just parenting but OMG!!!!! It’s better in the summer....

A tazer... Works everytime for a few mins peace.

@mousemousse
Hello 👋 from the eighties.
Grandchildren now though. But somehow they’re not nearly so annoying as your own.

@PreggoFeminist86

Also, I've been telling myself it will get much easier as they grow up.. so could everyone else here with older kids stop being so bloody honest?!

My exact thoughts as I read through the thread. I’ve got one five month old - just one! And I tell myself on a daily basis how much easier it’ll be when he’s older. Then I read threads like this and realise I’m kidding myself. He might wake up 5 times a night but at least he stays where I put him and can’t give me back chat

Anyone with just one I strongly advise to get another one brewing ASAP to take off some of the load

@TurnipTrumps grandparents do love their grandkids though? Well, most do!

I don't want to depress anyone but it's not much better when they reach 19 and 20 🙄 😀

Actually Turnip Trumps, they’re really good kids and for other people they’re a dream! They save all the tricky stuff for mummy

The saving grace with ours is that (all being well), they'll have moved out by the time we are 50 so we can crack on with our lives then

"Errr no actually mammy it's 7.32"
FUCK OFFFFFFFFFF
😂😂😂
I have 3 exactly like this 😱

Took me FOUR hours to get mine out the house today FOUR - they tag teamed me, I have a migraine & our usual rhythm is of course hopelessly disrupted but still.... FOUR bloody hours 🤦🏻‍♀️

I find it so fucking hard because I love and care about my dcs so much and want them to turn out well.

My ds said he felt like the worst son in the world as I spent most of today telling him off (he ate a whole box of chocolates which weren’t his, he refused to have a shower, wouldn’t go to bed properly).... I felt like a right shit mum.

It’s hard but there are lovely moments too. Just harder to remember those.

Ds is 10, so.knows everything.except, of course, how to.tidy his own room.
Tried to let them stay up to midnight tonight, but sending them to bed cos we want adult time.

Oh, my God.

Twins 22 mos - DS has learnt how to take his nappy off and joyfully runs around with his little willy waving in the breeze he has decided it is called the same name as my mum's dog

DD2 is a climber. She tried to climb up to the attic yesterday. She also bosses her twin like hell. She has decided he is called Fishy as she cannot pronounce his name, so my day is punctuated by shouts of "Fisheeeee, NO" followed by the dismal howls of Fishy as she nicks his musical bus toy.

DD1 is nearly 5yo and is somehow more emotionally demanding. I don't know how, but she is just kinda intense. Watches everything, wants to help with everything, asks questions about everything.

With the twins, I can just bung them a cracker or a toy lorry each and they are quite happy, but Dd1 is just somehow emotionally exhausting.

I sympathise with the backchat syndrome. 7 year old DD is very infuriating with this.
Mine are also going through a telling tales phase which is fucking annoying.
At the start of the holidays I told them that no one is to ask me for snacks between lunch and dinner because I can't listen to it. If they are hungry they can eat the cut up fruit in the fridge but I do not want to hear about it because they cannot have treats.

My 2.3 year old is going through a whiny phase. Please stop.

My partner took her to a soft play with his mate and his kids and she was being mortifying there. He had to take her out of the ball pool because she was screaming and demanding cuddles from a breastfeeding mother. I don't think he has ever been so embarrassed

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz We had this yesterday. Told DS (6) he was having a bath in 30 mins at 7pm.

Oh no, the time was actually 5.59pm so bath was at 6.59pm. Argument over his missing minute playtime!

@AliceAbsolum I've had 3 miscarriages before my two - and I'm so so grateful that they are here and I love them dearly.

But sometimes, they are fucking brutal and I cry for my old life. Then I feel guilty. I actually sat on the loo and cried today.

Everything is just fucking relentless, I never get a moment To even breathe. Constantly wanting snacks, then dicking around at mealtimes then don't even get me started on the circus that is bedtime

Truly laughing at some of these baby stories, but only because mine are now young teenagers... I was about to rant about them, but then my eldest came in with a lovely smile, and has gone to top up my tea.

Main issue here is medical and mild disability issues, so I'm not allowed to shout/ get cross/ have my own emotions, because it causes real distress, and I'm having to be super bloody calm most of the time, which is impossible.

Anyway, yanbu, and I'm very glad that you haven't had any of the usual "you should just be grateful" posts, because we all feel enough guilt....

To pp who posted with such good humour despite difficult fertility issues, thank you so much. I spend so much timing being told I should just be grateful, nice to see your comment. I wish you a happy and content 2020

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz oh I have one of those (although she's nearly 13!)

Me 'It's quarter past 8 we're leaving soon'

DD 'No it's not it's 8.14'

Me (in my head) 'oh shut up you pedantic little mare'

The collective noun is a pedant of children @Hushabyelullaby

My 3 have already told me they don't want children.
Result!!!

Mine are 17, 19, 21 and 23, and they're driving me fucking mental these holidays. They want to be together all the time (which is lovely, I guess!), but one of them won't watch tv or a film, and so they all want to play games all the time, which leads to constant arguments and even when they're enjoying themselves they're SO FUCKING LOUD. I feel like an old woman because I just cannot deal with it for hours and hours when I've been working mostly normal hours all week.

@iborgia Thanks for thanking. Its all relative isn't it. We have suffering when we are single which we swap for marital suffering. Unemployed vs employed suffering. I'm well aware I'll (hopefully!) swap infertile for parenting suffering. And hopefully find some good too.

@MabelMoo23 Honestly so helpful to know. I'm sorry it's tough.
The last 4 years of infertility and ivf I've spent imagining this cherubic golden child and DH fucking swanning around sunlit meadows. Its ridiculous.