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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What don't you miss as your children grow older?

169 replies

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 26/02/2020 12:55

Saw the horrific words
World book day
On a thread earlier, bought me out in a cold sweat Grin
People often talk about what they miss as their children grow up but as a parent of teens and adults I do not miss
Potty training
Weaning
World book day
PTA events
Broken sleep
Anyone else have things they don't miss 😂

OP posts:
cologne4711 · 27/02/2020 12:21

Nursery and childminder fees

Dressing up days

Precious parents (eg ds school ran a geography trip to Iceland every year. Except for his year group because parents in our year lobbied the school saying it was too expensive and not inclusive. So they didn't run it, though they reintroduced it the following year. Of course they still had their family holidays skiing or to places like Japan. Virtue signaling at its worst. Fortunately ds went with the year group above)

sunshineANDsweetpeas · 27/02/2020 12:32

The school run and standing around in a cold playground

Reading books at bedtime

Actually any bedtime routine

Not being able to go out alone

muddyboots · 27/02/2020 12:32

The noise of ripping velcro followed by the thud of shoes being taken off in the back of the car.

HoldMyLobster · 27/02/2020 13:11

Why is it so awful?? I’ve got a 7 month old so no idea but I never understand how it can be so terrible when you only spend about 20 minutes a day doing it! (But I’ve heard other people say it’s terrible not just you!!)

Drag small recalcitrant children through a howling gale and horizontal rain to the school, past long lines of cars spewing out fumes, often having to walk out into the road to avoid cars parked on the pavement.

Shiver in the playground while being made very clearly aware that you are the lowest of the low by the bitchy mums.

Battle with approx 150 children and their parents, many of them pushing buggies/carrying babies, all trying to get into one small room at the same time.

Remove/hang up coats and bags on a peg that has 7 people between you and it.

Convince reluctant children to go into their classroom while they wail that they'd rather stay home with you.

Walk home. The moment you get home the sun comes out.

5 minutes before you're due to leave for school pickup, the horizontal rain starts again.

Repeat 20 times a month for approx a millennia.

user68901 · 27/02/2020 13:12

Snotty noses

HoldMyLobster · 27/02/2020 13:13

More seriously, I actually quite enjoyed the standing in the playground bit, although this may mean I was one of the parents excluding others for all I know. But the rest of it sucked.

I was so pleased when we moved to the US to find that the school run entailed either putting your kids on a bus and waving goodbye, or walking them to the playground and waving goodbye.

opticaldelusion · 27/02/2020 13:14

Probably the extreme bone-shattering tiredness of those early months. Other than that... I quite miss my squidgy baby pup...

PanicAtTheTesco · 27/02/2020 13:20

Having to take a bag full of child related shite everywhere - sippy cup, baby wipes, tissues, books/colouring to entertain them, favourite cuddly, spare cardie…
Now I just stick my keys, phone and cash in my back pocket.

Catsrus · 27/02/2020 13:53

Nits definitely nits!

And netball tournaments in the rain, in winter, when I forgot to bring a flask, or gloves, or scarf.

Casander · 27/02/2020 13:55

The almighty tantrum because they want to wear a wellies/spider-man onesie/power ranger mask/winter coat in June combo to nursery.

Also this, usually whilst trying to cook dinner, feed animals, wash uniform and after being at work for 10 hours!

What don't you miss as your children grow older?
AriadnesFilament · 27/02/2020 15:22

The almighty tantrum because YOU GAVE THEM EXACTLY WHAT THEY ASKED FOR

pinkhousesarebest · 27/02/2020 15:27

Parks
Car seats
Lugging them everywhere
Cbbc
Times tables
Bloody bath time
Ski lessons/ swimming lessons ballet/ having to be the designated mummer helper on my day off. Ditto school trips.
Was glad to do it once but now it seems so tedious.

pinkhousesarebest · 27/02/2020 15:31

Oh and three months to go before I say goodbye to the perky 16 year old Orthodontist forever. Yes!!
I am so ready!

CathyorClaire · 27/02/2020 15:39

Thomas The fucking Tank Engine on a loop.
Constant head counting when out.
Someone getting injured by 9am on the first day of every school holiday ever.
Having to sit through kid's films.
Having Pokemon explained to me in forensic detail.

SoundofSilence · 28/02/2020 08:47

Oh dear god yes, the endless Thomas the Tank Engine.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 28/02/2020 09:13

Never being able to nip to the shops on my own (DH was working most weekends)
Panicking if I got delayed 5 mins leaving work
Having to be entertainments officer
Having one evening to build a model of the Taj Mahal out of loo rolls

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 28/02/2020 09:22

Broken nights.

Never - or hardly ever - having a blissful lie-in.
The inability to do a poo or even a wee in peace, without someone Mummy!Mummy!-ing right outside the door.

BikeRunSki · 28/02/2020 09:54

My youngest is in Y3. I am so over First School. I do not ever need to make another Viking boat out of shoe boxes, attend a parents assembly, sports day or nativity.

DD is a very good reader, thankfully she flew through ORT books and is now a free reader. I don’t miss Biff, Chip and Kipper at all.

Whatisthisfuckery · 28/02/2020 10:04

Bloody dressing up days, which seemed to be every other sodding week at DS’s primary.

Being woken up at 6am every. Single. Morning.

‘Mummy, mummy, mummy.’ ‘Why... why... why...’

Food in hair and sticky fingers all over everything.

Having to get behind them in that awkward position to do up coats.

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