To ask. What age is most difficult to look after during lockdown?

[louise5754]

Those with primary age children I think it's will be hard to remember back to having babies and we haven't had the teen years yet to compare.

But.....

I reckon the most difficult age to keep entertained would be the toddlers 1.5-3 ish?!

Anyone else?

I was going with over 70s - they wont do what they are told!

Mine are 12 and 10 and its fine.

I think anything from just walking age to 5ish would be incredibly tough.

I have a 3 and 6 year old. They screamed as babies, all the time at home. I don't think I would be coping well at all with tiny ones.

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I don't think toddlers (mine is 3), because while they're possibly aware something is wrong/fed up with not going out, they won't be scared the way an older child would be. My niece and nephew are old enough to be frightened - and my DP's nephew is frightened because he knows a child younger than him died. I can't imagine how difficult it'd be with a child old enough to be worrying.

Mine are nearly 8 and 10 and argue constantly. You would think it would be a good thing having someone to play with.

I'm finding 75yo PILs a pain in the arse atm.

Kid wise, it must be toddlers, old enough to know what they want to do, too young to understand why they cant.

I have a nearly 2 year old and a just turned 3 year old.

DP and I both work full time at the moment (key workers) it's really hard work but weirdly people saying this age group ARE really hard work is making me feel slightly better.

Five year old and one year old here and homeschooling can only be done when one year old naps otherwise she wants to destroy everything. No parks no where to go no family help it's rough!

I have a 6 year old and his age is fine, it's having an only that's hard. He misses playing with people his own age, he can play alone but wants me to play most of the time and it can get relentless. If I had another child of a similar age I think it would be easier as he'd at least have someone else to play with.

Having said that I'd rather cope with this age than a 1/2 year old.

I agree 100% and have been saying this to my friends. Toddlers are easily the worst age. DS is 2.9 and needs constant supervision and attention. He keeps asking to see grandparents and it is impossible to explain, even in a child friendly way, why he can't.

I am constantly exhausted trying to entertain him all day as well as do my busy job. Feels relentless. Thank god he still naps!

I agree with InfiniteSheldon and Sacredspace. Middle-age is by far the worst.

I have a 3 year old and 4 month old, no garden. It's not that bad. I think teens would be the worst. It will be bad if exercise gets banned and I cant take DD for that 45 min run about though

I have a 4 year old who cannot share and hates having anyone in his personal space. His sibling is going through the terrible twos, which includes screaming and head butting anyone who says 'no' to him. I wish they were 12 and 14, happily hiding from each other in separate rooms where they could be trusted to stay alone, and not try to eat the cat while my back is turned.

54 year olds are proving pains in the posterior.

Toddlers for sure. They need so much attention and can't be trusted. This would have broken me a few years ago. When mine were 1 and 3, I was limping through each day anyway.

My dd are 6 and 8 and it's hard enough. 8yo has ASD and poor concentration. They both need supervising and supporting with any work.

9+10 constant dramas, arguing and physical altercations.
I really hoped they'd be able to entertain themselves a bit more at their ages and at least try to get along.
Everything I suggest we do is 'boring'.

Mine are 17 months, 7, 8 and 10 so quite a variety of ages. The older ones can and do entertain themselves for hours if I let them, they will gladly sit on their tablets/PC doing schoolwork or playing games. They only surface for food tbh . Toddler is pretty easy going too tbh, maybe I’m just lucky.

I have a v active 17 month old who is used to nursery 2 days a week and a day with my DM, plus soft play/park/toddler play groups the rest of the time. We have a small and v unsafe garden that we were planning renovation shortly before lockdown. DH and I are both supposed to be working from home and it’s horrendous.

We’ve also starting having 5am wake ups this week which isn’t helping. Can’t figure out if it’s reassuring or depressing hearing most people agree I’ve got the ‘worst’ age

I have been thinking how fortunate we are that ours are the age they are - 9 and 11 - as they are doing pretty well, although the 9 year old is streets easier than the 11 year old, but that has always been the way. They get on reasonably well but they still need separating at times.

I would think: baby easy (as far as babies are ever easy - so no harder or easier than usual) , toddlers to about 6 - nightmare, 6-12 easiest - teens nightmare in terms of managing mental health, physical exercise, need for independence etc etc.

So we're in the easiest category and it's still pretty hardcore.....

21 year olds!

I think I have it easiest, mine are 4 and 6. They're old enough to be left to their own devices a little, will sit and colour in/play lego/mess about with play doh etc and don't constantly try to hurt themselves like toddlers but they're young enough to be easily entertained by crafting and baking and so on. Their school work keeps them occupied for a while but has no difficulty or intensity to it like it might with older dc, also they're young enough that we don't have any arguments about screen time etc. It's a lovely age where they're not exhausting anymore, are pretty good company and still think that we're marvelous and new pencils/a funny shaped leaf are still quite exciting.

Everyone the world over is suffering in one way or another. I found when they were kids were so much easier to look - feed them, cloth, play games etc and they did what they were told. Few tantrums and away we'd go again. As teens once there was plenty of food they stayed in their forms and had to be dragged out after a few hrs for some air but generally found they were ok to manage too. I've now got
a 22yr and a 25yr old back home who are both struggling from the sudden lack of independance, friends, both lost their jobs, freedom, exercise etc. I'm actually quite worried about them tbh. As young adults I find it difficult to know what to do without babying them

14 year old is absolutely fine. 9 year old is possessed by demons.

If you'd asked me to predict which would be a bigger tool during lockdown I'd have bet my left arm on it being the teen. The 9 year old is having some sort of breakdown about vbucks and FaceTime and lockdown every hour on the hour.

IMO 2-3 is the hardest age, at the point when the child doesn't nap any more. Because there is no break all day long. And they still require constant attention. Younger children nap so at least there's a break. Older children might be able to entertain themselves for a bit longer. But 2-3 is hell. I would probably say the younger the non-napper, the worst, because their understand of why they can't do things is limited. My DS is 3 so he has some understanding but he has still been asking constantly if he can go to nursery, playgroups, nana's house etc. If we go for a walk and have the misfortune to see a nursery friend, he sprints after them and is absolutely distraught when I have to tear him away. It's heartbreaking.

I'm sure there are challenges with children of every age, though, and especially disabled children.

I can imagine it would also be harder to have more than one child, because the demands double (or triple, etc), and I can imagine the fights would get annoying, but it must also be nice for siblings to have each other's company.

@Spied Same here.

Ive bough then a couple of crafts but I seem to end up finishing them all😔