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?

Toddlers are evil anyway. I had both varieties, DS1 was the tantrumer... it turns out it was high functioning ASD that was finally diagnosed at 8. DS2 was the olympic athlete type who took his first steps to hurl himself gleefully into the swimming pool, and treated the external net of a soft play playframe as a cargo net. Both would have been hellish to be incarcerated with. Due to SPD, birth injuries and a series of Chicken Pox infections, it was tough getting a 2yo DS1 out for months around the heavily pregnant/ newborn days and we survived on a mildly traumatising quantity of Thomas and Friends/ Fireman Sam DVDs looping. My deepest sympathies to all those trapped in with toddlers/ pre-schoolers.

At 7 & 9, I think I'm about as well off as possible. They are literate which helps a little with the homeschooling side (apart from the dyslexia/ dyspraxia/ ASD which means that such arduous demands such as writing the date can take half an hour by the time we get over the meltdowns). They can and do entertain themselves in between the bickering and fighting. They're not too fussed about phoning friends. They're ok about heading out as a family.

Independent, sociable teenagers must be tough. The studious type who's happy grunting through social media might not be so bad.

I've got teenagers and I was saying to them the other day that I'm so thankful this didn't happen when they were toddlers.

Babies would be hard but they nap at least and older children happily watch TV/screens.

Teenagers are easy in the lockdown as they just hibernate and it's easy to work from home whilst they are around and they are pretty self-sufficient with education.

Toddler - now that would have been difficult!

Hmm, well my 4 year old is being a right bugger. She's already hit me and threatened to poke me dead. She constantly follows me around and refuses to eat at least 1 meal a day, begging me to give her weetabix for dinner or rummaging through the fridge to make herself a very unhealthy butter and cheese sandwich.

Trying to study and complete coursework at the same time on a very academic course. Driving me up the fucking wall.

Unfortunately I havent been able to find much time to prepare any educational activities for her. I feel like such a shit mum.

Definitely toddlers!
Ds is 7 and a really good age, young enough not to be overly worried but old enough to entertain himself (with screens mainly) for longish periods of time.
A few friends have 1-5 year olds and are tearing their hair out!

I think personally it's hardest for mum with a newborn / child under one. No visits or support. I couldn't imagine not organising a christening / naming ceremony.
Mine are 5 and 6 and very easy to entertain. We live in a nice area and lots of wide open space. I also think it's hard for teens. All this exam uncertainty and meeting friend. It can't be east with toddlers or Especially SEN

I have a 2 and 4 year old and think, while tiring, it's easier emotionally for them. They don't go to school yet so I don't feel the pressure to teach then anything and they don't really have close friends that they are missing. They are just enjoying more time at home with both parents here. I would have though teenagers who want to see their friends or spend all day on screens would be harder.

It depends on the child. My 3yo DS is extremely sociable and absolutely loves preschool, playgroups and seeing family and friends at weekends. He misses the company of others, especially other children, a lot.

Weetabix for dinner wouldn’t hurt every now & then & surely a butter & cheese sandwich is just a cheese sandwich?!

At least with a toddler the days are full on but they likely have a nap and go to bed earlier than when they are older. When they are a bit older they are with you for the whole day without a break and making constant demands. It is really tiring. Maybe it's because I haven't experienced a really difficult toddler. I think it will depend on the child but there are challenges with each age.

I have a 14 tear old with ASD and an 11 year old, they have physical fights, don’t play with each other, both have completely different interests, I have started working earlier, having time off in the afternoon and working in the evening as 11 yr old makes it difficult.

I don’t think it’s a particular age I do thinks it’s different circumstances

I have a 5 and 10 year old daughters. Easily entertained however 5 year old is obsessed with going to the sweet shop and will not entertain the idea it isnt essential!!!
They also fight alot as 10 yr old wants to play on roblox and talk to friends where as 5 yr old wants her outside skipping

surely a butter & cheese sandwich is just a cheese sandwich

Not when the butter is thicker than the cheese

However. I miss sex. The baby is a nightmare at night so we were managing to shag during her nap time in the day.

Now we have nothing. I am struggling with the lack of sex above everything else.

My DS is 8 and coping really well, all things considered. A lot if our friends have DC aged 5 years (one year, practically all our friends got pregnant with their first) and they are all struggling. I think if DS has been that young when this happened, we probably would have struggled too. He never sat still at that age.

I couldn't imagine not organising a christening / naming ceremony

None of my three have had a christening or naming ceremony and we’ve coped

4 year old only child here. He is awake from 6am until 8pm and still gets into our bed every night. He can’t entertain himself for more than 5 minutes! Myself and my husband are splitting our time looking after him and working. We do shifts. It’s hard thinking of three meals a day that he will eat plus snacks! He won’t do crafts or play games, he just wants to do imaginary play with us all the time. It’s hard.

Can't get ANY work done with my 3 year old . Having to do work after he's in bed. I'm finding this shattering

Toddlers for sure!

Like others have posted, I've said more than once how thankful mine aren’t toddlers going through this. Mine are 12 and 15 and as long as the internet is on are easily entertained. They're no trouble and understand why they have to stay home.

The only one struggling in my house is my DH! Man needs some hobbies. As long as he doesn’t bother the rest of us we leave him to grump.

Newborns! Teens are stroppy and young children can get whiny, but you don't get bitten in the breast by either of them at 4am...

I have three teenagers. Angry, moody, spotty, junk food eating, non-washing, lying in bed, complaining, always on phone to girl/boy friends in the early hours. Give me babies and toddlers every time.

A 53 year old husband. Nine year old and two year old are no bother.

Normally I’d do anything to swap back to the days when they were young but my older teens have been so good through all this. They are in their rooms for a good percentage of the day, more social with us as no friends around and even tidying up from sheer boredom. They are eating at a rate of knots though.

Our 16mo is very hard work atm - not sleeping or napping well due to lack of outside stimulation. Can’t be left to run free in the garden as is shared and has lots of hazards (pool!). Climbing over the stair gate to come and find me while I’m working in order to bash some keys on my laptop and then run back to Daddy giggling. Trying to film myself for remote teaching has been a non starter so far 🤦🏻‍♀️

53 years, 4 months and Five and three-quarter days. Perhaps tomorrow he will have grown up-