To think once your children get to a certain age and stage in life, you experience a second wind !

[Lardlizard]

I just feel one coming on !
Like where you feel full of life and energy

What 'age and stage' ?
Then I'll let you know

Yes! Loving my 40's now the kids are a bit older, and I definitely wouldn't repeat my 30's again, much as I love my cherubs.

I hope so! ‘Ain’t no wind in these sails at the moment!

I'm hoping so! My dc are 3 and 8. I'm starting to get a bit of time to myself again

Yes, I have teens now and do feel I have my life back. Was just saying to a friend today that as much as I loved their younger years, I would not want to re-live them. I love the fact dh and I can just go out when we want and leave the DC at home.

This would be nice - what age am I waiting for?

This is good news In fact possibly the most uplifting thing I’ve read in months!

100%. Mine are 13, 7 and 4 and I feel like I'm getting my life back. The smaller ones go to bed at a reasonable time (the increasingly tall big one watches interesting things now so it's ok he stays up later), everyone sleeps through and gets up after 8am, I'm not breastfeeding or pregnant or giving over my body to someone else, 4yo DD2 has started nursery and will be going into reception this year so our childcare bills will be going down this year. It's brilliant!

The only minor issue I have is that there's such a wide age gap it's difficult to do something they all enjoy, but as the 13yo doesn't surface until after 2pm I can take the smalls out in the morning.

Mine are 3, 1 and soon to be born number three, I’ve got a way to go haven’t I?!

I find I’m not any less tired but I’m tired for different reasons (emotional rather than physical) with teenagers. Mine have ASD though, so maybe that’s a factor. I found when the eldest left for university I was a bit less tired. But I also really miss having her around!

I hope so OP please say an age like 10 not 20.

Definitely. I'm late 40's with an 11 year old and I've never felt better or more positive. I started to make an effort to carve out time for myself about 3 years ago and now I make it a priority. Biggest difference was taking up regular exercise. I've been a lone parent the whole time and felt awful in the early years with zero time to myself and a terrible sleeper. Life is infinitely better now.

The good thing is, it forms an ever upwards curve. When ds was born I had crippling PND and thought I'd ruined my life forever by choosing parenthood. All I wanted was my life back. I had this idea on my head that if I just powered through the next 18 years then I'd finally get 'my life' at the end.

This is obviously not how it works! DS is currently almost ten, and I have most of my life back (HUGE LOCKDOWN CAVEAT). I can go for long walks, watch Netflix, hang out, pretty much whatever I want.

I take trips away on my own with absolutely no guilt.

And when he starts secondary school in a couple of years, he'll be in charge of his own social life and the final hurdle will fall away, that of negotiating with other parents.

I enjoy his company more and more, because he's clever and funny. We even like some of the same stuff now. It's not an eighteen year sentence at all, it's three years of sheer hell followed by an always changing positive progression towards a happy, civilised existence. Cheers!

Oh God I needed to read this today, after a 5am start with DS. THANK YOU.

I'm one of three, 5.5 yrs between oldest and youngest, and mum said to me once 'I remember waking up one day when [littlest DBro] was 7 and realising I wasn't still tired!'.

I've been clinging onto that. Nice to know it may happen a bit sooner (my youngest is currently 21 months so had felt like quite a long way off!)

Yep my youngest just turned 10 and suddenly I don't feel quite so bedraggled and knackered!

Mine is 15 and prefers not to speak to me pretty much most of the day. So yes free to do as I please but he is rude and entitled ...

Yes I totally agree! Mine are 8 and 10 and it’s (generally) great - they’re young enough that I still have a bit of control and influence but old enough to be quite independent.

I hope so.

My youngest is three so not quite out of the craziness yet BUT they all sleep now and this is a huge deal for me. I finally can go to bed and SLEEP! It’s fantastic. My older two are 6 and almost 9 so great ages.
I had a run this morning and a coffee with a friend and was surrounded my plp wrangling babies and toddlers and I’m sooooo glad to be finished with it all , gorgeous though they are. I’m 35 so feel great at this stage! All of my friends are pregnant or trying stage, good luck friends

Mine are 12 and 8. Nice to have sleep at nights and a little me time. My youngest has disabilities though, so still needs changing several times a day, and may never be able to live independently, but still better now than it used to be.

I believe so. I feel energised now my youngest is 5. Some days I still feel shit but I can see the light.

100%. DS is nearly 11 and oh my god life is so much easier now. I did love the younger years but my niece and nephew are 6 & 4 and looking after them for a day reminds me how utterly relentless it can be.

DS woke up at 8.30 this morning, we had a nice chat and he made me a cuppa. Absolute heaven.

He’s got a wicked sense of humour and a fantastic personality. We love going out to eat and watching old comedies. It’s a much more reciprocal relationship than when he was small.

This is a great thread btw OP

48 and feeling good