Do you still love your children the same when they are teenagers?

[ThereSheGoes1419]

DC are 5 and 1. Of course I know that I will still love them when they are teens, but will I still love them as intensely as I do now? Currently they depend on me for everything, and they are so bloody cute that I just want to pick them up and squeeze them. I look at them laying in their beds at night and my heart feels so full. Is it the same when they become teenagers?

Yep. It’ll never fade.

I am more proud of my teen DD every year, she is an amazing human being.

Not even being biased. She is a lovely person and I'm privileged to be her mum.

But aside from that, it's so nice to watch them hit each milestone; GCSEs, driving, first job. It's all lovely to see although I'm starting to feel sadness now that she'll soon be leaving home for University and everything will change forever.

Of course you do!

It's the same love, just a different way of showing it

My oldest 3 are grown up now & obviously my relationship changed with them, i went through a really tough time with 2 of those 3, it didn't stop me loving them, but did make it hard some days to want to be around them.
My eldest DS is just a lovely soul & always has been.
I have a 13 yr old DD & 11 yr old DD are now going through the 'kevin' stage & as much as i love them, i realise i'm too old for this shit again!

I sometimes miss mine being babies but they are both so clever and funny and genuinely kind. They are honestly my favourite people and just the best company. I love the people that they are.

YES. My children are in their 30s and I love them the same. And am amazed by them too.

At every age I thought "Oh don;t grow up any more, I love you best as you are now" and then they grew up and I thought exactly the same!

Yes definitely. Mine are excellent company, lovely people and still like cuddles (ahem I mean a hug) at 15 and 13.

Yes, and their hugs are huge and wonderful!

Absolutely, without sounding wanky the love you have for them grows with them.

Mine are 15 & 14 and I love them to bits, they can be smelly, annoying, argumentative (I should never have taught them to speak!) but the cuddles are amazing plus they help with the housework sometimes, when they want something.

I couldn't imagine being without them 💞

What a lovely thread! Yes you do, in different ways. They are proper people and have their own personality. Theres moments of frustration and they can be infuriating but so can toddlers!

I've always loved them but I enjoy them more now. Lockdown was a horrible time but I must admit to enjoying having had them captive..I did not enjoy toddlers but oh they were soooo cute!

Oh yes. Absolutely. I love mine even more so now if thats possible, so fiercely... because when they are teens you know you are getting closer to them flying the nest and its so heart wrenching. You hold on to every moment so much more. Plus you've had years of perfect sleep so it's easier to do when your not knackered and counting down to bedtime.

Good lord yes! Mine are 16 and 13 now and are my favourite people in the world! Just as well as we were stuck together, just the 3 of us during lockdown.

The love has changed and evolved, much like they have.

Yes I adore mine. I’m passionate about them.

I adore my teenager, he is so fun and when I look at him sleeping my heart is full to bursting, and if it wasn’t weird and creepy I would kiss the life out of him when he’s asleep😂

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Teens are the best. So funny and good company (well most of the time!). I don't look at them and think they are cute anymore admittedly but I still love them more than anyone else in the world. Like any love/relationship it changes over time. I don't remember them as the small people they were though - I only know them as they are now. Almost like they are seperate people to their teeny child selves. That's probably just me though!

Yes. Love them just as much and like them as people even more.

Yes. Our only son is away at University and I love him more than ever!!

My children ate 19, 16 and 9. I love them all to distraction. My oldest daughter was desperately, life threateningly unwell 3 years ago. I recall being in hospital with her thinking she might die and knowing my life would be effectively over if she did (despite knowing I’d need to carry on for the others). I am fiercely protective of them, hugely proud of them, passionately interested in everything about them. The intensity of my feelings have not dimmed at all.

I am 53. My parents are 80 and 78. My impression is that they feel just as strongly for me as they ever did too.

Frankly, I loved them more as teenagers. Teenagers are fantastic. Funny helpful hard thinkers. I loved mine as teenagers still got 2 who are and the year all 4 were teenagers was 100% my freeze-frame year.

My DS is 17 and we get on great I love him so much. My DD is in year 6 and has proper tween attitude I still love her to bits but the difficult stages mean it’s often difficult to enjoy her company when constantly having to pull her up on being rude etc.
My DS also went through tricky phases it’s part of growing up, they go back to being lovely 😊

I just to think this OP - before I knew it DD was 7 and EVEN more adorable!
Bit not as much as when she was 10 (double figures!).
Then she was 13 and soooo sweet and funny.
Now she’s 16 and I could literally eat her whole, she’s so kind and compassionate and thoughtful with other people.

They change, but they don’t !

My boy is 19 - I love him so much still and missed him so much when he went traveling, and will miss him when he goes to uni next weekend. I love my stepchildren more as adults I think - I count them both as good friends.

I have a teen and when I see them sleeping I feel the same love I did for them when I checked on them in their cot as a baby. When they are awake and eye rolling me I feel a little less adoring. The love evolves but is still there.