To think threenage years will be easier than the terrible twos?

[craftbeer]

Please don't burst my bubble too much

Do you want the truth or me to pretend that its easier?

Just started on teenage years. You get more sleep. I don't see much of my teen, she graces us with her presence at dinner and then tries to get back to her room asap. She's alright, bit messy and monosyllabic at times but definitely wouldn't swap her for a toddler.

Toddlers do give more cuddles though.

Well all children are very different so you won’t know until you experience it.

For me with my first my hardest year was definitely the first year as a baby, every year thereafter was easier.

Not in my experience.

Yes because everything is easier when you can sleep and aren’t dependent upon feeding a ravenous dictator every ten minutes (they can feed themselves).

I loved the threenagers. Much easier to communicate with. Proper little people.

Once past threenager you hit the freaking fours... Good luck

3s are easier and better! My favourite age with both of mine!
They were so cute but could talk about all sorts as well.

I'm currently trying to potty train a resistant 3 year old. Tis hard work

I found three worse than two because they gave a false impression of being able to communicate. They could quite clearly tell me that they were sad because they were hungry, but then throw their dinner on the floor because they were, in fact, tired. On the other hand three year olds are out-of-this-world cute.
Four up has been ok!

My only advice to avoid a difficult teenage is the same to avoid the terrible twos:

Don’t give up to screaming tantrums (ever!), ask them to use their nice voice to negotiate things.

The sooner they learn that no means no (as long as there is a reasonable reason) life will be good.

I found three much harder than two with my older three DC. Sorry.

Oh sorry! Just realise you said threenage not teenage!

Yes, they are more difficult, they run much faster!

A teenager IS terrible twos but with hormones!!

With my eldest, age 3 was a lovely age. Much, much easier than 2. I've also enjoyed age 4 so far.

I see others saying that ages 3 and 4 are the hardest to parent and I'm genuinely mystified as that has not been my experience at all! 0-2 was much worse for me.

A friend of mine quoted at me 'terrible twos, troublesome threes, and effing fours'. She wasn't too wide off the mark!

Hahahahahahahaha

There is a reason the fucking fours are discussed even less than threenagers! Most parents try to erase it from their mind.

My eldest was worse at three, but that's only because he lead us into a false sense of security by bypassing the terrible twos. The complexity of 'what 3 year old says vs what they actually mean', mixed in with 'I can do it on myself', leading to many arguments that no, your shoes are not on the right feet, you can't wear shorts in December, no you can't drive the car, I don't care daddy let you play Mario Kart....

4 isn't much easier to be honest .

Three was worse with my DD1. If I hadn’t had her sister just before her third birthday she would have been an only child. She didn’t argue or tantrum, just did WTF she felt like doing. She was a cheerful little whirlwind. DD2 was easier in many ways but her secret weapon is sulking which I hate.

Haha! Nooo and don't even get me started with the Fuck.That Fours

Oh god. What's wrong with the fours?!

In my ex, 4 year olds will argue the toss with you constantly, very irritating..but you can have great conversations

I thought the 2's were bad, I had no idea......

DD is 3 and her behaviour can be awful. All my friends with 3 year olds are going through the same thing - it's a developmental phase. I just keep telling myself it's a phase and she will grow out of it.

Although, now I am scared about the 4's?! I thought that was going to be better

Heh. Just wait til the get-out-alive-fives. Friends tell me they’re ‘fixed by six’! For a few years until they’re teens haha.