What are your favourite things about your children?

[Gorl]

I think Mumsnet can sometimes give quite a negative impression about having children, because people are (understandably) so much more likely to post about the tough times than the good ones. I thought it might be nice to have some balance by talking about the best bits!

So let me know - what are your favourite things about your children?

I have a son, nearly ten months old. Some of my favourite things are:

When he waves at you and you wave back and it makes him beam all over his face.

When he’s excited about something and he stamps his feet like he’s doing the cucuracha.

How interested he is in everything.

The way he gets hysterics when you say ‘achoo!’

The breathless, snorty gasps of excitement he does whenever he sees me or his dad.

The way he kisses me on the cheek with his whole mouth open and it’s so gross but so cute.

Let me know yours!

Dsd (27) I love that despite her mum dying young and having a dreadful start in life she's got her head screwed on is financially secure and has her own career and family.
Dss (25) same as dsd but minus the family bit he finds things harder than dsd but is always positive. He's 25.
Dd1 (16) is really good company and just a genuinely lovely person.
Dd2 (10) is so feisty takes no crap and fiercely independent.
Ds1 (8) has the absolute kindest soul he is so thoughtful and although quite anxious always thinks of others.
Ds2 (7) is such good fun, a filthy laugh and the life and soul of the room.

I love how different they each are.

I love that they're individual little people but still somehow a part of me.

They are good company and funny.

I love our shared history.

I have a 23 month old with Downs Syndrome. He can't walk or talk yet, but he is the cheekiest thing you've ever seen. He has just learnt this week to pull himself to standing, and the smile on his face when he did it for the first time absolutely melted my heart.

DD1 is such a happy, affectionate little girl. She’s so funny and loving, and adores her new baby sister, it’s really lovely to see.

DD2 is 3 months old. I think I might have PND as I’m still struggling to come to terms with the circumstances of her birth, and if I’m being honest, I don’t have that rush of love yet. But she saves her best smiles for her big sister, and that’s my little ray of hope in the darkness.

9 month old Dd that we tried for years for! Finally conceived naturally after randomly being given our first fertility treatment date (that was cancelled due to covid). We were devastated and then astonished all in the space of a few days!

I’m sure it sounds silly but I love to roll over in the night and just see her sleeping in her co sleep cot. I sometimes still can’t quite believe that she’s REAL and so bloody beautiful! Her little chest rising and falling, the little sniffly noises-it’s all so wonderful.

She has the most beautiful rolls on her arms and legs and I love how she gives me great big beamy smiles when she wakes up in the morning. Even better now she’s got a toothy grin

Dd is funny, smart, a little eccentric, quite particular about everything and kind. She picks up on nuances, very empathetic.

DS is not that kind in all honesty (working on it, he can be quite self centred by nature, but blissfully unaware if he's being mean etc) but he is very playful and goofy. He is quite literal and cracks me up.

My 21 year old daughter is very intuitive and knows what I need
My 19 year old son has truly triumphed over adversity. I am so proud of him

My 16 year old daughter is very much an individual.and has the biggest heart

My 14 year old son still sneaks onto my lap for a cuddle

I have a 9 month old DS. I love that:

• he waves at absolutely everyone, even in public, even animals (in fact he waved at a statue once)
• he crawls after me when I go into another room and sits at my feet like he’s my dog not my child 😂
• he thinks it’s hilarious when I roll around on the bed with him
• we have raspberry blowing competitions in the car
• he’s just learnt what ‘kiss’ means and gives me a big wet open-mouth snog when I ask for a kiss

Ooohhh love this thread!

I love everything about my gorgeous boys!!! ...

They are kind
They are great swimmers
They are smart
They are interested in everything
They give great cuddles
They make me laugh
They have no bad bones in their body - the innocence of youth! :)
They enjoy life and have fun
DS1 is crazy, and impulsive, and takes risks and gives everything a try :) he's so brave!
DS2 is so careful and considered and thoughtful! He's so lovely!
They are sensitive and responsible
They try so hard
DS2 takes everything in his stride, runs his own race, doesn't worry what others think of him or how he compares to them
DS1 is super competitive, he is so so determined to win and do his best and improve himself
Both my boys are poised and graceful and mature in taking feedback.
They both give max effor to everything and try super duper hard
They are both happy and bounce back quickly
They are determined

As a mother I feel they have overtaken me and are better than me in pretty much every area! I have no idea how they've turned out so lovely!! Just hope they continue on this path and they remain hard working, kind, and happy through teenage years and beyond... (They r only little now!! 7 and 9)

I love being a mummy and I loooove my boys to bits X

@BlowDryRat “ extremely clever but scatterbrained to go with it and will come out with well-reasoned theories while simultaneously wandering around in his pants having forgotten what day it is.” - this made me laugh so much. It’s basically me, but in the form of a small boy.

DS however is sharp as a tack. I love how funny he is, how much he adores his cousins and grandparents, and how even though he’s only just 4 he is so thoughtful (he brought me the only ripe strawberry in the garden and popped it in my mouth earlier. It was delicious. He is my favourite.). He narrates everything he’s doing as a little song at the moment and it delights me.

I took my 14 year old DD to see Derren Brown a few weeks ago, and he was talking about people's 3 favourite things about their children, so I've thought about this recently - great idea for a thread @Gorl!

DD1 - I love how she is unapologetically her authentic self, her positive energy and her enthusiasm, for almost everything!

DD2 (12) - she is the kindest person I know (takes after her Daddy, not me!), is still happiest snuggled up with me rather than anywhere else and helps me see the good in (nearly) everyone.

My 15 year old is full of banter, makes me laugh so much. He has a unique take on the world and is so clever.

Ds1, age 6 is funny and sassy, he denies being funny but he is. He's also still very cuddly and gets in bed every morning for a cuddle. He's a miracle - statistically we shouldn't still have him with us. He makes up games with his cuddly toys.

Dt1, aged nearly 2, is kissy and snuggly. He climbs on my lap and likes to kiss me lots. His giggle is just the best. He's learning to stroke his twin not pull his hair and loves feeding people.
Dt2, ages nearly 2, dances to any music and spins on the spot. He's also obsessed with putting on one of his and one of his big brothers wellies. He's actually very cute when he picks you. He also has an amazing giggle.

What a lovely thread

DD1 (10) such vivacity and energy, always singing or dancing, very loving. She's struggled academically and I'm so proud that through her hard work she now loves reading and writing stories.

DD2 (7) So loving and cuddly despite being so desperate to grow up. Very interested in the world and all around her - it's great to just sit and chat with her about things.

My 11 year old can be so kind and generous, she's not afraid to be herself and have her own opinions even if it doesn't fit with the crowd.
My 4 year has this huge personality without being a brat about it, he's really funny and has a brilliant imagination

Anytime I see them smile makes me want to burst with pride!

My youngest, 1 has started giving hugs and kisses off his own back, I could cry every time.

When he screams at the end of Row your boat.

My 3 year old just says the most hilarious things, today it was hold on mummy, let's just think this through logically. No idea where it's come from and made absolutely no sense in the context but it is so funny when they come out with random grown up comments!

When he tells me I'm his best friend.

The 3 year old is currently very very challenging at the moment but those small little things melt all the frustration away instantly!

My 21 year ds laugh and sense of humour,he is a lovely young man, however can be hard work sometimes. My dd, is growing into a lovely young lady,has also had her problems. So proud of them coping with last 18 months.

My 12 year old is a talented musician, I just love hearing him play. I often watch the video of him performing in a talent show at school just to cheer me up. He's always so full of energy and makes people laugh.

My 9 year old is an amazing dancer (but so modest.) She's also generous, would give away her most treasured possessions if she thought it'd make someone else happy.

I love that they're both happy to be individuals and neither of them 'follow the crowd'.

My 3 year old is brilliant! Kind and I always get compliments about how good he is at sharing and how gentle he is.

My 4yr old is so clever and so full of life and cheeky. She is really affectionate to her new baby sibling and always trying to make her laugh. I love hearing about what she's been up to at preschool. I love how she gives me big cuddles at bedtime for random reasons like 'because it's Christmas this year'.

My 3 month old has lovely soft baby skin and always looks at me with such delight every morning, she's so pleased to see me. Her laugh is adorable.

I can't believe how forgiving my 6 yo is.

My two year old is so kind, in the mornings the first thing he will do is race into the room next door to check on his baby brother & play peek a boo with him in his cot. He has just started dancing when he hears any kind of music, a sort of bopping whilst rolling his eyes around - it makes me die
My 1 year old scrunches up his face when he smiles & has the best laugh. He watches every little thing we do. I love how his little hand finds mine when he’s drinking his milk before bed.

I love when my two year olds learns new things. We've just recently cracked colours so when he tells me something is blue/green etc it makes me so proud. He's also fantastic at telling me animals and the noises they make.

My favourite part of our day is when I'm putting him to bed we have our nightly sing song and he gives me a kiss. He always seems so happy after we sing the song.

I really love their conversation now that they are bigger (13 and 7, so different levels of conversation!)

I don’t like it so much when they try to conduct entirely separate conversations with me simultaneously

DD 7, is the kindest, most polite, and big hearted little girl I've ever met. She is so grateful for everything and genuinely is amazed by life, often comments on how spectacular and wonderful things are that I would take for granted, she makes me see the world in a different way.

DS 4, thinks I am the be all and end all of all existence. Tells me daily I'm the most beautiful mummy in the world, that he loves me and will marry me one day (bless), and his cuddles are the absolute best thing on earth.