At what age does parenting become easier?

[Lois345]

At what age does parenting become easier? If your answer is never please say it quietly to yourself or just lie in your comment

It's easier when they're young but you don't think so at the time. Teenage years is when the fun starts.

It doesn't 😂😂

It's easier when they're young but you don't think so at the time. Teenage years is when the fun starts.
It's not really, it's a different difficult, you're more sleep deprived when they're young and have to watch them/ hold their hand /run about more/do everything for them as they're 100 percent reliant on you

Omg is anyone else reading these comments with a lovely 2.4 year old and 7 week old twins and absolutely dreading when they all turn 3? 😂😂

I think easier is the wrong word in many ways

As they get older they physically need less from you, but mentally they need more.

My teen i have to make the effort to be in his world, his needs are very different.

I love 3 they are so funny at the age. I say this as a parent of a teenager who isn't funny more grumpy.

IME around 24.

I have 3dc and years and years of sleep deprivation , so now I can sleep , i feel so nuch better and can deal with more. Ny youngest is 4. Im 37 and look better now than when i had babies and toddlers in late 20's early 30s. My 3 dcs play loads together so thats a big plus too

It got easier for me at 4 and with all I found the first year v v v easy. 15 months to 4 is v v hard imo. Also now if im ill or feel low energy I can actually rest. My dh and I have no support network so being ill with toddlers was a nightmare tbh; none of ours would sit still for 5 seconds.
I love having a few kids though as they occupy each other and play. Ehen ny 4 year old is alone he becomes v demanding. But on the other hand you are at the parenting tiny dcs for years then with more kids. In our case it has definitly been worth it.

• when my

DD is 8, and it's definitely been an easier phase since she was around five. Not easy, but easier. I remember the exact moment I realized it was easier - we went to a soft play birthday party when she was five and were able to leave her to play while we sat and chatted/ate. Parents of younger kids were still crawling around on their hands and knees in the soft play and I remember thinking, "Ooooh, this is better!" She's good company, old enough to be trusted with a lot of things, but still young enough to want to be a good girl and do as we ask. It's lovely at the moment! Not without its challenges, sure, but waaaay easier than the baby or toddler phases.

My eldest is 9 and youngest is 5

For me it got a lot easier when they were all at school.

I am better at handling the mentally draining side of it, rather than physically being cling to all the time.

Although I've not hit the teenage years yet.

It's never easy but this stage is much better than the younger years.

5 and 7 to 9 and 11 has been pretty lovely. They’re still very affectionate and sweet while getting more and more independent.

@cravingmilkshake

Omg is anyone else reading these comments with a lovely 2.4 year old and 7 week old twins and absolutely dreading when they all turn 3? 😂😂

Ahhhhh I think 3 is ok! They are chatty and funny. Yes they have strops but IMO 1-2.5 is far worse. The days are so long and can be interminable at that age. The crying. The sleep (mine weren't good sleepers). The fact they can't talk properly and can't be left to their own devices. The fact you have to hover over them constantly. Mine are 4 and 9 right now. I like 4, in general. My 9yo is great on his own but the sibling fighting is very tedious. 9yo also has school-related worries and upsets which is stressful.

I found 3 much less physically draining. You can leave them alone for a bit and explain so much more to them.

We had a period of time where it was much easier, a couple of years from 4 and 6 onwards. Now we have one at 11, starting puberty with diagnosed ADHD and it’s the worst time of my life and I expect going to get worse. Hopefully we make it through ok enough and then it might be nice in their twenties? The toddler is a fiddle relatively speaking.

I found it fairly easy from about aged 6. Its not physically tiring anymore - they can dress themselves, no nappies, no interrupted sleep unless ill, are fairly independent with play etc. However, the tween and tear years are HARD emotionally. Sure it’s still physically easy - they can get themselves to places. Much easier to balance work and childcare. But my god are the worries, angst and moods sending me grey…

Aged 3 upwards is good by the way, just so much easier around the aged 6 mark because you are not dashing around pretending to be power rangers or whatever any more

we're only 22m in but I find it getting easier as he gets older. and am hoping that continues! he is more able to entertain himself, he is more engaging and interesting! he goes to the childminder 3 days a week while I work, will go off with his dad easily or other family when they visit. sleep is improving. it's still hard, but its not as hard as the first year.

This is about right 😂

3 is such a hard age. Depending on the child, I found it a bit easier at about 4-5, then again at 7-8, and up from there.

There are still issues and days where it's high emotions butting heads all over the place and I feel at a loss, but really, my 17-year-old is much easier most days even over things like chores and college work than my 9-year-old is about most things as he's still learning emotional regulation and how to have a conversation that isn't him talking at people.

For some it's personal preference, but I'll take my teens problems that can be talked out most of the time or just agree to disagree over toddler problems. Also, my teens don't feel the need to wake me up by screaming or sitting on me or poking me in the face and more sleep definitely helps.

It can depend on the child but physically it gets easier once they get to about 3. Usually by then they’re out of nappies, can be reasoned with and can listen, go to pre school and are just basically really funny and cute!

I also found once mine got to secondary school age it was nice as they did a lot more for themselves but yes the emotional side of it can be hard depending on your child. I have 8 children, 3 of which are at secondary and the y7 currently thinks she might be trans and is getting it in the neck every day at school

Seems like iv been really lucky by reading some of these comments .
My DD is 10 now and never had a single problem from her

When it becomes easier depends on how much work you put into raising them. Our kids are teenagers and are both a good help around the house and do their homework, are respectful ( though they do tease us) but we put in a lot of work.

Some of our friends never told their children no, never made them do chores and always bought them the latest gadgets and their kids are still pulling a lot of resources both financially and in practical terms even though they are in their twenties. Some other friends never told their daughter no and that included when she got a boyfriend at 14. She is in her midtwenties now and just got married and has an education but that was very uphill for quite a while.

Thanks so much for all your comments. Having read through them all most people seem to think it gets easier at 5-10 and then harder when the teen years start (I am planning to lock my DS in his room and let him out when his brain is fully matured at 25). But the worry never ends, apparently (sigh). Oh well, for the moment I am just looking forward to an uninterrupted conversation, a night out, a good nights sleep and perhaps a film that I can watch in one go rather than break into three sittings

Oh, and I am also really looking forward to not having to play Paw Patrol any longer... that ends soon, right? right? RIGHT?