To ask what you find/found hardest about being a parent to young children?

[Heepers]

For me, I think it is 100% the broken nights and exhaustion.

The noise!

The fact that when you're in the depths of it most people don't really get just how incredibly hard it is, because if they did they would proactively help (I'm specifically referring to siblings with no kids and very little stress in their lives - and yes I know that childcare shouldn't be expected but if they knew how hard it was they would be offering). I remember having a newborn and 18 month old that wouldn't sleep and nearly having a bit of a breakdown whilst people around me were none the wiser

The constant worry. Worrying about whether they're meeting their milestones, worrying about whether you're doing the right things re feeding, weaning, toilet training etc, worrying when they're ill. It's exhausting.

I’m not so far in, only 1 DD, just turned 1. At the moment the worst is constant merry go round of illness. Yesterday we had a fun urgent care centre trip because she went a bit blue. Today she woke up with conjunctivitis.

The sheer and utter tiredness that meant I wasn’t as good a parent as I wanted to be.

Being ill for nine months of the year.

Sleep deprivation

Definitely the sleep. My second is 18 months and still waking 2 or 3 times a night. I'm fed up with it!

Having read the other answers I can relate to so many of them. The constant worry and the relentlessness. But yes, the sleep deprivation was brutal.

I have an older son with ASD. For me it was the non-verbal bit until he was 4. And the need for a dummy and nappies until 5. And the hideous meltdowns. Ages 6-10-ish were okay, although he was bullied dreadfully in those years so it was hard watching his hurt and pain and hsi lack of friendships. Now he is 11 nearly 12 and pre-teen and the tantrums have come back combined with puberty hormones and he is fast getting big enough to hurt me physically when he loses it. So dealing with my sense of grief over that is an issue.

Other than that he has a terrific sense of humour and a kind soul (when the meltdowns happen he is beyond all reason, but at the core he is delightful). I guess overall it is just the relentless anxiety about him.

For my younger one- well i find it so hard that his life is so impacted by the sheer amount of focus we need to keep on his brother.

I thankfully have a good sleeper, but the rest is just the relentlessness. It’s non-stop.
But def getting easier more fun as they grow up.

Squabbling.

Broken nights for me. Though I would rather have a baby/toddler in the house than a teen antsy of the week 😳

The absolute relentlessness of it all.

Lack of sleep,
having to be constantly available and doing stuff with them
have to wait for her to go to sleep to get stuff done a lot of the time
Bath time
Needing to accompany another humanbeing to the loo all the time
Exhaustion
Can’t go anywhere without worrying a out food/tiredness/tantrums/ bolting/ so many lying down tantrums

The relentlessness of it all and the sheer exhaustion. My two are 22 months apart, first not too bad a sleeper. He was pretty good after about 1yr but my second has been an awful sleeper. She’s a bit better now but I haven’t had an unbroken night in over 18 months. When people say it gets harder as they get older I could cry. Please tell me that’s not true?!

I literally sat and starred at my phone trying to think. There isn't one. There is a few.

Not enough sleep
Never having time for myself
Tantrums
Keeping them entertained
Going out everywhere is a mission and needs planned the night before
I guess all of it is relentless

Mine are 23 months apart. The 8 month old has never slept through 1 night. It's been rough.

The lack of sleep
The tedium of toddler games

The lack of sleep

Anything is survivable if you’ve slept but when you’ve been up all night even a tiny thing is a disaster!

Oh I only have 1, think I’m done, I can’t do this again. I was convinced it was my age for a while but I think probably at any age toddlers wear you down.

The lack of sleep. For about three years all I wanted was to lie down and sleep.

The worry when she is ill. Having to spend so much time dealing with stuff I don't want to do.

@Isababybel

Weekends aren't for having fun anymore.

Yeah that's hard. Weekends are sometimes harder than during the week because I also have my husband to think about. Even in small terms like 'I'm making tea do you want one?' 'What do you want for lunch' whereas during the week I just please myself (while pleasing a 3 year old of course!)

-Exhausting,
-Not much time to myself,
-Toys everywhere,

• handprints on my nice clean floors and glass,

-It's monotonous at times, -Always worrying about them, -The fact that sometimes I just wanna sit and chill but they seem to want all my attention constantly. -Peppa bloody pig!!!

It was the sleep and their helplessness
Now she’s 6 it’s the incessant talking and moving plus arguing, shouting at me and generally being dramatic