Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Does anyone like Other peoples young kids (tongue in cheek)

57 replies

beachcitygirl · 14/03/2022 15:17

Ok as the title says. Being a little bit tongue in cheek, but does anyone really like other peoples young kids? Even family?
Love - sure.
But like?

Their messy eating, inane chat, tantrums, snotty noses, poo smelling, nose picking, crying, screaming, fussy eaters, Making a mess if they visit.
Sitting through countless ballet/drama/tap/plays etc watching hours of crap when you're own poppet is only onstage for 2 mins.
Screaming at the park etc

I mean we're programmed to love & like our own. But other peoples ? I'll go first.

Nope.

When they get to 10 upwards I love them, I find their thoughts & views on the World fascinating, but up until then. Hell to the no.

OP posts:
hangrylady · 14/03/2022 15:18

Only my nephew, but he's a very calm low maintenance toddler.

ArchieStar · 14/03/2022 15:21

I do, I both love and like my friends kids, my own, nieces, nephews etc. They annoy me at times of course, like my own kids do. But I also work with kids and I adore all of them too, even the naughty/mischievous ones. I know what it’s like to feel unloved so I find something, anything, in them that I can love and like.

SilverDragonfly1 · 14/03/2022 15:21

Guilty- I've even made a career of working with toddlers. And I'm always up for a chat on the bus or in the shops :) But I can understand why people find them frustrating/ not that interesting at times!

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 14/03/2022 15:22

For short amounts of time, but they can get quite tiring. With your own toddler you pick up on the plate colour preferences or cutting a sandwich into squares not triangles but other children you don't know as well.

DespairingHomeowner · 14/03/2022 15:22

I think nephews & nieces, MAYBE young cousins are easy to like

Their 'quirky' habits are charming family traits, and you can give them back after a few hours Grin

Holothane · 14/03/2022 15:23

No loathed the spoilt brats in our family. Much better once older

Franticbutterfly · 14/03/2022 15:23

No.

iklboo · 14/03/2022 15:23

Our friends' two are lovely & great fun. Probably because their parents don't let them get away with murder.

AelinoftheWildfire · 14/03/2022 15:26

Babies yes. Toddlers hell no. Past that stage it really depends on the child.

turrquoisepyjamas · 14/03/2022 15:26

I really do like kids! I think they are fun. But I only see the good bits generally, I see almost none of you list of disadvantages because I'm never sharing living space with other people's children.

Fatgalslim · 14/03/2022 15:33

I don't like any kids which is why I chose not to have them!

FourTeaFallOut · 14/03/2022 15:37

Yeah, I do. Most kids are really likeable. I like most people too. I'm odd like that.

Gonnagetgoing · 14/03/2022 15:42

My nephew (3.5) is a bit of a brat at the moment - even his parents think so...

But that's mostly as he wants to see more of his mum (not much luck there!) and he's a threenager.

He's calmed down a bit recently but I was at DM's after spending an hour at family splash with him and his DF (my DB) - god that was fun - NOT! and then went for lunch at DM's - I made the mistake of taking one of his veggie sausage bits cut up without asking him and you'd think I'd beaten him black and blue!

ohhooh · 14/03/2022 15:44

I'm not sure I even love my nephew 😂

He's a baby, doesn't really do anything interesting and he's my BILs child (sketchy BILs girlfriend is not my favourite).

Definitely don't love friends children either! They're mainly sticky and annoying 😬

Gonnagetgoing · 14/03/2022 15:44

@FourTeaFallOut

Yeah, I do. Most kids are really likeable. I like most people too. I'm odd like that.
@FourTeaFallOut - I'll refer you to my ex-NDN/friend whose third child was a complete brat (I actually quite liked him!) - countless times I saw him go up the road with her through the park screaming the whole way and not happy!

Her cousin who has since had her own baby once saw him when he was having a meltdown and almost walked the other way! I think he's got better now though at 6!

Picklypickles · 14/03/2022 15:45

No not really! I spend quite enough time with my own loud and messy children, I don't have any energy left for anyone else least of all their children!

Inmyonesie · 14/03/2022 15:46

I do! Find them harder work once they get to secondary school but younger kids are fun. Before I had kids I hated them!

shivawn · 14/03/2022 15:46

Yeah I like my friends children and I'm interested in them as they're such an important part of my friends lives.

Gonnagetgoing · 14/03/2022 15:47

@ohhooh

I'm not sure I even love my nephew 😂

He's a baby, doesn't really do anything interesting and he's my BILs child (sketchy BILs girlfriend is not my favourite).

Definitely don't love friends children either! They're mainly sticky and annoying 😬

@ohhooh - I'll take your nephew as a baby over DB's DC (my nephew) who right now his moods can change on a sixpence.

I said to him I'd give him a pack of Soreen Apple Bars as he liked the one I gave him, he could have them if he was good, his parents both looked at me like Hmm it's a rare occurrence! He is a sweet kid but was much better behaved/likeable as a toddler/baby.

Aquamarine1029 · 14/03/2022 15:47

I've never liked other people's kids. I adore my own.

UpToMyElbowsInDiapers · 14/03/2022 15:47

I genuinely adore most babies, toddlers, and young children - anyone’s, in any context - for up to 4 hours. At the 4 hour mark, something breaks inside me and I desperately need a breather. This applies to my own DCs too 😬 Thankfully a one-hour recharge does the trick.

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 14/03/2022 15:49

Family children are a lot more likeable if you're allowed to tell them off for misbehaving, I've found. Quick telling off, quick look of shock, then straight back to the game / chat / tea, and smiles all round.

Loyaultemelie · 14/03/2022 15:49

I absolutely like and love babies it's when they get to walking and talking stage they are less enjoyable (other peoples mine are of course feral little hallions darlings Grin)

Sofiegiraffe · 14/03/2022 15:49

Yes but in very small and infrequent doses. After about an hour my fondness reduces rapidly ...... Grin

FourTeaFallOut · 14/03/2022 15:49
Grin

You'd be putting your life in your hands if you nicked food off my plate after swimming. I still like kids when they are being unreasonable, people take their moods too seriously. They are just tiny humans learning to be in the world armed with a crocodile brain and waiting for the civilising part of the brain to kick in.