To think a lot of parenting seems to be this

[Greengables4]

Wishing time away ' 'only a few years until....'
only a few years until they start school then you'll get your life back a little", "only a few years until the difficult teenage years stop" "only a few years until they're 18 and move out"
Myself and my brother are now adults so my parents are enjoying a sort of childfree life, but this took 33 years to reach.
It's one of the things that puts me off, there seem to be so many difficult stages and a lot of parenting seems to be just waiting until they're 18 and you can get your old life back

I feel I miss the stage before, but then I also only remember the good parts. Like I miss newborn because it was so easy, but then I also remember when they'd fall asleep on you and you'd have to try lower them back in their bassinet without waking up and what a mission that was 🤣

What a horrible thread. I’ve never once met anyone with this kind of vile attitude. I’d do ANYTHING to go back to when my 8yr old was a baby. I’d also do ANYTHING to stop her growing up anymore.

I genuinely think you need to see your GP, this isn’t a normal way to feel or think. You sound depressed. Please don’t take it out on your child

Only felt like that when they were toddlers. Child stage and teen stage have been fab so far. Eldest is 17 and youngest 13 and tbh for us it gets better and better

I can say hand on heart I've never thought this. In fact my 14 month old I want time to slow down, not speed up. When I'm really tired I might count down the minutes until bedtime though.

I only really hear the wishing the time away on MN. In real life it's the opposite! I'm not even someone who likes spending time with kids but it's different when it's my daughter or my nephews.

‘Vile’ is an extreme term. Are your normally prone to exaggeration? It’s hardly vile to lament that having a child has had an effect on your career, relationship, sex, holidays or simply a clean house.

seriously take it down a thousand.

Mumsnet was literally built on this huge change of life that affects all those things and more. Just because someone expresses their truth doesn’t mean they need help. It’s hard and you do definitely have less freedom.

the dream does not live up to the reality for everyone and to be fair, loving it despite all of that should be regarded as strange. Suggesting someone needs to see a GP for speaking their truth seems strange (and extremely b*tchy).

and it may be 10 at night but nowhere did I read in that post, that the PP was taking it out on her child. That suggestion is what I’d describe as vile.

and for the record it was boring and I couldn’t wait to get back to work. still loved those stages and them though.

Mine are 9, 7 and 4 and I wish I could freeze time. I adore them being this age.

Not for me although I know many feel that way. Personally I wish that time would either slow down, or that I could go back and visit certain times (just a short visit, the odd day here and there lol) now and again. That being said I also love every stage that they reach and I love seeing their personalites and interests develop. I'd like the occasional break/coffee in peace for sure but I wish they weren't growing up so fast. Maybe that's why some people have lots of kids I would have more if I could!

Mine are little and time is moving too fast already. My youngest is disabled and it's likely i'll spend the rest of my life as her carer so I never have those thoughts as it's pretty much pointless.

You don't sound depressed. You sound like me, even though I still worked ft. But you get your life back sooner than you think and this cold, rainy afternoons in the park, scrolling through your phone? One day your kids will want to stay in gaming AND YOU CAN SIT AND CHILL. IN THE WARMTH!!!!!

Erm I'm not taking it out on my child
I love my DC, but I'm not enjoying every moment and want to freeze time. I wish I did feel like that, but I really, really miss my old life. Yes this is fulfilling in other ways but it's not the same and I feel very guilty about that because my DC is so lovely. I assume later I will look back and miss these times, but right now I can't see it. At the moment it just feels like groundhog day!
I've only had one day away from DC when I had to go to funeral, so maybe I just need a day off to recharge, who knows. Looking forward to feeling more positive and enthusiastic in the future, for now it's wine while DC sleeps.

BLISS! 😃

@Faultymain5 thank you, it's nice to not feel like I'm a complete nut job. I was just trying to be honest and put it out there

What?
Why did it take 33 years.
Was one of you born when the other was 16/17?

I don’t get this description at all.

I did this with my first. He has special needs and I wasn't coping all that well. I kept wishing away the time until he could talk, walk, communicate why he was sad or angry etc.
He's now in high school and I miss the early years, but his siblings are still young so I try to spend as much time as I can with all of the kids, really take in all the special moments and make lots of memories together.
I'd definitely say children are worth it, but they're not for everyone.

Wtf is this thread. Competitive 'I love my kids and motherhood is amazing and everyone is a shit parent if they don't love every second'. It's competitive motherhood at its worst. I've never read so much bullshit in my life.

The only vile answer is yours

Dear god. It's as if we're all human and completely different.

This isn't competitive bullshit I object to being called a liar for saying how I feel and wtf should I pretend just to make every other person feel better about being unhappy. You are not bad parents for not feeling happy happy joy joy all the time but you are clearly bitches for slagging all the others off

Who slagged someone off? Because you did. Are you saying you're a bitch?