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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Difficult babies turn into easy toddlers and easy babies turn into difficult toddlers

73 replies

Mamabear04 · 07/08/2023 17:48

DC1 was a really difficult baby but was a really easy toddler (as easy as a toddler can be). DC2 was such an easy baby, so relaxed and happy but now at 13m is quick to anger and get frustrated. Does anyone else agree that difficult babies turn into easy toddler and easy babies turn into difficult toddlers?

Yes, it's true- YANBU
No, not in my experience - YABU

OP posts:
Goatymum · 07/08/2023 17:51

Def true in my case, oldest was a hard baby, easy toddler and youngest was the opposite way around. Probably the ‘right’ way as I had the easy baby and toddler at the same time. The youngest has always been harder work.

DrManhattan · 07/08/2023 17:51

Nope

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 07/08/2023 17:52

Not my experience at all

CamelSilk · 07/08/2023 17:52

Not for me. I have three DC and the one who was the easiest baby was also the easiest toddler. She's not the easiest as a teen though.

FFSWhatToDoNow · 07/08/2023 17:52

Not my experience. DD has been easy throughout up to now. She’s about to turn 13 though so it could go horribly wrong yet.

GloomySkies · 07/08/2023 17:53

DD was a hard hard baby and a hard hard toddler. She's been delightful since the age of about 6.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 07/08/2023 17:53

Mine were easy babies, easy toddlers and easy teenagers. Not sure if I’ve got away with it or if they’re saving it up for a midlife crisis (though I might not be around then…😁)

ValancyRedfern · 07/08/2023 17:53

Dd was a nightmare baby and has been easy as pie ever since, so fits my experience, but I can't imagine there's any real pattern.

OverTheCountryClub · 07/08/2023 17:54

No, not for me. My very difficult baby was a frankly nightmarish toddler (now lovely!). My easy baby remained easy.

Watchagotch72 · 07/08/2023 17:55

DS1 was a difficult baby, a terror as a toddler, and a stroppy pre-teen. Still adored him and he’s a lovely (mostly) 15 yr old now!

thebestsellingshow · 07/08/2023 17:56

Not true for me. My easy baby is still a dream, and strong willed one is showing no signs of chilling out Grin

AIBU123456789 · 07/08/2023 18:15

Nope. Dd1 - difficult ish baby and toddler but easy teen. Dd2 - easy baby and toddler but difficult teen.

Workquestion11 · 07/08/2023 18:16

Not my experience
Difficult babies tend to stay Difficult toddlers for me 😂

MillicentBystandr · 07/08/2023 18:25

Not true for me either.

cakecoffeecakecoffee · 07/08/2023 18:26

DD was a “difficult” baby and is still extremely hard work. She’s 8.

DS was a really easy baby but seems to be getting trickier by the day! He’s 4.

MillicentTrilbyHiggins · 07/08/2023 18:27

Not true here. Mine were both relatively easy as babies and toddlers.
But my God. Does anyone want to buy a couple of teens?

aperolspriitz · 07/08/2023 18:27

No. You are trying to see a nice neat pattern where there isn't one. People are messy and that includes children and toddlers.

FuckNuggets · 07/08/2023 18:28

Definitely true with my 2.

HariboFantastics · 07/08/2023 18:31

Not in my experience! My DS was an easy baby looking back, at the time it felt endless having PND but he had an easy 4 hour sleep routine, besides the early colic and needing to be cuddled to sleep until he was 1, it was a breeze and now he’s almost 5, not much has changed besides no more naps, he’s not a naughty kid, albeit your typical boisterous boy. The only times he’s placed in time out is when he’s pushed his luck with cheekiness trying to be funny.

Infact, he’s so nice to raise, I refuse to have s second child, because I know it won’t be the same another time round! 😃

Clefable · 07/08/2023 18:36

Totally random and down to individuals. DD1 was an incredibly easy baby and is 4.5 now and still very easy. DD2 is another easy baby but too soon to say if she'll be an easy toddler!

Gymmum82 · 07/08/2023 18:38

Difficult baby. Difficult toddler. Difficult child has been my experience

APurpleSquirrel · 07/08/2023 18:39

😂 is all I say

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 07/08/2023 18:41

My lovely baby turned into the devil at 3. He mostly lovely, though extremely emotional, now at 7.

My second son has been a fucking nightmare the entire time. If he'd been my first he'd have been my only.

SarahAndQuack · 07/08/2023 18:43

Grin I wish! Some of us have difficult babies and difficult toddlers! TBF she's a dream now, and none of it was her fault (if anything can be a baby's 'fault'!). She was just a terrible sleeper who kept on being a terrible sleeper through the baby/toddler years.

Simonjt · 07/08/2023 18:45

Our daughter was a very easy baby, she’s almost two and so far she is a fairly easy toddler, she does get frustrated if she can’t do something, but luckily it doesn’t last long. Our son was also an easy toddler, so we’re preparing for awful teenagers.