to find young children irritating now mine are well past that stage?

[wirywire]

My DC are now older teens so pretty much living their own lives. When they were young, they were hard work but I had a tolerance for all the tantrums and noise.

Quite a few people in my extended family have young children and are always trying to rope me into babysitting their because mine are grown. I have done all that and don't want to anymore! I do say no but I often get stuck with the kids at family events who want me to help them out when they are wrangling their DC. This annoys me because the men never get stuck with DC only the women.

I can't deal with the noise and mess.

I have always found other people's children mostly irritating tbh.
Heck, I even found my own child and relative's children annoying at times too.
Some folk love kids, and have boundless patience, and I am thankful they exist.

I get it.

All children are excruciatingly irritating apart from my own.

Yes , I know it's unkind of me , but dislike being in the company of most children these days .

I am not interested in other people's children and find them mostly annoying. My own children can also be incredibly annoying at times but the trade off there is they make me laugh often, brighten my day and have taught me the meaning of unconditional love. You don't get that from other people's children.

I feel the same,

Strange as older people love children, so many people smile at my toddler DD. I wonder if a lot of us will feel like that in 10-20 years.

It depends on the children though. Or rather it depends on the education their parents have given them. Kids who are raised to be entitled and rude where no doesn't exist are not a joy to be around that's for sure.

Yeah I feel the same. I would babysit my 2yr old nephew if asked, but beyond that I am been there, done that. Yesterday I was sat in the hospital foyer visiting my friend who is sadly dying and saw 4 newborns leaving hospital. We chatted to one lady who was waiting for her husband to get the car. The babies were gorgeous, but my God, I just thought they have no clue what’s to come! No thanks, been there, done that.

YANBU, I don't like looking after children who aren't mine. Mine are adults now. I have a younger family member whom I see occasionally and she has two under 2 and she will plonk the baby on my knee and expect me to entertain the older one.

We live next door to a primary school. My youngest left in the summer. I have never had an issue with noise; break times, lunch, after school etc. Until DC3 started secondary. Now it drives me crazy. It was like a switch, as soon as DC3 no longer went to the school, I hear every noise, every shout and every bouncing ball and it grates!

Family events aren't really a problem as mine are the only DC. Friends DC I can cope with until the age of about 7 - that's the age of my best friends DC, any younger and I'm looking to direct back to parents!

My 2yr old nephew wanted to watch unboxing of cars on youtube, and this awful channel Vlad & Nicky or something like that, absolute hideous display of wealth. Mine watches Cbeebies at that age too.

I had mine in my 20s while my other siblings were mid-late 30s. They all told me I was too young!

They don't get it that I've done that and really don't want to be the babysitter! I feel too old for toddlers at 43!

When your own children are small you can't notice the superhuman effort you're making to cope with them, and the way you have to constantly ignore your own needs. I swear when I see toddlers nowadays it triggers a mild case of PTSD (single mum, and autistic to boot).

I already have my position ready for when grandchildren come along:" Sadly I won't be much help with toddlers, I'm really terrible when they're that age- but I'll be happy to come and babysit for you when they're asleep".

Parenting has also got worse since you had young children. Far too much permissive there there namby pamby approaches, resulting in bratty children.

I always smile to small children as it’s a polite way to behave and will answer their direct question but tbh I’m not keen on interaction with them and won’t encourage it. So I wonder if these older people are the same.

I was never keen on children, I survived DD’s younger years (she is older teen ) and that’s it. I don’t mind well behaved children but some parents are too lazy in their parenting and it annoys me.

Almost invariably little kids are annoying. People pre kids know this, parents then seem to think their kids are different and then the kids grow up and the parents come back around to thinking kids are annoying.

Decent parents will remember the whole way through that kids are annoying and try and keep them from annoying the rest of us. Your family sound cheeky

I don't really like children, they are annoying. I certainly don't want to get involved in looking after other people's children.

My dcs are adults. I find little kids irritating and go out of my way to avoid wailing babies.Some of my friends are now grandparents and it's all they ever talk about which is boring.
None of mine show any desire to reproduce which is fine by me.

You don't have to look after anyone else's children if you don't want to, I have 4 children myself the oldest is 16 and does her own thing and my youngest is 6 months and I wouldn't expect anyone else to deal with my younger children they are my responsibility, I also understand your view, I'm not really interested in other people's children, I care for my own and love my own but I wouldn't offer to look after other people's I find them too hard to deal with

Other people and their children are annoying. 🤣

Get yourself a T shirt printed with “It doesn’t take a village, it’s your job” and that picture of Uncle Sam pointing. Then wear it to the next family party.

Yeah, it’s nice to have family and friends eager to babysit but when did it become obligatory?

Who thinks “I’d love to have a baby, but only 40 weekends a year.” Depending on how many weekends they want friends and family to babysit.

Yeah I’m the same.

I think many many people are.

Often if someone offers to help with another person’s young children they’re just being kind - they don’t love dealing with tiny ones necessarily!

Like recently my exh was seemingly shocked I don’t want to help him entertain his 3 yo at all of our (older- 16 and 11) kids events!

i know the feeling we have 9 nieces and nephews in the family. 8 are above 14 years old (5 of them are over 18) and then we have one 5yr old and they are so loud, obnoxious and quite badly behaved eg cheeky, answers back. Not seen them for about 18month, not that interested to see them either.

mine are way passed that stage and even at that stage were much better behaved.

My kids are older now and I find other people's kids boring and annoying. But I still help out at family events cos I remember how hard it was.

Also, it's good for the kids to have positive interactions with family members and is part of how they learn social skills.

Surely people do things they don't love doing all the time, it's part of living in society and not being a dick?! It's also part of being a family, if you don't want to see you family just...stay away?

I never liked or had any interest in babies or children before I had mine.
I loved my own children at every stage apart from the first year but that's a different instinctive, emotional thing.
For a brief period I was interested and tolerant of them while mine were a similar age.
Once mine were teens and are now adults I am back to avoiding all close contact with children. Having said that I would offer help occasionally because I could. I don't actually know anyone with small children.