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.

Then say that. Say no, I was hungry I went to get my food. Then feign ignorance. Oh I don't know what's happening with the kids meals, sorry. It'll stop being an expectation soon enough.

In our family my husband was the youngest and had children last by a long shot, so we had very small children when their cousins were late teens.
We never expected anything from anyone and we both ran around after ours.

Now ours are grown and the cousins all have toddlers. I have zero interest and my SIL and I sit on our bums and do not get involved.

Cute children but I am so done.

This is what I am doing. I leave them. The kids have to get hurt or upset to get the point across which is a shame but the parents don't take any notice otherwise.

Same. I spent years running round after mine. Everyone enjoyed themselves at family events (as they should) but now the expectation is on me to help out because mine are grown.

Im 38 and my baby is 22 this year.
I would not cope with a baby now i value sleep and its all about me now.
The older mine got the less i wanted to be around younger ones,
Now i try to avoid them its the noise and how irritating they can be.
I have no interest in anyones kids.

Reminds me of the sign in my local pub "Unattended children will be given a coffee and a puppy" you just have to keep the kids safe, you don't have to look after them well...jelly beans are the answer here

I cannot stand badly behaved children. Mine were well behaved for the most part, and did not whine or cry at the drop of a hat. Really like well mannered ones. I actually found some of my childrens friends annoying, I don’t mean toddlers but once in school. Wouldn’t bend to their antics, they probably went home and said I was a monster.

I have zero tolerance for other people’s children and my own isn’t even that old 🤣

Men are not held to the same expectations but then it is often women who perpetuate it by only asking other women to help. This is what I have noticed when out with friends and family. DH will never get asked to take a child to the toilet. It is always a woman who gets asked.

I don't mind little toddlers, I found I started finding (other peoples) kids annoying when they were about 7 or 8 because they started answering back or arguing if you asked something quite unreasonable like please sit down to eat, or don't throw food! And barely any said please or thank you.
Now both my kids are teens and their friends have either matured into lovely kids, or they've grown apart from the annoying ones! (Hopefully other parents aren't saying the same about mine, although most comments I got from parents were that they were quiet and polite - probably more so than at home! )

That's why I don't want grandchildren. Thankfully I don't have any. I don't want to spend what remains of my life looking after kids and if I can go to child free restaurants or hotels I do. I don't know why people are so horrified by this but I can see in their eyes that they want to burn the witch. Well, fuck it I say.

There are indeed differences between the sexes. Men have penises and women have vaginas, for example. However, you don't need either to entertain a fractious 4 year old or put up a shelf, and I, proud owner of a vagina, am far better at the latter. As are many women.