To consider myself mostly out of the trenches now the kids are 6 and 3?

[outhereover]

Life has definitely undergone a seismic shift in the last few months and it’s a lot easier.

Now if I could get rhe 3 yo to sleep past 6 am …

I definitely considered myself out of the trenches once my son was 4+! I found the baby/toddler years so hard and absolutely love life with him now he’s 6 years old

although I do now have an 8 month old so I’m back in the trenches 🤣 .. keep telling myself life will be great when I have a 4 year old and 9 year old .. then I’ve got a few sweet years until I’m in the teenage trenches 😁

Yes I agree with you op.

Teenage years aren't easy in a lot of ways but it's not the same as the baby years.

15 years to go!

My youngest was great at 3 and a nightmare at 4. I think it really starts to improve when they're both at school!

The trenches just change. I have young teens now and I feel more stressed and exhausted than I did when they were toddlers.

I was thinking you ain't see nothing yet but I suppose everyone has different preferences and talents do if you are secondary school teacher you might find teens easier. I found the early years pretty simple, draining both physically and mentally but I knew what to do. I had no idea how to manage teens especially with social media and things

😂 oh, you poor sweet deluded child.
signed- mother of teenagers.

They do this every so often - give you a short break - remind you why you love them - and ready you for the next stage of war fare

Well, I haven’t much enjoyed toddlers but some people love it. We’re all different. And not all teens are a nightmare - something that is often lost on here.

Oh you've only just started....another few years there'll be friendship dramas (especially if you have a girl), hormones etc...
And by then you won't be able to get them out of bed!

Totally agree with you that teens are way easier than toddlers. Everyone has different preferences. People who like the newborn stage are clearly clinically insane!

I would say I felt really out of the trenches when youngest hit 6.
Capable of getting dressed, wiping own bum, doing up own car seat, eaiser to reason with, and in full time school so used to routine and developed more of a reasonable personality.
You won't know yourself when you get there!

I was a secondary teacher for over a decade. I loved working with teenagers. My teenagers are pretty good, but fuck me it is hard! Sometimes I yearn for toddler days 😂

I much preferred the teenage years to the toddler years.

Mine are 5 and almost 3 and I feel similar. Obviously the teenage years can be challenging and every stage is temporary but I actually enjoy the weekends more. I’m quite tired from being out all day but it’s not as tiring as when they were younger.

The poster said ‘have you met any teenagers’ and so there was only one answer 😅 I don’t pretend to know what it’ll be like when mine reach that stage, they could be horrific or they could be wonderful.

But it will not be as it was when I had a one year old and a three year old. I know some people love it; I did not!

Yes and no- physically I think that age is much easier but once your 3 year old goes to school I think you’ll notice a big shift physically again where it does feel easier. The challenge then becomes emotional. I now have a 10 and 7 year old and the youngest is 90% easy. The eldest can be an emotional vampire. I have just had a day where everything is a massive drama and actually having a 3 year old back would be easier than the 10 year old. But not every day is like that!

I have a 4.5 year old and (just) 9 year old and it is great. They are both lovely in their own ways. 9 year old v self sufficient but still v affectionate and wanting to spend time with us.
4 year old really becoming his own person and lots of fun to be around. We had 2 years of tantrums from 2 to 4 and im so glad to be past those.
I think ill really enjoy the next few years - hope so anyway

You're a bit deluded, and teaching experience is not the same.

You're out of one trench definitely.

19 dd and 16 DS .

you have absolutely no idea what’s coming

I would take toddler years any time .

Deluded because I said I knew a lot of teenagers?

It would seem we would all be better off not having children.

Why is MN so down on teenagers? I enjoyed my kids teenage years.

God I can’t wait for my time to come! Mine are 2 and 6…I remember they get easier at three (unless I’ve blanked it all out)!

I found once my youngest was around three and half it all got so much easier. I didn’t find the teenage years difficult and I loved the primary years.

My youngest is 16 and I'm in the biggest and deepest of trenches unfortunately