It doesn't get any easier - just different

[Grommit]

How many times have we heard that? Just wondered from those experienced mums out there which age you found most difficult and which easiest?

all hard in different ways

currently desperate for ds3 to walk so we can al go to parks together and he doent want to crawl around them!

It's so true. I think it comes down to individual personality/temperament as to which age you find most difficult. For me, toddlerhood was the hardest. DD is approaching teenagerhood now and that is proving bloody hard too. Little babies and 5-11 year olds were the easiest!

I think as well the gift of hindsight would be advisable for most of us. In the first few weeks when you are so dogtired you cant function you think that is the hardest. Then, when they go through all the phases of not eating, sleeping, potty training etc you think that is the hardest. Then they go to school/nursery and pick up foul language and horrible behaviour and you think that is the hardest. Then they become teenagers and persons with opinion and attitudes and that is the hardest.

Mum was recently telling me about friends who adopted 2 children now aged 12 and 13. The 13 yr old girl has moved in with a 19 yr old drug addict and has just been done for burgling a 90 yr old woman!! I am sure they would think that babyhood was far easier than what they are going through now.

Personally, I like 0-5 years.

DS1, aged very nearly 5 is VERY hard work at the moment, very load, very 'know-it-all' doesn't listen, and although he's still to young to get this he has absolutley no respect for me and it makes me as mad as hell and breaks my heart at the same time.
DS2, 3 in June isn't too bad but tries to copy DS1 so can be a little monster. Alot of things he does are so funny it's more cheekiness than naughtyness.
DS3 is only 6 months so he is by far the easiest.........by a very long way.

So for me nearly 5 is the hardest age

I've only got one dd and she's only 18 months so I probably can't comment much. But I did find the period between 6-10 months particularly difficult. It was hard because I was coming down to earth with a thump about how much my life had changed and dd was frustrated and ready to get around on her own but not able. As soon as she could walk and then start to speak I've found things much easier. In fact 11 months to now have been mostly blissful except for her dire eating habits! I'm expecting all the time for the 'terrible twos' to kick in and change all this.

I agree with emmatmg, DS1 is very hard work just now and he is five. By comparison DS2, nearly 2, having the usual toddler tantrums is far easier, but perhaps that's more down to experience (second time round dealing with a toddler, first time dealing with a five year old) than anything.

I'm loving the stage my kids are at at the moment - they are currently 8, 6 and 4. They're all easy-going, happy and at the moment (TOUCH WOOD!!) non of them are giving me any cause for concern

DD2 (4yo) used to have me pulling my hair out most of the time between the ages of 18 months and 3, so it's lovely now that we're passed this stage.

Not looking forward to the "teenage" years LOL - I'd love to keep them at this stage forever

I think junior school age (7-11) is the easiest to live with - there is so much they want to do, and can do, they try hard to be independent but also still want to please you, and the things they achieve make them proud of themselves and you proud of them.

And its hard being a parent to much older all-grown children when you can't "make it better" anymore; you can't get them the job they want or the man they want....