What have you found hardest in the first 3 years?

[Swirl]

Am in middle of potty training DS1 who is 2.3yrs and am finding it completely draining/frustrating/a real rollercoaster. It got me thinking about the challenges we've overcome so far - for me the first weeks of breastfeeding were brutal and the hardest thing I have come through with him (did end up loving it and breastfed until 6 mths), with the sleep training I had to do at around 5 months coming a close second . I keep telling myself if I got through those then I can handle the potty training. Just wondered what anyone else has found hardest.

The lack of sleep, tried CC, didn't work. Ds could scream for longer than I could handle

swirl - loss of memory, my threadin parenting!

potty training i left til dd was 2 + 10 and it happened just like that within 5/6 days.

my firends ds is the same age as yours and she trying it with him too but it aint working, she might leave it til later

breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, house moving (still not achieved it), combining motherhood with full time work.

Training doesn't need to be stressful! if it is i i'd suggest waiting a bit longer.

I agree SLEEP DEPRIVATION definitely the hardest! We had two years of hell trying to get dd to sleep with out us. But now she's an angel at bedtime so it all works out in the end

why don't you stop and put him back in nappies then? 2.3 is quite young IMO

Having a 1yo and glandular fever simultaneously was the pits.

Trying to be patient with dd when she has been poorly, and kept me awake the past few nights. I find my patience wearing really thin, and it's not really her fault. That's what I find hard

Potty training without a doubt.........god what a nightmare.

1 Sleep deprivation

2 behavioural issues

3 the emotional rollercoaster

4 the battle to uphold my beliefs and opinions, to maintain my own values when challenged/frowned upon/questioned.

potty training was a breeze compared to dealing with my 3y7m behaviour and my responses to it - that has definitely been the most diffcult so far closely followed by the nightmare that was the first few weeks after he was born - not feeding or sleeping and me not enjoying him at all

im going for potty training!- DS was a nightmare and by far the hardest thing we ve had to deal with so im with you there Swirl. However my DS is now 4.5yrs and trust me it does get better!

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the birth
losing the baby weight

tiredness
the organisation

The fear of something bad happening to them or us

Trying to feed them (fussy reluctant eaters)

saadia,that is so true. that sense of fear is awful, i would literally have nightmares sometimes anticpating the worst.

One of my twins having Meningitis at the age of 8 months and now having Special Needs

Hardest thing I have ever gone though and still going through

I never realised that fear you talk about it's horrible isn't it?

Disobedience, the relentlessness of it.

sleep deprivation
tantrums and frustration (not understanding each other)
'balancing' work and home life
guilt (everything)
10 months of dd crying and being really distressed at childminder while I had to go to work for the money.
losing sight of 'me' for ages and ages and ages

sleep deprivation

whinging (from dd; I find my own whinging quite easy to live with)

1. Giving birth

2. Colic 3. Breastfeeding

1. Finding time to have sex

5. Feeling like my brain has turned to mush

Gosh I've got a list of about 20 things...

There are lots of things that have been (& still are!) incredibly hard. I can't say it was easier with my second child than with the 1st. both had severe colic & that, combined with the sleep deprivation, must be among the worst. It's such a shock to go from being pregnant to be plunged into a world where 24/7 is devoted to the newborn... feeding it, worrying about it, changing it, cleaning the stump, bathing the baby without it slipping out of your arms, trying to interpret the crying/screaming, coping with well-meant but confusing advice, totally hormonal. Anyway, most of you have been there & know what I'm talking about!