Which stage or process in parenting do you think you made a right old mess of?

[notanumber]

I found potty training far and away the most difficult and stressful thing I have had to do as a parent. The only time I have ever hit one of my children has been over struggling to get him to use the toilet.

I don't think that I'm Mother of the Year or anything I do really, but false modesty forces me to declare otherwise, but I think I'm basically a pretty good parent. When it came to potty training though, I was a total disaster - I should have reported myself to Social Services.

Yet I've had friends who have breezed through it the bastards. However, they have really struggled with, say, breastfeeding which I loved.

Obviously this is so far - I am aware that there is probably many a nightmare scenario just waiting for me.

So what about you? Which stage or process did you find most unbearably awful challenging?

It's a bit like having your first newborn all over again, in that every week brings a new and scary challenge, and if you fail you will ruin your child's life. And much like having a newborn you will also struggle with the juxtaposition of loving them madly yet frequently wanting to kill them or just walk out and not come back. Once you get past the tantrumming toddler stage you go into a nice lull for a few years where it's all a breeze - you know what to do, and how to do it. But teenagers suddenly throw you into a maelstrom of angst and insecurity and everything is a worry and a drama. And they hate you. Sorry.

I think every stage has its challenges but now my DDs are 14 & 15 apart from hormones flying around the house life is pretty steady.

Looking back, toddler stage left me feeling drained and exhausted. Now I've got a puppy, I just feel drained and exhausted from his antics instead :)

With DS1 I struggled with most stages and phases and am amazed he has turned out so well. However I found the newborn stage very very hard - DS1 and I struggled with sleeping and feeding so basically everything a newborn does! All the toddler stuff was tricky too, especially toilet training. With DS2 and DS3 things have not been such a struggle. Whether it is their personality or my experience, confidence and attitude who knows. Life is always a challenge in our house - but lots of fun!

Handling a colicky newborn. Everything else was a doddle in camparison, weaning, potty training, toddler tantrums - easy, peasy

I have to admit I was a fairly smug mother over my perfect new baby DS who never cried and BF like a dream, truly believing it was down to my fabulous parenting skills... I now have a 7 week old DD who has colic and a toddler going through the motions. Some days I just want to turn around and walk out! My bum is well and truly bitten.

So with DS, babyhood was a breeze, weaning fun, bedtimes and timeout no problem. I am about to embark on potty-training in a fortnights time and I am dreading it.

DD, she is still only very young and colicky but I am anticipating a daughter who is going to be demanding and hard work if her temper right now is anything to go by. I am no longer smug.

0-18 mths on my first, nothing major yet on my 2nd.. Now they're out of the toddler years, life is quite calm most of the time.

That said - little kids, little problems. Big kids, big problems. I dread the teenage years - drugs, teenage pgs, bullying.. Scary!

Lol purpleknitting mum. I have a stroppy teenage daughter at the moment and all other stages(have 4 children of different ages) are simple in comparison. Think the hardest bit about teenagers is that they break your heart.I am trying so hard not to take everything she says personally and just hope that one day she will turn out to be a nice person. Keep reminding myself this is just another stage.:)

Colic was pretty grooty too!!!!!

grotty!

Sadly I think I am currently making a complete mess of the 4 going-on 5 year old boy stage.

My lovely almost-12-year-old DD seems over the last few weeks to spend all her time searching for new boundaries to push. I think she's keeping a record of just how long she can get away with ignoring requests to go to bed / do homework / GET OFF THE PHONE! before I turn into a shrieking harpy. And all this set against a backdrop of DS, aged 2, alternately weeing on the carpet and rolling around screaming because he wants a tissue / doesn't want a tissue / wants a drink / doesn't want a drink.

Where's the grey haired smiley?

I did ok with potty training and bf but everything else has been, er, challenging. They are 5 and 3 now and I wonder if things are beginning to get a wee bit better or whether that's just the happy pills kicking in

Really, I shouldn't comment on these sorts of threads at all since I am a

hopeless not a natural mother but I sometimes allow myself to fantasise about the possibility of enjoying the next 5 or so years a bit more before it all goes tits-up again when they're teenagers.

The 2-3yr stage doing the classic:
abandoning-shopping-to-carry-screaming-child-out-of-supermarket-jesus-i'm-a-bad-mother-please-let-the-ground-swollow-me-up phase.

It got to the point where I refused to go out. I lived for bedtime.

From 4 onwards they became Little People instead of Screaming Dementors and are actually quite lovely to be with.

Lol @ 'Living for bedtime'. Yes indeed. We're just getting past that now

I think the toddler years when they are constantly pulling things out of drawers and scattering them is pretty trying. They run you ragged at that age, although they are very sweet with the things they say and do. Nice from 4 onwards when they become a bit more civilised and you can have a proper conversation with them and reason with them.

Internet Safety -- keeping DS1 (not even a teen now) from looking at porn.
He has been very determined & devious about it and I naively thought we didn't need Net Nanny or equivalent (cue hysterical & hollow laughter).

Methinks it's true what they say about teens being like toddlers, especially the "protecting them from themselves" bit.

I am in the middle of potty training my 2.5 DS1 and I am so smug about how well it is going - I never thought Id ever get so excited about poo in a potty

But I am so unbelievably crap at breastfeeding - I managed 2 weeks with DS1 and 3 bloody hard months with DS2 - I have never found anything as physically and mentally challenging!

Sympathising with all the MNers who are saying that teens are the trickiest. I have a toddler too (as well as a 14yr old); at any one moment one of them will be having a shrieky 'I-must-have-my-own-way-NOW' session.

Exhausting.

For all of you now scared out of your minds about teenagers ( and it does make all those earlier things seem like minor niggles) mine have been lovely tonight.

Ds (14) came home with a pretty good report - is dyslexic but works hard to keep up at grammar school - and was pleased with himself. Helped his 7yo sis ice the cakes we made earlier then went on trampoline with her. OK he laughed at me crying at PS I LOve You again.

Dd1 (17) happy her driving instructor said she was a natural driver. Helped dd2 with some homework and emptied dishwasher without being asked.

Dd2 (15) has been nominated for a big award at school. Stayed late to do extra coursework and was charming all evening.

AND they all put their own stuff in the dishwasher!!!! That's a good evening round here. OK sometimes they're a pain, but they can be absolutely lovely.

Obv tomorrow I'll be posting about how horrible they all are!