Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

which age is the most difficult?

45 replies

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 26/02/2006 20:16

Due to the fact that I seem to persistently think that anyone with younger kids than me has got it easy and they ought to wait til they're the same age as mine and then they'll know what difficult is, I am beginning to wonder how long this will last. Obviously we can only judge what we have so far experienced but what stage do people think is the most challenging? (and anyone who says just you wait til they're teenagers think carefully - you may be responsible for making dds homeless)

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Tortington · 26/02/2006 22:21

the first 6 years - piece o' piss after that

JoolsToo · 26/02/2006 22:22

custardo you lie!

it gets worse with every year until they leave home - then its a piece of p*ss

Tortington · 26/02/2006 22:27

lmao - no honestly i think children are nice only between the ages of 6 til 13. before and after that is a nightmare - until what age - i am unsure - however at an edumicated guess am thinking around 23?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting

Fauve · 26/02/2006 22:29

That sounds about right - mine are 7 and 11, and it's much, much nicer and easier than it was for the first six years of each of their lives. I may leave home when they hit teenage.

moonshine · 26/02/2006 22:37

I'm looking forward to when they become teenagers, stay in bed until 4pm and then lock themselves away in their room all day!

Tortington · 26/02/2006 22:40

yeah - after they get their weed.

JoolsToo · 26/02/2006 22:41

oh come on! they're well potty trained by then!

hunkermunker · 26/02/2006 22:44

People find parenting hard? Really?

Wow.

Original poster

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 26/02/2006 22:46

surely that's fair comment for mn? just a bit tedious when trotted out in the newspapers dressed up as astonishing new research

OP posts:

hunkermunker · 26/02/2006 22:52

Sorry, Hatty - was being overly flippant.

Have a five week old growth spurting baby and a not quite two year old with gastroenteritis - it's fair to say I'm finding everything bloody hard atm

Stilltrue · 26/02/2006 23:21

I look back fondly to when ds1 and ds2 were the archetypal toddler/baby combo, 20m apart. Hard work at times but very sweet. I still had my mojo...Ds2 was tricky around age 3, but otherwise life was sweet. Now I have dd (now 7) who is testing every boundary going, mostly on the verbal front, plus ds3 (2) who is a boy dynamo, gorgeous but physically exhausting, oh and ds1 and 2 are lost without each other but fight like cat and dog too ! (12 and 10).

Depends on your personality and that of your child; this last time I have found no.4's 1st year really really hard, in terms of finding any "me time", plus trying to do my best regarding the older siblings.

Now it's great though ! ...for now...

CountessDracula · 26/02/2006 23:26

Hmmm I find the opposite, it gets easier as dd gets older.

WestCountryLass · 26/02/2006 23:42

I found the most difficult age between 18 months and 3, when you've got to keep on top of disciplining them as they test boundaries and have massive tantrums about nothing and are generally difficult to deal with. Before 18months you can distract them and generally they are pretty easy to please, after 3 they are easier to reason with and explain thigns to.

JoolsToo · 26/02/2006 23:43

its a flippin doddle when they're little - once they start thinking for themselves - watch out!

kama · 26/02/2006 23:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

muma3 · 27/02/2006 00:03

24years old dp a bloody nightmare

Clary · 27/02/2006 00:28

Depends on the child, surely.
DD was soooo difficult at about 18mo to 2.5, I used to say "who'd have girls?" (I also have 2 boys) - tantrums, kicking on the floor in shops etc. Neither of the boys did that.
But now (she's 4.5) she's fantastic (she always was, of course, but YKWIM), and has been for a year and a half now.
DS1 (6.5) seems to be entering a difficult phase back chat, refusing to do things (eg reading) etc. Tho he's always been so easy going I guess any change will seem like a big change.
In general I guess the weaning stage is a bit of a pain, but otherwise it has all been a delight, pretty much.
I do think that, bizarrely, once they start school they seem to need you more. sorry hatwoman, that's not very helpful, is it?

crazydazy · 27/02/2006 13:12

As they get older they get more resistant to bugs which in itself is a good one for somebody like me.

DP and I feel we are now able to enjoy doing things as a family more now they are a little bit older and are looking forward to the days when we can all go on a biking holiday at Centreparcs!!

sunnydelight · 27/02/2006 19:57

Definitely. Will not discuss. Have told DH that he is likely to come home to two children tonight rather than three

zippitippitoes · 27/02/2006 20:12

I firmly believe that eahc individual has times in their whole life when they are comfortable and happy and other periods when they are miserable and unsettled so it is not a question about childhood so much as your whole life

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread