One of the hardest aspects of parenting IMO...

[emkana]

... is watching your child develop relationships with other people.
When they are little it doesn't impact on them so much, but as they grow older...
Dd1 now five.
Her bewilderment when a girl she normally plays with doesn't want to know her one day.
Her intense love for her teacher and her sadness at not having her next year and her trying to come to terms with that.

It's so hard I find to watch all that and to try and guide her through it but also to let her have the freedom to make these experiences, even though I would love to shield her from all hurt and sadness.

You don't think so then?

emkana - I know what you mean. My recent problem was "why does he keep hitting me mummy?" when a child at ds's pre-school was doing exactly that, real dead arm punches, constantly (until I told him off - in front of his mum who he ignores - with my mummy lioness roar which was documented on another thread!).

Growing up is hard isn't it.

you're right Em, it IS one of the hardest things - it's letting go, isn't it? It comes as such a bizarre change from when all they need is mum, basically. And it's so early that we have to start the letting go!

so far for me I have found every new step for them hard.....it is each step they take further away from you towards being themselves and a person in their own right.

the hardest at the moment for me is seeing my 12yr old becoming a young lady, and watching her develop. buying her underwear and having her tell me she is now too old for the type I have bought....she wants the lacy stuff like I wear, and so do the girls at school too apparently.
Now that is sad.

and seeing her fall in love will be hard....dreading that one, as am I with the first heartbreak too!!!!

and for the others....I have been thro each stage already with the eldest, but their own personalities make it different for them.

for DD2, she is sensitive and quiet so it hurts when she finds it hard to make friends, when I know she would make a wonderful and loyal one.

and so it goes on for them each.......

am now finding it hard guiding my youngest thro the stage of leaving nursery and going to 'big school'. have been there four times already, but this is different again, and so harder....I am guessing because I have been there before (IYGWIM?)

oooooh......am going to stop now......writing this makes me cry

oh god... I have all this to come...

I agree it is hard watcing them develop into mini adults with social lives of their own.
KNowing my beautiful 14 yr old dd would much rather be with her friends than spend time with us.I know this is a teens way of growing up and away from the family in order to become an individual,but we miss her company sometimes.

hey....I'll give you a scare re 'all this to come'.....

recently went on holiday (and was amighty fine one too)

problem was, it was during the last heatwave at the end of june (we went to the isle of white), so spent most of each day around the pool. girlies, (well, eldest girlie started it, t'others followed)....turned into THE biggest flirts. had a scary vision of the future[sob].

girlies right now still look like girlies....they may be developing but not like many I see. DD1 is still fitting into 9-10clothes, even tho she does indeed need a bra now for some support. her best friend tho fits my clothes and bras...she is 12 and a size 8 with now 34c bust. amd sooooooooo thankfull my girlies follow my own development pattern, means they will look 14 at 14 (IYSWIM?).

back to hols......girlies flirted shamelessly with the poolguards and were on forst name terms with two days and getting first goes on the pool slide and other 'perks' too. All innocent really, and they only went with us there, but if they are like this now, what will they be like at 14.....[scream][sob]????

Just makes me think of my mum I thought she was nuts... but she was just being a good parent lol

I did apologise for my wicked ways when I got pregnant (in mothercare of all places lol) ...it just hit me why she was so nutty

cataloguequeen....do you have any DD's????

If so.....LOCK THEM UP NOW!!!!!

and that goes for any of you with daughters.....scary scary creature

psycho I have 2 dds help me lord!!! my dh is already half nuts...bikini wearing freaks!!(but ssooo cute)already getting lollipops from boys!! and the're only 2 and 4 I have no hope aarrgghhh

LOL LOL LOL....

lock them up I tell you....!!!!!!

NOW