When did you start really enjoying spending time with your DC?

[BotBotticelli]

Ds1 is almost 15mo now and I still find most days wth him a real hard slog. Yes I have had PND but I feel much less anxious/down now.ni just don't really find the constant battles and meltdowns fun. DS is so 'spirited' that everything with him is a fight (teeth, clothes, nappies, in buggy, in car seat etc) and he needs so much from me in terms of stimulation and playing. He has never been one of those babies to play by himself or sit contentedly. He won't even watch bloody Ceebeebies for more than 2 mins before he comes and starts moaning and hangin off my legs again.

Please can someone with a similarly demanding child tell me when it started to get more enjoyable? Please??

DS really properly from about 2.5 - DD is only months off that and I'm already enjoying her more but now DS is 5 and I get a whoel day once a week just with him, in many ways it's harder as there's more negotiation, but it's not as boring and we can actually do stuff we both enjoy - and ideas for things he comes up aren't as bone achingly dull as they were 1-2years ago!

When he was about 4. old enough to walk a decent distance and enjoy it chatting away. Ride his bike and enjoy it and generally be quite good company. I was very lucky , he didn't start school till he was 4.9

It started about 12 months and now he's 24 months and like a little friend though can still drive me mad.

I found it easier when I started to pick my battles the first year n a half I struggled with how I wanted to do things rather than how things actually worked for example I refused to get in his bed with him then I gave in we both slept and were much happier then I wondered why I didn't just do it in the first place I done the same thing with co sleeping in our bed resisted until I was on my knees then gave in and we all slept.

I loved the 0-12mth period with both dc, ds1 is nearly 5 and he's great and has been easy/good company (most of the time) for about a year or so. The 1-3.5 age range I'm not such a fan of as the tantrums can be very tiring, that's not to say that I haven't and don't enjoy time with ds2 (21mths), he can be wonderful and I love seeing him learning new things every day but it's a lot harder work than ds1.

well I have always enjoyed time with them, right from the beginning and oldest is now 11.
But that doesn't mean it was easy. I would have loved to have them for a few hours and then pass them back to someone!

I think even when you have brilliant moments it is all just so relentless, particularly if they don't sleep well, or are up very early

and I don't mean i enjoyed being with them all the time, just on balance I enjoyed their company

for me the hardest was between crawling and communication, so between about 8 months and 2.

It's different kinds of enjoying for me. I loved DS's baby and toddler-hood, but from about 3ish you can just be together or do activities on a much more equal level.

For example, he's 3.5 now and we can go to the cinema and then have lunch together afterwards and have a conversation - it's a different experience to trying to do anything with an 18 month old where you are constantly managing their behaviour/anticipating what they need/thinking about naps. Or we can play board games together, actually do proper cooking/baking, go swimming or for walks and enjoy each other's company.

Any day now...

Mine are 6&4.

DS is 2 this month and is great fun. He talks 'properly' (as in grammatical paragraphs, you don't have to simplify language when you talk to him, he asks if he doesn't understand a word, etc - definitely makes things easier). His sense of humour is now well-developed, but it doesn't take a lot of effort to amuse him, he doesn't yet fully understand 'bored' (except at 4.30am the other day when he came into our room and announced he was bored of sleeping), I'm his favourite person in the whole wide world - very gratifying - and he's grateful for everything and very well-mannered.

OTOH DD is 4 and it's all gone downhill. She's obstinate, rude, screams at me, tells me she hates me and she's going to find another house in which to live, everything's boring, we're never nice to her, etc.

So I would say the good bit is between 2 and 3.5. I am praying that there'll be another good bit sometime soon!

mine are 2.7 and 4.5 and we have had a couple of family days out in the last few months that I have genuinely enjoyed and not just been a round of nappy / pant changing, tantrum controlling etc. If DH or I have a day or weekend alone with them now it doesn't feel daunting like it used to, can think of lots of things to do and we have a nice time

Best years are honestly the adult ones. Obviously being a kid was fun, and hard, and fun again.

But life is so much more fulfilling now I can talk to her like a friend and be as frank as a MNetter.

Mine are 22 months and at about 20 months they suddenly started playing without my input for short stretches. So now I can take them to soft play on a quiet weekday morning, sit myself down with a book and let them run riot go off and play and I'm on hand for supply of banana and drinks and the occasional cuddle and admiration of baby in buggy/dinosaur/daring climb etc. I'm not saying I love it but it got way easier at that point.

They start becoming really good company as soon as they are potty trained, they can express themselves, and they play more independently.
Don't give in to demands for an easy live though, you will have entitled teenagers later on!

Totally depends for me, so far. Ds is 5 (but very 'challenging' ) and I have some lovely, fun days with him but also some nightmare days! It's been the same from about age 1 tbh.
The first year of his life I found pretty tough and is mostly a blur. But as I said - he's never been an easy child and (seemingly) never slept!

I suppose it's easier now he's 5 because even on the nightmare days he's more independent. And the fun days are SO fun!

I had PND too and it took a while to enjoy it. By 16-18 months I was finding it a lot better. He is now nearly two and I miss him when I'm at work which is new! Depression takes a while to recover from fully so be kind to yourself

15 months is a bit young for him to 'watch' cbeebies im afraid. They can't concentrate for that long on one thing.

With my first I HAD to be out. Infact with all 3 I still have to be out but having 3 under 6 makes going out harder.

With #1 though i'd look into anything in the area and I mean ANYTHING. I basically had DS 1 out every day at something. It gives you routine and purpose and a chance to talk with adults while he busies himself.

Im not a great entertainer with kids but I love seeing them out and about and I enjoy them more when I do stuff.

Believe it or not, 1 is harder than 3 in some ways. It's rare im in the house just me and #3. When I am it takes me back to just how boring and all consuming it can be! Now, DS1 and DD entertain him and each other alot. Also, I have school and nursery pickups and drop offs that break up the day.

It really won't be long until he grows so make the most of him and get out. Staying in with tots is mind numbing. x

"I'm totally with Olivegirl. Three to ten years has been the best."

Yes, me too.

I really am enjoying it now (5 months) but I make sure we get out everyday or I would get very low in the house without a bit of social activity. Even to the library etc.

Also appreciate the break from stresses of work.