Parents who are past the toddler stage......

[AAAY]

This may have been done before but I could really do with some encouragement whilst I'm in the thick of raising my two toddlers.

I know one day I'llook back and miss these years massively but easy to lose sight of things when all day it seems like I've just been passed from child to child breaking up fights, cleaning up messes etc etc.

My two dds are 4 and 2 and definitely mummy's little girls! Always clambering over me callingg out mummyyyyy 50 million times a day and I'm exhausted I've just finished bed time routine and I feel like I could sleep for a week.

So mum's of older kids please remind me of what you miss about this age and that there will be a day that I'm not so stretched and exhausted? (hopefully!)

I noticed today that my upper-arms are getting flabby now that I don't have to heave small people around any more.

I'm not quite sure if that's the kind of thing you mean though 😁

Erm..... they do say a lot of funny things at that age.....they do love you unconditionally at that age......the do generally sleep in the evenings at that age

However I reckon parenting improves phase by phase.
Yes, it gets easier.
Yes, there comes a time when you get 'lie-ins' back
Yes, there comes a time again when you can leave the house with just your keys and your phone
There even comes a time when they will drive and pick you up if you've had a glass or two of something on a night out

Could you put them to bed a bit earlier? You've got years and years of them being up until 9pm... seize the day and make it 7 while you can... change the clocks if you have to...

@AAAY I am right there. 100% my kids sound about 6 months younger than yours. It’s tiring, exhausting, lovely, frustrating, beautiful and horrendous all day every day. I love them so much and I look back at pictures of a day out and think ‘oh it was lovely’ but at the time I’m fighting fires and trying to stop the moaning.

One thing I do (it’s ridiculous but bear with) is listen to ‘slipping through my fingers’ (the meryl Streep version not even the original) when I’m on my way to pick them up from nursery and when I’m on my way somewhere with them. Sometimes I’m just like ‘oh f off’ but it also reminds me how precious and short these years are. Stupid I know but helps me on the tough days every day big love 2 girls are the best!!!

The toddler years are a unique and special time in your life. You will never spend so much time with your children as then, and see their personalities before social conditioning kicks in. That said, I look back on that time with fondness but no desire to repeat it!

@babyguffingtonstrikesagain hahaha that's exactly what I need to hear that all that holding is doing my arms some good even though they feel limp most of the time!

@bananaleaf2706 their bedtime is 7.30pm it works for us, it's not the bedtime routine or sleep that exhausts me it's more just all the other events during the day, the everyday parenting

and see their personalities before social conditioning kicks in

Based on this evening, I’d be happy for social conditioning to kick in with my youngest ASAP. I’m really hoping stroppy, demanding, impatient little so and so isn’t their underlying personality!

@upslydown that's made me emotional just reading it! I'll try that instead of the coco melon or frozen we usually have to listen to [laugh]

Oooooh I miss the 7:30pm bedtimes!!!

[quote AAAY]@babyguffingtonstrikesagain hahaha that's exactly what I need to hear that all that holding is doing my arms some good even though they feel limp most of the time!

@bananaleaf2706 their bedtime is 7.30pm it works for us, it's not the bedtime routine or sleep that exhausts me it's more just all the other events during the day, the everyday parenting[/quote]
Ahh I see! It wasn't a dig, just cos you said they'd only just gone to bed! I have no advice as I have two under 3 and it's a bloody nightmare!!!

Well done you

@bananaleaf2706 I didn't read as an dig don't worry lol! Hats off to you with two under 3 though!

@AAAY frozen is also the soundtrack to our lives I won’t lie 😂

4 and 7 here, with the 7 year old she is still very loving and I love that now we can have a nice day out, and she will not tantrum, is so appreciative of the treat and not fall asleep in the car at 4pm (and be up till God knows when), and she is so much less fussy with food. I don't mind her going to bed later each night, as we read lovely books and have such nice chats at bedtime.

By comparison, the 4 year old (also very loving), doesn't half moan, is rather self-entitled, and my goodness, the nightly exhaustion of "brushing your teeth" negotiation! But the small person cuddles are beautiful, and the feel of their little hand in yours...

@AAAY I’m in the thick of it with DS. DS is 2 and DD is 5. I frequently wish DS would hurry up and be less ‘2’ then feel terrible.

I think the age gap between mine means DD is a constant reminder of how quickly the little years fly by.

Today I had a sad moment: took DD To a cafe that has a kids play area - she came back from the play area looking a bit sad and said ‘I think I’m too grown up for that kind of thing now, I’ll just sit here and drink my milk’. She’s right - she’s a proper school kid now not a cute little preschooler who is thrilled by a few plastic toys and a ropey rocking horse at the back of a cafe and that makes me a bit sad 😔

My favourite years were both to pre-school
God you're going to get me crying now
Even though they were very hard at times I knew that I loved it too if that makes sense

My two are the same age as yours. If it's not frozen, it's cocomelon or Bluey at the moment.

I know I'll miss this age soon enough, but there are times I could wish them older.

I keep thinking that 6 and 4 will be a golden time

I have a 9, 7 and a nearly 1 year old. I really miss my older 2 being smaller, I loved the stage where they can talk but are still learning( so cute) I miss them wanting to hold my hand all the time and miss them wanting a book read to them ( now they like the read themselves) thankfully i have it all to come to with my little one, ill definitely be making every moment count as it goes so fast 😢

[quote UpSlyDown]@AAAY I am right there. 100% my kids sound about 6 months younger than yours. It’s tiring, exhausting, lovely, frustrating, beautiful and horrendous all day every day. I love them so much and I look back at pictures of a day out and think ‘oh it was lovely’ but at the time I’m fighting fires and trying to stop the moaning.

One thing I do (it’s ridiculous but bear with) is listen to ‘slipping through my fingers’ (the meryl Streep version not even the original) when I’m on my way to pick them up from nursery and when I’m on my way somewhere with them. Sometimes I’m just like ‘oh f off’ but it also reminds me how precious and short these years are. Stupid I know but helps me on the tough days every day big love 2 girls are the best!!![/quote]
My eyes are watering at that 😩 thats such a beautiful song. DD2 is 7 months and is asleep in her cot next to me, and DD1 is cuddled up in (our) bed with me watching peppa pig and falling asleep. I'm obvious very hormonal 😂

You will miss:

• cute /slightly rude-sounding failures to pronounce words properly.
• being able to trick them easily (have you pretended you control the traffic lights at junctions by blowing on them? Please say you have.)
• their delight in the simple things, like snow falling and candles on a birthday cake
• footsteps thundering towards you when you come home, and sticky kisses and huge cuddles
• bedtime stories and snuggles
• their complete and utter faith in and adoration of you. Sadly this fades into something more realistic and cynical fairly quickly, in my experience.

But yes obviously it is absolutely exhausting and endlessly frustrating. Can't have the highs without the loss, though.

Two is the worst age imo but four is lovely.

[quote AAAY]@upslydown that's made me emotional just reading it! I'll try that instead of the coco melon or frozen we usually have to listen to [laugh][/quote]
Yes, yes, yes I want to eat my peas!

My ears bleed daily listening to this 🙈😂

This thread is making me really sad 😞

Um nope… mine are 10 and 12 and bright, fun, funny, engaged and engaging, can wipe their own arses, dress themselves, can stay at home for an hour if I need to go out, can get themselves to and from school if needs be.

My parents used to say “ooh make the most of this time, it doesn’t last forever” which is true of course but it absolutely felt like it was going on forever at the time. So no, I miss nothing about the toddler years at all! Parenting for me has got better and better - although we are rapidly heading to the teenage years so I may be yearning to go back to the toddler years very, very soon. Hang in there OP - it really doesn’t last forever.

Mine has just turned 3 and decided she no longer likes Cocomelon.
It’s Baby John instead

@Sugarcoatedalmond

Mine has just turned 3 and decided she no longer likes Cocomelon. It’s Baby John instead

Who on earth is baby John?! My 2 year old is obsessed with cocomelon and I feel I need to mentally prepare for baby John if that's the next step!