What's the hardest age?

[LittlemissMama67]

I'm curious to see what people say is the hardest age. I have 3

(8)(2.5)and 4 months.

for me I'd say 3 was pretty rough. But I'm curious what others think.

14-mid 20s.
I'm finally seeing a bit more of a rounded person but the last few years have been bloody hard.

Give me a screaming baby or a tantrumming toddler any day over teens and young adults.

Teenagers! I’d love mine to be a baby again.

Teenagers!

I have three teenage daughters...I thought 3 under 3 was tough.....nope, a breeze, compared to this hell!

I have a 14yo, age 3-5 was infinitely worse! I also have a 4 and 1.5 year old. My teenager is quite nice and reasonable I hope it's the gentle parenting I did when he was little. There's still time for it all to blow up in my face I suppose! BUT, I can have a conversation with him and know that we can actually get somewhere with it, refer back to it later, we have shared interests (TV etc). The younger two are still completely in the random shit mode where everything they say is adorable, hilarious, and performs a very basic function of communication but it's soooo basic, no matter how articulate they sound, they will forget instructions as soon as they walk out of a room, you ask them to deliver a message and it sounds like it's been through seven Chinese whispers, they don't understand stuff in the way you intend it, it's just a very rough tool at this age and that can be frustrating (I think I am very verbal/language orientated).

Yeah the 4yo is still the hardest of the 3 of them right now. He is very cute and funny but also infuriating. However the 1yo does not sleep. EVER. And this is becoming old (and I know it doesn't end for at least another year yet <sob>)

However shopping for clothes for the teenager is depressing. £££££ and not my taste. Whereas shopping for little ones is a lot of fun.

I think really there are upsides and downsides to every age, but my nemesis is definitely the part where they realise you can't actually physically make them do stuff, but they don't have any sense yet to make sensible decisions, so you end up dealing with the infuriating consequences of those decisions because they can't handle it by themselves. Come to think of it, that is what people say is hard about teens. Maybe I let the reins loose a bit too young.

My dd is nearly 17yo and the hardest time has definitely been the last 3 years by a million miles!!

She was a needy baby, a challenging toddler but the teen years have been on a whole new level!!

My favourite years were the primary school years, I really enjoyed them.

Teenagers, you haven't got same amount of control as when they are younger. You need nerves of steel.

Definitely teenagers! The hormones, the attitude, the eye rolling, the storming off, the door slamming. Give me the toddler years any day!

Enjoy the golden era of childhood

Ages 5-10

Teens definitely and mine aren't that bad. It's a thankless emotional burden. Not so bad for DH as they respect him.

Older teenagers, young adults - so much harder than when they were smaller and I knew where they were and more or less did as they were asked!

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What is the hardest age?

The next one.

Agree mid teens to mid 20s is the hardest for me yet. They're supposed to be adults, but a switch doesn't magically flip on their 18th birthday. And our systems don't allow them to be adults - parents have to support them through uni. And they really do think they know everything and can deal with everything - until they can't. And you just have to wait.

Teen

My child is 9 and so far the hardest is 8 and 9.
Because of her behaviour.
So, completely depends.
I hope to god it doesn't get worse than this but it could well do...

A colleague of mine is having a tough time with her 16 year old son. She said "I remember when the only drug he was on was Calpol - and I could control the dose."

It's the constant worry with many teenagers that makes it hard. They think they are always right and are invincible.

Obviously people will bring their own experiences to the thread, but I loved the teenage years, and am loving the young adult years even more.

Overwhelmingly, by a million miles, the first years was the hardest.
I think you can manage most things for your dc if you are able to get a good night's sleep. Sleep deprivation is not something I took to very well.

Teens without a doubt!! Within about a month of starting secondary school they turn in to complete arseholes who you don’t recognise anymore, battling against you for ridiculous reasons, refusing to be seen with you in public while demanding money/expensive gadgets from you. They know everything, you know nothing. They’re smart, you’re stupid. It’s hellish!!

What's the hardest age?

The stone-age.....

I’m only a mum of one to a 13 month old and I’d say you’ll find struggles and problems at all ages and it all depends on the child themselves.

I know my nephews 17 and he is easy going plays football has done since he was 5, has a long term girlfriend which is a healthy relationship and is no trouble to his mum or dad spends most of his time around them and has an apprenticeship and wants to learn to drive asap so he has a good life.

My niece who’s 12 is generally immature for her age and can’t still handle loosing cries when things don’t go her way. Etc although she is still lovely and not a bad child she still has those niggles that a 12 year old should be a little over grown at this point

i think I’m looking forward to this year with my baby and watching her change from a baby to a full blown toddler everyday is amazing although I loved baby stage and she was a dream I don’t half feel like the hard part is over and the fun and the life long Best friend in her for me is growing xxxxp

Toddlers. Although I still loved that age.

My teenagers were/are very easy.

Yes, it is the worry about teenagers that is the hard part!

Not knowing where they are, who they are with and what they are doing!

There's drugs, knives and all sorts out there.

Babies and toddlers are a breeze!

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