5yo and 1yo is this the eye of the storm?

[MrsChipsreturns]

Life feels exceptionally difficult right now. 5yo isn't too bad apart from suddenly answering back all the time and the constant school parties but oh my gosh the 1yo, I don't remember it being this hard first time round. He's 15m so almost at the mid point of being 1 and he's just insane. Doesn't sleep, doesn't eat, teething is constant.

House is a huge mess, we have no money, can't work more due to childcare costs, can't make anything look nice due to mad children. Finding it very hard to please both kids, they have very different needs.

Just hoping that it'll get easier. Surely it has to?

When I had a newborn and a 3 year old someone said to me that was easy compared to a one year old and 4 year old and I remember thinking surely not but it definitely was one of the hardest stages! They are now 3 and 6 and it’s certainly a lot easier and has been for a little while, more so since we can do things that they both enjoy and can do together from going out to soft play, farms, the park to indoor activities like painting and play dough. Hold on in there as also at some point they’ll play together and yes they’ll argue but you’ll find yourself being able to drink tea in peace /get ready/do a job while they play

I have a 4 and 8 year old and I remember truly hating the toddler years with both! Was definitely harder second time around.

The gap is starting to feel a bit smaller now (4 year old starts school in sept), although feels like my house is a constant tip. We will finally have more disposable income when we stop paying for his nursery fees and I can go back to work full time.

It's tough but it does get easier, hang in there!

Is 5 year old attending school?

if not, that will be a game changer

I have a 7 and 3 yo and we are hitting sibling rivalry in a big way.

The eye of the storm is the quiet bit in the middle, so no 😉

Each stage has its challenges. It will get a lot easier in some ways as your 1yo starts sleeping, gets mobile, stops wearing nappies etc. but there’s the school challenges and friendship group shenanigans for your schoolchild.

My experience is that it’s physically hardest when they are that young and emotionally hardest in the teens, and everything else is in between.

Hang in there, and arrange some down time for yourself every now and again. It definitely saved my sanity.

Yes 5yo goes to school. 1yo goes to a childminder once a week and I work 2 days a week. Tbh I look forward to work. Days at home with both of them are not fun.

Does your husband work weekends?

Yes, it gets easier. You get a nice breather from ~8-12 before the teenage years hit.

It gets much easier when the youngest is about 2.5.

Toddler years are seriously hard! I wish you well.
I'm in the midst of the teen years and they are pretty grim too.
Ice but in the middle though...6-12 🤪

My 17 yr old has just thrown a packet of biscuits at his 16yr old brother because of an argument over the last protein yoghurt in the fridge. The biscuits knocked a vase of flowers over, broken glass, water and flowers everywhere. Boys now yelling at each other about whose fault it was.

You've got a long way to go yet my friend.

But there's an easier spell in the middle, you're probably about the worst of the early years. I liked 6-10, that was quite easy.