How hard is age 1 to 2

[Jendrw5]

My ds is almost 1 and I'm trying to prepare myself for what I think will be a difficult year. I was prepared for some parts of his first year but then things like feeding difficulties, reflux, and constant worry about him falling while he's cruising, I wasn't as prepared for.

Just wondering how people found the 2nd year, if it was more difficult than the 1st? I'm hoping once he's walking properly I can worry less about him falling, but guessing that will also come with new challenges too.

Thanks in advance.

I find 1-2 (baby is nearly 17m) much harder than 0-1 although my baby never had reflux, didn't scream for hours, didn't only sleep on me and took to the bassinet immediately.

She did start walking at 9 months and now if i leave her for 30 seconds she's climbing on the dining chairs then onto the table...

She won't watch TV, will not tolerate it for more than 5 seconds and is on the verge of climbing out of her travel cot so it won't be long where i can go for a wee without taking her with me!

Others may come along and say differently but I'm in the thick of it and the less time we're at home the better so she doesn't wreck the place!

My boy is just about to turn 2 and I would say that the past year has been as challenging as the first but in completely different ways. No colic or breastfeeding but lots of NO GET DOWN and DONT TOUCH THAT 😂

I would say though that this year has been one of the most fun of my life. Seeing the world through a 1 year olds eyes and watching him develop and become his own little person has been an absolute joy

Mmmm I think age 1-2 is difficult but they are ridiculously cute, still nap etc. my little girl is 2.5 now, hasn’t napped since 22 months, talks endless and is in the terrible 2s stage. Obviously she’s still absolutely gorgeous and amazing to be with but I’ve found this age more difficult. Apparently 3 year olds are even more tricky 😂 long story short, every age has pros and cons, you just have to roll with it!

I loved age 1-2, far more than 0-1. DS was an unsettled baby who cried a lot and had reflux and a delightful toddler who slept well and was such a ray of sunshine when he could walk and talk. 18 month olds are just the cutest as well. 2-3 has had its moments, they know their mind far more and the emotions can be big, but it has still been lovely and all the things he comes out with melt my heart. I don’t understand how anyone could think toddlers are harder than babies tbh, but I’m pregnant with number 2 so maybe I’ll have a totally different experience next time!

I found it quite pleasant tbh. Past the hard baby stuff and they're steady on their feet (or DD was) but haven't developed an attitude yet.

I found 1-2 much easier than 0-1, I found they were easier to communicate with and could verbalise better their needs. They are also a lot more hilarious at this age. Honestly I find every year easier than the last as they get older. The very small baby stage is the one I struggled with most.

I can’t bear the toddler years- my 2.5 year old should be coming out the other side but her speech is delayed (she also walked at 9 months, stopped napping at 22 months), so feel it’s endless.
The physical demands, the inability to
communicate, it’s hell, there’s a reason mat leave is only a year, needed a break.

*disclaimer: I love and adore my children!

Found it really hard but improved few months before 3.

I really liked this stage. DC1 was a very difficult baby but this stage brought better sleep, fewer nap battles, and loads and loads more personality. It’s really lovely when they start to talk and play and you can start to get more of an idea of what goes on in their head. You do have to watch them all the time and have eyes in the back of your head as they will try all sorts, and if they go to nursery they will pick up bugs (first winter at nursery isn’t fun) but other than that it was relatively easy.

Then age 2 hit 🙀

Put it this way, DC2 was conceived in this period. When she was 0-1 I was sure that DC2 would be an only child. If we’d waited till after 2, she definitely would be! 1-2 is adorable.

I found 12-18 months tricky and love 18-24m. They nap! They sleep! They eat! They giggle at everything! They start to form relationships! Seriously, I’d take twins age 18m over a single newborn, speaking from experience.

It is a knackering age, for sure. There are lots of fun bits as they do loads of new things, but also you have to watch them constantly as they decide they want to lauch themselves head first off the sofa or into a huge puddle.

I'm not sure I've reached an age which i didn't like yet, but it was hard work. It made tiny babies look like cute potplants in terms of effort.

Mine slept worst in this period plus napped less and constantly tried to kill themselves. But they were also fun.

I had a nearly 2 year old and a newborn. The workload was about 80:20 toddler to newborn (and she was colicky, breastfed and a terrible sleeper)

Dd2 currently 15 months.. I think I found 0-1 easier just based on lack of movement for the majority of that time! She's a climber so now constantly having to watch her and get her down from unsafe places (which she doesn't like at all and will tantrum about!). She wants to be on the move all the time and it's exhausting. However I am also 35 weeks pregnant so it's extra exhausting atm and perhaps I wouldn't find it as exhausting if I wasn't!

I've enjoyed it more, mine is 18mo. Sleeps well at night, one long nap, can get more involved at playgroups etc. It is exhausting, but a lot more fun and sleep is way better and more predictable routine

Mine is nearly 20 months. She's wonderful and I'm loving getting to know her personality and watching her learn. She understands so much more than she did even a month ago but she's also stated throwing big tantrums and she never sits still, loves climbing and wants to be wherever I am. I'm so grateful she still naps and sleeping through the night has improved over the past few months.
I think it was a tiny bit easier when she was a baby because her needs were more finite and when I put her down to nip in the kitchen, she couldn't follow me.
Having said that, it's such a rewarding age hearing her ask for a drink or shouting "Mummy!" when I pick her up from nursery (mostly) make up for the times she's having a strop because I won't let her poke her eye out with my fork.

ENTIRELY depends on the little human you get.

I found 1-2 lovely, though you have to watch them constantly. Found 2-3 and so far 3-4 much more difficult as they develop more of a will of their own and start pushing back more.

Mine is 18 months old and I'm just finding him a bit easier now. He's stopped climbing as much, stopped touching the fireplace, and, most crucially, stopped trying to grab my coffee!

It’s gone quicker, if that’s even possible! I had a very easy baby I’d say so the first year wasn’t awful. The second year the main thing that sticks out for me are tantrums or him trying to go the opposite way from me. I take him to the little shop near us to grab a few bits and it’s not worth getting the pram out to go round it. He usually wants to walk but will just randomly take a huff at something on the way round and lie on the floor then bend backwards crying as I go to lift him up 🙄 or when we have to wait two seconds to pay, he’ll try to run off in any direction. When strapped in the pram he’s fine! Everything else id say has been good and a lot of things have got easier as he’s been more independent. He has less nappy changes, less outfits needing changing during the day, he can eat all the same food as us and can get something in any restaurant, if we’ve forgot his plate, fork or bib it isn’t the end of the world and he can just use a big fork and have a napkin tucked in, he plays on his own quite happily a lot of the time and he only has a bottle of cows milk before bed (should have cut this out but he loves it too much )🙈 All in all it’s been great, I think when he got to 1 I felt so sad that the baby stage was over but as they start to do more you just love them more and more! He has a proper personality now and even tries to make me laugh

I loved it when my DTs were 1-2. We had so much fun! 2-4 were a complete shit show, then once they turned 4 it was like a switch flicked and they stopped being little savage beasts and became more like other children.

I do still have occasions when I wistfully wish they were babies again and I didn’t have to argue with a miniature version of myself over something ridiculous!

5 year olds are awful. 🤣

Same. Mine also like to throw himself back or be a floppy banana when picked up.

Yep, got one of those. It's a fun age where you learn so much to answer all their questions, but crikey she never stops talking (or stops in general). We are still having issues with bedtime and sleep! She slept better at 6w than she does now 🙄

We can have a great laugh together but oh the procrastination and the moods...

Age 1-3 is the most exhausting - constantly chasing after them to stop them doing something dangerous, dealing with tantrums, hitting, biting, sleepless nights, teething, Illnesses etc.

However it’s offset by the sheer wonder of watching your baby turn into a little person with their own personality and the ability to learn so much! It a fun time.

Thank you for all your responses, they're really helpful.

I am looking forward to seeing more of his personality as he gets older, and watching him grown and learn more things.

I do worry a lot about him falling and hurting himself, going to be a wreck when he starts climbing on furniture!