Does it get more enjoyable?

[lilllimin]

Today- 4yr old DS, wiping noses and hands what feels like 50 times, a manic kids birthday party then looking round a local pet store as it's pissing with rain and we are always skint due to COL.
Home for painting, clearing it up, dinner, clearing it up then trying to stop DS jumping around like a maniac to get him washed and hair wash ready for school tomorrow. Repeating ourselves constantly. More housework and washing.
It's just..not that enjoyable really. It is better when they are older?!

Following as I also have 4 year old and I need to know

Oh good not just me then!
It's a bit joyless/unsatisfying although he is obviously lovely and we know we are lucky to have a child.

Depends I guess I preferred when mine were that age they are older but now never want to go anywhere or do anything. but all kids are different

I actually miss those days now, hard to believe. I have 3 teenagers and a 10 year old - no enthusiasm for puddle hopping, or leaving their room or talking to anyone outside of their phone.

Right now that sounds delightful to me.
DM tells me I will miss this. I just cannot see it right now tho

Depends on what you call enjoyable. It is likely you will still be repeating yourself a lot with teens (have you put your clothes away is my personal favourite) and the housework and expense is still there. But yes, I found parenting young children thankless and pretty boring compared to my teens, who are now my favourite people to hang out with.

No

Yes it's relentless at that age. But I'm 10yrs ahead of you and miss the early years. Now it's all school, homework, sports and meeting up with friends.

It’s never ending all the way through but it’s less intense as they get bigger. We are still super busy but in different ways. My worries have changed as they get older too.

Mine are 6.5 and 8, i enjoy them a lot more now. I think different personalities are suited to different ages. I love being able to have conversations with them and do stuff I enjoy with them (in small doses still but doing yoga with my younger one, playing table tennis with older one, going to skate parks and things). They still piss me off sometimes but are more self sufficient! we've had friends over today and they took delight in telling me what a mess they had made upstairs (they were not wrong) but they also did a cracking job of tidying everything back up again.

Also neither of mine slept through at all till age 5 so in that respect it's much easier.

We are now insanely busy with school/clubs etc. But I feel like we all get to do a bit more of what we want and they are less needy...

4 is better than 2-3 for me

Yes mine are 22 and 24 and they are great 😌

I found 4 and under tough. And 11- 18 tougher. 5-10 is nice and adult children are fab.

@lilllimin i think the older they get the more unsociable they get???y sons are now 19 and 16, i really miss the children they used to be. The cuddles, reading them a story at night, baking sessions on a rainy day....sigh 🥴 it does get better but its always changing

Next weekend is more rain and another kids party. Sigh.

Honestly it changes but remains a bit relentless. At that age we had adventure dog walks every day that I now look backwards with fondness. I have found young adult pretty much the hardest stage. Probably because it has coincided with menopause.

I'm an older mum and pretty sure in peri at the mo, pretty sure that doesn't help. I feel so so old compared to the other mums and they have way more energy than me which in turn adds to my mum guilt.