Mums to older kids - What is parenting like when children are five, six and seven?

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What's it like when kids are 5,6,7 years old?

I currently have a 2.5 year old, I know what newborn, baby and toddler years are like. Quite frankly, I've found every stage hard... The toddler years are lovely in many ways but being a mum is so exhausting, I don't feel like I have any breathing space. From the moment you wake up (it's more like you get woken up) you're on it! No resting, just one thing after the other. We're currently potty training, so he's crapping on the kitchen floor and then having a screaming meltdown because I won't give him cake before dinner. It's HARD!!
I feel it's all consuming! Even when I make an effort to go out of an evening and feel a little bit more like myself again, I find I want to rush home to bed as I'll probably be woken up at 5:30am so I can't afford to have too much fun.
I don't feel like I can relax...

I'm wondering what life is like as they get older? Does the weight of it all ease?
Will bedtime no longer be such a battle?
Can you relax a bit more while they go off and do their thing?
This may all seem very obvious to people but I'm a very tired mum looking for some reassurance 🙏🏼
Thank you ❤️

It’s fun. 8-11 is peak! They sleep, are fun and can turn the telly on themselves in the morning…!

they enjoy fun stuff like rollercoasters and football and ice creams etc and you get to have a laugh.
Then the tween years begin… then teens and they are lovely honestly.

It gets better and better imo - I hated the baby years 😆

It gets so much easier! Turning points - when my DD turned 3 I felt she could be left alone in a room - eg I could sit her in front of the tv for me to take a shower . That was a huge help!

When she turned 5 I had a lot more breading space. She’s 10 now and pretty self sufficient .
Bedtime has always been a battle ! DD has melatonin prescribed (she is autistic) and that has helped lots, as have audio books so I don’t have to read to her .

5,6 and 7 gets much easier, if my memory serves me correctly. They can be reasoned with for starters.

Yes, agree broadly. I'd say 6 to 13 is brilliant, I loved those years. Then the terrible teens begin. Less physically tiring but emotionally exhausting.

The primary school years are generally the golden years.

You've got school picking up a lot of the childcare. They're independent enough to give you some time and space, but not so independent that you're worrying about where they are/who they're with. They can do lots for themselves, but they're still cute and want to spend time with you/have a cuddle etc. They're not yet embarrassed by your mere existence. They can chat and generally be reasoned with. They can partake in most activities, things like flights or eating in a restaurant or having a holiday are easier.

This makes me feel a lot less sad about my one and two year old exiting their toddler years 😊 I can’t imagine them not being as they are now but happy to hear that the next stages will be fun too!

Mine are all older teens now but I distinctly remember thinking how much easier things got when youngest child hit 4. Within reason they can feed themselves, dress themselves, plug themselves in to a car seat, carry their own bags, tell you what they want/need/where hurts.

Between about 4 and 10, they still have childhood innocence and genuine delight in the world around them. You are still the centre of their world and they love to learn stuff from you.

I have found that it really does get easier; although I loved the baby and toddler years, like so many others they were hard work. Five, six and seven for us were beautiful, although impacted by Covid and there were no birthday parties, playing with friends or trips out.

DD is 11 now and off to secondary school in September. She’s an absolute joy; fun, funny,
and so very kind. I found that the age of three was the turning point; she actually slept by then!

With the exception of Covid lockdowns, when she simply hadn’t burned off enough energy during the day and wasn’t tired, bedtimes became so much easier. I also love that I can say, “I’m just popping outside to put the bins out”, or “I’m going outside to peg the laundry on the washing line” and she understands, and isn’t remotely bothered and knows where to find me.

As she grows up, I feel the strongest nostalgia for the years gone by, and would love to revisit the baby/toddler/pre-school years for a couple of hours. It really does get easier; we went out for dinner yesterday and didn’t take a colouring book or toys. It’s those little things which make me smile with nostalgia for the past but also excitement for the future.

I feel such nostalgia too for the early years where you’re needed so intensely! But also life is so much easier when you can all be in the house doing your own thing. I will say my 5 yr old DS still needs a lot of attention whereas my DD didn't at 5, so it does depend on the child. You can do your own favourite things more like we all read our own books (well DS still more looking at pictures) and you can take them to an exhibition you want to go to etc. Also they do help with small chores 🤣 it’s nice getting something like emptying the dishwasher done by them!!

For me, every year so far has been better than the previous. Mine never slept through until they were four, then from then on it got better and better and better and now they are grown up and it's the best.

Looking back all stages were lovely in their way, but I really don't like to be needed so much, so their independence is welcome and enjoyed! Fortunately they still want to be very close to us.

Oh I love it. So much more independent but they still think you're the best so still happy to hang out. I can't believe how much they learn at school so you end up with these fantastic conversations about all the exciting stuff they've learnt. They can do things for themselves, can help out, can play by themselves for longer, you don't have to wipe their bums.

I spent an hour reading in the garden yesterday while they played - couldn't do that when they were toddlers/preschoolers.

You’ve got so many good times to come. The best thing about my subsequent children was knowing that this wasn’t the best bit (when I was in the pits and everyone saying “you’ll look back on these times” - you do, but it’s easy to forget the bone crushingly tiredness that accompanies the baby and toddler years)

Primary age is fantastic and as they enter teens I found it still pretty much fun .
And now they are fabulous adults.
i would do it all again !!

I found it all very enjoyable fun, baby, toddler, primary, all great.

Then the teenage years hit and that was HARD!!!

It’s amazing, even after 3.5 I found it got really a lot easier.

6-9 is really lovely. It’s my favourite age. I did lots of travelling with both of mine at those ages. They are much easier and more independent. You can ignore them for an hour and know they won’t have drowned somewhere. But they still love spending time with you and are quite agreeable. From 10, they are enjoyable because you can do much more grown up stuff with them, but they are more annoying and hormonal. 13 has been particularly tricky. 6-9 is great though.

As another poster said the Primary years can be the golden years for parents, especially as you are still their world. From Secondary you start to be less important compared to their friendships, you won’t be as involved in school life and their independence grows (which it should) which can bring challenges.