What age did you find most difficult to raise?

[Mimi1313]

I've always wondered what the hardest years are! To those experienced parents please share your expertise and let me know what age you found the hardest to raise and why?

*have experienced

*round the bend!

Goodness maybe I'm more tired than I realised!

I like 14-16. I'm sitting next to my 15 year old and a couple of meters from my 17 year old as I type. It's not remotely inevitable it'll be a difficult age. I have a girl and boys. The girl is very civilised although she does make a lot of requests on an "if you don't ask you don't get" basis...

Different ages bring different challenges and joys. I loved them all.

Teens aged 14-17, especially girls!

Teen girl. I currently have a 3 year old and thats tough going, but nothing compares to the arguing, emotions, feeling like they know everything, taking risks, needing you but pushing you away, always wrong parenting of a 15 year old girl.

until this year I’d have said newborn-no contest.
but now I have a 14 year old girl!

Teenage years, but only with one of two dc. Only time I have questioned my decision to be a parent. You have all the responsibility but none of the authority.

13 - 17. Covid and lock downs aged 16 did not help.

Teen girls!!! Eldest 29 now. Still impossible

Mine are 23 and 21 now and maybe I’ve blocked it out but I’ve enjoyed it all. I do remember when the afternoon nap ended being gutted.

Ooh very interesting! I imagine I'll find teens the hardest as I just can't deal with bad attitude! Well motherhood is all a challenge!

Mine are 19 and 20. On the whole I found I enjoyed them more every year. I'm not great with non-sleeping babies. Certainly true of my daughter who very much "grew into herself" as she got older. Possibly slightly less true of my son who has been pretty easy and chill most of his life but maybe got a bit grumpier around age 16. Don't think lockdown helped though!

11 almost 12. He’s vile at times.
Alternates between being utterly gorgeous to perfectly putrid.

Its fucking hard.

Give me a three year old over this shit any day

Secondary school. Bullying, friendship issues and exam stress. Primary school years were a doddle.
A few wobbles at university, especially around dissertation and exam times.

2-3 years, I love the newborn stage and thankfully the teens have been smooth so far

A lot depends on what comes more easily to you and what your characters are like! And of course external factors

I have DS(19) and DD(16)

DS is a challenge, always pushes boundaries. Like it since he was born. Came out screaming and raging and not a lot changed. The most difficult time for me was the transitions - making sure he got into secondary and uni. Like herding cats; he’s one to follow his own path so many parenting skills needed.

DD again since she was born has been laid back. She’s a breeze compared to DS and really has never been difficult.

But if I had to pick a time I didn’t enjoy parenting I’d definitely say the first 2 years, before they can properly articulate. I found it really stressful and am not keen on one way relationships!

I am loving the teen years. ❤️

Toddlers and teens are a breeze when you have the baby from hell! 0-2 was the worst by a million miles.

I think it depends on the child, and on your strengths and weaknesses as a parent.

I think the first year was probably the hardest for me, mainly because dd was a terrible sleeper and I was exhausted.

The teens have been fine for us...dd is 17 and has been a delight!

38/39 was quite hard. 40 has been brilliant.

I had 3 kids under 4 at one point, none of them slept well and I thought that was hard. But my goodness, teenage years are hell - it's almost broken me 😢

Agreed. I’d extend that from 13 - 18. Absolute nightmare, it’s only now it’s mostly over I can see how awful it was. It’s changed me.

0-6 months. Once they went to nursery, I went back to work and they started sleeping through it was all much more manageable.

Me too. I hated the newborn phase for my first. He didn’t sleep and him and I spent 90% of our time crying.

He’s now 18 and is definitely say it got better from then onwards.

Dd is 6 and 3-4 was vile. It’s easy peasy now compared to that!