I miss them being small

[ssd]

was just sitting out the back there, it's a nice night but very quiet...I remember not so long ago when the garden was full of kids, paddling pool out, slide and swing being used, or further back when ds1 was peddling his little trike down the path and loving it!

now they are growing up, teens, great boys but almost men...and I miss the days when they called me mummy and their gran was alive but that's another thread

it goes so fast, doesn't it..

I agree.

I have been single since pregnancy and it's been me and dd. As an only child she had me as her playmate for years. Now she only emerges for food!

I do miss it although I also remember how hard it was and I appreciate being able to go out for a run or to see friends.

My sadness is based on the fact that her childhood is over. It's too late now to make more childhood memories. I can't play new games with her or do painting and crafts.

I think what upsets me is the regret. I keep thinking of things we should have done. I wish we'd done more camping and more bike riding. I wish she'd had more opportunities to play out with neighbours and friends. I kept thinking it would happen as she got older but suddenly she was too old and hanging out in the park became a worry not a wholesome activity!

YY, obviously it's amazing to see them grow into strong young adults; the alternative is unspeakable. But still, bittersweet.

Fellow nostalgics I give you this (played on 'a child in time'). Warning - is slightly sentimental.

I'm the same. I got really maudling at Xmas time, wishing my two teenagers were still small, getting excited over Father Christmas.
Time goes far too quickly.

that video is very good!

I think I feel this way more lately as ds2 is 16 and growing up and away from me, I can accept ds going to uni and being a big boy (18!) as I still had his wee brother, but now the wee brother is getting to be big too......its hard.

Life then takes another turn and you are a DGM :) I love being a DGM, it's like being a parent but with no responsibilities, just all the fun bits :)

I just wished we had more photos or videos of ours as kids, to capture "the last time they did x" because I didn't know that was the last time and they've now outgrown it

Ssd (( hugs )) I know what you mean. Will they go bowling or anything like that? Family game?? We really g up the kids to play games. Least every couple of weeks. Does all go too quick though!! Enjoy the break your be a grand parent next then your be busy again with little ones xx

they wont come out with us at all now , but I'll keep trying

I don't miss them being small... sorry!!! Was way too much stress.
Not that them being big isn't stressful.
But some of the guilt is off my shoulders, at least.
And they are so much more interesting now.
My parents thought lots I did as a teen was wrong. Obviously they were wrong so I may be the obviously wrong parent now. I can live with that.

I miss me being young. I'd gladly have better skin tone, fewer wrinkles, less grey hair...

But teenagers are so nice. And interesting. And you can bugger off out and leave them too.

Better to leave them behind... god knows teens find ways to cost a fortune even during a simple outing. They are worse than toddlers for NEEDing to be frequently fed & watered.

Yeah this is true. My youngest is so sociable and costs me a fortune back and forth with activities and trips to the shops that doesn't include clothes shoes etc.
Ssd tell them your change the pass word for the internet and you will turn it off if they don't play monopoly or a quick game of cards . X

I feel this too. DS1 will be off in September, and I can't believe it.

The days are long when they're small, but my, the years are short. I'd give anything to have a sleepy, milky toddler cuddled into my lap for a story one more time.

I find it difficult to look at the photographs of them when they were little, sometimes.

I'm massively struggling at the moment with a 1 and a 4 year old. By the time I've done the practical and fun things with them, and the essential house stuff, and worked, all on six hours or less broken sleep every night, I have completely and utterly lost 'me'. The 20 minutes I get to spend in the car to and from work are the only head space I get in a day.

I know I may regret it in the future, I loved hearing my boy read his book this morning and teaching my baby more fun stuff to walk, but I long for the ability to just sit for 10 minutes without the pressing need of Stuff To Do.

This poem sums it up for me.

Beatrix is Three

At the top of the stairs
I ask for her hand. O.K.,
She gives it to me.
How her fist fits my palm,
A bunch of consolation.
We take our time
Down the steep carpetway
As I wish silently
That the stairs were endless.

Adrian Mitchell

But then I saw Mitchell on stage performing with his young adult daughter and they were having a barnstorming time.

My parents preferred us small and found us complicated and lumpen when bigger. I really don't want to spend my life looking back. And those early years are so WEARING

That's good to hear, MotherInferior

Sparklingbrook My toddler got a cheap little tow truck yesterday evening and he's been delighted ever since, towing his little metal cars around and folding the arm up and down, your post reminded me how sweet it is and how much I'll miss this innocence when he's older! He did wet himself this morning though so I suppose it'll be nice not having to deal with that anymore...!

Aww Crunchy it is sweet. A little cheap car would keep him occupied for hours.

Yes, I wasn't sad to leave the toilet training days behind.

I love the company of my adult children. Now 19 and 21 it's fascinating to hear them forming political views and so on.
I know we all have rose tinted glasses about the days when they were little, I don't miss the crying , the grizzling, the tantrums, the fussy eating and the drudgery. I do miss the constant physical contact. Mine still do lots of hugs but bizarrely I miss the little body climbing into my bed in the middle of the night.

Ah, yes, I miss having a small person in the bed so I've replaced them with a big hairy dog

I've just gone in and risked waking my four year old and had a sneaky lie down next to him all cuddly in bed

I don't miss the really small stage. I have enough nieces and nephews that I spend time with and that's lovely but enough.

I have an 8 and 18 yo. They are fabulous. While I don't baby my 8 yo, I totally treasure that he's still young enough to hold my hand, play airports with me and snuggle in bed. I can't believe it was 18 years ago I was holding my DS1 in my arms.

I've got 3 small kids and although I know I'll miss some of the small stage, there is a never ending lot of stuff to do and so I feel I can't enjoy them as much as I'd like because laundry, tidying, negotiating in squabbles, homework, rush rush rush...I think I'll look back and miss all the fun bits but forget feeling so hemmed in when I just need to pop to the shop for eggs but have to take all 3 and it's raining, three lots of coats shoes hats to put on, whining about who sits in what seat in the car, buckling up 3 sets of car seats, the "can I have" drone, getting them back into the car when the 3 year old is trying run off across the car park, car seat argument again, buckling up car seats again, back home, who's turn it is to press the doorbell (unnecessarily as I have the key, obvs) reminding all 3 to hang up coats and put away shoes...

... and then I realise I forgot to buy eggs.

That's the day to day reality, you've just forgotten the detail!

(But the sticky hugs and hand holding are lovely)