Happiest time of your life?

[Anonymous]

I have a 4.5yo and a 6mo. It’s funny to me that despite having very little personal time, a ton of responsibilities at home and work, and being disgustingly overweight, I am the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve heard it said that raising young kids is the happiest time - guess it’s true for me so far (knock on wood). Anyone else?

[Anonymous]

That was a very happy time for me too. Also late 20s, early 30s. After finishing grad school and having a decent income, dating, and meeting spouse. 50s sort if suck now due to pending divorce.

[Anonymous]

Every decade has been the happiest, and saddest, part of my life so far, because my kids bring me great joy at every stage of their lives, but we've been through job loss, death of relatives, or personal health issues, at various points.

[Anonymous]

You are a half full kind of person OP. Beware of the Debbie Downers on this forum.

[Anonymous]

By far, the period when my kids were all six and under was my happiest. As a SAHM, I had a really social experience with my group of mom girlfriends, all of us bouncing from one playground to another's house and having all the kids play. Now our kids are much older, and we are all busier with different schools and sports etc. They are still my girlfriends but I can't see them as often as we got together back then. We are all a little wistful of those days!

[Anonymous]

24–27 when working at a good job and with a good boyfriend, traveling and carefree. 30-36 when in love with now DH and through the first two years of our first kid's life. Probably going to hit another sweet spot soon now that the kids are 4 and 7. I do suffer from depression periodically, though, so that ruins a lot of good times.

[Anonymous]

Freshman & sophomore year of college, and probably right now!

[Anonymous]

That's interesting. I guess it just depends on personalities. For me when my kids were that age was when I was the lowest. I hated it so much. Was just a SAHM, no job, exh traveled.

Now my kids are in middle and hs, I am divorced, I have a flexible WAH job and I am incredibly happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Freshman & sophomore year of college, and probably right now!

Same

Right now I'm in my thirties (well 39) and have 3 elementary school children and one in middle school.

[Anonymous]

I especially loved the kid years between ages 6-14. After 14 is fine too, it's just that the kids start to grow up. Under age 6 is cute but exhausting.

[Anonymous]

I’ve always been pretty happy but when our kids were young and they really relied on us I think I was the happiest. I miss all the daily hugs.

[jsmith123]

Maybe like 7 to 10 or something? And then the last decade (married, had 2 kids) has been great.

[Anonymous]

I'm like you, OP, loved those years when my kids were 2-5. I was mostly a SAHM but also had a 10-hr/week job I loved that gave me a little break from the kids. I had great group of friends who I got to see a lot.

My kids are teens now, I went back to work FT when they were in ES. I'm happy now too but those early years were such a special time for me.

[Anonymous]

I think my favorite time was the seven years between when I graduated from high school and moved out and when I met and fell in love with my husband. Having kids is DEFINITELY not my happiest time in life.

[Anonymous]

My happiest times were probably my mid-20s when I started my dream job, the month we brought DD home, and 2019-2020, even amid Covid; last year was great for many reasons and it only improved early-2020 and then I really connected with my family during quarantine in a way I hadn’t anticipated.