Anonymous wrote:I have babies and toddlers. Who would wish these years away? I don’t want teens yet!

Me! Can’t stand the 100% dependent and mostly suicidal baby and toddler years. Good riddance!

Anonymous wrote:Ummm parents of teens can sleep….so I can’t can’t can’t freaking wait!!!!! To have teens!! Imagine going to bed and waking up not at 6 am! And wow, no potty breaks or bad dreams or wondering if it’s a 5 wake-up night or 1 wake up night or none.

Everything else everyone wrote I am ignoring, you all forget how it is to not sleep. Nothing else matters.

FWIW, I was awakened at 1AM when DS15 started rummaging through the refrigerator. Was awakened again at 2AM when I realized he had left on every light in the house.

Anonymous wrote:While it's true that big kids often have big problems, the truth is I have loved having teens-- they are great. (My kids are 23 and 18.)

Parenting small children is physically exhausting in a way that parenting older kids just isn't. And yes, you do get to kick back with a cup of coffee on the regular.

#1. I hate, hate, hated the baby, toddler elementary ages! Things started to look up as a tween and I couldn’t be happier with my teen DS. He is almost completely independent, fun to talk to and an all round great human.
He gets up with his own alarm for school, can walk to get lunch with friends after school. Not everyone is cut out for the younger years and that’s ok.

Ummm parents of teens can sleep….so I can’t can’t can’t freaking wait!!!!! To have teens!! Imagine going to bed and waking up not at 6 am! And wow, no potty breaks or bad dreams or wondering if it’s a 5 wake-up night or 1 wake up night or none.

Everything else everyone wrote I am ignoring, you all forget how it is to not sleep. Nothing else matters.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was a really easy teen for my parents (validated by them) so maybe that’s coloring my perception too? I was very independent.

You grew up in different times

NP here, these are different times for sure. Now we have books like The Self-Driven Child to help us encourage our kids to some modicum of independence, because our culture and parenting has shifted the other way.

As a parent of a teenager, I say that there are upsides and downsides of every age, and it all depends on your kid. My 10 year old is WAY moodier than my 14 year old (both girls). I love how little and innocent (in some ways) that my 10 yo is, but she also makes me crazy. I love how independent and responsible my 14 yo is, but it's also really hard to see her deal with social issues.

I loved babies/toddlers but also found them exhausting.

So really I don't think one is better/easier than the other. Just different.

My girls are 1.5 and 5. They are so physically exhausting but I don’t want them to keep growing. Their baby years are slipping away so quickly. My 5 year old is now pretty independent and mature and we can have real conversations and it’s awesome. I think years 5-12 are probably the golden years but I still wish I could freeze time and keep them little forever, even if I have to be exhausted every day for the rest of my life.

I spend my days with 5 toddlers/preschoolers. They are a breeze compared to my one 15 years old.

I don’t have a teenager but my oldest is 12. I find him way more difficult to parent than my 4yo. My 4yo is a dream.

My 14 year old just tried a cart of thc in the boys bathroom at school.

Give me 3 year old problems any day.

Omg. It’s the absolute worst.

I have babies and toddlers. Who would wish these years away? I don’t want teens yet!

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was a really easy teen for my parents (validated by them) so maybe that’s coloring my perception too? I was very independent.

You grew up in different times

I was quiet and obedient, my cihild is the opposite

Ages 0-9.5 were easy years

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On TV shows the parents of teenagers look so relaxed in the mornings. Drinking coffee, eating breakfast and reading the newspaper. Their teen comes in, they chat for a few minutes, the teen grabs backpack and a bagel and off they go to school.

What the TV shows don't include is how long and loudly they yelled at you when you dragged them out of bed because they slept right through their 85 decibel alarm clock, and how sometimes they missed the bus and asked you to drive them just when you had a morning meeting for work, and then they forgot their instrument or some form, and texted you to bring it to school in time for band

OMg this is word for word my life

I thought I was the only one and I’m a single parent, pure hell

I just want a break

Most days I feel like I’m losing my mind

OP here. I was a really easy teen for my parents (validated by them) so maybe that’s coloring my perception too? I was very independent.