I totally get the OP and I have teens. When the youngest is 3-4, it is a big milestones. You are finally free of diapers. We started bring booster seats rather than full car seats on the airplanes. You don't need a stroller anymore. They eat lots of different foods. At 3.5 and 6 they play with each other more. Life becomes more manageable. Mine are two years apart and I loved the years when they were 4-6. They were so cute!! Now, they are teens and this is the age that I miss the most. Disney is magical.

OP - keep in mind that every age will have good and bad points. Your next stage is the kid pack stage. You will start making new friends as you and other parents are sentenced to years of sports practices and games. You will trade in your weekend pass to Bounce U for a weekend pass to a soccer field and whatever kid restaurant is close to you. This fun though and if you are at a school with lots of events they will love it. You still have Disney but you can let go of Dutch Wonderland and do Hershey. You can have more fun at national parks.

The middle school age is the roughest as your sweet, polite children become smelly little monsters. The upside is that their interests will be more interesting to you. You'll enjoy more of the same movies and music. You can do activities with them and be surprised that they are better at it than you.

High school gets better and the best thing is to start using this time to reclaim your life. They will be gone in 4 years bankrupting you in the process so make sure you choose something that makes money or doesn't cost much.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is 12 and still plays on playground equipment. He still plays with toys and legos. Our feet still aren’t safe. You have a lot of time....

He too old for this. He should be cutting grass at 12 not playing with legos

You only have one childhood. Why rush?

Legos?? C’mon. 12 is way too old for that.

Nah there are engineering type kids who will still unwind (albeit not all the time) with legos in high school.

Your husband is right, OP. It's too late to buy a swing set. They won't use it much.

My kids are in MS and HS. I found time seemed to move faster once they hit sixth grade and now it's on warp speed. Time is flying! Our oldest will be driving soon, then off to college. It's totally cliche to say it but they are only small for such a short time. Enjoy this time, OP.

we have a 12 and 10, got a rainbow, they are still on it now. get the playset

OP, we got a backyard playset when my kids were that age and they are now 11 and 8 and still play on it all.the.time. And they are still silly and goofy and kid-like, even the 11 year old, most of the time. You're fine.

Anonymous wrote:Their childhood is hardly over at ages 3.5 and 6.

Likely she means the cute Instagrammable age. We have neighbors who got puppies for this reason.

OP, you have decades of parenting left.

I got wistful when my kid turned 4.

I miss the days when he was cute and wanted to hold my hand. Of course I do.

A good day with a 19 year old who makes you proud is about as good as my life has shown me so far. Alas, such days are rare, but they are a sign of good things to come.

You need to decide if you are wistful or actually investing too much mental energy in the past and not enjoying the present. If the latter, the way I would recommend coping is with professional help before it interferes with parenting.

Their childhood is hardly over at ages 3.5 and 6.