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what were your favorite ages of your kids lives? and what stage was the easiest?
there was a recent thread about whether or not people would have kids if they could do it over... and i was thinking you wouldn't want to ask people with babies/toddlers because that stage is so hard and you don't get any sleep.... but then i was thinking you don't want to ask people with teenagers because that's the stage where kids hate their parents and are rebellious. but i was surprised a few people said that you don't want to ask anyone with adult kids because then the kids might be estranged.
so i started thinking - when is it actually enjoyable? so what stage was the easiest? or the most fun? or what were your favorite ages?
I enjoyed the early to middle school years because they were old enough to go places and enjoy it and the college years because you can relate to them as adults
I really enjoyed my kids when they were older, although I adored them as babies and toddlers too. I loved talking with them as they grew and changed and had their own opinions. I never criticized their opinions, and luckily they still talk to me. Two of them talk and text fairly often as a matter of fact. So for me, from about 5th grade on, I enjoyed my kids the most, I think.
When they left home for good, it took awhile, but I began to miss them coming in and out of the house, and I missed the expectancy of a visit home. It became hard for them to visit us. I did get lonely for them.
I loved when they were 1 year olds. They were learning so much so fast and becoming "real" people. I fell in love with them as babies, but it wasn't as exciting as later.
As I tell my cousins and sister-in-law with much younger children though, there really is something exciting and fun at every age. It's been just as amazing to watch my children go off to college, graduate and off into the real world as it was to watch them learn to walk, to talk, to read, to drive, etc. My oldest is getting married next year. Watching her fall in love and become ready to make a life-time commitment to another person has been pretty cool. It's interesting how their relationship is different than that of me and my husband, but I see some similar elements. I like them as people and love them as my kids.
Maybe I've found it all interesting because I tend to be an observer of humans. I don't mean to make it sound like it was all easy, but my husband and I often just ask, "How did we get so lucky?" We are amazed...
I can remember continually thinking " this is the best stage ever!" Only to think, a year later "....no, THIS is the best stage ever!"
There were some very challenging years, when I was very frustrated. But in retrospect, those years were also when there would be a glimmer of hope and satisfaction that in fact they were actually really good kids who'd been paying attention all along. Those surprises were awesome.
I can't say it was the easiest time (that was probably from about age 8 to 10) but the very best time for me was from birth to about 2 years of age. That was when I got to feel closest to my kids and they were cuddly and just plain adorable (except at those moments when they were in the throes of a bad colic 'attack'). And they didn't ask for anything I didn't already want to give them .. and they hadn't learned the word NO yet (or when they did, they didn't yet understand its real power). They were relatively easy to tote around as well - and travel with them was a cinch compared to later years. Plus there was something new to marvel at every day when they were that tiny .. they learned so quickly .. I found it all fascinating.
I liked the 10 year old age with our boys. At 10, they are old enough to have a very good conversation with, understand most things, can tell you where they hurt and they aren't in the throes of teenage hormones yet.
I like the adult stage too from about 25 on. Before 25, they are still kind of like teenagers at times, but from there on, they are mature and are like friends instead of kids. We are very fortunate that both our boys live close to us so we see them often.
Okay, now I wish time would stand still.
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Loved all the years
