In life, especially as a busy parent, it is quite normal to wish away time when the kids are young and not sleeping or being general pains in your bum!
I know that no one should ever wish away time because, as we know, it is extremely precious - every day is a gift. However, in life, especially as a busy parent, it is quite normal to wish away time when the kids are young and not sleeping or being general pains in your bum – it happens after all!
Fast forward a few years and you may wish to go back because your older kids have opinions and they aren’t afraid to show it either!
Here are some reasons why you’ll wish your older kids were younger once again - because us parents are never happy...
Older kids can be cheeky
Yes, they can be and not in the “oh they are so cute” kind of way that the toddlers shared. No, it will be proper, out and out plain old rude cheek! The sort that gets your child into trouble and sent to their room for a significant amount of time because what else can you do with them?
Younger kids are sweet and lovely
Now we know older kids can be sweet too, but they lose their loveliness sometimes or just forget about it while they are giving the cheek (see above). While your younger kiddie will cuddle into you and be mad at themselves when they upset you an older kid will not give a s*&t! Exactly, they will not care that they misbehaved and in fact, they will deny they did anything wrong.
Older kids don’t offer as many cuddles
Of course, you can rob them off your children, but the truth is as your child grows older, they get more independent. The hope is that one day they will get past the grizzly teen years and they’ll begin to cuddle you again. Everyone needs love and cuddles!
You’ll miss the baby faces and their little hands
Young kids are super cute, and they have the power to break your heart in two. Older kids too, but probably not in the same way. They’ll break your heart by shouting at you, being rude or saying the horrible but expected words “I hate you!” and not giving a second thought to their outburst. The truth is, when they are young, you are the centre of their world but as they grow older this doesn’t stand true anymore. Their real heroes will be famous people or characters from their favourite movies but not mammy and daddy. That’s what happens though.
You’ll miss the certainty
By this I mean when the kids are younger and safely in your arms, you can protect them better and be there always. However, older kids begin to distance themselves from you and in ways you must let them free. This means a whole other realm of worry and anxiety for parents as they try to give kids space and ensure their safety too. It is hard and therefore parents do struggle with this. Having a baby in a cot seems a walk in the park now when your pre-teen is heading out the door alone for the first time.
It is tough!
Emma Hayes is a thirty-something mum of two girls aged 16 and 10, planting her right into the teenage and tween-age years! Follow her on Twitter at @EmmaHayes25.
