Everyone knows how difficult it was raising young kids and babies; right?! 

• It is tough -  Yes, it is tough. At a time when your kids are learning how to flex their independence some tough times are ahead. Your child may decide they should be able to wear a short skirt or that they can walk to school on their own. You will need to be calm and you will need to be stern at times too.
• Patience is required - It may seem easy for you to put your clothes away but to older children they will not agree. They will not want to do ANYTHING at times. They will make a mess and walk away, they will refuse to walk the dog and they may not care if their clothes are in a ball on the floor- until they need them that is! For all of this and more, you will need to relax and not let it cause you anger! This is what it is like, kids of that age don’t care about the things you care about so as much as you may plead. The reality is it will fall on deaf ears.
• It may be a stressful time - It will, older kids will start secondary school and they will get phones too at some stage. The kids will use the internet and they will want to go to discos and this is hard for parents. Struggling to get the balance of letting them live their life but also keeping them close. It is stressful.
• Your kids will hate you at times - Not many parents like to admit it, but your kids will hate you; a lot. It may be fleeting and of course, they will love you too, but they will share their distaste of you by screaming or banging doors. It is an inevitable part of raising older children.
• They will love you too though - They will love you and they may not show it, but you will learn to accept their different style of showing appreciation for all that you do. You will get a nod or a laugh. Perhaps, the many cuddles will fade but hopefully it won’t! Keep at them though they push you away but not in public obviously as that isn’t cool.