- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
One & Done: Only child
kaidekka
member
What age has been most challenging?
kaidekka
member
We've had a rough couple of weeks in my house that I'm hoping is due to the 4 month wakeful and teething, and will soon pass. DD fights sleep constantly, cries most of the day, and has wanted to be entertained All. The. Time. I just want my happy baby back!
I'm sure that we will face many more rough patches in the years to come (some more difficult than this one), but I'm finding month number 4 to be incredibly frustrating!
What age has been the most challenging for you?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: What age has been most challenging?
Three years old. OMG.
DH deployed a month before LO turned three. As LO's birthday approached, I thought, with self satisfaction, that we'd survived the terrible twos quite well.
Ha! It was as though a switch was flipped the moment LO turned three. OMG. He became a threenager overnight. I've joked that had I realized how challenging three was going to be, LO and I might not have moved to Germany only for DH to deploy. It was rough (this is coming from a woman who gave birth, one day shy of 42 weeks along, while her DH was deployed, via emergency c-section because of pre-eclampsia and HELLP Syndrome then experienced severe PPD). Thankfully, we are weeks away from LO turning four, and I am seeing a new side of my boy. He is less challenging, more fun, entertaining and a heck of a lot more fun to be around!
This may not be what you wanted to hear, though.
I do recall, back when my LO was a baby, waiting for him to find his rhythm. It was right about at four months that he had a relatively consistent eat, sleep and play schedule. Once we found that groove, life felt a bit more predictable and less like guesswork.
I did not enjoy 14 - 24 months at all. He hit the terrible 2's early, I think. He was very mobile and very clever but had a speech delay, mostly receptive. It was hard to keep up with him, set boundaries, and communicate effectively. He began hitting and throwing things and was way into testing limits. We had major problems with safety - he'd jump off slides and playground equipment, jump off furniture, climb bookshelves, run out in the street. We visited the ER for injuries 4 times, I think.
He's still like that now, but his speech is a lot better, he understands more of what I say, and he understands timeout and consequences (to a point), so I feel like I have a little bit more control. Some days are still absolutely out of control, but he's such a fun little person at age 2, I love it so much better than 1.
Besides 4 months, I would say the first nine weeks were a real test of my sanity. I had a baby with colic. I think that says it all.
Everything after the first year has been more or less smooth sailing; each year gets better. I hear 3 is rough though!
Yeah, 4 month wakeful was not fun! She was such a bad sleeper (still is) but I do remember it got better after her 6 month growth spurt.
For us 2 to 3 was the worst! So far, 4 has been a delight!
Olivia Kate is almost 4!
Diagnosed with autism this year and doing great!
Anything under a year old? lol.. I just wasn't a fan of that stage.
Really though, age 3 was our hardest. She hit her terrible 2's delayed.
I think every age is challenging, though, just in different ways. The newborn stage is challenging because they don't sleep and you're overtired. Then they walk. Then they start to talk. Then they develop these little personalities and test their limits. Then they throw tantrums.
Now at 7 I have a drama queen. When school is in session, you have homework and school battles. It's a different type of challenge.
But I think the older kid challenges are easier for ME than the baby challenges. I'll go back to this when she's 15
Everything since then has been cake! Lol.
We were one of the really lucky ones didn't have a 4 month wakeful. I don't know how I would have dealt with it.
DD is a sleeping superstar which actually makes me more sure that we are OAD because I know it could never happen twice.
The newborn stage was the worst for me. We've had the occasional rough spots here and there, but nothing was so awful as being home with a brand new baby by myself (my husband was back to work right away), struggling with breastfeeding, and dealing with all the hormones.
She's challenging sometimes now because she gets into everything she shouldn't and she's bossy and sassy and has tantrums, but I also get hugs and kisses from her all the time and it makes the rest of it seem not so bad. The love is really rewarding and you don't get that from a little baby.
I'm kind of thinking I'm in the thick of it right now...DS will be two in August. He has been in the terrible two's now though for about 4 months...temper tantrums, doesn't want to eat what I want him to eat, RUNNING away from me as I try to get him dressed/put sunscreen on him/brush his hair. I'm exhausted! lol
But there are a lot of good things about this age too! He's super animated and always cracks me up! His little personality has come out in full force and I love it. I think there are good and bad to each stage. At least you know if you're OAD that you only have to go through the bad parts of each stage one time!
Kind of dreading the terrible three's now after reading the replies! yikes!
DS is almost 5 and I would say he is very independent and usually pretty easy. But he has a very fresh mouth and talks back a lot and has picked up some bad words at pre-school.
I don't have a lot of experience, but 0-3 months was really bad for me. I had terrible PPA, and I didn't like the lack of communication from DD. When she was sick it was awful and when I didn't know what was wrong, I would be in a complete panic.
At least, now, I get some full nights of sleep
0-6 weeks because of the PPA and PPD and 4-6 months because my son got super bad eczema and was miserable all.the.time and I was obsessed with "curing" him and he went from sleeping though the night to waking 5-6 times a night from the itch, poor guy. I was home with him till 10 months which is the only reason I survived. His sleep never recoverd till 10 months too ... But he was much happier after we found a successful treatment at 7months.
Right now (15 month) he is crazy rumbunctious and into everything thing but i love his independence and seeing his personality come through. He has his mini temper tantrums but they are so short lived at this point.
I have heard from friends that age 3 is the worst too ....
3.
4 has been the best!
I think every age and stage has its challenges. The infant stage for us was tough...DS wanted constant contact, but also didn't like being in one place for too long. He also didn't like being in any type of carrier. I had very strong arms for awhile.
He started walking at 10.5 months and was a much happier baby once he could get where he wanted to go under his own power. Then around 14-16 months he went through a separation anxiety thing where I COULD NOT be out of his sight or he would flip his shiit. That was pretty frustrating. Now we're starting to get the "no's," tantrums, whining, etc. When I write all that out it sounds horrible, lol. But overall he's pretty fun and easygoing. He is very verbal now and I don't have to guess what he wants anymore, which is great. This isn't the first time I have read about "threenagers," though...I am scared for three. 
DD is 12.5 months old, and I remember 4 months being very difficult. However, she had a terrible time when she was a newborn, because she had reflux.... so I would say the first 6 months..lol... and now, though she is a handful, the fun times definitely outweigh the crazy times.
Good luck, I hope things world out. The 4 month wakeful period is so hard, especially when you JUST got into a great routine.