What has your favorite age to parent been?

[L J]

I have a 5.5y old. To this point, my favorite age is 6-18 months.

[3 ladybugs]

Before I was a parent, I loved the 0-1 year age. I am just amazed by what they go from doing nothing to something that fast. My DH I think is loving where DS is now. 3.5 he is a lot of work, but he is also his own person and that is cool for him.

[maddys_mama]

Call me crazy, but I love the toddler age. Granted, my oldest is only 4.5 years old so I haven't experienced the older ages yet, but I loved the 1-2 years old age with dd and I really love this stage with ds (he turned 2 yesterday.)

[Psychomom]

My favorite has always been what I'm currently doing--funny how that's worked out. Consequently, I voted 5-9 since 75% of my kids are in that age range.

Having my first child was my first experience with kids, ever, so I was always really intimidated by kids older than she was. As she got older, her age group was my favorite. Now she's a teenager and it's definitely not my favorite! :lol: But, I digress....

Now that my "baby" will be 6 in a few months, I really, really, really do not enjoy young babies. The last time I even held a baby was when my sister had her twins more than 2 years ago and before that...it was probably my own baby.

[bluedaisyma]

toddler is my favorite age, but easiest to parent is newborns, imo. I do have adult children (18 1/2 and almost 18) and they are easy as well. but 15 yrs old? oh, help me!

[MunkyCrazy]

Originally Posted by hilaryisinked Baby, specifically 6 months to a year. I absolutely love that stage even though they still don't sleep.

It is very easy to break the first year or two down into even smaller time periods, especially if they're still young and it's all so fresh. I think by the time my oldest was 1 my favorite had been 6-9 months. Mostly because I was more confident and used to being a mom by then.

Originally Posted by Fashionably Green Baby My youngest is 11 months and my oldest is almost 7 and hands down I like the 0 to 2 year old phase the best. I love every stage but in the first 2 years they are learning and exploring so much and you are their entire world. They are full of love and they don't talk back yet. My 6 year old is brilliant (really she is extremely gifted) but she talks back from the minute she gets up until she falls asleep for the night. My 3 year old is special needs and he is Jekyll and Hyde. He can be the most loving sweet cuddly child BUT he always will throw a fit for over an hour (without a break) about a banana....yes, a banana. He has always been "high needs" but right before 3 he was diagnosed with a severe developmental delay and he has a speech delay (diagnosed much younger).

I think I would enjoy the toddler and pre-k stages much more if I only had DS2 They would possibly even beat out the baby phase. My ODS has SN and is so strong willed and frustrating that probably has a lot to do with it. DS2 is a much easier 2 year old than his brother was at this point (in most ways) and he is much more enjoyable. BUUT he has his brother to teach him all the way to get in trouble now

[pcjs]

My favorite is 0-3 but I can't say one age over another as each is special in their own way. I'm not a big fan of the teenage years nor the 20's (husband's kids) but I never have been and have always been bias to the little ones. I love watching all the new things they do and just trying to figure out the world given everything is new and exciting.

[danner]

I won't vote. My daughter is almost 4 and my son almost 1. I remember a golden age of my daughter's being 18m-2. At her age now, she's a bit of a train wreck at times.

[isaacsmum]

I voted Pre-K 3-5, though I'll admit my oldest is 3, so I'm not sure I have enough experience to really vote in this poll. Each age has its ups and downs, but in my limited experience, it just keeps getting better and better as they grow.

[badmisterkitty]

After my oldest turned 3, I began to enjoy parenting exponentially more. That 1-2 year age....least favorite.