Parents of gag. Does it get easier or harder as your baby grows up?

[Anonymous]

I found the newborn stage incredibly easy and the best. I wish my baby was still a Newborn.

[SnowedIn]

Both.

I say that as a dad of three sons (20, 18, and 14) and an 11 year old daughter.

Many things are easier.

They can eat by themselves. Get dressed without your help. Go to the bathroom. Bathe. Etc. They can play games with you. Cuddle by choice. Be a partner. A friend and times.

Other things are good and neutral. They can talk. Which also means they can talk back. They can drive themselves places which alsoeans they take your car.

Some things are harder. They can be mean. They respond to the whim of their emotions and hormones. They pull away -- that's hard.

But sometimes it's just easy because they're wonderful. And sometimes it's just hard because you're exhausted and their need outweighs what you think you have left in the tank.

So, it'll be easier and harder than when they're a newborn.

Best wishes with this and congratulations on your baby.

[Asker]

Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate. It is really helpful

[SnowedIn]

You're so welcome.

Thank you for MHO.

And, again, congrats!

[AviatorTom]

As a parent, it's important to teach your child how to fend for themselves, to be independent. If you're successful at that, it gets a little easier as they grow up. But it really depends on the child. Some are young terrors, and stay that way.

[Asker]

She is only a week away from being 4 months old, but I do want her to have her own independence. I want her to be able to sleep on her own as well, but she won't, no matter what I try.

[Ez-Bri-Z_v2]

It gets harder in my opinion. They start developing personalities of their own which you have to contend with and soon they can do things for themselves which is both good and bad. You no longer need to prepare then lunch but they also grab a whole bag of cookies to eat instead of a sandwich, for example. Mine are only 8 and 10 so I haven't even hit the teenage years yet which is by far the hardest.

I'm going to miss them cuddling with me and telling me they love me so much once they get to that age. It becomes a lot less appreciative of what you do. It supposedly becomes easier when they are adults but that comes with a whole new set of challenges. But hey, there's always the grand babies to start over with.

[Asker]

My baby is only a week away from turning 4 months, and I am finding it challenging. As a newborn, she slept through every sound. Now every sound wakes her up. As a newborn she was okay sleeping on her own. Now she won't sleep on her own at all. If I put her down to sleep she wakes up. There has been a couple of times, where she has had this blood curling crying, and I have no idea what is wrong. We're also going through a stage where one moment she will drink out of one bottle, and the next she rejects that same bottle. Twice now, I've had use 14 bottles in a matter of 10 minutes just to find a bottle she would be happy with. There are times she acts like she is starving and I make her a bottle, and she will only drink between 10 and 50ml, and she won't want the rest of her bottle. Even the carseat, she went from sleeping in it, to now hating being in the carseat.

I'm like what happened to my calm baby and can we turn back time.

[Ez-Bri-Z_v2]

Yikes. That's a lot. We had similar issues with sleeping with our son when we was that age but his was night terrors.

Hopefully this phase doesn't last too long for you though.

[Asker]

I have heard about night terrors they sound terrifying. Thank you

[EmmaMary]

Well we've just gone through the "Terrible Twos" and now well into the "Troublesome Threes" with our little boy. lol

Naturally our eight month old baby daughter is, and will be, absolutely perfect and no trouble whatsoever! lol

[Asker]

My baby who is a week away from being 4 months old, when she was a newborn until she was roughly around 7 weeks old, she was so calm and so easy. Since than, something changed. We have moments where she will drink out of one bottle and the next she will refuse to drink out of that same bottle. Twice I had to go through about 12 bottles in one feeding session until we finally found a bottle she would drink out off.

She used to sleep through every sound as a newborn and sleep on her own, now she wakes up at every sound and she refuses to sleep on her own. She will only sleep if she is in my arms, or if I I laying down with her. Sometimes she won't let me sit down with her. The moment I try she cries soon after.

There have been times, she has screamed and it has lasted almost half and hour, or more, and I have absolutely no idea what is wrong. For example I put her in the bouncer in the bathroom, so I could have a shower, and almost immediately she starts screaming. I was watching her the entire time, but I have absolutely no idea what happened. She will even headbutt me and kick me, as soon as she wakes up.

Im hoping as she gets older it will become easier, but it's probably wishful thinking.

[EmmaMary]

Thank you for the MHO.

[molonski2]

Its like the song " Cats in the Cradle and the silver spoon " yeah it gets easier , then ZAP - gone , so to speak , and this is happening , that is happening..

I'm not religious , I remember laying there praying " Please grow up.. come on " haha , well it happened , about to be 31 and 34 , both overseas as I am too.

[Kelly6]

after age 3yr old it gets hardeer

[Asker]

Thank you.

[boggboss]

Think most would say harder