Do children get easier or tougher as they get older?

As children get older they change and so does their needs and their wants. I found it was always something I had to do for them. By the time they could fend for themselves then I had to decipline them and set up boundries. Children need boundries and year for them. I think they feel more secure when they know where their boundries are. I felt each stage was rewarding and I loved it all. I can tell you it was a lot of work, they are grown and great adults.

Hi, My oldest is 15 and my youngest is 5. It gets easier and more difficult as they get older. You exchange sleepless nights because of feeding around the clock to sleepless nights wondering why they are struggling so much in school or the latest round of bullying. I've been lucky with my oldest boy beside a few fights and a bit of sulking we have got through the early teens okay. He has just started high school and seems settled and doing okay. My 2nd son turns 13 next week and gives me a lot of worries!! Enjoy the time now, when your little one is crying you can pick him up and cuddle him out of it.... most of the time. When they get older that is much harder to do!!

My older son was a sweet and happy child till he was 6. No tantrums...no attitude ..nothing. But he's vry difficult to manage now (he just turned 7). The silver lining is that I can still sit him down and talk to him (though it doesn't get translated into action..lol).I'm thinking it has a lot to do with us having the second child (the little one is now 9 months).It's probably just attention seeking. NOt that he got a lot of attention before the second one but he probably thinks he can't get it now if he wants it. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that this stage will pass. It's too soon to say with the younger one though he is different from my older one and more demanding than my older one was.

ooh, I'm so mad. I just posted this huge thing to you and it somehow got deleted. Anyway... there's a lot of give and take in the amount of difficulty raising children. When they're really young, they require constant attention and handling, in terms of feeding and changing diapers and such. Just as they're outgrowing that, they become less manageable as they develop their own personality and become more independent. They have tantrums or argue with you, but if you handle it right they grow out of that too. When I had my son, I found that it was a lot of work keeping up with his needs. Then as he started being able to feed himself and go potty on his own, he developed an attitude. Everyone told me about the "terrible two's". I found three was a lot harder than two ever was. Then he grew out of that and is a happy 5 year old who is hardly any trouble at all. But I know that when he starts really getting into school the other kids will pressure him, and it won't be cool to be lovey to mom anymore. I hear teens are the worst, and if you remember what you were like when you were in your teens, then you know what to expect. (God knows I put my parents through hell when i turned 15) He'll think you're stupid and that you're incredibly old-fashioned and don't understand him and he'll be all emo and sulk. Then he'll grow up and realize that he does need you and you're smarter than he gave you credit for, particularly when he has his own kids and turns to you for advice. So be patient. It'll get harder, then easier, then harder again. Life is all about the ebb and flow of change. But you can always hold it against him later. lol. Mother's guilt is a wonderful thing. ;)

You are finding your 16months baby becoming tougher because till now you are used to him to be in his cradle and do everything according to your convenience. Now that he is growing older he starts to show his individuality. Why to hold the milk bottle in the way you asked him to, why not in the other way? He would definitely like to use his brain. He will start climbing the SEE - SAW the other way. You are feeling difficulty because till now you were used to your own way. Now you have to adjust to the changing personality of your son. As time goes why we feel difficult is because change is easy for them as they are in the growing age. But change is difficult for us as we are grown ups. So in future also at every stage you will find that they are becoming tougher day by day. That is because with change in timings and change in their personalities we cannot rapidly change. So whatever you want to teach him regarding manners or discipline or study or anything, its better you try teaching them now with patience. Because later the amount of patience required keeps on increasing. Its easy to bend a plant than to bend a tree.

16 months is what I found to a 'tweenie' stage as the child is still relying on you for a lot of things but gaining in confidence and the ability to be independant. I found my son to be a bit of a handful at that age and he is definately more of a challenge at 3 but that is probably because he has a personality now and does not rely on me so much - but then he has 2 older sisters to copy lol Really there are a lot of ups and downs in parenting and you are learning new things as much as him. I wouldn't say it gets harder as they get older just that the goalposts change. But on the plus side, as they get older they have much more love to give and do so much to make you proud

I have a 20 month year old son, a four year old daughter, and an 11 year old daughter. I hate to tell you this, but no, it soedn't get easier, it's just the problems you face with them change. My 20 month old is discovering his independance, which I'm sure you're starting to deal with. My 4 year, although more independant is non stop questions, and not always easy ones either. My 11 year old is a whole other story, she's worried about what her school mates think of her, starting to show interest in boys, etc...The greatest part about her is that she is pretty self reliant at this point. I don't have to get up and make her breakfast! LOL Parenting is a hard job, and like our kids the challenges they present change with time.

My daughter is 2 years old and wow I didn't think she would get into so much stuff but she has to touch everything and she wants to dig in everything. She wants to jump on the sofa and the bed and climb on stuff. Shes wild. She was much easier when she was younger. lol They say the terrible 2's start at 18 months so be ready its about to hit you.