In your opinion does having older children fair out easier or are they alot more work?

My boys are really good and have been since babies but lately my eldest (who is 3) has really started pushing boundries. Now I know this is a mixture of age/development/independance and being at nursery but it got me thinking does it get harder - I hate the thought that I will be constantly discaplining my kids

I know every child is different. But would really value you some opinions.

Thanx ladies xx

Elaine & boys xx

[Modified by: brandollarz on 09 March 2009 07:41:03 ]

I totally understand what you mean Elaine! My daughter will be 4 in June & is really wearing us down at the moment with constant tantrums & playing up. We are wondering if some of it is the anticipation of what will happen when No.2 arrives in 6 weeks but mostly I think she is just very strong willed & "at that age" as they say! I feel like I'm constantly telling her off which I hate. We have started a reward chart which is definitely & are rewarding her with time away from the normal routine - yesterday we all went to the seasids & she was really good. I just hope we can keep it up!
Good luck!
Kathryn xx

i personally have found it easier the older my lo has got. she is nealry 4 and i think it maybe because i only have the one child and that she becoming more independant maybe?
i am on the other hand a very strict parent, my dh isnt so much, i dont stop her having fun at all but she knows that if i say no i mean no, whereas with my dh if he says no, it might change to a yes in 2 mins time!
i dont have any other children so maybe thats why i am finding it easier the older she gets?
sorry i havent been any help. im sure it is just a phase your lo is going throught, just trying to show his independance?

elaine i'm finding its harder but every child is different

Well I have had two( dd1+ds) that have been sooo easy compared to DD2 who is just a nightmare.
At home she is a madam but at school she is usually perfectly behaved well untill yesterday.............................
She was told off for the first time at nursery and had to sit in the time out chair, she is so upset that she wet the bed last night and had bad dreams!!!

I dont really have any problems with the other two, Obviously I get to be a sergent major when it comes to sharing some of their toys or getting homework done but other than the typical bit of mouth from my 7 yr old DS they are pretty easy compaired to dd2.

So in answer to your question"does it get harder?" I bloomin hope it ( DD2!!) doesnt get any worse than it is now lol!!!:lol:
I must admit, come sept DD2 is going to nursery the full 15hrs funded so I am hoping to see a bit of improvement in her behavour as she has more to focus on, I think most of he behavour boils down to being bored with the things we do and she need more interaction with teachers/other grown ups in order to occupy her loony brain!!

It amaizes me how they can change from one day to the next, angles for a few hours then devils for a week

Whoever said being a mum was easy lol!!!

Hi

I wouldn't say t gets harder - just different!!
My kids are 13, 11, 8, and 2, and i must say that though i still find it all hard work now the older 3 are bigger its easier to deal with their problems because you can talk to them and they understand the reason why we say no to things or whatever - doesn't mean they like it any more but you don't get the tears and tantrums!! One thing i have found with all four of them is that when they go through phases of being horrible or pushing the boundaries, just when you thin you can't cope with another day of it all, thats when that phase stops and another starts!

Hi Juniemummy, I agree that every child is different. My oldest who is 7 was a delightful baby, then turned into a horror ( i used to call him Devil Child!) but since he started school almost 3 years ago he's turned back into a delight.

I would say that they don't get harder as they get older but the things that you worry about changes. I do sometimes feel that I am 'bad cop' but he understands why I am discplining (sp?) him and he can reason with me.

Agree with em, one phase stops then your right into the next dilemma xxx

Hiya
I have a 4 1/2 yr old little boy. He has been through phases of bad behaviour especially when my 2nd son came along 6 months ago.
I find a reward chart really helpful, when hes good he gets a smiley face on his chart, then when hes got 10 of them gets a little treat.
I also find sometimes if i give him little jobs to do to help out he feels really important and distracts him from being naughty, like he'll help me bath his brother or he puts the dishes away for me when im doing the washing up etc.
On the whole it does get a little easier as they can understand more, my son seems so grown up sometimes, the time just goes to fast, love having little conversations with him. Bad behaviour phases do pass but like someone else said what you worry about changes.