I don’t like to speed up time, but the truth is nowadays I am eternally grateful that my daughters are older now. For lots of reasons it has made my life easier though I do fondly reminisce about their younger years – the cuddles and how tiny they were. Here are some of the reasons why I am delighted my kids are older now:
I don’t like to speed up time, but the truth is nowadays I am eternally grateful that my daughters are older now. For lots of reasons it has made my life easier though I do fondly reminisce about their younger years – the cuddles and how tiny they were. Here are some of the reasons why I am delighted my kids are older now:
I can leave the house in minutes
Yes, minutes and furthermore (thanks to a responsible16-year-old daughter) I can leave the house ALONE! Like proper alone! There is no need for panic stations when I must be somewhere quickly – something that has been well tested this summer as I can walk out the door in mere minutes and know that my kids will be ok.
They can wipe their own bum
To be honest I can’t get into their bedrooms even to grab dirty clothes without knocking in case I walk in on them changing. This means I am surplus to requirements on a personal hygiene level and this suits me fine. I hated s&**ty nappies anyway!
I can have proper conversations with them
I don’t know if you realise this, but you know when you teach your kids’ stuff in and about life? Well, they suddenly have all this information and more - thanks to school and can wipe the floor with you regarding politics, general knowledge and the latest must-have trendy item on the market. So, baby talk is out replaced with diverse opinions discussing how to solve the plastic recycling crisis which is cool but kind of intimidating too!
They love to sleep
Yes, it is true - what you have heard, most older kids love to sleep and will happily do so for hours in the morning moreover, they will be quite happy to relax in the morning while amusing themselves without squealing or crying over spilt baby food. This means more relaxation time for us and this is music to parent’s ears after years of sleepless nights.
We can go places and not bring everything but the kitchen sink
It is so much simpler with older kids – you can go out with little or no disruption. There is no need to plan feeds, but it is best to feed them as older kids do love their food! Going places can be fun and not nearly as stressful as previous years with moody babies or chasing toddlers. That said, you might have to drag older kids out the door as they do love their devices and screen time!
You can be lazy
Older kids love relaxing and are happy to watch Netflix or movies if parents are tired after work. They won’t jump on top of you and demand to be entertained instead, they are happy to sit and chill out for a while. As kids get older they have busy lives too– like parents so they really love a chilling out session, in fact, they need it.
They can do chores
At the moment I have the teenager cooking dinner at least three times a week and she does help care for her younger sibling when I am busy. They both feed the pets, clean the house sometimes and fold up laundry. This is bloody fantastic!
Written by Emma Hayes staff writer at FFHQ who also blogs at www.emmamadjotters.com.
