Teens or Toddlers? Which is worse?

[MagicalMom]

Oh I am so with all of you!!! My DS just turned 15 and there are days that I'm so ready for him to be packing for college. His latest *itch is that he wants to drive. Ummmmm..NO FREAKING WAY! I have to remind him to change his dang underwear and I ask if he brushed his teeth cause if I didn't, he wouldn't! I get the rolling of the eyes, the blank stares and he interupts every dang sentence that I speak to him. I told him that the disrespect was OVER and that I wouldn't tolerate him treating me that way......you know what sucks the most about that?? I had to LOOK UP to say it!!!
Where did my cute little, barney loving baby boy go?

I told my DD that there will be no drivers license until I am confident that she really actually stop at stop signs & look both ways without me there! If she can't remember to put things away how on earth will she remember to put gas in the car?? She keeps telling me all about the corvette she's going to get??? Wonder who she thinks is buying that?

 

[Kitty 34]

I think I'm in the minority here but I have so loved the teens years!!! My 18 yr old drove me nuts his toddler/ terrible twos thru four years!!! My 16 yr old DS is so easy and when my oldest went thru his teens, he was fine, too.

Of course I absolutely love teaching Junior High and yes I have dealt with some teen issues at school.....maybe that's why my boys seemed like gems!!

 

[disykat]

I didn't think the toddler stage was bad at all. Newborn was a little rough. However, they were both a picnic compared to teen - and I've only just started with my oldest being 13.

 

[Karel]

I actually prefer teenagers. Mostly, because you can separate yourself from them when need be.

 

[Blondy876]

I have a toddler now and remember her older sister when she was little. And even though I don't have teens yet to compare the two, I would say that toddlers are better to deal with. At least when they are toddlers they are smaller and more easily controled (sort of). The upcoming teen years make me nervous.

 

[MamaLema]

My boys are 2, 7, and 9 and you guys have me scared silly right now

 

[L107ANGEL]

Hands down! Teenagers! Try having 2 teen girls and a up and coming teen girl And people wonder why I drink

 

[kilee]

I am so feeling your pain. My son literally can go from happy-go-lucky to the you-are-ruining-my-life in 0.2 seconds. He turns 13 next week and it pretty much started over the summer w/ us and got 100 times worse when school started back up.

We had probably a 1 yr rough spot when he was a toddler. Many could he pitch a fit-- but looking back those don't seem so bad.

I was so naive because I honestly thought having a boy wasn't going to be so bad in the teen phase-- but I was so wrong. He and dh all of a sudden can barely get along either. My dh was telling me just yesterday how guilty he feels- but ds does nothing but drive him crazy nowadays. It's the moodiness and the sulking and the attitude that even if he's clearly wrong- it has to be our fault. Oh and the mouth-- he's testing his limits every 10 minutes.

 

[kilee]

I just wanted to add this thread literally made my day-- I actually got a little misty. Just knowing I wasn't alone-- sometimes I feel SOOOOO alone in this w/ him. I keep telling myself it's normal. And we have that same child that is so "perfect" in front of anyone we know- so they have no clue what I'm talking about- they look at ME like I have the problem.

 

[Chris2597]

It depends on the child....but I prefer the toddler years. My youngest dd17 is really pretty easy, oldest dd was sensitive , but easy.....NOW ds20 has been difficult since he became a teen . I am hoping that his 20's will be different (he just turned 20 last week)....I would definetly say toddler when it concerns ds.

 

[HeatherH]

TEENS!

The toddler years are SHORT, the teen years just seem to go on for eternity...

 

[DawnCt1]

I have never had to wait up for a toddler to come home. I will take a toddler any day except that they grow into teens.