I can never really tell what’s harder - toddlers or newborns. You adapt to each phase and you sort of forget what the months before were like. As your kids get older, the challenges change but when is the toughest time for parents in the first few years
Sleep
When you have a newborn, you get such fractured sleep. They feed and wake so much, that sometimes you don’t know if you’re coming or going! The thing is, they can go from 100 to sleep in seconds, bonus.
Toddlers are a bit different. They pull you into a false sense of security and then a week or two later they’re back to their mischievous sleeping ways. Man, I miss the naps too - they’re getting shorter and shorter!
Noise
Controversial, but newborn crying doesn’t really offend me. There comes a time when a baby finds their voice though, that can be a challenge! The other thing is, babies settle so much quicker.
I guess the main thing with toddler noise is words. Crying is one thing, but repeating a handful of words hundreds of times can be testing. It’s way more fun in this phase as toddlers are more inclined to interact, but toddler noise is a new kind of overload for your ears.
Danger
Toddlers are danger magnets. Everything is a game, every step and ledge a challenge…it sends your blood pressure through the roof - so stressful. They’re into everything and the second hit back is turned, the wall has been drawn on. They’re little pocket rockets.
In contrast, you worry about babies a lot, but in reality, they struggle to do themselves much harm. They’re strangely still beside the odd arm wave here and there! Babies stress you in different r ways because they can’t communicate. I guess it depends on how relaxed you are!
Entertaining
Babies can be entertained for hours and hours with the simplest of things. Leaves and trees will do the job! It’s incredible watching them discover the world. You don’t need all the gimmicks and gadgets, they’re just happy chilling a lot of the time.
Toddlers are similar in a way. But I find that the complication comes from their possessiveness. They get attached to random objects that may entertain them for hours, but simply become the most valuable thing in the world to them…a mouldy stick, a random stone, you name it, they’ll love it.
Out and about
The cooing over a newborn is unrivalled. The flip side of the coin is the tan trimming toddler - now contest really.
I guess she. You’re in it, it’s hard to see the wood from the trees, as it turns out parenting is just plain tough!
