Well, according to a survey conducted by OnePoll and sponsored by Mixbook, the majority of parents think ages 2, 3, and 4 are a piece of cake compared to 8. It does make sense why 8 can be a tough age: Eight is officially a big kid.
1-3 Months
The first three months with your baby often seem the hardest. Sleep-deprived parents can feel overwhelmed, but that is normal and you will quickly learn how to read your baby's cues and personality.
One's late twenties and early thirties, from an emotional perspective, are therefore the worst part of life. It's during these years that people experience the most negative thoughts and feelings and experience the most mind wandering, a psychological state that has been shown to be detrimental to well-being.
These little ones are developing their language, memory and imagination, and it's a time of discovery, as parents begin to see their kid's personality shine. It's also a time when both kids and parents struggle with unpredictability, expectations and boundary setting, particularly in uncertain situations.
Parent Tip
Recent brain research indicates that birth to age three are the most important years in a child's development. Here are some tips to consider during your child's early years: Be warm, loving, and responsive. Talk, read, and sing to your child.
The first thousand days of life start from gestation (270 days) until the child is 2 years old (730 days). The first years of life play an important role in the growth and development of a child, known as the golden period or the golden period because at this time there is rapid brain development. .
One of the main reasons is how fast the brain grows starting before birth and continuing into early childhood. Although the brain continues to develop and change into adulthood, the first 8 years can build a foundation for future learning, health and life success.
Four-year-olds are usually better behaved than three-year-olds because they've developed the social skills to alter their behavior based on their situation and location. At three years old, toddlers are still learning to regulate their own emotions and have a harder time controlling their actions.
Stress. A TODAYMoms.com survey of more that 7,000 mothers found that the least stressful number of kids is four, while the most stressful number is three. Scary Mommy blogger Jill Smokler told Today that she wholeheartedly agrees. “Going from one to two was an easy, breezy transition,” she said.
Grow your family to at least four children! According to a study out of Australia's Edith Cowan University, parents with the most life satisfaction (which means those who are the happiest) are those that have four or more children.
According to a study published in the Social Indicators Research journal, we're the happiest between the ages of 30-34, and midlife (our 40s and 50s) is not perceived as the least happy period in life.
The 20s are a time of transition and change, and this can be a difficult and stressful time for many people. The pressure to succeed in career, relationships, and finding a sense of identity can take a toll on mental health. Many young adults experience feelings of anxiety and depression during their 20s.
For some people, the perfect age is when our opportunities are greatest, which would skew younger. For others, it's when life satisfaction is greatest, which skews older. Others say it's when they are at their physical peak or have the most friends—in their 20s or 30s.
Forty percent of survey participants felt that five was the most fun age. This was thought to be down to improved communication skills and the development of a good sense of humour. The survey also found that parents had the least fun with the 10 to 12 year old children.
Health experts share that fertility starts to decline substantially at 32, which further declines at 37. The same goes for the likelihood of success rates of infertility treatments such as IVF. Health risks also start to rise with getting pregnant at a later age, such as hypertension and gestational diabetes.
Obviously, each child and family is different but overall, parents think the hardest years are between 6-8 with 8 being the hardest age to parent. So, what do you think?
In a study conducted by Dr Bronwyn Harman from the Edith Cowan University in Perth, it was found that parents with four or more children are the happiest parents.
After three, you just stop stressing. Another study confirms that parents with four or more children are the least stressed, especially when compared to parents with three kids. Those fears with the first child get less and less as you go along. Turns out, four is the magic number for less stress and more happiness.
Having three children creates such a sense of familial joy that the extra work (mostly) feels worth it: You get three times the love – From the time they are born, your kids love you. Passionately and demonstrably. With three kids, you get that three times over.
While it's true that 4-year-olds are usually more reasonable than 2- or 3-year-olds, they are still young children, and can be difficult to parent at times. In certain ways, they are even more willful than when they were younger, and their verbal skills make them more able to argue about even the littlest thing.
For some parents, infancy is the hardest. For others, it's toddlerhood. Some parents feel that the preschool years present special challenges.
Most children this age begin to develop greater independence, self-control, and creativity. They are content to play with their toys for longer periods of time, are eager to try new things, and when they get frustrated, are better able to express their emotions.
In fact, children's brains develop connections faster in the first 5 years than at any other time in their lives. This is the time when the foundations for learning, health and behaviour throughout life are laid down. Babies are born ready to learn, and their brains develop through use.
Early childhood experiences from birth to age 8 affect the development of the brain's architecture, which provides the foundation for all future learning, behavior and health. A strong foundation helps children develop the skills they need to become well-functioning adults.
During the first six years a child's brain develops faster than during any other period of life and its early development will set course for any future evolvement. During this period the base for a successful education in the future can be laid.