What is Your Favorite Age?

It’s pretty apparent that many parents have a definite least favorite age. But what about the favorite age? If you could, when would you grab the pause button and freeze time for a bit to enjoy everything a certain age has to offer?

I was recently told by a friend that three is her favorite age. My jaw definitely dropped at that statement. But that’s when it was confirmed to me that every single parent has different opinions and preferences when it comes to the different ages of their kiddos.

Keeping in mind that I’m limited to my 4.5 years of motherhood, I do have favorite ages and stages thus far. My very favorites are the following:

• 9 months - 18 months

• 18 months - 30 months (2.5 years)

• 4 years old

As you can tell, I’m not huge into the baby phase. Not because cuddles and the mama bond weren’t amazing, but because of the lack of sleep, slight paranoia, definite hormones, and the constant figuring-things-out mode. It’s a bit much for me. You’ll also notice that I skipped right over three. I shouldn’t have to explain myself here, but in case you’re like my neighbor, here’s a little insight into the threenagers.

I originally had 9 months - 2.5 years clumped together as one big phase, but decided they deserved to be separated. Not just because of the largeness of the range but because splitting them up into two allows me to more correctly break down why I love them.

9-18 months

They aren’t just interactive, they have personality! They’re curious, but not mischievous, they are 100% into physical development, but not quite independent enough that you’re left in the dust. They are along for the ride and love to watch what goes on around them and soak in every little bit. At this age (hopefully), they also settle into more of a predictable schedule - particularly when it comes to sleep!

18 months - 2.5 years

They learn something new or say something new every. single. day. They’re old enough to follow directions and understand most of what you say but not quite old enough to know that they have the option to defy or sass what you say! The words “no” and “mine” may be spoken frequently as they figure out communication but even in the grumpiest situations, the newness of these words is still adorable and mostly innocent. They explore, explore, explore and completely blow you away by how much knowledge is attained.

Age 4

Coming off of an emotional rollercoaster such as the three-year-old stage, you’d take just about any stage. But I have the feeling despite that fact, age 4 is still pretty great. It’s a special age where questions are more thoughtful and statements are more heartfelt. Academic knowledge definitely makes a prominent appearance here as things begin to permanently root. A whole lot of independence appears, but they still rely on you for just about everything. And the excitement about life and everything life has to offer is the icing on the cake.

Now, there’s a chance that I’m just 100% biased, since my children currently fall into these loved ages of mine. BUT I’m thinking I may be on to something and that these could remain my favorites. But whether that changes or not (whether I’m biased or not), I’m consciously aware of how much I love the stages we’re currently in, and I’m doing my best to enjoy every single day, so I’ll count that as a win.

So what about you? What is your favorite age? Different than mine? The same as mine but for different reasons? Think about it for a bit! Of course, there are awesome things about every stage of parenthood, but if you’re fortunate enough to be experiencing a current age that you LOVE... I hope you enjoy every minute!

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