There are wonderful – and not-so wonderful – things about every stage of a child’s life. But for parents, certain years are particularly enjoyable and hold a special place in their hearts.

With that in mind, we reached out to parents and caregivers to ask what their absolute favourite age for kids is. Read on for their honest responses, with plenty of reminders about the joy of the entire journey.

Age 4-5 months

“Each age leads to its own set of triumphs and challenges, but my favourite so far is the sweet spot of four and five months. They’re still cute little babies, but they’re starting to smile and laugh and they haven’t started teething yet. They’re not really mobile. I found, at this stage, they were just starting to sleep better and didn’t wake up as much throughout the night. I didn’t have to worry about feeding solid foods yet. This was when I was finally able to get my children to follow a routine.”

–Stephanie Claytor, founder of the family travel blog Blacktrekking

Age 4-7 months

“I’ve loved every stage more than the last, but there’s something really special about the 4-7 month stage when babies’ personalities start to emerge, they start trying solid foods, they sleep better, and are generally delightful little, squishy giggle machines. Absolutely delicious!”

–Amanda DeLuca, founder and CEO of the parenting app Riley

Age 2

“I wrote a poem about this, and not so ironically, it is called ‘My Favourite’ and how it........

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