Parenting is filled with highs and lows, as different stages of a child's life present unexpected challenges.

When it comes to the joys and challenges of parenting, not all stages of a child’s life are created equal.

“As a dad to two children, I’ve now had the full tour of early childhood,” author and Dope Black Dads founder Marvyn Harrison told HuffPost. “And while I’ve grown into the role, I’ll be honest: Some ages feel like warm Caribbean beaches … others feel like delayed Gatwick flights at Christmas.”

With that in mind, we reached out to parents and caregivers to ask what their least favourite age is for kids. Read on for their honest responses (and check out their favourite ages here).

The newborn phase

“I really, really struggled with the newborn phase. The lack of sleep and lack of interaction (babies can’t socially smile until 6-7 weeks!) was tough for me. Fortunately, the newborn phase is short-lived!” ―Amanda DeLuca, founder and CEO of the parenting app Riley

“I’m going to contradict myself here (which is the push and pull of motherhood in a nutshell), but probably the early newborn days. I see newborns now and get that pang, that longing (even though I don’t want another baby), I remember how tender and sacred mothering in the darkness of 2 a.m. was, learning about each other and the pain of that too. And yet – if I am honest – I felt so out of body during this time. I longed for some autonomy again, some routine, to spend 1:1 time with my other children, to sleep, to not worry so much about every........

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