Parents think eight is the hardest age to parent, survey finds

18 November 2020, 11:27

By Alice Dear

If you thought the 'terrible twos' were bad, wait until your little one reaches eight.

New research has found that parents think eight is the hardest age to parent your children.

The poll, carried out by OnePoll, and sponsored by Mixbook, found that the majority of parents from the 2,000 people surveyed thought their children where harder to deal with at age eight.

The survey also found, however, that parents believe their children's worst tantrums come at seven-years-old.

In fact, a quarter of parents thought that between the ages of six and eight, their children had the most outbursts of bad moods.

READ MORE: Couple who adopted four children give birth to quadruplets just months later

This new research may come as a shock to many, who have been lead to believe two-years-old is the trickiest, with it being nicknamed the 'terrible twos'.

The poll also found the three biggest milestones for parents in their child's life.

The first with 42 per cent was their first day at kindergarten or nursery, the second the first time their child walked somewhere alone with 37 per cent, and the third when they start school with 35 per cent.

The average age children embarrass their parents the most was six-years-old, the survey found.

The most embarrassing moments for parents, according to the research, included their child shouting something inappropriate in public, undressing in public or accidentally taking something without paying for it.

And while the younger years may be tough, when they mature and hit their late teens, they can become your friends.

The poll found that the average age parents start to see their child as a friend is 19.

READ NOW: Scotland becomes first part of the UK to ban smacking children