Mom's Honest Take on Parenting Goes Viral: 'One Window of Enjoyment'
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Parenting comes with challenges, joys and a fair share of chaos—but according to one mom, there's a surprisingly narrow "sweet spot" when it comes to truly enjoying it.
In a clip on TikTok, Nicole Collings from the southeast of England (@nicoleisthisme) explained what she called the "one window of enjoyment" in raising children.
Her verdict: it's roughly between the ages of 5 and 11, with 12 being the outer limit "and that's being generous."
Mom, 40, with blonde hair wearing white shirt speaking to camera for TikTok video.
Mom, 40, with blonde hair wearing white shirt speaking to camera for TikTok video.
@nicoleisthisme
"The baby stage? Hard—cute, but hard," the mom of three said in the video. "Once they get on the move—impossible. Especially when you've got more than one."
Collings, 40, explained that things start to get easier around age 3, and by 4 or 5, parents can "see the light at the end of the tunnel." But from there, the real magic begins, until it suddenly vanishes.
"When they turn 11 or 12, the magic leaves," Collings said. "Father Christmas, the tooth fairy and the magic of Disney movies vanish.
"All those cute little days out that you used to have at theme parks, the farm, the park, picnics? Gone. That is replaced with being a constant taxi driver and an ATM machine."
Collings told Newsweek she first came up with her theory during a sleepless night while her three teenagers—two 13 year olds and a 15-year-old—were chatting loudly on FaceTime and raiding the kitchen.
"I realized how different things were compared to when they were younger," she said. "It made me reflect on those magical early years, which inspired me to share my perspective on TikTok."
For Collings, that 5-to-11 window wasn't defined by a single memory but by a season of life filled with wonder.
"I used to go all out for Christmas, Easter and Halloween, transforming our home into a wonderland," she said. "Seeing my children's faces light up with excitement was incredibly rewarding. Family outings to water parks, theme parks, or even simple picnics were such special times."
But as her kids approached their teens, the shift was swift. "They became less engaged in family activities and more focused on friends," she said. "The bedtime stories and cozy movie nights faded away, and I felt like the magic had slipped through my fingers."
Collings' clip struck a chord online. Amassing over 350,000 views and hundreds of comments, many other parents said they'd experienced the same bittersweet shift.
"You've hit the nail on the head. My eldest is 13. We're currently on holiday and constantly been called cringe, embarrassing and been told this is the worse holiday ever," one user wrote.
"Eleven-25 could really have dodged those years. They're lovely after that though," another parent shared.
Collings' message to other parents with babies and toddlers would be to savor every moment.
"Don't wish it away," she said. "Embrace the messiness of toys and a chaotic house because, before you know it, those toys will be replaced by iPads and iPhones, and you might find yourself missing the noise and chaos."
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