I'm always so stunned by this. Young kids are so hard, but they say teens are the hardest! 11 years old is so nice. You can still cuddle, they like to be read to and mostly listen the 3rd time you say it.
I've only got young kids, so I have only experienced tired and frustrated. But even our bad days only last a day, tops. What I haven't experienced, but do observe in colleagues with teenagers, is utter despondency and emotional collapse due to a cloud of rancor that's been hanging over the family for weeks on end.
