I have just re read my own post and I feel bad about the tone of it, it came out sounding nasty. But in fact I do have that exact conversation very regularly with my DH. People keep telling me to "stand around and chat with the other parents" to make friends for myself or my kids. To "spend some time in the classroom" to see where my kids are at or how best to support them. And I see other parents can actually to this because their toddlers just sit there, while mine is running with scissors or writhing in my arms like a screaming octopus. Sure I know they'll likely be great adults. By more of the good stuff has also come with more of the "absolute nightmare to parent from 6 months to 3+ years old". I would LOVE to make some friends, have more playdates for my older kids, spend time in the classroom etc. but one's toddler needs to be a bit more managable than mine is for that to work. It would be such a relief to have her sit nicely on my arm like a handbag just once. I am mentally and physically exauhsted.... Yeah I notice other people's kids are different, and short term I wish mine were too and that lead to me sounding far nastier in my first post than I intended. I don't love how different and difficult my toddler is in public. Yes she's "more", it's not always a good thing, though when she's not screaming like a banshee other people appear to find her fascinating.

Oh and for whoever asked, I HAVE had an older sibling ask loudly in the supermarket why our toddler was so much bigger, taller and smarter than all the other kids her age. That was yet another "will the ground just swallow me up now please" moment, I did not have a good answer ready and "she's not" would be patently untrue...she is all of those things.