Can you think of one thing that gets easier as you get older

Afraid I can’t really agree. The best bit about being older for me is having grandchildren. The only thing about being young that I don’t miss is dealing with teenage children. As I get older I am becoming more tired, stiff, achy and anxious and really miss being younger.

I like myself now and dont do what i dont want too, haveing the time to help my family cooking a meal doing the ironing but the best thing is being a kid again with my 4 grandsons and learning from them and best of all grandaughter on way in November life is good.

I'm not quite out of the worrying phase yet (I'm 69) Just had another call from teenage GD, tears, tantrum, 'needing' £ etc etc! ?

Same with me Witzend.
And i love it.

Lots of what’s already been said.
Not worrying if I can’t sleep; an e-book is a marvellous substitute and only working afternoons means I can catch a few ?? when I used to be getting up.
Not immediately thinking I must be wrong when someone disagrees with my opinion.
Realising that, if I put a mask on as I leave the house to go shopping, I don’t need my usual make up routine, just eye make up. ?

A lot of us gave the same answers: more assertive, stopped being a people’s pleaser, more money to spend in non essentials, being able to do exactly what I want to do!

I think things get easier when we grow older because we have been doing them longer. So we maybe have less worry when problem solving.

As I am getting older, I feel more grateful for the beautiful things like plants, flowers, the view, and art in my life. Happier, and with less.

Also when I was a young married woman we lived on almost nothing, and I kept a close eye on our finances so we could manage. I am glad of this experience of living frugally and carefully as now have small income again and it helps that I’ve lived off one before.

Finally, grey hair, I have embraced it with a smart short bob, no dyeing and can wear comfy shoes and boots 24/7!

I now do an Anna ‘Let it go’ no point stressing over what you can’t change x

What lovely positive responses. You've all made my morning.

Wisdom and integrity, knowing yourself and having the confidence to be who you are. All of this equips you with the ability to make a much better contribution to society, your family and your friends.

to stop fighting with ideals 'out there' that somehow we are supposed to aim for.
when i realised that the richest person is the one whose needs are the least.
When i told someone i have never liked but tolerated for many years to 'go away' but not in a polite way!
to totally accept myself, all the wrongs and rights.
stop pleasing others .
saying no. Accepting there may be a reason for my existence
And surely god cannot be a man!

Such a lot on here that is me.
I also find it easier to not be so frugal. We had very little spare cash when I was living with my parents, and also when our own family was small.
Now I can discard something without a pang of regret.

I hope the patience and acceptance kick in soon.....

Better without kids milling around I guess- we had 4 so it was full on. Grandchildren are so much easier and they never argue! Not that we are allowed near then with our isolation here.

Sorry my post was in answer to honey rose.

Expressing my opinion on things and saying what I need, instead of other people, like builders for example, deciding what height my kitchen cupboards will be at. It's easier to be more assertive, I'm far more confident now I'm older.

No longer a people pleaser, beating the clock, able to say No thanks without having to justify the reason, choosing the company of those who positive, and so glad I don’t have to be part of the rat-race. Treasuring every day left to me and telling my family how much I love them. All my Life moving mountains, and now just content watching the clouds and remembering - often with a silly grin on my face!

I could have written this, it was me to a tee.

Why are people so bothered by appearances? They feel they have to live somewhere in keeping with their status.

Earlier this year we decided to downsize, drastically. Several "friends" have been a bit amused by the idea of us moving to a flat on an estate in an unfasionable area - I'm thinking only of the lovely river view, the managed gardens and maintenance, the allocated parking, garage and the lack of space to store unneccessary stuff.
We move in next week and I'm looking forward to it (and to spending the money we have freed up!).

I find it easier to admit there are things I don't know and to admit it if I am wrong about something.

I too agree that having finished with the mess and pain of periods is a great blessing.

I am no longer crippled with shyness if I have to talk to strangers, either and I have learned to make a complaint and insist it is listened to and taken seriously whenever that is necessary.

Yes. As others have said, I am far more confident now than I was when I was younger. And it doesn't matter what I look like any more (within reason!)

I started being more assertive in my 50s and learnt to say ‘no’. I think the first time it happened was when I attended a Badminton AGM and the Secretary didn’t turn up to take the minutes. It was simply assumed I would do this as I know shorthand. I refused even as the Chairman badgered me. These days in my 60s, I am fairly relaxed, put my family first etc. Like others on this forum we had no money for years. We had a mortgage, three children and I was a stay at home mum until my youngest was five. Interesting times. Now, we paid off our mortgage a while ago and we have enough savings to help out the offspring when required. Until this pandemic we had several overseas holidays a year and it is good not to have to worry about a new pair of shoes or a meal out. I do appreciate that others are in difficult circumstances so I regularly donate to Charity shops (if I buy a new dress, say, I take a little worn one to Oxfam) and have some standing orders to various charities.

I echo a lot of what everyone else has said, I now find myself challenging things I would have just agreed to in the past. For the first time since I was young I went to Tesco with no make up on lol and didn't have to dress up. Or voicing my opinion (in a nice way), when I was too shy to speak up and turning down things I really don't want to do.

Putting on weight is so much easier, don’t even have to think about it, it just happens.

I don’t fret about things as much as I used to. Much calmer and more willing to wait for things to happen. However, I think I have become more caring of others to the extent that I find people phoning/texting/FaceTiming their problems to me.