As a mother of five, I agree with you...the newborn state is not actually difficult at all (provided you believe in sleep training your babies). However, I completely disagree with you about toddlers being savages. None of my five EVER had temper tantrums or talked back or disobeyed me in any way. I did not have any behavioral issues with any of my brood of five when they were toddlers (NOTE - the teenage years are another matter entirely). My personal opinion is that you get out of your children what you put into them. If you believe in laissez faire parenting (or even worse...attachment parenting)....then you raise entitled little monsters who care for nothing and no one but themselves and their own desires. If you raise your children to have a respectful fear of you and other adults, you will have no problems at all