One parenting joy is the ability to bitch about the difficulty of raising a (insert age of child here). New parents struggle to stay sane while caring for a helpless, poop-machine. Toddler parents contend with tantrums, crayon murals and picky eating. School-age kids bring constant questions and whining. And, the adolescent years? Yeah, not even gonna touch that.

Seems almost every stage of parenthood has its challenges. So, is there an age when things are not so bad, or even great?

After nearly five years of completely unscientific research, I have concluded the period between four and six months is the most pleasant age for children.

At five months old, babies are starting to do cute things like smile and roll around. You can plop them down almost anywhere without fear of them crawling away. They might not be sleeping through the night (mine weren’t at that age), but likely they are on some sort of routine. They communicate with adorable babbling and are more engaging than in their newborn years. Babies this age are eager to try new foods and many can even feed themselves.

Even the less awesome stuff, like diaper changing, isn’t as bad as the numerous blowouts of newborns, or the oh-so-fun curious toddler-inspired fecal experimentation or preschool potty-training fiascoes. Sure you may have a squirmy baby, but at least he’s not going to run off with a poop-filled nappy in his hand.

If you have a five-month-old and wondering, wait is this as good as it gets? Well, yes, yes it is. Just kidding. Sort of. You have a lot of amazing milestones to witness. Soon your baby will be crawling, then walking. Those adorable coos will give way to actual words, and soon your baby will become a full fledged human with emotions, interests and a personality all her own.

Until then, enjoy your adorable baby!