I was only 25 when my first child was born and I think I was too young to appreciate young children at the time.
My youngest was born when I was 44 and being a parent to her while she's just a little girl has been more enjoyable. It wasn't until after I'd been through parenting through typical teenage stuff like drugs, sex, pregnancy, court, etc., that I appreciated the ease of parenting a baby or toddler or preschooler.